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Ozark Season 2 Episode 1 Review: SPOILERS AHEAD!

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When Ozark season one wrapped, viewers were left with a sort of state-change. Marty Byrde’s cartel contact, Del, had been killed in sudden fashion by Darlene Snell. The new Byrde family goal is a desperate plan for a casino (requiring partnership with the Snell family), and the complication of Del’s death felt like it could upset the entire show.

The new casino goal seems to involve not only cartel criminals, but state politics, and while I am excited for more of Wendy Byrde’s involvement, the new direction risks turning the show away from the setup that has worked for me so far. I’m not certain I wanted state politics as a plotline, but my trust in the show is strong. Plus, we still have to deal with Ruth Langmore and her own murderous actions, and the Byrde children processing their lives in the aftermath of the season 1 assassination attempt.

PICTURED Jason Bateman PHOTO CREDIT Jessica Miglio/Netflix

I hit play on season two excited to see how the fallout from so many bad plans would possibly come together, but nervous that the new developments wouldn’t move the show directly forward. Ozark risks stagnation with an endless series of next-emergencies for the Byrdes to handle. Fortunately, the show deftly moves through all the plots, and remains consistently strong both in terms of acting and camerawork. There’s a blue, dusky lighting I’ve come to recognize from the show, and the sureness of atmosphere helps keep me hooked.
We start at a charity ball, slightly forward in time, as we see Marty and Wendy stalking political prey. Wendy has a spark to her, and Marty mentions it. Given what we know of her history with depression, it’s a positive change in her. The beauty of Ozark is that this verve from Wendy stems from such awful circumstance. We know right away this season will be about the casino, with the cartel forever looming. It’s this constant, desperate drive toward the next task that keeps the energy of the show alive. The Byrde family must have this church, this funeral parlor, and now this casino. Whatever is next, their lives depend on it.
Thankfully, Ozark season two understands that the new ‘thing’ the Byrdes need is about more than raising a cap on number of casinos in Missouri. The casino is certainly the big, involved plan of the season, but it’s always just a task in service of the cartel. After slowing establishing this world and these criminal relationship in season one, we now have a show with all the players on the board. Everyone has their own plans. Everyone came through season 1 changed.
Marty and Wendy are now a team, bonded by their crimes, but also by the lack of options and danger to their families. Guilty, fear, and a cold acceptance are their glue now. Jonah and Charlotte are feeling the wake of their near-assassination last season. Jonah particularly is reeling from his dry-fire of a shotgun in the face of their would-be killer. The show doles out his processing with a steady precision. In this episode, we see the siblings bond over money Charlotte stole when the family was packing the walls with cash.
Ruth is changed from killing Boyd last season, though in this episode we don’t find out anything new about the FBI investigation Boyd was in. Ruth testifies at her father’s parole hearing. Cade Langmore comes home, and will surely complicate things. Ruth is just now finding a strange sort of mentor in Marty, and there’s a sick and dangerous tone to her bond with Cade. (Case in point, she gets him a prostitute upon his release from prison, and directly afterwards he tells her he knows she killed Boyd. Every scene between them has a pain and a danger to it, even when they’re friendly.)

PICTURED Charlie Tahan, Carson Holmes, Trevor Long PHOTO CREDIT Jessica Miglio/Netflix

We find Darlene Snell starting season two in the woods with Ash, disposing of Del’s body. Darlene almost expresses remorse for killing Del, but Ash corrects her thinking. (Let’s remember, the insult in question was ‘redneck’). Ash feels the killing was appropriate. He travels to Chicago to use Del’s credit cards and lay a false trail for the cartel, in hopes of Darlene getting away with the murder. The Snell’s nonchalance about this is dark, and though Darlene remains the hair trigger, both husband and wife possess a hardline fanaticism to some weird rural code. Their adherence to this as a central character motivation begins to grind on me, but I can’t tell yet if it actually feels false, or if I’m simply as tired of it as Marty appears to be.
The Byrdes face a key political problem this season, tapping the established background of Wendy’s character for the task. Solving the problem requires the political clout of a very conservative donor, Charles Wilkes. We see Wendy truly shine as she finds out his identity, develops a way to contact him, and closes the deal. This is the charity ball that serves as the frame to what is otherwise a flashback episode.
We meet cartel lawyer Helen Pierce this episode, as well, sent to both negotiate the casino and to solve Del’s whereabouts. Janet McTeer plays her with such matter-of-fact air that I hope she stays around all season. Once she learns of Del’s death and the Snell’s involvement, there is no delay. The cartel’s knowledge translates immediately to action. They hijack Marty and Wendy on their way home from the charity event, and explain they have one hour to make reparations to the cartel for Del’s loss. The Byrdes go immediately to see the Snells, and make a few suggestions as to fair compensation for Del. In a stunning move, Jacob has the final say. His cold application of some twisted moral balancing ends the episode.

