Everything You Need To Know: OZARK SEASON 4

Jason Bateman, who plays Marty Byrde in the show, was originally signed up to direct the entire first season. However, scheduling conflicts meant he only directed the first two and last two episodes.

To start with, Jason wasn’t that interested in taking the lead role of Marty, but the promise of directing helped to get him on board.

Also, Laura Linney was hesitant of taking on the role of Wendy Byrde too, because she didn’t want to do a TV series. But Jason Bateman’s involvement intrigued her to join the cast, because she wanted to see him stretch his acting range. Also, the chance to explore new ways to make Wendy more than ‘just the wife’ gave the role an even greater pull.

2. The actors learned about money laundering from the FBI

An FBI agent who investigates money laundering sat down with the actors for a day so they could pick her brain and ensure the stories were plausible.

Thankfully, it worked. Beam Solutions, a financial compliance software company, considered the series’ accuracy to be “both plausible and very creative.”

3. Marty sometimes makes a mess of the math

Despite being a money laundering whizz, there is one scene where Marty doesn’t have a hold of the numbers.

In series 1 episode 7, Marty transfers some money into his account. He already has a balance of $15,736.42 and transfers in a whopping $906,352.17. His total balance displays as $932,088.59. It should be about 10 grand less though, at $922,088.59 – but who doesn’t like free money, eh?

4. Julia Garner didn’t think she’d get the role of Ruth Langmore

Talking of nice surprises, Julia Garner got one when she auditioned for the role of Ruth Langmore.

Garner explained how she auditioned in a small New York casting office where she was able to hear all the other actors trying out for the part. When it came to her turn, she auditioned the part using the Missouri accent which she’d developed for a previous movie role.

Despite thinking that the audition hadn’t gone well, Garner got a call back a week later telling her the part was hers. Garner admits, “it worked out for me. I thought there was no chance.”

5. Ruth’s a rap fan and Killer Mike is in season 4

Ruth likes rap music. During Ozark we hear her bumping the likes of The Notorious B.I.G., Gang Starr and Wu-Tang Clan while in her truck, so it’s pretty neat that in season 4 Ruth meets a real-life Atlanta rap superstar.

Killer Mike, from Run The Jewels, makes a cameo in the show. He explained to Billboard: “I went from waiting to find out what happens next to being part of it.  I’m excited.”

6. Sometimes Julia Garner was hands-off

A hand double had to be brought in during a scene involving a mouse that Ruth Langford had to handle. Julia Garner hates rodents. She was supposed to pick up a mouse and drop it into some water, but she was on the verge of a panic attack. “The whole crew was laughing at me,” Garner told W Magazine. “It was so embarrassing. I couldn’t even lift it.”

9. There are subtle references to Jason Bateman’s previous hit show Arrested Development throughout Ozark

Another thing you might’ve picked up on are the subtle references throughout the show to Jason Bateman’s other popular TV show, Arrested Development.

In that comedy there’s a running joke with his dad, George Bluth, about how he always hides cash in the walls, especially inside the walls of a banana stand. That was referenced in Ozark when Marty starts stashing cash in the walls of his resort.

Also in Arrested Development, Bateman’s character Mike Bluth is an expert on maritime law. There was a reference to this in Ozark when Marty and his family rode on the Queen Mary and he started talking about maritime law.

The title ‘Arrested Development’ is even mentioned in Ozark when one of the side effects of a sexual dysfunction drug called Teamocil is called out.

10. The same Canadian Football Match keeps appearing on the TV

In pretty much every scene where there’s a TV screen, they’re showing a Canadian Football League match – the same one. The game is Montreal Alouettes vs. Toronto Argos, and it can be seen in series one and two.

11. There’s an Ozark and 13 Reasons Why Easter egg

In the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why, characters Alex Standall and Montgomery de la Cruz can be seen playing the video game Desert Duty, which Alex bought in series 2. It’s a made up game designed to resemble Call of Duty. The same game can be seen on Ozark, being played by Ruth and Boyd.  – 13 Reasons Why at the top, Ozark at the bottom –