S04.E01: The Beginning of the End

[TexasGal]

Quote

Marty and Wendy wrestle with a problematic offer.  Ruth goes out on her own, Jonah rebels, and Omar's nephew makes his presence known.

Airdate: 01.21.2022

[Chaos Theory]

I love how in the talk about percentages it’s not the money cut between Darlene, Ruth and Wyatt that is the issue with Darlene but who gets custody of Wyatt.   I mean it does make sense because the two of them split 75% of the business.   But it was still fun to watch.  And I actually do kind of like the relationship between Darleen and Wyatt.  

“You don’t think attempted murder is cause for grounding?”

What I love about this show is that such a minor event like a guy looking for a signature could end up being a huge problem for the Byrdes.    They can’t exactly tell him that Helen got her brains blown out in Mexico so he will keep picking and actually end up being more of an issue then the FBI or Darlene, Ruth and Wyatt.  
 

I really like the idea that Jonah is working with Ruth.  It makes sense.  He’s been pushing at the edges since he found out his father laundered money.  Now that he knows his mom ok’d the murder of his uncle it’s the perfect excuse for him to rebel and makes far more sense then the half ass rebellion of his sister who I like more playing “company man”.   It is an interesting family dynamic.  

Not to mention Javi who is likely working against them and his uncle because family sucks. 

Poor sheriff.  You were a sucky  dirty sheriff but you didn’t deserve to go out like that…..actually attempting to do your job.  

Edited January 21, 2022 by Chaos Theory

[BrodysMother]

The fact that they used "Can I Kick It" by A Tribe Called Quest and "Bam Bam" by Sister Nancy made the episode for me.  

[paulvdb]

So that conversation between Charlotte and Jonah about Wendy killing Ben being like Charlotte killing Jonah. Are they foreshadowing Charlotte getting in a situation where she might kill Jonah? Or maybe the other way round, Ben killing Charlotte?

[AZChristian]

First episode did not disappoint.

Okay, I'm gonna ask a question here.  Are we the only ones that didn't pick up on the fact that the big O graphic at the beginning of each episode was intentionally divided into four quarters . . . each one graphically representing Z, A, R, K?

We are sometimes slow on the uptake.  LOL.

[Artsda]

I'm all for Jonah killing Wendy at this point. Liked him siding with Ruth.

Seeing this episode made me remember how much I can't stand her. 

Charlotte's gone stepford daughter. Getting opinions of her own is right on with Jonah's comment.

The Mexican nephew is crazy. The poor Sheriff. :(  Wendy's big mouth caused that.

[SoMuchTV]

I’m feeling very dim now, but can someone help me understand the timeline at the beginning of the episode?  Marty and Wendy and both kids are in the car and are run off the road, resulting in a violent multi-rollover.  Then Marty and Wendy are at the cartel guy’s estate, picking glass out of their hair, no sign of the kids. Then they talk to cartel guy and his nephew. There seem to be no lingering injuries for anyone. And the kids seem to be back home. 

Was some of that a flashback or flash forward or dream sequence?  I feel like I’m missing something I should have understood. 

[AZChristian]

13 minutes ago, SoMuchTV said:

I’m feeling very dim now, but can someone help me understand the timeline at the beginning of the episode?  Marty and Wendy and both kids are in the car and are run off the road, resulting in a violent multi-rollover.  Then Marty and Wendy are at the cartel guy’s estate, picking glass out of their hair, no sign of the kids. Then they talk to cartel guy and his nephew. There seem to be no lingering injuries for anyone. And the kids seem to be back home. 

Was some of that a flashback or flash forward or dream sequence?  I feel like I’m missing something I should have understood. 

I agree. It was confusing. I think it was a flash forward or an upcoming dream sequence.  Hopefully, we'll find out at some point. 

[Chaos Theory]

2 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

I’m feeling very dim now, but can someone help me understand the timeline at the beginning of the episode?  Marty and Wendy and both kids are in the car and are run off the road, resulting in a violent multi-rollover.  Then Marty and Wendy are at the cartel guy’s estate, picking glass out of their hair, no sign of the kids. Then they talk to cartel guy and his nephew. There seem to be no lingering injuries for anyone. And the kids seem to be back home. 

