We are lucky enough to live in the golden age of television.
Thanks in large part to "The Sopranos" (I'll argue that show changed everything), the amount of quality television is incredible. The choices are dizzying. I remember the first time I went on "Netflix." I didn't think the options were ever going to end.
There are quality options everywhere. My current favorite show is "Ozark." I just completed the first part of Season 4. The seven episodes flew by. Smart writing. Crisp directing. And impeccable acting.
If you haven't seen "Ozark," what are you waiting for?
The Netflix show stars Jason Bateman and Laura Linney as a Chicago couple, Marty and Wendy Byrde.
Marty, a financial planner, gets involved over his head. He has to launder $500 million, over a span of five years, to appease a drug boss who wants him and his family killed. Byrde is cool as ice even in the face of grave danger. Nothing rattles him and he has every right to get rattled as he moves his family to the Ozarks in Missouri.
While Bateman is as cool as the other side of the pillow, Linney is smart, ruthless and full of fire. Her work in Season 4? Incredible. Start backing up the truck because Linney's going to need something to carry all her awards.
Their children, Charlotte and Jonah, are teen-agers with real roles. Many shows ("Homeland" and "Ray Donovan" come to mind) don't have any clue what to do with kids in their teens. "Ozark" does.
There are two other standout performers and both are women: Julia Garner as Ruth Langmore and Lisa Emery as Darlene Snell. Both are riveting each time they appear on screen. Want a show with strong female characters? Ruth and Darlene are like tornadoes and everyone around them bounces off and end up in a different county.
Great show. My only complaint? There's only seven episodes left.
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