If not original, ‘Ozark’ is dark, relentless, appealing

“YA KNOW, a lot … has happened around here since you showed up.”

That’s what at least two (perhaps three) characters remark to Jason Bateman, during the course of his 10-episode Netflix drama, “Ozark.” And, truer words have rarely been spoken to and about a TV character!

In case you don’t keep up, and because “Ozark” hasn’t had quite the attention of, say, the vastly less interesting “Stranger Things” — this show is about a finance adviser-turned-money launderer (Bateman).

His illegal activities are humming along just fine until one of his partners skims money from a violent drug cartel. Bateman is spared, but he, his wife (the transcendent Laura Linney) and their two typically tiresome children have to high-tail it to — literally — the Ozarks. There, he still has to somehow launder cash for the drug lord (a fantastic Esai Morales). Bateman is also in the investigative headlights of the FBI. (The chief investigator — played by Jason Butler Harner — is as nasty and twisted a piece of work as any of the “real” criminals populating this series.)

Is it original? No. Many comparisons have already been made to “The Sopranos” and “Breaking Bad.” Moral compromises and hypocrisies abound. What it has, what hooked me, is a sparseness and almost utter lack of humor. Don’t ask me why, but I found this appealing. It is dark and relentless. It is also, as these familiar stories go, rife with implausibility and utterly stupid decisions. One must suspend disbelief.

Jason Bateman is known for rather sarcastic, straightfaced comic roles. Here he does his usual Jason Bateman amongst heads blown off, guttings, and various other acts of violence. I’m not sure if it’s acting, or simply the shock of Bateman in these circumstances, his aging boy-face showing few signs of emotion. To top it off, the decisions his character makes, cause such havoc, I came to decide that was the missing humor. At a certain point, one has to laugh; every time he has an “idea,” you know the bell is going to be tolling for somebody.

As for Laura Linney, she need only stand still in a scene and somehow she dominates it. The quality of her voice, every fleeting expression, is so perfect. She is an actor of the highest quality. Ten years ago I thought how can she get any better? Now I think — what miracles will she produce 10 years from now? Linney transforms and transcends her material.

Changes need to be made if there is a season two of “Ozarks.” Perhaps a drop in the body count, a few more facial expressions from Bateman, and maybe some rethinking on the way the people of the Ozarks are portrayed. If another season doesn’t happen, these 10 episodes were quite good enough and we can use our imaginations to decide on everybody’s eventual fate. (Yes, remember imagination?)

Particular shout-out to Julia Garner as Ruth, who struggles mightily with her good/bad impulses, as well as Peter Mullan and Lisa Enery as a married couple — the Snells — who understand each other very well indeed. A warning, if Mrs. Snell goes for lemonade, hit the road!

KUDOS, brava and every other accolade to Dame Diana Rigg whose big scene in Sunday night’s “Game of Thrones” dominated the episode, which was excellent in every other particular as well.

Rigg, whose scene closed the episode, simply owned the hour. I won’t spoil it, but her “Tell Cersei. I want her to know it was me,” was a delivery that Emmy nominations are made of.