Was some of that a flashback or flash forward or dream sequence?  I feel like I’m missing something I should have understood. 

It’s either a flash forward or vague symbolism.   It could be other but I think it  is more then likely an event in the future where the family is driving and get into a random crash where even they can’t control.   Because even the great Marty and Helen have events that are just plain old random.  

Edited January 22, 2022 by Chaos Theory

[SoMuchTV]

2 hours ago, AZChristian said:

I agree. It was confusing. I think it was a flash forward or an upcoming dream sequence.  Hopefully, we'll find out at some point. 

 

1 hour ago, Chaos Theory said:

It’s either a flash forward or vague symbolism.   It could be other but I think it  is more then likely an event in the future where the family is driving and get into a random crash where even they can’t control.   Because even the great Narty and Helen have events that are just plain old random.  

Yeah, I’m probably overthinking it. It’s just that there was so much continuity— crash-glass in hair- clothes they changed into- stuff the cartel boss talked about, that came up later - clothes they were wearing later— but the kids being in the car didn’t fit. I’ll keep watching and see if it eventually makes sense. 

[Haleth]

They’ve started other seasons with a flash forward.  Was it 2 or 3 they were talking about running away to Australia?  

Edited January 22, 2022 by Haleth

[WritinMan]

Wendy is insufferable.

Great to have this show back.

Sucks that the final season has been split in two parts.

[lostsock]

I took the opening scene (after the car crash) to be the aftermath of Helen getting her brains blown out. Marty and Wendy were standing right next to her when it happened. That wasn't glass they were picking out of their hair. 

[Giuseppe]

6 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

I’m feeling very dim now, but can someone help me understand the timeline at the beginning of the episode?  Marty and Wendy and both kids are in the car and are run off the road, resulting in a violent multi-rollover.  Then Marty and Wendy are at the cartel guy’s estate, picking glass out of their hair, no sign of the kids. Then they talk to cartel guy and his nephew. There seem to be no lingering injuries for anyone. And the kids seem to be back home. 

Was some of that a flashback or flash forward or dream sequence?  I feel like I’m missing something I should have understood. 

The car crash was probably a future scene that hasn't played out yet. As @lostsock said above me, the scene of them cleaning up in the bathroom was back to the present right after Helen's brains went bye-bye. Probably a weird editing decision to put an accident scene right before showing Marty and Wendy with unrelated bloody hair, since it apparently confused so many.

I'd completely forgotten about Wendy having her brother killed. Last I remembered he'd driven off or something. If I hadn't watched the recap trailer, I'd have been really lost.

 

Edited January 22, 2022 by Giuseppe

[Haleth]

I thought it was pretty clear the accident will happen sometime in the future.  Either Wendy or Marty said something about only 2 more weeks days (edited for correction) and they'll be free.  Quick cut to the present and the aftermath of Helen's murder.  They both cleaned up pretty quickly to make nice at the party.

Javi is crazier than his uncle.

The PI can't be who he says he is.  He is using Helen's husband as a pretext for snooping, right?

In prior seasons I could not stand Darlene.  She killed her husband and stole a baby and is BSC.  Yet I'm kind of rooting for her and definitely for Wyatt and Ruth to come out of this alive.  I want to like Jonah but he is so reckless he's going to get a lot of people killed.  Unless they all die in the car accident, of course.  (But they won't, of course.)

Edited January 22, 2022 by Haleth

[Penman61]

Pre-crash dialogue will probably be significant:

[Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home To Me” plays on car radio]

Wendy: God, I love his voice.

[Marty turns up the volume. They exchange a smile.]

Marty: We’re all set for the FBI tomorrow.

Wendy: Oh, joy. [pause] What’s their temperature?

Marty: Does it get above chilly?

Wendy: Well, they’ll be there, anyway.

Marty: Mm-hmm, that is true.

Wendy: Forty-eight more hours. [to kids] I’m calling the moving company this afternoon.

Charlotte: Whenever. Jonah and I are packed.

Charlotte [smiling, to Marty]: Too soon?

Marty: Yeah, much.

Charlotte: Okay.

Charlotte: Well, um, we found an old stack of hundreds from the Blue Cat wall.

