Ozark: 10 Memes That Perfectly Sum Up The Show
Amelia Brooks The story of the average Joe getting caught up in the criminal underworld has been told many times, and Ozark offers an interesting take
Now that Ozark is finished, with the final episodes airing on Netflix on April 29th, fans are trying to decompress the four seasons and all the drama that occurred throughout. From Ruth finally finding happiness only to have it taken away, to Wendy's demise from a not-so-likable character to a despised one, a lot happened.
It's tough to describe Ozark in just a few words. But there are a few themes in the show that can, and have been, perfectly encapsulated via memes. Of course, each has a humorous twist to it, adding some lightheartedness to a show that was anything but.
10 Unladylike
Via: FarcetheMusic.com
Ruth was the funniest character on Ozark, often with witty one-liners and rarely without a swear word or two in every sentence. When she was trying to tone down her speech and be more polite, such as when she was working on getting her criminal record expunged, fans loved seeing Ruth attempt to express a softer side.
It was clear throughout the show that Ruth could have been someone very different from the woman she became if she had a different upbringing. Fans got to see a glimpse of that by the end, where she did her best to be a little more lady-like while maintaining her defining edge.
9 Don't Mess With Helen
Via: Lovedmeme.com on Pinterest
Helen was Omar's number-two, his lawyer who did the talking when he needed someone to convince others of the repercussions if they didn’t follow along with his plans. She also worked hard to get him out of jams when needed.
While she tragically died in one of the most brutal deaths on Ozark, Helen represented the work ethic of all of the characters on the show: they did honorable things at times, and completely dishonorable things at others. Either way, they rarely batted an eye because it was all just business.
8 No One Likes Wendy
Via: u/knzstarryeyed on Reddit
Any fan of the show knows that the disdain for Wendy was brewing slowly, but it came to a full boil by the third season. Every word out of her mouth, every action, pointed to her being a far different person than the Wendy fans met in the beginning.
This meme, which features the character of her brother who she let (and arguably even helped) get killed, makes the statement all the more powerful. She began as a character fans loved to hate and ended as one fans simply despised.
7 Skylar Vs. Wendy
Via: 9gag.com
While Skyler White was a hated character from Breaking Bad, despite the fact that she was dealing with an out-of-control husband who put them all in danger, Wendy Byrde from Ozark might give her a run for her money.
Interestingly, Wendy is more like Walter White in that she is the one who became drunk with power after her husband got them into a mess. While Marty seemed eager to get out, Wendy saw an opportunity to accomplish what she didn't get the chance to do early in her career due to family obligations. Her actions made fans despise the character by the final season.
6 Omar's Demands
Via: u/NotTheKingInTheNorth on Reddit
This meme exaggerates Omar's demands, but they did become greater and greater and less and less attainable as the show went on. He often wanted Marty and Wendy to pull off the impossible, usually because he knew they were smart enough to figure out a way to do it.
So, while the caption of the meme is an over-exaggeration, it did often seem as though Omar asked his new partners to do things for him that caused them to do unthinkable things in order to get it done.
5 It's Fine, Really
Via: 9gag.com
The meme humorously sums up what Wendy's face often looked like when she was doing business dealings. While many quotes from Ozark prove Wendy was the smartest character, she was also the most ruthless and arguably heartless. She would deliver every line with a smile, but it never looked genuine. It was obvious, even if she wasn't saying it, that she wasn't happy and she would make the person regret it if they didn't follow through.
Even in the instances when she was getting what she wanted, the disingenuous smile was still there because Wendy knew whatever she got would cost her. Indeed, the concept of quid pro quo was a recurring theme in the show, with Wendy constantly having to make one deal with someone in order to get something from someone else.
4 I Quit!
Via: Digitalmomblog.com
Ruth was the firecracker on the show, the pint-sized, loud-mouthed, self-proclaimed redneck who was far smarter than anyone realized but never got an opportunity in life to apply herself. Once she did, however, she was not about to take orders from anyone. Ruth was always fiercely confident in her decisions and did what she wanted to do, the way she wanted to do it.
Throughout the show, she threatened to quit and leave Marty in the lurch several times. Sadly, the way her character's story ended on Ozark was prophetic but sad.
3 Get Some Lemonade
Via: Reddit
Darlene was one of the most terrifying characters in Ozark, yet she sometimes presented herself as a doting housewife and mother. She often lived in her own delusions, so it would make total sense that she would greet guests in her home by stating that she would go get the lemonade to serve it up.
Chances are, if Darlene didn't like what the person had to say or was trying to do, she would simply kill them and have others bury the body for her. That, in fact, was a common theme throughout the show: unassuming characters who were actually vicious.
2 Cool, Calm, And Collected
Via: DailyStatuss.com
Despite how dangerous situations got, Marty always seemed to keep his cool, with the exception of the one time he let things boil up inside and had a fistfight during a road rage incident. Aside from that one time, Marty was always the picture of calm, no matter the situation.
Even when having to stand in front of all the cartel members and speak on behalf of Omar, he managed to look cool, calm, and collected. It was only when he was out of sight of everyone else that he would finally let out some of his panicked feelings.
1 Charlotte Is Out
Via: u/Powerpointisboring on Reddit
This meme was created early in the show when Charlotte was younger and understandably going through a rebellious phase. She did come around later on as she matured, even deciding to work in the "family business" to help get things done. The ultimate goal, of course, was always to help the family get out of the mess and move back home to their old lives.
Family dinners were a recurring theme on the show, with the Byrdes trying so hard to have some sense of normalcy through all the craziness. While it was initially Charlotte who wanted nothing to do with the camaraderie - her resentment and sadness accounting for some of the saddest scenes on Ozark - it was Jonah who eventually began to act out as well. In later seasons, it was the younger brother who would disappear from the always tense family dinner scenes.
NEXT: The 10 Best Episodes Of Ozark, According To Ranker
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