‘Ozark’ Season 2 Episode 3 Recap: “Once a Langmore”

Ozark Season 2 Episode 3
Peter Mullan and Jason Bateman in ‘Ozark’ season 2 episode 3 (Photo by Jessica Miglio/Netflix)

Netflix’s Ozark season two episode three opens with a shocking scene of Senator Blake (Rodney Lee Rogers) being harassed by the press. Inquiring minds want to know why he missed the vote and he insists he had a family emergency. A reporter speaks to his secretary trying to get answers when they suddenly hear a gunshot. With the cameraman still rolling, they run into his office to find Senator Blake has committed suicide.

Wendy (Laura Linney) goes to Charles’ in a panic asking if he’s aware of what happened. She also points out the press was poking around and wondering if it had anything to do with their casino bill. Charles (Darren Goldstein) informs Wendy that Senator Blake was depressed and that’s what probably pushed him into taking his own life. Wendy questions if that was the thing Charles had on Blake; he confirms that’s indeed what he had on him.

While Charles excuses himself to get Wendy coffee, she spots a model of not only their casino but hotels surrounding it. Wendy realizes that’s why Charles has been helping them – he wants to own the surrounding hotels. She tells him the Snells will never go for it. They are immensely proud people. He warns Wendy that he’s counting on her to make it happen. If not, he has the power to make the whole thing go away.

Ruth Langmore (Julia Garner) is looking at paperwork when her dad walks into her trailer without knocking. She quickly flips over the paper. Ruth tells him he has a job to see about while trying to walk past him. He grabs her and apologizes for putting his hands on her the other night. He lets her know if she wants to talk about a house, he’ll listen. She tells him he’s right; all that stuff is not for them.

Cade Langmore (Trevor Long) pays a visit to Marty (Jason Bateman) to discuss working at the Blue Cat, letting Marty know in no uncertain terms he’s not interested in doing manual labor. He wants to do what Ruth does. Marty turns him down and walks away.

Elsewhere, Agent Roy Petty (Jason Butler Harner) and Agent Trevor Evans (McKinley Belcher III) take part in an FBI meeting. They have pictures from Del’s funeral but what interests them is there wasn’t a body. An agent asks Petty how it’s going and he reveals he has an informant helping them out. A female agent asks, “how is this one different from the last, other than not being dead?” (His informant in episode eight of season one was murdered by Del). Agent Petty assures everyone this one is a lot closer to Marty Byrde and has better access to the books. She asks for a timeline and Petty tells her a month, two tops. She asks Evans if he concurs and he responds with two or three months.

Marty asks Ruth why she told her dad what happened to his brothers and Ruth informs him her dad figured it out. Marty seems to be in disbelief over the very idea of Cade Langmore figuring out Ruth killed her uncles. Ruth lets Marty know that Russ was a rat and that she found a bug in his trailer. Marty’s agitated she didn’t tell him this earlier.

Their conversation is cut short when a man looking for Marty shows up at the strip club. After questioning if he is indeed Marty Byrde, the man serves Marty, stating, “You are hereby shut down pursuant to Missouri Statute 573537.” After taking his license off the wall he tells Marty it’s due to the layout of the strip club.

The next scene finds a different man showing up to shut down the Blue Cat. He asks Marty where Rachel is and Marty explains she’s unreachable but he can represent the club. The man says it still lists Rachel as the owner and he won’t talk to anyone other than her.

Marty returns to the office and Wendy informs him the funeral home has been shut down as well due to “unusually high levels of dioxin and mercury in the surrounding soil.” He knows someone is targeting them. Wendy thinks it could be Charles Wilkes and lets Marty in on what Charles wants from them.

Jonah (Skylar Gaertner) is making money at school by doing students’ schoolwork for them.

Ruth pokes around at a business called Hurn Marina and the man who owns it, Taylor Hurn (David Dwyer), doesn’t seem too happy to see Ruth and asks what he can do for her. Ruth tells him she heard he had money trouble and wants to invest in his business. He lets her know the place is not for sale.

Ozark Season 2 Episode 3
Lisa Emery, Peter Mullan, Laura Linney, and Jason Bateman in ‘Ozark’ season 2 episode 3 (Photo by Jessica Miglio/Netflix)

When the Byrdes show up at home, the Snells are sitting in their driveway. Jacob (Peter Mullan) wants to know why a man showed up at their house wanting to set up hotels on his land. Jacob asks Marty if he knows what today is and when Marty fails to answer, Jacob says, “I bet the boy does.” Jonah says it’s the first day of hunting season.

Jacob insists they all go hunting together, even Jonah. Marty and Wendy are trying to get Jonah to go inside when Buddy comes out with his shotgun wondering if anyone would mind if he tagged along.

Jacob and Marty talk business and they both believe Wilkes is the one shutting down the businesses. Jacob suggests they send Charles a message. Marty reminds him they need Charles to get the casino up and running. Jacob threatens Marty, warning him he has 24 hours to deal with Charles.

Back at the house, Darlene (Lisa Emery) reads Wendy’s palm – something Wendy doesn’t believe in. Darlene tells Wendy she sees she has lost a child.

While hunting, Jonah makes his first kill. Marty seems spooked by that.