Marty: Really?

Charlotte: We just decided to leave it for someone to find one day.

Jonah: We put it in the Bible.

Wendy: Well, that will go unfound for a long time.

Wendy: How’s the top of the Belle looking?

Marty: Incredible, and we’ve doubled our table space to handle all the RSVPs

Wendy (to Jonah): Don’t worry, you don’t have to go if you don’t want to.

[Penman61]

Charlotte's "Too soon?" still puzzles me. Appreciate any thoughts. :)

Edited January 22, 2022 by Penman61

[Shermie]

Quote

I’m feeling very dim now, but can someone help me understand the timeline at the beginning of the episode?  Marty and Wendy and both kids are in the car and are run off the road, resulting in a violent multi-rollover.  Then Marty and Wendy are at the cartel guy’s estate, picking glass out of their hair, no sign of the kids. Then they talk to cartel guy and his nephew. There seem to be no lingering injuries for anyone. And the kids seem to be back home. 

It was a flash forward. The scene of Marty and Wendy in the bathroom was in Mexico, a direct follow to the last scene from last season where Helen got shot. Marty and Wendy weren’t picking glass out of their hair, it was bits of brain and bone (!). The accident hasn’t happened yet, as of the end of episode 1.

[PsychoDrone]

The plot armor is strong on Darlene.  I don't care what anyone says, a guy gets his junk blown off by a rival and there WILL be retaliation.  Darlene should be dead, but I at least expected some kind of damage to have been done to her person.  Well, if she and her former husband, that she killed, could survive a hit (by the very efficient cartel hitman, which was also unbelieveable), then anything is possible.

I see Charlotte and Jonah have clearly switched roles.  In the beginning, Charlotte was the insufferable one.  I couldn't stand how she was portrayed.  Now, she's the reasonable one and I've grown to dislike Jonah.  He just comes across as a petulant child, which I guess is the point, but doesn't make it any more enjoyable to watch.

Definitely, looking forward to how all this plays out.  Bring it on!!

[roughing it]

On 1/21/2022 at 8:57 AM, Chaos Theory said:

really like the idea that Jonah is working with Ruth.  It makes sense.  He’s been pushing at the edges since he found out his father laundered money

Jonah, in the previous season, kept trying to ingratiate himself into the family business. He told his parents he had developed shell companies in which to launder money. But mom and dad just kind of patted him on the head and ignored him. Ruth isn’t ignoring him.

[sugarbaker design]

3 hours ago, Penman61 said:

Charlotte's "Too soon?" still puzzles me. Appreciate any thoughts. :)

Too soon because she's packed 48 hours in advance?

On 1/21/2022 at 12:10 PM, AZChristian said:

Are we the only ones that didn't pick up on the fact that the big O graphic at the beginning of each episode was intentionally divided into four quarters . . . each one graphically representing Z, A, R, K?

I've always noticed and tried to place the characters in the plot.  I got two of this weeks:  the keys (motel) and pinata (party in Mexico).  I couldn't get the other two:  parrot and snail?

[Haleth]

3 hours ago, Penman61 said:

Charlotte's "Too soon?" still puzzles me. Appreciate any thoughts. :)

She was making a joke about being packed/packing (as in weapons)?  Had she and Jonah shot someone?  Or maybe she was referring to Jonah threatening Helen?

Edited January 22, 2022 by Haleth

[SoMuchTV]

15 hours ago, lostsock said:

I took the opening scene (after the car crash) to be the aftermath of Helen getting her brains blown out. Marty and Wendy were standing right next to her when it happened. That wasn't glass they were picking out of their hair. 

 

13 hours ago, Giuseppe said:

The car crash was probably a future scene that hasn't played out yet. As @lostsock said above me, the scene of them cleaning up in the bathroom was back to the present right after Helen's brains went bye-bye. Probably a weird editing decision to put an accident scene right before showing Marty and Wendy with unrelated bloody hair, since it apparently confused so many.

 

6 hours ago, Haleth said:

I thought it was pretty clear the accident will happen sometime in the future.  Either Wendy or Marty said something about only 2 more weeks days (edited for correction) and they'll be free.  Quick cut to the present and the aftermath of Helen's murder.  They both cleaned up pretty quickly to make nice at the party.

