S04.E05: Ellie

[TexasGal]

Quote

The Senator extends an olive branch - with a twist.  Ruth and Marty scramble to rebuy the drugs Darlene sold.  Charlotte ponders life after high school. 

Airdate: 01.21.2022

[Chaos Theory]

Well Wendy sitting their watching Darlene (possibly) die from a heart attack was all kinds of messes up.

 

 

[cooper16]

1 hour ago, Chaos Theory said:

Well Wendy sitting their watching Darlene (possibly) die from a heart attack was all kinds of messes up.

 

 

Felt like a Walter White moment, I thought she was going to let her die

[Chaos Theory]

If anyone is Walter White on Ozark it’s Wendy.   Marty is a Genius at what he does but he is not the danger.  He is not the one who knocks.

Wendy is the danger.

 

When I am watching this show I keep hearing “A Devil Came Down To The Ozarks” and it does kinda fit.  I mean Marty and Wendy are hella good at making deals and once you make them you realize you have compromised your eithics and have made a deal with the devil and your life goes to shit.

Edited January 24, 2022 by Chaos Theory

[Pike Ludwell]

Jonah is another in a string of characters who the writers turn from an otherwise sharp, common sense filled person into a serious nutcase when a death of some kind of lowlife person who they are near to occurs. Now we see Jonah accepting verbal abuse and threats of physical harm over little things from insane Darlene, who assaulted him in the past and he must know has killed people too and is extremely, dangerously insane. As his sister said, Jonah is acting childish and I would add: so stupidly so it is out of character. The writers seem to turn sharp people into stubbornly stupid acting persons when it suits the plot. That's the way it is in the middle of ep. 5. But maybe he'll come around by the end.

Edited January 23, 2022 by Pike Ludwell

[PsychoDrone]

Jonah will come around.  After all, he's only "14".  I know, I know, the show can't account for the actor growing.  Actually, Charlotte and Jonah seem way older than their years.  Charlotte is drinking with her parents and Javier.  Jonah clearly looks and acts, current behavior aside, older than 14.  Guess being part of a criminal family really ages kids.

I do like this show. BUT, I feel it pushes the drama too much.  Nothing seems to go right, too often.  How many times do we have to see them encounter a problem and say, "Don't worry. We'll fix it."  They scramble, cajole, and ultimately work it out until the next several fires pop up.  It's practically cliche at this point.

All the stuff Darlene has done and it's a heart attack that does her in?!?!  Not likely.  Wendy is a beast.  Darlene is crazy, but Wendy is controlled fury.  Darlene thought she was doing the intimidating, but Wendy let the mask slip and Darlene saw Wendy's Hyde persona.  Underestimate Wendy at your own peril.

 

[Chaos Theory]

14 hours ago, PsychoDrone said:

 

I do like this show. BUT, I feel it pushes the drama too much.  Nothing seems to go right, too often.  How many times do we have to see them encounter a problem and say, "Don't worry. We'll fix it."  They scramble, cajole, and ultimately work it out until the next several fires pop up.  It's practically cliche at this point.

 

But I think that is ultimately the point.  Marty can be as careful and as prepared as he wants but there will always be “something” that goes against plan.  The PI who is obsessed about getting a signature for his client.   The FBI agent who is actually honest about her job.  The wife who is actively campaigning against you.  The son who is pissed off enough to be a real problem.  

 

14 hours ago, PsychoDrone said:

 

All the stuff Darlene has done and it's a heart attack that does her in?!?!  Not likely.  Wendy is a beast.  Darlene is crazy, but Wendy is controlled fury.  Darlene thought she was doing the intimidating, but Wendy let the mask slip and Darlene saw Wendy's Hyde persona.  Underestimate Wendy at your own peril.

 

I don’t know if I said it elsewhere but Marty may be Walter White but Wendy is Heisenbergz

[PsychoDrone]

10 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

But I think that is ultimately the point.  Marty can be as careful and as prepared as he wants but there will always be “something” that goes against plan.  The PI who is obsessed about getting a signature for his client.   The FBI agent who is actually honest about her job.  The wife who is actively campaigning against you.  The son who is pissed off enough to be a real problem.  

 

I don’t know if I said it elsewhere but Marty may be Walter White but Wendy is Heisenbergz

I do get that conflict is the point, but too much and it becomes stale.  "Marty and Wendy encounter YET another problem.  Let's see how they get out of this!"  Notice they did not show us how Ruth talked those guys into selling her the drugs back.  Dude was on the verge of shooting her, cutaway, and now she is dragging the drugs down the driveway. Murphy's law isn't an occasional occurrence, it's a rule on this show.

[Chaos Theory]

9 hours ago, PsychoDrone said:

I do get that conflict is the point, but too much and it becomes stale.  "Marty and Wendy encounter YET another problem.  Let's see how they get out of this!"  Notice they did not show us how Ruth talked those guys into selling her the drugs back.  Dude was on the verge of shooting her, cutaway, and now she is dragging the drugs down the driveway. Murphy's law isn't an occasional occurrence, it's a rule on this show.

