'Ozark’ Season 3 Episode 4 Review: Omar Navarro tests Marty’s loyalty, but will Wendy pay for her mistakes?
Spoilers for ‘Ozark’ Season 3 Episode 4
Omar Navarro’s (Felix Solis) is who he is for a reason. Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman) may have seen a handful of deaths while exploring the world of drugs, but Navarro has been on top of it. Cleverly Marty wiretaps Wendy Byrde's (Laura Linney) phone and learns some shocking details about their plans for the forthcoming casinos.
Marty has somehow managed to save himself from being finished at the hands of several gangsters and drug lords. But this time, Navarro being much ahead of Marty realizes that his calls were being tapped. While his knowledge regarding the realm of crime has helped him emerge as the kingpin, he is also driven by high morals. On learning about Marty’s unethical behavior, he flies him down to Mexico blindfolded and keeps him captive in a dungeon until he submits.
As the news about Marty’s abduction slowly makes its way through the Byrde household, realization strikes Wendy. Not only is she unaware of her husband’s whereabouts, but she also has the demands of her boss to meet.
Agent Maya Miller (Jessica Francis Dukes) does a commendable job in helping Marty, which enables him to strike a new business deal with Navarro, leveraging it for his own freedom. Although Maya asserts that Marty was kidnapped by Mendoza, Wendy puts up a convincing act as if she has no idea about how her husband is suffering for a few wrong choices that she made.
Although Wendy was determined about expanding their business further and made it obvious that she doesn’t pay heed to Marty’s opinion anymore, she is seen to be highly bothered by husband’s disappearance. And the fact that under the watch of Navarro Marty is left with his fate up in the air, eats Wendy up.
Thanks to Maya’s brilliance and Marty’s perseverance in fighting Wendy, he passes Navarro’s loyalty test and manages to free himself. Wendy may have a fair idea about the torture Marty was subjected to, but she has no clue about his bigger plans.
Furthermore, the episode teases a development in Wendy and Navarro's story arc as the former chose to follow her boss's order even when her husband's life was put on the line. Helen has also established that she's never seen her client remain so patient with anyone the way does with Wendy.
Meanwhile, we also see a flip in Marty's character following his encounter with Navarro. Now that he has an upper hand and doesn't need Wendy to deal with Navarro, what will be Marty's next move? And, will Marty's promise to help Navarro launder his money put Wendy in a tough spot and require her to choose sides?
There’s no looking back for Wendy as the inner workings of the gambling world have started to spread its tentacles into her life. Her husband got abducted by one of the most dangerous men and Helen Pierce (Janet McTeer) has gotten way too close to Wendy, which is as frightening in its own ways.
How will Wendy navigate through the new set of issues?
'Ozark' Season 3 is available to stream on Netflix.