Very glad this forum exists.  What was totally confusing after two watches is now pretty obvious.  So now, on to speculate about when the crash/rollover does happen.  Season/series finale?  Mid-season cliffhanger...?

[SoTheresThat]

2 hours ago, sugarbaker design said:

Too soon because she's packed 48 hours in advance?

I've always noticed and tried to place the characters in the plot.  I got two of this weeks:  the keys (motel) and pinata (party in Mexico).  I couldn't get the other two:  parrot and snail?

I don't see a snail, I see a croissant and a cinnamon roll.

[sugarbaker design]

20 minutes ago, SoTheresThat said:

I don't see a snail, I see a croissant and a cinnamon roll.

Aha!  Thank you!  I just rewatched, and what I thought was a parrot was in fact a floatie, like the one Wyatt was playing with in the pool.  Mystery solved!

Edited January 22, 2022 by sugarbaker design

[Eureka]

2 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

 

 

Very glad this forum exists.  What was totally confusing after two watches is now pretty obvious.  So now, on to speculate about when the crash/rollover does happen.  Season/series finale?  Mid-season cliffhanger...?

I also think it’s going to be the last episode of part one of the season. And then we have to wait until they drop part two to find out who lives etc.

[SuprSuprElevated]

1 hour ago, Eureka said:

I also think it’s going to be the last episode of part one of the season. And then we have to wait until they drop part two to find out who lives etc.

I realized it was a foretelling, and resented the spoiler frankly, but I like your part one reasoning.  

Edited January 22, 2022 by SuprSuprElevated

[lostsock]

5 hours ago, roughing it said:

Jonah, in the previous season, kept trying to ingratiate himself into the family business. He told his parents he had developed shell companies in which to launder money. But mom and dad just kind of patted him on the head and ignored him. Ruth isn’t ignoring him.

It also seems IMO that Jonah is developing a crush on Ruth. He's going to really try to impress her as much as possible. 

 

1 hour ago, Eureka said:

I also think it’s going to be the last episode of part one of the season. And then we have to wait until they drop part two to find out who lives etc.

I think you're right about that. Good prediction. 

[Chicago Redshirt]

10 hours ago, Haleth said:

The PI can't be who he says he is.  He is using Helen's husband as a pretext for snooping, right?

In prior seasons I could not stand Darlene.  She killed her husband and stole a baby and is BSC.  Yet I'm kind of rooting for her and definitely for Wyatt and Ruth to come out of this alive.  I want to like Jonah but he is so reckless he's going to get a lot of people killed.  Unless they all die in the car accident, of course.  (But they won't, of course.)

I don't see why the PI can't be just a PI trying to get Helen to sign some divorce papers. My memory of things before on Ozark is by no means encyclopedic, but there was I believe a scene or scenes previously showing Helen's ex trying to get her to sign off on divorce papers and Helen dicking him around. Apropos of nothing, to me the actor who plays him looks sort of like an off-brand Jason Bateman so I thought initially he was going to be a Marty relative.

It's hard for me to get Jonah's motivation to throw in with Ruth. Is it just that he's pissed off at Mom for killing Ben? Is it because he wants to impress/hook up with Ruth? Because he wants to be taken seriously by his dad that he would be an asset to the family business?

Because he has to know that helping Ruth is going to potentially present a problem for the family business, that it's not like getting involved in drugs might lead to him, Ruth, his family getting hurt or killed, that it's not a good idea to work for BSC Darlene, and that putting the new-and-improved software in the hands out there might lead to him or his dad getting caught.

7 hours ago, Shermie said:

.The accident hasn’t happened yet, as of the end of episode 1.

I wonder if the incident was a pure "accident." The tractor trailer was completely driving in the wrong lane, and it sounds like the Byrds were en route to meet with the FBI. Whether that was because they were trying to cut a deal against the cartel's interest, or because they somehow had succeeded in laundering Omar to the point where he would be able to freely travel to and from the U.S. and Javi or someone else didn't want this, or if it's the revenge of the rival cartel, are all possibilities.

But then it could just be bad luck too. 