PICTURED
Skylar Gaertner, Sofia Hublitz

Crime fiction is at its best when you watch regular people choose between several bad options, where against all odds and everything you know about them, you still want it all to work out. Ozark is nothing but those people, making nothing but those choices. None of it will end well, but I can’t wait to watch it burn.
Best moment: Wendy telling Marty that “no one drives four hours to tell you to stay away…” and Wendy’s orchestrated meet-cute with Charles Wilkes. I am all in for Political Wendy.
Thing to Watch: Whether the Snell’s strange ‘cult of the prideful farmer’ mentality will spin out into dogma, or whether I’ll find a way to sympathize with their crazy negotiation outbursts.
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Paramount+ Reveals Official Main Title Sequence for the Upcoming Series TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

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During the TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES panel earlier today at San Diego Comic Con, Paramount+ revealed the official main title sequence for the series. The sequence is composed by EMMY® nominee, Matt Mahaffey, known for his work on Sanjay and Craig, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie and much more. 

From the studios of the Mutant Mayhem film, the all-new Paramount+ original series TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES explores the adventures of everyone’s favorite pizza-loving heroes as they emerge from the sewers onto the streets of NYC. Leo, Raph, Donnie and Mikey are faced with new threats and team up with old allies to survive both teenage life and villains lurking in the shadows of the Big Apple. The series is produced by Nickelodeon Animation and Point Grey Pictures.

TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES is executive produced by Chris Yost (The Mandalorian, Thor: Ragnarok) and Alan Wan (Blue Eye Samurai, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles [2012 Series]). Production is overseen for Nickelodeon by Claudia Spinelli, Senior Vice President, TV Series Animation, Nickelodeon, and Nikki Price, Director of Development and Executive in Charge of Production.

In addition to the upcoming new series, stream all things Turtles on Paramount+.

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Comic-Con 2024: Those About to Die Activation

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DISNEY+ CASTS DANIEL DIEMER AS FAN-FAVORITE ‘TYSON’IN SEASON TWO OF “PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS”

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 in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con, Rick Riordan and Disney+ revealed that Daniel Diemer (“Under the Bridge”) will star as fan-favorite cyclops “Tyson” in the epic adventure series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians.” Diemer joins Walker Scobell (Percy Jackson), Leah Sava Jeffries (Annabeth Chase) and Aryan Simhadri (Grover Underwood) as a series regular. The Disney+ Original series from Disney Branded Television and 20th Television will start filming its second season next week in Vancouver.

Season two of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” is based on the second installment of Disney Hyperion’s best-selling book series titled “The Sea of Monsters” by award-winning author Rick Riordan. In the new season, Percy Jackson returns to Camp Half-Blood one year later to find his world turned upside down. His friendship with Annabeth is changing, he learns he has a cyclops for a brother, Grover has gone missing, and camp is under siege from the forces of Kronos. Percy’s journey to set things right will take him off the map and into the deadly Sea of Monsters, where a secret fate awaits the son of Poseidon.

Diemer stars as Tyson – a young Cyclops who grew up all alone on the streets, and finds it difficult to survive in the human world.  Shy and awkward, with a heart almost as big as he is, Tyson soon discovers that Poseidon is his father, which means Percy Jackson is his half-brother… and that Tyson may have finally found a home. 

Diemer recently starred in the Hulu limited series “Under the Bridge” based off the critically acclaimed book of the same name and a tragic true story of a missing teen girl in Vancouver in 1997. He will next star in the indie “Thug” opposite Liam Neeson and Ron Perlman for director Hans Petter Moland. Daniel was recently seen as the lead in the indie “Supercell” opposite Alec Baldwin and Skeet Ulrich and the lead in the film “Little Brother” opposite Phil Ettinger and JK Simmons. Daniel can also be seen in the Netflix series “The Midnight Club” and recently starred as the male lead in the breakout hit Netflix feature “The Half Of It” from producer Anthony Bregman and director Alice Wu. He is a graduate of Victoria Academy of Dramatic Arts in Vancouver.

Created by Rick Riordan and Jonathan E. Steinberg, season two of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” is executive produced by Steinberg and Dan Shotz alongside Rick Riordan, Rebecca Riordan, Craig Silverstein, The Gotham Group’s Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Bert Salke, The Gotham Group’s Jeremy Bell and D.J. Goldberg, James Bobin, Jim Rowe, Albert Kim, Jason Ensler and Sarah Watson.

The first season of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” is available on Disney+

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