Ozark (TV Series) Book of Ruth (2017) User Reviews

One of the better episodes

[wiseguy233 · 9/10 · 9 June 2019]

The only problem I had was how easy Rachel found his cooked books. Why not have a real book in the lodge and the cooked one at his home? It's out of character that someone who is considered a money laundering genius would make such a basic mistake. Lock the books up at least. Otherwise, the guy who plays Jacob Snell is spectacular and that first scene was realistically terrifying and made the ending work. Charlotte's story line also worked. She's just a misfit now. She doesn't know it but she belongs in that place. She no longer is the entitled girl who she was when she got there and this realization hits her in a uniquely severe form. The girl who plays Ruth also is really talented. She shows conflict brilliantly and she's both battered, beaten down and indomitable. The scene with her father was interesting because you can tell she wants to hear his compliments but also is is scared and shamed by him. Abuse is hinted at. The quiet panicked look she had when Marty wasn't electrocuted was also well done. I'm not a big fan of this show, it's derivative and scattered so far but this episode was an exception.

Jesus. They put up a cross!

[nikelovescole · 7/10 · 28 September 2018]

While some subplots covered in this episode aren't very great or just not very good, it makes up for in a few other plots creating palpable suspense. 2 highlights of mine were the sequence w Ruth rigging the doc. After a bit later when she is giving him a ride. Which had some really great music playing while the world was muted boosting the suspense. As the plan ultimately failed from the rig not working. Another is the final scene w Marty driving while trying to call his wife. He slams the breaks and stares off ahead. while the audience doesn't know what Marty is bewildered by, until we see the camera panning out still facing Marty and is revealed to be a cross. I won't get into the explanation as to why that is significant, but you'll know after watching. Favorite scene in the episode by far. Overall I enjoyed this episode quite a bit. Despite some subplots bogging down the episodes momentum. The upsides are that good.

Excellent Episode

[moviesfilmsreviewsinc · 10/10 · 30 January 2022]

"Book of Ruth"-episode number six of Ozark-opens with immediate conflict. Jacob Snell has kidnapped Marty, bringing him back to the Snell compound. Here, he details his heroin empire, explaining that Marty's church is getting in the way of his profit. He "needs the preacher on the water," he says, before threatening not only the Byrde family but also Pastor Mason's unborn child if so much as a single nail more is hammered into the building. With this more immediate threat in mind, it's easy for Marty to underestimate resident snake in the grass, Ruth. Ruth has a plan in mind and meets (finally!) her daddy at the prison to discuss strategy. This presents a total flip for Ruth's power dynamic. In the prison, she is nervous, vulnerable and can hardly make eye contact with her father. As he encourages her to steal and kill Marty, it quickly becomes apparent that Ruth may not be as calloused as she'd like others to think. Still, there's more than one Langmore who's got hidden layers. Russ and Agent Roy are still together, and the latter is pitching his idea about opening a bait and tackle shop. Roy wants Russ to join him. When Russ resists, questioning where they'd get the capital for a start-up, Roy is quick to innocently reply, "What about the guy your niece works with? Byrde. . . Get him to invest." At work, Wendy is chiseling away at her plan to get the Byrdes more cash. She confronts Sam, asking for a hefty bonus. Sam agrees despite backlash from his mother, who utters my absolute favorite insult ever: "This hussy comes in here, bats her eyes and gets your money gone faster than a toupee in a hurricane." Over at the Blue Cat, Marty is facing his own problems. Rachel has discovered his puffed-up invoices, and she demands that he leave. After the confrontation, Marty drives home, past the abandoned church construction. He stops suddenly, staring up. "They put up a cross," he says, his voice full of horror. He has been condemned by the very symbol of hope and forgiveness.

Interesting plot, but weak dialog spoils the scenes

[alexbabcock-85999 · 6/10 · 23 August 2017]

Ozark's overarching plot captivates with tense scenes, suspenseful moments and commanding performances by an artfully chosen cast. Though each episode seems to have its own feel, from a variety of writers, the series to this point has had a reliable consistency. That changed for me in this episode -- the quality of the writing slipped significantly, with scene after scene of contrived, unnatural interactions between characters with confusing motivations that don't seem to match the story arc. It's a jarring change for an otherwise promising new series, and one that's left me wondering -- is it worth continuing? I'm not ready to give up on it yet, but "The Book of Ruth" is a miss in an otherwise enjoyable series.

Book of Ruth

[bobcobb301 · 6/10 · 30 August 2017]

Every review I have to complain about the Breaking Bad emulation nature of this show because it is true, but they took it to a new level here. The fade to black while he was shouting about the cross may have been entertaining, but it was void of originality.

Whenever Marty curses it is usually entertaining though. The final scene had that, and him yelling at Rachel when she discovered his money laundering was epic too. The rest of the episode? Not so much.

Factual error.

[goodthings-2 · 5/10 · 19 September 2018]

Factual error. How could Marty expect to launder money by buying extra air conditioners, carpet, etc.? If he pays cash for those items the sellers have to deposit large amounts of cash in their own banks, probably creating a "suspicious activity report" by the bank, and then Marty has to sell those items. If he's trying to clean cash by building a church, most everything has to be paid for in cash (labor and materials) and the building has to be sold to clean the money. He never sold anything.