Speaking of, it's kind of beyond insane for Omar to think that the Byrds or anyone could legitimize him.  It's also insane for him to have expected them to deal with Darlene. Like why wouldn't the cartel just send someone to kill her (other than "well, then these plot arcs wouldn't happen?")

[UnknownK]

I think if Omar gave up his entire cartel and the people they pay off to the FEDs they would let him walk (the good outweighing the bad). You have the banks, politicians, cops, judges, port workers, etc. to nail and close those routes.

Granted his people would not have found that amusing and the other cartels who hate him would take him out easily since he is alone.

Darlene was one of the Byrds people so I can see Omar telling them to take care of it.

[EllaWycliffe]

3 minutes ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

I don't see why the PI can't be just a PI trying to get Helen to sign some divorce papers. My memory of things before on Ozark is by no means encyclopedic, but there was I believe a scene or scenes previously showing Helen's ex trying to get her to sign off on divorce papers and Helen dicking him around. Apropos of nothing, to me the actor who plays him looks sort of like an off-brand Jason Bateman so I thought initially he was going to be a Marty relative.

I don't know. In this episode, I could buy he was just a zealous PI but he was really pursuing a signature from Helen with energy that seemed suspicious.

8 minutes ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

It's hard for me to get Jonah's motivation to throw in with Ruth. Is it just that he's pissed off at Mom for killing Ben? Is it because he wants to impress/hook up with Ruth? Because he wants to be taken seriously by his dad that he would be an asset to the family business?

Pissing off Mom because Mom got Ben killed. I mean, thats kinda big. I also think underneath he wants to impress Dad, not sure if Ruth is really someone who's opinion matters to him. At this point. 

 

10 minutes ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

Because he has to know that helping Ruth is going to potentially present a problem for the family business, that it's not like getting involved in drugs might lead to him, Ruth, his family getting hurt or killed, that it's not a good idea to work for BSC Darlene, and that putting the new-and-improved software in the hands out there might lead to him or his dad getting caught.

I mean there's not really any other drug manufacturers that he can ride his bike to in the area. And BSC Darlene and Ruth WILL piss off mom. 

 

30 minutes ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

Speaking of, it's kind of beyond insane for Omar to think that the Byrds or anyone could legitimize him.  It's also insane for him to have expected them to deal with Darlene. Like why wouldn't the cartel just send someone to kill her (other than "well, then these plot arcs wouldn't happen?")

Yeah, really had a hard time with the legitmizing of Omar - and I don't think he'd survive long nor would he handle not killing the servants on whims. 

And sure maybe Omar is a BAD leader but one basic leadership rule is this. Never give an order that you know won't be followed. Marty is never going to *kill* Darlene. Wendy *maybe* but it would need to be in the heat of something. You're running a drug cartel, I am sure you have some assassins available. I mean, the Sulamanca family from Breaking Bad had identical twins for assassins. Come on show!

[SoMuchTV]

1 hour ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

I realized it was a foretelling, and resented the spoiler frankly, but I like your part one reasoning.  

What was the spoiler you’re referring to? If it stemmed from something I posted (I asked the original question about the car crash) I had no inside knowledge to spoil anything, and I didn’t see any responses that appeared to be spoilers. 

Or are you saying that the scene itself is a spoiler that the show gave us?

[EllaWycliffe]

1 minute ago, SoMuchTV said:

Or are you saying that the scene itself is a spoiler that the show gave us?

Not the original power but I did think the car wreck was a future event that we lacked context for and the incoming season would provide... Now I think its a spoiler for the finale.

[SoMuchTV]

Just now, EllaWycliffe said:

Not the original power but I did think the car wreck was a future event that we lacked context for and the incoming season would provide... Now I think its a spoiler for the finale.

It’s probably semantics but I don’t think anything that the show itself shows us would be considered a spoiler. Maybe foreshadowing or even an anvil, but not a spoiler in the sense that I understand the term. But I see what you’re saying. 

[EllaWycliffe]

1 minute ago, SoMuchTV said:

t’s probably semantics but I don’t think anything that the show itself shows us would be considered a spoiler

I get you :)

I just won't be surprised if there's a car wreck next season. 

