Discuss Ozark
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Betting, beating or botching Bechdel?
posted by DRDMovieMusingsSTAFFMOD on September 2, 2018 at 6:11 PM
Season 2 has been the story of the women - Wendy, Helen, Darlene, Ruth, Rachel and Charlotte are surviving if not thriving, while the men around them, if they're lucky, have taken a back seat. And, of course, of the never-relenting skyrocketing body count, women have not near held their proportional share in that death count.
Has Ozark drifted too far from plausibility in its story arc? Or, is it well within and maintaining its compelling stickiness?
Can't wait for season 3?
Disclaimer - One of my lists here in TheMovieDB is called Better on the Bechdel, and Ozark is definitely on it. If you know of any movies or shows that should be on my list but currently isn't, let me know!
Reply by Terrie
on September 3, 2018 at 8:30 PM
I don't want to give a lot away for those that haven't watched yet but Darlene is pure psycho..............
Reply by Dedoc1967
on June 30, 2019 at 11:25 PM
I love Darlene. I also love Wendy and Ruth, and the addition of Helen has been great. Charlotte is annoying, and Rachel is too weak for my liking.
Reply by DRDMovieMusings
on January 4, 2020 at 10:09 PM
Having said that, I've got a problem - more women need to be seen getting killed.
We've seen men hit the pavement from the 80th floor and seen the body laying there; have their heads blown off by shotgun, and see the headless body slumped in the corner; float up under a dock, and see the bloating face; electrocuted, and see the charred remains....bludgeoned, poisoned....etc...etc...and always an aftershot when we ogle the dead body.
Meanwhile, we don't even see a woman killed, let alone have her dead body suffer the indignity of a close up. Yes, a woman was shot through a door (we didn't see her); a woman had her baby cut out of her, but we didn't see that at all; yeah, a woman was hit by a truck, that was one, but no indignity thereafter.
I'm not saying I want to see death and dead bodies. Not at all. What I am saying is, if we're going to see the killings and bodies of men, and women are filling up leading roles in this crime drama, then, what's good for the gander should be good for the goose.
As criminals say, "this is the life we chose."
Reply by znexyish
on January 5, 2020 at 1:15 AM
Your list looks a bit all over the place. I know what the Bechdel is but what are you looking for specifically?
Reply by DRDMovieMusings
on January 5, 2020 at 3:13 AM
Just movies or shows that feature leading ladies particularly who talk to each other not about a mutual male love interest.
Reply by Dedoc1967
on January 5, 2020 at 3:21 AM
The L Word.
Reply by DRDMovieMusings
on January 5, 2020 at 4:55 PM
Nope, not even, because it shouldn't be assumed that a female character can only function as a love interest.
Reply by znexyish
on January 5, 2020 at 5:30 PM
I'm sure that there is more to The L Word than that but since it looks like a relationship show what would you expect. Is this some kind of project you are doing ? I suppose I'll work up a list.
Reply by DRDMovieMusings
on January 8, 2020 at 3:15 PM
Do tell?
Reply by znexyish
on January 8, 2020 at 11:48 PM
Well there's that time where they go out to buy shoes then all the Ls go to Starbucks and dish about cute girls. Then one of them brings up Sex and the City and they wonder when there will be a lesbian version and they laugh and debate over which of them is more like Carrie or which is a Miranda or Charlotte or Samantha. After all that they go home and get a good night sleep and a pillow fight...
Reply by Dedoc1967
on January 9, 2020 at 7:33 AM
Wait. The women on Sex & the City weren't lesbians? Cynthia Nixon, Sarah Jessica Parker ... come on, are you sure about this?
Reply by Terrie
on January 9, 2020 at 9:27 PM
NO the women on Sex and the City WERE NOT lesbians You obviously never watched that show
Reply by Dedoc1967
on January 9, 2020 at 10:08 PM
I'm pretty sure I was kidding. Kinda.
Reply by DRDMovieMusings
on March 29, 2020 at 5:19 PM
I think season 3 restored balance. After all, the bottom line is, this is about money laundering, and the specialist is Marty - not any of the women.
And, yes, as if on queue, a few women got whacked or rolled in season 3 - which is what it is supposed to be, for those who choose this life.
Can't wait for season 4!
Reply by Ask Me Anything
on May 28, 2020 at 10:14 PM
Having watched all 3 seasons in a short period of time this stands out a lot. At first I didn't like Ruth and her frowny faced tough girl act, but she grew on me. Then I realized she is decking people left and right and NO ONE can take down this 100 pound woman? Then of course in season 3 someone does but it's a douchebag who then gets his penis shot off for doing it.
There were a few notable deaths of women in season 3 but women's deaths are usually off screen (Marty's partner's secretary, preacher's wife, the therapist, Navaro's maid) or "blink and you'll miss it" (Helen). But this has always been a censorship thing, it is perfectly okay to show a dude get shotgunned in the face or have his toenails ripped off or his eyes ripped out or throat slit, but show that happening to a woman and the Twitter feminists are going to start complaining and calling your show misogynistic and glorifying violence against women.
Just look at how Ruth and Helen were tortured by being waterboarded, no real physical beating or bodily harm. A ruthless drug cartel made sure not to spill a drop of these women's blood, but yeah let's rip Marty's toenails off. It doesn't detract from my enjoyment of the show but it was VERY noticeable.