‘Ozark’ Season 1 Episode 7 Recap: “Nest Box”

By
Alison Helms
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Ozark Season 1 Episode 7
Michael Mosley, Jason Bateman, and Bethany Anne Lind in ‘Ozark’ season 1 episode 7 (Photo by Eliza Morse/Netflix)

The action in season one episode seven of Netflix’s Ozark picks up right where episode six left off. Marty (Jason Bateman) is leaving a voicemail for Wendy about the cross that was put up, ending the message with, “I’m going to the Youngs.”

Marty arrives at Pastor Mason Young’s house just as Jacob and Darlene Snell are arriving as well. Darlene (Lisa Emery) informs him they put up a cross. Marty knows and is determined to handle the situation.

Just then the Youngs come outside wondering what’s going on. Marty explains that since he’s investing in their church, he thought the Snells can talk to them about the type of man he is. He goes on to tell them he’s also investing in the Snells’ farm. Maybe the Youngs would be willing to give him a good reference?

Jacob (Peter Mullan) catches on to Marty saying he’s investing in their farm. Jacob asks Marty how much he plans on investing and Marty suggests $100,000. Jacob says that’s not worth his while. Marty proposes they leave the Youngs to go discuss business.

Jacob catches a ride with Marty who’s now offering $200,000. Jacob stares at Marty while pointing up. Marty says, “$724,000 is all I got and it’s earmarked.” Jacob replies, “All you got sounds about right.”

Marty takes the Snells to where he’s hiding his money and begins to hand it over. All the while Jacob’s going on with one of his stories, this time about his childhood.

Jonah (Skylar Gaertner) is obsessed with watching documentaries on birds. In particular, a species of bird called Starlings. These birds apparently cause a lot of problems. He’s watching it in the back of the van while waiting for his mom and Charlotte so they can go to their first day of school. After both Wendy and Charlotte get in the car, Jonah asks his mom if he can kill Starlings. He explains they’re bad birds and clearly his mom’s caught off guard as she adamantly tells him no.

Charlotte seems to be depressed about arriving at school.

Back at the Langmore compound, Ruth (Julia Garner) tells Wyatt (Charlie Tahan) and Three (Carson Holmes) she can’t pick them up after school because she’s going to visit her dad. Wyatt asks, “Are you sure you don’t want to let your bruise heal first?” She can’t put it off because her father said today so today it is.

Russ (Marc Menchaca) goes to see Roy (Jason Butler Harner) and asks why he’s doing all this. Roy tells him he’s better than he thinks he is. Roy makes Russ promise him he won’t try to kill Marty Byrde again. Russ reluctantly agrees he won’t.

Marty jumps on the phone with past clients and practically begs them for their investments. Everyone appears to be telling him no.

Meanwhile, Wendy (Laura Linney) is busy staging a house with Sam and his mother, Eugenia (Sharon Blackwood). She isn’t happy about Sam’s mom being there and hanging up ugly artwork. A man shows up and asks if they have a similar house to that one in a similar price range. Wendy offers to show him the property.

During their drive the man confronts her and asks, “When did you stop being Wendy Byrde?” Wendy is visibly shaken when he then points out the high school her kids attend. He informs her they must clear $8 million by the end of the summer. He points out that Marty hasn’t been to the Blue Cat in a while. He leaves with the warning, “We have eyes on you.”

Wendy heads home to tell Marty about the man. She’s freaking out – and rightfully so. But, she thinks she might have a plan.

The scene shifts to show Wendy talking to Sam, asking if he ever wanted to do anything else with his life. He wonders how he could change anything at this point in his life. Wendy suggests that his mother should do something with her money; after all, it’s just sitting there. Wendy turns this into an opportunity to bring up Marty being a financial advisor and that he can something with Sam’s mom’s money. Sam says he’ll talk to his mom.

Marty’s at the church with Mason and his wife, ordering his contractor to take it all down. Mason wants an explanation as to exactly what the problem is, and Marty offers up a half-hearted excuse. Mason angrily informs him he will hold his sermon there anyway. Marty, in turn, warns him he’s not going to do anything on that property because there is not a zoning issue. He drops the bombshell: “The Snells are drug dealers. They are running heroin on the water every Sunday when you preach through hymnals that are passed to their dealers from your boat.”

Marty instructs Pastor Mason he must stay on the water or otherwise Jacob will come after him and his family.

Roy calls up Agent Evans with an update on the case. Evans tells Roy he should come down to help, reminding him it’s protocol. Roy declines the offer saying he doesn’t want a bunch of feds there. Evans asks what the deal really is with this Langmore guy (Russ).

Russ and Boyd (Christopher James Baker) are on the water picking floating trash trying to find valuables when Boyd asks Russ what he’s worried about. Russ confesses he’s been thinking about going into the bait and tackle business.

