Netflix's crime thriller series ran for 44 episodes, which contained enough gems that I had trouble narrowing this list down to ten entries. I'm compiling this list within a few days of finishing the series, so my recall of the events of specific episodes is as good as it's going to get.
The episodes below are unranked and ordered by airdate. Spoilers ahead.
"Sugarwood" - Does a good job of setting up the show's primary characters and conflicts, but what the pilot episode really excels at is setting the tone for the rest of the series. This sucker moves fast, and violence is everywhere. We go from the Byrdes as typical Chicagoites to packing up their entire lives under extreme duress, and moving to the Ozarks. The scene of Marty making his desperate pitch to Del Rio is especially well done, because it makes it clear that Marty is spinning the entire Ozarks money laundering scheme out of thin air.
"Blue Cat" - However, I didn't really get onboard with "Ozark" until the second episode, where the Langmores steal the cartel cash from Marty, and Marty gets it back - not through violence, but by explaining exactly what will happen to them if they keep it. The writers would go back to this solution a little too often in subsequent seasons, but it's thrilling to see the first time. Marty's suicidal behavior at the end of the episode is also a part of him that I wish we got to see more often. Bateman's great, but the character could have used more interiority.
"The Toll" - The season one finale is one of the clear highlights of the entire show. In the aftermath of the boat dock electrocution, most of the storylines and character arcs come to violent inflection points - the standoff at the Byrde house, Mason's disturbing behavior with baby Zeke, and Marty's attempts to broker a deal between Del Rio and the Snells, which goes spectacularly sideways. Marty comes up with one of his best ideas - the casino - but this isn't "Mad Men," and the successful pitch is almost immediately overtaken by Darlene's rage when she feels she's being disrespected.
"Game Day" - Several big secrets are revealed once Roy decides to identify himself and help the FBI play hardball with the Byrdes. Consequently, Helen and the cartel muscle also take measures to clean house, which escalates tensions even further. Most of the blowback lands on Ruth, who is set up to look like Roy's informant and ends up tortured and waterboarded. And despite his attempts to stop it, this is definitely Marty's fault, and a key part of the episode is ensuring that he knows it. Wendy and Helen also team up against the stubborn Snells, which has a lot of repercussions down the line.
"One Way Out" - It's difficult to pick episodes from the second season, because a lot of them seem to run together. However, the episode where Mason kidnaps Wendy to get Zeke back definitely stands out. Mason is not one of my favorite characters, because he's not smart or dangerous enough most of the time to be anything more than a temporary hindrance. Here, however, we see Mason at the end of his rope. This is also a fantastic episode about the Byrdes' marriage without ever specifically addressing the unhealthy state of their relationship - the ironic PR event at the end is the icing on the cake.
"Boss Fight" - Marty's kidnapping was a big part of the ad campaign for the third season because it has some great images that represent how Marty has gotten in over his head with the cartel. Nothing that bad actually happens to him, but the suspense is off the charts, and it's great. Honestly, the events covered here should have taken place over a couple of episodes for more impact. We finally get another set of flashbacks to fill in details about Marty's childhood, leading to his epiphany. Ruth takes charge in Marty's absence, but discovers she can't replace him. The show needed more of these slower, character-building stories.
"Fire Pink" and "All In" - I'm going to write about the last two episodes of season three together, because they're the high point of the show. Ben goes fully into a bipolar spiral, Wendy has to make an awful choice, Ruth breaks with the Byrdes, Charlotte and Jonah actually do something useful, Darlene is a badass, and Helen makes a quick exit. The furiously paced chase episode is everything I want from a good thriller, and we finally see Wendy lose her cool in a no-win scenario. The follow-up is even better as everyone regroups in the aftermath, still very much in danger. Marty doesn't get any of the big dramatics, but I think one of his best scenes in the entire show comes in the finale, where he manages to coax a shellshocked Wendy out of bed in the sweetest and most disturbing way. The big win they pull off feels earned. And good grief, that final shot in Mexico is one of the best shock endings I've seen in a long time.
"The Cousin of Death" - I don't feel like I've included enough of Ruth on this list, even though she plays a major part in many of the episodes. However, this is the only episode that really feels like it's about Ruth, as she makes her way to Chicago to take her revenge on Javi. The depiction of her grief is fantastic, and I adore the way that music shepherds her along on each part of her journey. Killer Mike of Run the Jewels puts in an appearance, and Javi enacts his own revenge against a former professor. And while Ruth's final encounter with Javi is very satisfying, her dressing down the Byrdes is even moreso.
"Trouble in the Water" - I understand that the show was trying to be ambiguous about how bad Wendy's childhood was, but how did we never get a flashback to Ben and Wendy as kids? There are so many unanswered questions about this part of their lives, and the only real glimpse of any answers come at the end of the custody hearing, where Wendy confronts her father and Laura Linney gives it everything she's got. I have a lot of issues with the writing in this episode, especially how fast it goes, and how the kids make such dumb decisions with little lead-up, but that climactic scene is undeniable.
Honorable Mentions: "Outer Darkness," "Coffee, Black," "The Gold Coast," "It Came From Michoacán," "In Case of Emergency" and "Sanctified"
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