Ozark “Boss Fight”

The head of the Cartel that Wendy and Marty work for is a man named Omar Navarro.  I don’t think I have mentioned him by name before, so here we are.

He has Marty.

So, thus far in season three, I’ve seen the Byrdes largely working against each other.  There’s a good reason for that, and it comes from what Wendy wants, according to Navarro:  she wants everything.

What does Marty want?  That’s what Navarro would like to know, but the short term answer to see his wife and kids again is not the correct one.

See, if the Byrdes were working against each other, now we have a different situation where, well, they aren’t.  Now they’re separated, Marty as a prisoner of Navarro and Wendy forced to keep the laundering going without Marty’s help.  Sure, she and Ruth do come up with some schemes to work in the short term, but the real problem is if Wendy is successful, Marty may be expendable, and if she can’t, then she might be.

Eep.

At least, that’s how Helen sees it, and Helen has no more insight on what’s going on that anyone else.  So, Wendy, Ruth, and newly recruited Ben can keep telling Agent Miller than Marty is in Kansas City on unexpected business,

Now, as good as Wendy and Ruth are, there are some things only Marty can fix…and somehow, that still doesn’t get him out of the cell Navarro threw him into.  He was let out just long enough to fix things.

Navarro is a curious figure.  He’s somewhat superstitious, but he seems more inclined to actually get something of value from Marty.  Wendy he has figured out because, well, she’s a lot like he is.  Marty is different.  Why did Marty tap Wendy’s phone to listen in on her chats with Navarro?  Why did Marty try to stop the casino sale?  Does Marty trust his wife?  He says he does, but Navarro says Marty lies to everyone, himself included.

So, really, this means Navarro mentally tortures Marty for a couple days in order to get the truth out of the shifty Mr. Byrde.  That somehow makes the drug lord the most honest man on the show.

And Marty eventually gives Navarro an acceptable answer:  he wants to launder when it’s safe, and that would come after he corrupts Agent Miller.  Also, a thank you once in a while would be nice.

I could point out what Marty really wants is more control over conditions and acknowledgement of his special skills.  He can do what no one else around Navarro, including Wendy and Ruth, can do.

That…that works.  Marty can go home now.

That was rather twisted now, wasn’t it?