I don't want to get into it but the conflict makes sense to me.  I mean season 3 we had Helen in the middle of a contentious divorce already and had her husband beat up just for the hell of it.   So I can see him sending a PI to her looking for a signature so that the divorce could FINALLY be finalized so he could get remarried.   This isn't just a "hey lets add yet more shit to the pile"  it is a story that has already been in the works.   

And Jonah has been said to not have many friends so he latches on to the people in the house like Buddy and Ben.  He called Buddy "the best friend he ever had" during his funeral and he bonded with Ben so I can see him getting upset when Ben died and in the world he is increasingly getting inuered to he expects his parents to want some kind of retribution for Ben's death but then finds out Wendy ok'd her own brother's death.  That must screw with his head alot.  So he goes to the only other person who reacts the same way he does....Ruth.

The stories make sense even if they pile on problems and yes conflict is the point.  Marty is very good at what he does but he is overly cautious which causes the people around him to try and push him to go faster or they go around him completly.   Wendy is also really good at what she does but she is too quick to think she is a partner with the cartel and not an employee and is too quick to take the easy path.  Too quick to grab at the first tree in the garden of eden that has an apple that looks good to eat because she is starving for recognition.

[DoctorAtomic]

At least they have an explanation of why Mel was tracking down Ben. I still think he's going to get himself killed. 

I guess it's nice of Jonah to be cleaning for Ruth, but he still comes home for dinner. I'm sure Marty would put his foot down if Wendy tried to kick out Jonah, but I'm surprised he's just not at the motel. 

I'd still argue that Charlotte should go to college. Criminals need to be smart too. Ironically, I think Javier would try to talk her into it. 

I'm surprised Ruth was so cool with Darlene shipping out the product. I had a good laugh and her Wyatt having a nice morning at the farmers market while everything was going down.

I'm starting to feel bad for Marty getting screaming at by literally everyone. 

I don't want to give short shrift to Wendy's plot because she did a good job on getting the senator on the board. What I like about the show is that everyone is grifting; some more value than others. Wendy is up on a whole other level with voting machines now. 

I'm surprised Ruth didn't give up Wendy to Mel. I guess maybe hanging out with Marty got her some nostalgia. 

Again with the Darlene plot armor. Wendy lets her die, then they burn her up. Done and done. I was surprised though that Darlene was a little skittish when Wendy stepped to her. 

On 1/22/2022 at 7:24 PM, PsychoDrone said:

Guess being part of a criminal family really ages kids.

I think that's totally fair given how the show has gone for these kids. 

On 1/23/2022 at 10:16 AM, Chaos Theory said:

  The FBI agent who is actually honest about her job.

That FBI agent thinks she's honest at her job. Marty could turn himself in, and she'd be doing time. At least, it's her badge. She just gave Wendy a case file, like nbd; Omar Navarro calls me. 

Come on y'all, all the Walter White references and no one says that Darlene best tread lightly?! 

[Johnny Dollar]

Maya gave the case file to Wendy because she thought Marty was going to try to solve some of the cases like he did when he was trying to gain her trust. She didn’t know that they had other nefarious reasons for seeing the file.

For how much money these drug operations seem to generate, no one is exactly a conspicuous spender. You’d think one good year’s profit would set Darlene up for life. And Ruth asks for an extra $100k from Marty and still lives in a shitty trailer. And even though Marty and Wendy could show a source of income from the casino, they’re still driving a 2005 Dodge Caravan. Nobody seems to have an end game where they can cash in and start living their lives. 

[Paloma]

18 hours ago, Johnny Dollar said:

For how much money these drug operations seem to generate, no one is exactly a conspicuous spender.

At least for Marty and Wendy, that may be the point--being a conspicuous spender could draw unwanted attention. Darlene already has a nice home and farm and is probably not in the drug business so much for the money as for control and power, and she thinks of herself as an authentic country person who does not need a fancy lifestyle. I also think Ruth is not really in it for the money, other than for the security of having it for the future. She seems happy enough living in the trailer by the water, away from people, and does not seem comfortable in fancy settings.

[AZChristian]

19 hours ago, Johnny Dollar said:

For how much money these drug operations seem to generate, no one is exactly a conspicuous spender. 

Being a conspicuous spender didn't work out well for Marty and Wendy's therapist.  LOL.

[DoctorAtomic]

1 hour ago, Paloma said:

At least for Marty and Wendy, that may be the point--being a conspicuous spender could draw unwanted attention.

I wouldn't either if I were them. They're not lacking for anything; if there's an emergency (car just dies; fire) they can buy a new house, car, clothes. I assume the kids have college paid for. They can buy good food; wine, liquor if they want. That all seems enough to me. 

It reminds me of the scene in Goodfellas when they steal from the airport, and there's a big dinner party that night to celebrate. Jimmy is blowing a gasket because everyone is showing up in new cars; wives in mink coats. 

[Johnny Dollar]

But these people are barely eking out a living. I think Marty and Wendy could justify buying a new car. 

