Shameless in the Ozarks

With Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild nominations elevating the Byrde family to a household name, it’s no wonder fans of all kinds have been glued to the brazen antics of extremely clever and often robotic Marty, and impulsive yet remarkably fierce Wendy.

As a crime drama, Ozark really does provide us with everything we want in a show— drugs, romance, family crisis, mystery, unhinged characters, shocking conclusions, and FBI involvements, mixed in with a little sex and murder.

Watching as this once picturesque Chicago suburban family transforms into a cunning group of calm and collected schemers keeps viewers exhilarated and entertained throughout the first three fast-paced seasons, while avid fans patiently await the fourth and final season airing shortly in April 2021.

And just as Ozark shines a light on the temperamental parents Marty and Wendy as they navigate through infidelity, separation, reconciliation, death, and even a few kidnappings, what makes Ozark shine is the implementation of their curious and clever daughter Charlotte and their odd but tender son Jonah, who we watch go through countless transformations from innocent and unsuspecting teenagers to a calculated pair nearly equalling the finesse of their parents.

As a treat to viewers, Ozark adds a unique element to the opening credits of each episode, where they provide a calculated and mysterious grouping of 4 symbols or images meant to foreshadow the events of that particular episode.

My fiancé and I thoroughly enjoy pausing at this enigmatic reveal to construct estimations on what the symbols will reveal in the coming chapter, where we competitively placed bets on who will accurately decipher the clues.

If, like me, you’ve fallen for Ozark’s many twists and shocks, or if this crafty portrayal of the hit TV show leaves you eager to binge on the tumultuous lives of this unpredictable bunch, then I would be remiss to not navigate you towards your next new favourite show, Shameless.

Portraying various similar themes including the main focus on a dysfunctional yet intriguing family, the U.S. version of Shameless’ unpredictable shock factor mirrors the erratic behaviour prevalent in the aforementioned popular program.

While Ozark concentrates predominantly on the lives of the parents, Shameless veers more towards Fiona Gallagher while she maintains the household and takes care of her five younger siblings, all while juggling relationship, work, and financial drama and making sure to add lots of sex scenes along the way. Their quirky and helpful neighbours Kevin and Veronica provide an expanded glimpse into a young couple navigating through poverty and exploring themselves sexually via live webcam.

What makes Shameless so utterly irresistible is the sheer traumatic and shocking scenes dominant in nearly every episode. From unexpected circumstances to heartbreaking upsets, Shameless leaves viewers wanting more with each episode.

Shameless is the kind of show that makes you absolutely hate yet want to sympathize with its negligent characters, wish for the downfall of others, revel in the triumphs of the lowly, all the while fighting a nagging feeling that we as audience members should be doing something to help this poor family.

In addition to the various unlawful, shady, and persistent actions continuously portrayed through the lives of the disheveled pack of siblings, their absent and selfish father Frank, who thoughtlessly floats in and out of their lives, provides a shocking element to the narrative as his alcoholism and thirst for unearned cash unremittingly dictates his dishonest decisions.

Moreover, similar to the unsuspecting symbols provided at the beginning of every Ozark episode, Shameless sneaks mini notably twisted and humorous scenes into post episode mid-credit shorts, providing spectators with an extra bang for their buck even after the 50-minute drama-filled experience has ended.

Beginning in 2011, Shameless has recently released their eleventh and final season of mishaps and daunting escapades, all of which are available for a marathon of streaming easily on Netflix.

As two intriguing shows that have continued to keep my fiancé and I glued to our TV every evening, both shows have, on more than three occasions, persuaded us to watch just one more episode after swearing this was the last, subsequently keeping us up far past our scheduled bedtime.

Maybe you’ve already fallen in love with these comparable shows the way that I have, or perhaps you’ve seen neither and find yourself longing to add two dysfunctional yet thrifty families to your lives.

Or possibly, like the intent of my report, your adulation for Ozark in combination with my sound recommendation will inspire your decision to invite the wily Gallagher family into your home.

Whatever the case, I hope that watching the twisted lives of these unstable families keeps you both thoroughly entertained and glad to have a little more structure in your lives than they do.