[SuprSuprElevated]

17 minutes ago, SoMuchTV said:

What was the spoiler you’re referring to? If it stemmed from something I posted (I asked the original question about the car crash) I had no inside knowledge to spoil anything, and I didn’t see any responses that appeared to be spoilers. 

Or are you saying that the scene itself is a spoiler that the show gave us?

This

[Armchair Critic]

From the first scene car wreck I kind of figured it was like Godfather 3 "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in". The Byrdes think they can finally move on then that happens which puts a wrench into their plan.

I have only watched the first episode so don't know what happens at the end of this part of the season...

[DrSpaceman73]

On 1/21/2022 at 6:09 PM, SoMuchTV said:

I’m feeling very dim now, but can someone help me understand the timeline at the beginning of the episode?  Marty and Wendy and both kids are in the car and are run off the road, resulting in a violent multi-rollover.  Then Marty and Wendy are at the cartel guy’s estate, picking glass out of their hair, no sign of the kids. Then they talk to cartel guy and his nephew. There seem to be no lingering injuries for anyone. And the kids seem to be back home. 

Was some of that a flashback or flash forward or dream sequence?  I feel like I’m missing something I should have understood. 

I was confused about this for half the episode but it's a flash forward, then they go back to the end of last season right after the killing. The blood on them isnt from the accident but the gunshot.  

2 hours ago, Armchair Critic said:

From the first scene car wreck I kind of figured it was like Godfather 3 "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in". The Byrdes think they can finally move on then that happens which puts a wrench into their plan.

I have only watched the first episode so don't know what happens at the end of this part of the season...

Yes kind of like that. They think they are calmly and smoothing literally and figuratively driving away but are hit head on with reality.  

And Wendy especially is very much Michael in GF I and II thinking they can make themselves 'legitimate' with foundations and bought off politicians.  

[Haleth]

Speaking of spoilers, do not mistake an article discussing part one for an article discussing episode one.  I just did and regret my mistake.  Just a helpful hint.

[AZChristian]

Maybe that accident is the final scene of the entire show, after the Byrdes have survived their involvement in drug running, money laundering and murder.  The message is, "Karma will get you."

True story:  My birth vessel's boyfriend molested me for 12 years (when I was between 4  and 16 years old) without any legal consequences (while she pretended she didn't know it was going on).  When I was in my late 20s, he turned right on red in front of a garbage truck that was travelling about 50 MPH.  To this day, I refer to it as the day that Karma took out the garbage."

[Shermie]

Quote

BSC Darlene

What does BSC mean?

[EllaWycliffe]

Bat Shit Crazy Darlene

[DoctorAtomic]

Rolling the minivan seemed a little much. It swerved off the road and back. I don't see how it would go on two wheels. In the context of the discussion here, I sure hope the show is not 'spoiling' that the Byrdes don't get away with it. I'm rooting for them to get away. 

20 hours ago, EllaWycliffe said:

Marty is never going to *kill* Darlene. Wendy *maybe* but it would need to be in the heat of something. You're running a drug cartel, I am sure you have some assassins available.

They're correct in Darlene being a problem. I mean, they sent someone for the brother last season. They could do it now. This is the only problem I've had with the show. There's no reason for her to not have been whacked by now except plot. Now, Navarro may be tasking Marty as a show of respect in that it's the Byrde's domain and they can handle it as they want. Myself, I'm not a micromanager; so if I'm with someone who I know is competent, I'm just going to ask them to complete the task. 

21 hours ago, UnknownK said:

Darlene was one of the Byrds people so I can see Omar telling them to take care of it.

That too. 

I'm 100% Ruth all day. I want to see her actually be her own person. Being with Darlene is no good. I like her in partnership with Marty, but I like her taking on expertise in laundering. I'm wondering if the motel is the best choice though. I've never paid cash for a hotel. 

I don't know if it's an acting choice, but Charlotte's mannerisms are totally Wendy. Good job if so. 

I don't know why Marty wouldn't have a rifle at the door or be carrying by now. 

I loved the PI when he was on Ripper Street. Great to see him here. 

Speculating - I certainly agree that Jonah's feelings are valid, but he doesn't have the luxury of being a teenager anymore. He doesn't dial down; there's going to be trouble. 

