'Ozark' Season 3: Jason Bateman teases a six-month time jump but how it plays out on the family remains unclear
The dark and gritty world of 'Ozark' finally got recognition at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards when Julia Garner beat four 'Game of Thrones' actresses to receive the Supporting Actress in a Drama Series award for her performance as the clever brat Ruth Langmore in 'Ozark.' Not just that, Jason Bateman — who essays the lead role of Marty Byrde — clinched the Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series award for the episode 'Reparations.'
No sooner did it win major trophies, viewers were hooked to the Netflix series and are now eagerly awaiting the third installment. Bateman dropped a few hints on where season three could lead the storyline. At the end of season 2, Marty's riverboat casino picks up but he plans to flee from Lake Ozark. His wife, Wendy Byrde (Laura Linney), thwarts his plans of running away to the Gold Coast and decides to stay back with the family. That decision might have repercussions.
The major twist means that the family will continue to launder money and carry on with their criminal activities and that might start a new set of problems. At the Emmy press room, Bateman teased a time jump when he told reporters, "We pick up about six months later." He added, "The casino is up and running, and that provides us with more opportunities both positive and negative, some that are tempting and some that are calming. That affects the family in interesting ways, and certainly the relationship that Marty has with Wendy."
Six months is a long time for things to change. Will it start after Ruth discovers the truth about Wendy? How is baby Zeke doing with Darlene Snell (Lisa Emery)? And how far will Wendy take her villainous streak? Previously, showrunner Chris Mundy teased that the third season might start with Ruth's allegiance with the Byrde family. "Going into Season 3, we see her very much wanting to be a member of the Byrde family. However, as she gets deeper and deeper into the enterprise, she starts to wonder if being a Byrde is the best thing to be."
Talking about the Byrde family's future, Mundy also said, "Marty is on a slippery slope, but he's not all the way down yet. I think Wendy’s better and this kind of stuff. And one of the things we’re really focusing on in Season 3 is there’s this equal and opposite resentment in their minds, where Marty’s like, 'I stayed with you, despite what you did,' and she’s like, 'I gave up part of my soul because you weren’t willing to do what needed to be done for this family.' So that just felt like the right place to end."
What's more, a few new faces have been added to the cast. 'NCIS: New Orleans' fame Madison Thompson, 'Iron Fist' fame Tom Pelphrey and 'Jessica Jones' fame Jessica Frances Dukes are the new entries. The series is expected to premiere on Netflix in 2020.
