Netflix's critically acclaimed crime-drama series Ozark is over but the details keep on giving. The show centers around the Byrde family as they navigate a new life in the Ozarks while laundering money for the drug cartel and evading the FBI. (You know, normal family stuff.) The show's third season was universally regarded as the series' best yet, being compared to the likes of Breaking Bad and The Sopranos.
The Jason Bateman led series became a huge hit for the streaming platform and fans hated to say goodbye. So here is a deep dive into some interesting facts you might not know about the making of Ozark.
- 1
The Writers Learned How To Launder Money From The FBI
Money laundering isn't an easy topic to write about without firsthand experience, especially when all our knowledge of the subject is from Saul Goodman. Executive producer Chris Mundy brought actual law enforcement experts into the writer's room to answer questions and aid on the more complicated schemes regarding money laundering in the series.
Adds new depth? - 2
Julia Garner Got The Part Because Of The Accent
Julia Garner who plays Ruth Langmore revealed in an interview that she became nervous when she was the only one at her audition who was speaking with a Missouri accent. She had intended to drop the accent during her audition but coincidentally couldn't remember the lines without the accent.
Adds new depth? - 3
An Anti-Money Laundering Company Did A Fact Check On Marty's Schemes
Adds new depth? - 4
The Story Is Based On The Real People Of The Ozarks
In an interview with St. Louis Today, Bill Dubuque revealed that he wanted to write a show about The Ozarks because it was close to home and wanted to capture the true essence of the massive coastline. As a teenager, Dubuque spent summers working at a family-owned resort in Lake of the Ozarks, and he said that on the show, "the lake is both a real thing and a metaphor for capitalism." Dubuque explained further,
You can buy property right down to the water. It attracts all kinds of people and all kinds of boats, from bass boats to yachts. There's wealth, and there's poverty. You can see $4 million homes and in minutes see trailers.
Dubuque wanted to create a fully-realized depiction of the interesting characters who capture what the lake is really like, rather than a dumbed-down Hollywood version:
I wanted to capture the intelligence of business capitalism around the lake.
Adds new depth? - 5
Laura Linney Pushed For Wendy Byrde To Take On A Bigger Role
Laura Linney admitted in an interview that she wasn't interested in doing television but really wanted to work with Jason Bateman. After they sat down and discussed the role, Laura pushed for Wendy to be more than just a "wife" and they increased her involvement with the criminal enterprise.
Adds new depth? - 6
The Show Is Purposely Dark
The show's cinematographers Armando Salas and Ben Kutchins use a color palette of muted blues and grays to match the look of the show with the bleakness of the story. Armando Salas said in an interview that "cool tones give the show a somewhat bleak and foreboding feeling, which mirrors the plot as Marty falls deeper into the criminal world."
Adds new depth?