On 1/21/2022 at 9:03 AM, BrodysMother said:

The fact that they used "Can I Kick It" by A Tribe Called Quest and "Bam Bam" by Sister Nancy made the episode for me.  

I would submit Vehicle as well. I played the cover off of that song in band. 

I actually like Wendy. It's a fresh change of pace with the woman essentially being the Michael Corleone. It really works with Marty's calm delivery; you can see him carefully choosing his words. I'm glad Ruth was legitimately concerned when she learned about Helen. 

[AZChristian]

14 minutes ago, DoctorAtomic said:

I'm 100% Ruth all day. I want to see her actually be her own person. Being with Darlene is no good. I like her in partnership with Marty, but I like her taking on expertise in laundering. I'm wondering if the motel is the best choice though. I've never paid cash for a hotel. 

I don't know if it's an acting choice, but Charlotte's mannerisms are totally Wendy.

I don't think what people are paying for a hotel room that they're worried about laundering.  They use their businesses as a front for "pretending" to pay large (fake) amounts of money for remodeling, supplies (always good to have a bunch of caskets at the funeral home) and inflated payrolls.  Then the difference between the actual cost and the inflated receipts is what is siphoned into offshore accounts as part of the laundering procedure.  I don't think the Blue Cat was MAKING a whole lot of money, but Marty made sure that they were SPENDING a lot to update it.

From the first episode, I was taken with how much "Charlotte" looks like a younger Laura Dern.  But Laura Linney is awesome as her mother, for sure.

[DoctorAtomic]

I don't know if that's sustainable even with the Blue Cat. And at least the Blue Cat was a bar though. I think you still want something that people are going to use cash on the regular. I'm only thinking of Breaking Bad. Car wash,  laundromat, etc. You can still do the remodeling strategy, but you still have the cash business. That's why they bought the casinos. 

I don't think Ruth is nearly the expert she thinks she is and is going to slip up. I don't want to her to, but she's not at Marty's level by any means. 

I like the new Navarro. Potentially fracturing the cartel gives the Byrdes a chance to wriggle away. 

tbh, the sheriff made his own bed. I don't feel bad. 

 

Edited January 23, 2022 by DoctorAtomic

[UnknownK]

Seedy hotels that you can pay for by the hour would be a cash run business I guess but I just don't see how you could justify the volume of money needed to make it work.

[EllaWycliffe]

6 minutes ago, DoctorAtomic said:

I don't know if that's sustainable even with the Blue Cat. And at least the Blue Cat was a bar though. I think you still want something that people are going to use cash on the regular. I'm only thinking of Breaking Bad. Car wash,  laundromat, etc. You can still do the remodeling strategy, but you still have the cash business. That's why they bought the casinos. 

Agreed, but Ruth is needing to launder the cash from Darlene's heroin business, which was previously laundered by the strip club. Let's be honest, Darlene's heroin business is small time chump change and could easily be laundered by a local business or two. Marty and Wendy went into the casino business because of the high volume of cash the cartel wanted them to launder. You can't wash 50 million in cash in a few months at a strip club.

On Breaking Bad, the car wash was used for money laundering but they were so far behind there was literally a storage unit filled with money they couldn't launder because of sheer volume.

10 minutes ago, DoctorAtomic said:

I don't think Ruth is nearly the expert she thinks she is and is going to slip up. I don't want to her to, but she's not at Marty's level by any means. 

She's not but I don't think she's trying to be - she just wants to launder the heroin money. She probably doesn't need Jonah's money expertise to be honest. There's no way Darlene's business is bringing in anything close to the drug cartel's profits. 

[DoctorAtomic]

This motel didn't look *that* seedy. It looked like a Motel 6 or something on those lines. 

I take the point about the volume being smaller. I think the show may be showing that Ruth isn't at the level she thinks she is. She's throwing $450,000 around. She might have been able to make a better choice. 

[Kiddvideo]

I felt Ruth picked the hotel to do a victory lap over her old boss and show everyone how much she’d changed in a few years. It’s a start, and the loan was small enough she’d be able to explain getting approved for it. 

[EllaWycliffe]

And remember, she did work for Marty and he was paying her generously. She was house shopping at one point. She has money.