Charlotte (Sofia Hublitz) and Wyatt (Charlie Tahan) are getting high when Ruth comes home wanting to talk to Wyatt. She asks Charlotte to excuse them and reminds Wyatt he’s supposed to be writing an essay that he keeps blowing off. The essay’s to help him get into a good college. Pissed off, he storms out but says he’ll write the essay.

Wendy heads over to meet with Charles, but his minion won’t let her in. She doesn’t give up and is able to ask Charles if he’s the one getting their businesses shut down. He answers with a question, asking if she changed her mind about helping with the Snells. She reiterates that they’ll never go for it. He says they’re done talking and shuts the door.

Rachel (Jordana Spiro) shows back up at the Blue Cat wanting to know why Marty keeps calling her. He angrily tells her it’s because she stole $300,000 from him. After threatening to tell his partner she stole money, he realizes that’s not the best approach as she begins to walk away. He assures her he won’t say anything if she stays and helps get the Blue Cat reopened.

When Wendy gets home late, Jonah’s sitting on the couch in the dark. He asks Wendy why she asked him to pull the trigger on Del’s man. That really seems to be eating away at him. She says it was because he was going to kill them all.

The same reporter who was with Senator Blake when he committed suicide shows up on Wendy’s doorstep asking questions. When Wendy tries to shut the door on her the reporter asks, “Did you know Senator Blake’s widow is filing a wrongful death suit against Charles Wilkes?” Wendy seems genuinely caught off guard with that information. Wendy lets it slip that Blake was clinically depressed.

Cade’s in Ruth’s trailer reading her paperwork about buying a house when she catches him and explains she was just looking. He thinks she’s just lying to herself. “You’re a Langmore, baby girl. You carry the weight of that last name. I know it. The rest of the world knows it. Seems like the only one who doesn’t understand is you,” says Cade.

Jonah takes the money Charlotte gave him and opens a bank account under his fake name, Michael Fleming. The bank teller explains she needs to speak with one of his parents. He calls Charlotte and she pretends to be his mother.

Wendy shows up at the Blakes’ house to speak to Tim’s wife, Susan. (Only Wendy would choose this opportunity to attempt to talk Tim’s grieving widow out of filing the wrongful death suit against Wilkes.) Wendy and Susan (Claire Bronson) sit down for a talk but when Susan realizes why Wendy’s there, she lets her know she’s going to sue Charles. Wendy lays it on the line saying if she does, she will lose. Wendy warns they’ll go after the fact he was clinically depressed. She goes on to describe her own experiences suffering from depression.

What Wendy says seems to be working up until Wendy offers to open a foundation in Tim’s name. Susan realizes Wendy’s trying to buy her. As Wendy leaves she asks Susan to think about it.

Marty informs Jacob he cannot talk to Wilkes.

Rachel meets with Agent Petty and he fixes a wire in place. Ironically, he wants to take the cartel down so desperately that he gives Rachel some pills to help her relax.

Jacob and Darlene go on a nighttime boat ride over to Charles’ house and set fire to his awfully expensive boat.

Marty shows up at the Blue Cat to find a very inebriated Rachel who, unbeknownst to him, is also on drugs. She gives him a letter of compliance. After she almost falls, he walks her to bed.

Ruth heads over to Hurn Marina in the middle of the night and drives in circles in the water, creating waves. She damages some boats and the owner’s not happy. Ruth offers, again, to be a silent partner with Taylor.

Senator Blake’s widow was going to make an announcement publicly at his service about her wrongful death suit against Charles Wilkes. However, it seems Wendy’s speech worked. Not only doesn’t she announce the lawsuit, but she also opens up about her husband being clinically depressed. She announces they’ll be starting a foundation for the mentally ill.

Outside the funeral, Charles and Wendy talk business. He asks about his boat being blown up and she asks why her businesses are being shut down. She changes the subject and lets him know she’s the reason why Blake’s widow changed her mind about the lawsuit. Wendy also tells him the Snells are a no-go. However, she and Marty will receive 3% of the profits from the casino when it opens up. Wendy says they’ll give Charles 1.5%.

Charles lets her know for the record he has nothing to do with the businesses being shut down.

Ruth barges into Marty’s office delivering the news they now own a dry storage business. Marty tries to talk to her, but Ruth won’t let him get a word in. He finally tells her they cannot have her around the office for the time being. She asks if she’s being fired; he tells her no. The gaming commission will be around investigating and they can’t have Ruth around because of her rap sheet. Ruth seems disappointed but says she understands.

Agent Petty yells at Rachel about her behavior the other night. He’s worried about Marty finding the wire. He warns her to do better as she takes more pills from him and leaves.

The Byrdes and the Snells have dinner together to discuss business. Wendy assures them that Charles Wilkes will not be a problem again.

Wyatt and Three are playing a video game when Ruth comes in mad as hell about Wyatt’s essay. It’s basically about his crappy life and how his life is nothing like “their life.” By the time she’s done reading it, she’s in tears. After throwing the papers around she storms out of the trailer.

Ruth walks over to the bobcats that Russ and Boyd purchased in season one. Her dad walks up and she offers him the keys to the dry storage place. She tells him he can work there and do illegal activities after dark, like chop boat parts. After Cade walks away, Ruth opens the door and sets the bobcats free.