[DoctorAtomic]

I don't know about eking, that house on the water couldn't have been cheap. Don't underestimate being able to buy good food either. 

I'd concede getting a new car would be fair. Especially with all the running around they have to do. They could get an 'in town' car, and keep the minivan for longer trips. 

They also need a lot of liquidity in this business too. 

[EllaWycliffe]

38 minutes ago, DoctorAtomic said:

I don't know about eking, that house on the water couldn't have been cheap. Don't underestimate being able to buy good food either. 

Actually it was cheap because it involved Buddy living with them as a permanent guest. 

[Ron Willan]

Really enjoyed all the comments - this scene cracked me up!

What great lines!!!

 

[mstar1125]

Any idea why this episode is named "Ellie"? I don't recall a character by the name. I was thinking Ellie = LE = law enforcement? Maybe because of all the interactions they had with LE - Maya/FBI, Wendy engaging with the new sheriff about "missing" Ben, Darlene sniffing out the Byrdes' involvement with the missing sheriff?

[DoctorAtomic]

The PI explained it when he visited Marty in the beginning of the episode. I forget off the top of my head, but it was 'leading' something. He was saying an "LE" was what led him to try to track down Ben because his theory was that Ben killed Helen and the Byrdes were covering. 

[AZChristian]

8 hours ago, mstar1125 said:

Any idea why this episode is named "Ellie"? I don't recall a character by the name. I was thinking Ellie = LE = law enforcement? Maybe because of all the interactions they had with LE - Maya/FBI, Wendy engaging with the new sheriff about "missing" Ben, Darlene sniffing out the Byrdes' involvement with the missing sheriff?

 

7 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

The PI explained it when he visited Marty in the beginning of the episode. I forget off the top of my head, but it was 'leading' something. He was saying an "LE" was what led him to try to track down Ben because his theory was that Ben killed Helen and the Byrdes were covering. 

LE:  Likely Explanation

[mstar1125]

1 hour ago, AZChristian said:

 

LE:  Likely Explanation

Thank you! I remember "LE" being referenced but couldn't remember the context.

[tennisgurl]

I think the lesson here is don’t fuck with Wendy. Her sitting down to watch Darlene have a heart attack, whether or not she actually calls an ambulance, was one of the most chilling things this show has done. 

[SlovakPrincess]

On 1/29/2022 at 10:20 PM, Johnny Dollar said:

For how much money these drug operations seem to generate, no one is exactly a conspicuous spender. You’d think one good year’s profit would set Darlene up for life. And Ruth asks for an extra $100k from Marty and still lives in a shitty trailer. And even though Marty and Wendy could show a source of income from the casino, they’re still driving a 2005 Dodge Caravan. Nobody seems to have an end game where they can cash in and start living their lives.

Darlene is kind of set for life, and has a nice house and other buildings on acres and acres of land -- but she also has guards and poppy-field workers and people making heroin to pay.  She could retire to a quiet life and live off the casino investment money she got ... but she's an insane asshole and refuses to do so.

Marty and Wendy are careful not to spend conspicuously, but also in the back of their mind, they hope this part of their lives is temporary.  So they keep living in Buddy's (huge but ugly) house and drive old cars and, I assume, socked away a lot of money for Australia (before Wendy nixed that plan) -- I guess that money is just saved up now for if they have to go on the run, or if they ever get out from under the cartel.  

(The one weird part about the Byrdes is that, with Wendy trying to impress politicians and big donors, you'd think they'd fancy themselves up a bit just for appearances' sake.)  

Ruth had dreams of buying a nice house in Season 2, but Cade shamed her for that and she abandoned the plan.  She was saving money up for Wyatt to go to school.  I guess she just spent a ton of it to buy the Lazy-O Motel.  For all her cleverness, Ruth has no ability to imagine a life for herself outside of the Ozarks or without committing crimes ... and I'm not sure who besides Marty would keep giving her manager-level roles.  

Edited May 19, 2022 by SlovakPrincess

[SlovakPrincess]

I just like Mel.  The actor has charisma, and watching Mel annoy everyone who's trying to hide something is kind of fun.  Marty's "I hate him so much" -- ha ha!   

However, I didn't buy that Ruth would let Mel into her trailer for a chat.  The goat cookie jar containing Ben's ashes is so ugly and weird lol.  

Is the show trying to get me to like Frank Jr. now?  I actually felt bad for him when Darlene said "I heard you were smart", and he was honestly shocked: "from who??!"  The guy has internalized being a stupid loser who is nothing without his dad, and now he just seems so defeated.  

Jonah's brain must have fallen out of his head.  Why would he tell Darlene about the dead sheriff??  Again, it's ludicrous that just because he hates his own parents now, he's going to suddenly not care that Darlene is a lunatic who once abducted him and is even now threatening him.  

Wow.  Wendy considering letting Darlene die right there in the drive way.  Which would actually be one of the more sensible things Wendy's done since the show started ... except that they need Darlene's drugs for now.