Mason’s wife is very upset and tries to talk Mason into going back to the water. Mason refuses to help drug dealers and storms off.

Jonah gets in trouble at school for giving the teacher a hard time about signing a “don’t do drugs” paper. The Byrdes are forced to go to the school to talk to the principal about Jonah. The principal informs them it’s not a good start for either of their children at this school. The Byrdes ask what he means by that and he reveals Charlotte didn’t show up to school. She was last seen talking to Wyatt.

The Byrdes head over to the Langmores’ place to find out what’s going on. They confirm Charlotte left school with Wyatt and Ruth demands they tell Marty and Wendy where their daughter is. Wyatt says Charlotte wanted to go back to Chicago and he walked her to the bus station. Marty has to leave to meet with Sam’s mom because they can’t afford for him to put it off, so Ruth offers to show Wendy where the bus station’s located. It’s near where Ruth’s dad is incarcerated.

The Snells seem to be having a cookout when Pastor Mason shows up. Mason asks what they do on this farm and Jacob wonders what’s with all the questions. Mason informs Jacob he won’t preach on the water for him anymore. Darlene suddenly offers to get lemonade…and we know how that turned out for Bobby Dean the last time she offered that particular refreshment. Jacob stops her as Mason again refuses to traffic their drugs. Jacob asks him why and Mason seems genuinely baffled by the question. Jacob, ironically, begins preaching to the pastor, trying to convince him what they’re doing is a good thing.

Jacob wants to know why he wants a church on land so badly. Mason brings up the fact that Marty Byrde wants to build him a church. For the second time this episode Pastor Mason is dealt a bombshell. Jacob reveals Marty wants to build him a church with his own drug money.

Ozark Season 1 Episode 7
Julia Garner, Sofia Hublitz, and Laura Linney in ‘Ozark’ season 1 episode 7 (Photo by Jackson Davis/Netflix)

Wendy and Ruth show up at the bus station to look for Charlotte, splitting up to search. Wendy finds Charlotte and while they hug Charlotte apologizes and says she wants their old life back. Ruth watches their private moment.

Marty explains to Sam’s mom why she should let him invest her money, and Sam’s mom doesn’t seem interested at first. Before Marty leaves, he compliments her ugly painting. That’s all it takes for her to change her mind and invest with Marty.

Wendy and Charlotte give Ruth a ride to the prison so she can visit her dad.

Ruth’s father asks, “Someone want to tell me why Marty Byrde is still alive?” He then asks Ruth about her face. She tells him she got into a fight with a stripper. He seems not to care about that and implies he meant the makeup, saying she looks like a whore. He doesn’t want her to come back until Marty’s dead.

Marty transfers Eugenia’s money to an online investment bank.

While Wendy and Charlotte are waiting for Ruth, Charlotte opens up about how she feels about her life there. Her parents made it so she can’t even open up to her friends and tell them what’s going on. She looks at her friend’s social media and feels like she’s missing out on so much. Ruth returns, crying. Wendy and Charlotte don’t say anything.

Sam and his mom stage a house and she belittles him while they’re working. He’s had it with her and lets her have it verbally. When his mother laughs that off, he tells her Marty and Wendy are married. That seems to get a rise out of her since she hates Wendy. She demands the papers back and Sam tells her to call Marty and get them herself.

Sam fires his mom but she doesn’t listen to him. She proceeds to put out the open house signs outside. As they continue to argue, Eugenia’s suddenly hit by a trash truck.

Russ shows up at Roy’s hotel with a brochure he had made for their future business. Russ remembers Roy called him over there to talk and wants to know what about. Roy clams up and says he just wanted to see him.

Mason goes to the half-built church and burns it down as Jacob watches it burn from afar. Darlene informs him someone has been watching the Byrdes and doesn’t want to wait for someone else to kill him.

Wendy and Charlotte return home and after hugging her dad, Charlotte wants to go for a swim and leaves her parents to talk. Wendy suggests they let her and Jonah go back to Chicago to live with friends. Marty tells her no and continues with a verbal jab, throwing it in her face that she’s teaching them her trick when stuff gets hard to run. He assures Wendy if any of them run they’re dead. Marty’s first statement makes Wendy mad.

While Marty and Wendy are fighting, Charlotte – an experienced swimmer – is suddenly not and seems to be struggling in the water. She drops to the bottom of the lake. She appears not be moving and then shoots up to break the surface. (It’s not clear what the point of that was.)

Marty brings up Wendy being a “deceitful b*tch.” Wendy tries to throw in his face he has a video of her and Gary. (How that equates to cheating isn’t clear. It’s more of an indictment of Wendy than Marty). Marty says, “Every night you came home to this family you were living a f**king lie. How do you do that?”

Marty doesn’t let up and keeps bringing up all the times she could have said no to her lover. Wendy asks Marty to just tell her the truth. Under his breath, Marty replies, “You broke my heart, Wendy,” and walks away.




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