- I've already made something of myself
I coulda never expected.
- [Narrator] Ruth Langmore went from motel housekeeper
to motel owner and from petty thief to crime lord.
She had a wild ride during Ozark's four seasons.
This is The Rise and Fall of Ruth Langmore.
- No, you're a fucking liar.
Tell me why.
- [Narrator] We first met Ruth in episode two
when she stole $3 million worth of cartel cash from Marty.
Ruth saw the money as a way to free her family
from the cycle of crime and poverty
that had plagued them for generations.
- We're never ever going to get
another opportunity like this.
- [Narrator] But Ruth recognized
she could learn a lot from Marty
and shifted her strategy for moving up in the world.
- I'm working with Martin
so I can learn how to launder for us.
When I do, I'm gonna take the money
and kill him.
- [Narrator] Ruth gained Marty's trust
by doing his dirty work.
- You're asking me to rob a strip club?
- [Marty] I am.
Beats washing dishes, huh?
- [Narrator] Soon enough, she was manager of that very club.
With a steady salary and Marty's confidence,
she was climbing the ladder fast.
- Don't deny it, we all know who your daddy is.
(Ruth punching woman)
- [Narrator] Ruth's Achilles heel
was always her love for her family.
The same love that made her
want to create a better life for them
continually threatened to drag her back down.
So, when her dad told her to kill Marty -
- [Dad] Don't come back here until he's dead.
- [Narrator] Ruth came up with a plan.
- His dock, okay?
I'm rigging it to light him up.
- [Narrator] When her plan failed,
Ruth's uncles got aggressive.
- We shoulda never let a little bitch do man's job.
(Ruth spitting)
(Uncle smacking Ruth)
- [Narrator] Around the same time,
The Byrde family embraced Ruth,
not knowing she had just tried to kill Marty.
The Byrdes were a stark contrast
to Ruth's dad and uncles.
- Call me if you need anything.
- [Narrator] Especially with her Uncle Russ
trying to betray her to the FBI,
then going behind her back with his own plan to kill Marty.
- Killing him tomorrow.
- What?
- [Narrator] Ruth had to choose:
protect Marty and lose her uncles,
or take them out and use her connection with the Byrdes
to build a better life for herself and her cousins.
- I couldn't have them kill you.
- [Narrator] With her uncles gone,
Ruth had a chance to grow personally and professionally.
She did her best to look out for her cousins Wyat and Three,
even while hiding the truth that she'd killed their dad.
- Maybe I could call social services
and see if they'd let me be your guardian.
- [Narrator] And she parlayed her good will with Marty
into money and white-collar skills.
- Tell me what you want.
- [Ruth] A raise.
- How much?
- 25 grand a year.
- Okay, done.
Anything else?
- And I wanna learn how to use the books.
- [Narrator] But Ruth struggled
when her dad got out of prison
and wouldn't accept her chosen path.
- You're a Langmore.
This is who you are.
- [Narrator] Ruth wanted to make her dad proud
even when he treated her terribly,
so she helped him try to Rob Marty.
- Where the fuck's the money?
- I don't know!
- [Narrator] At the same time,
she didn't want to give up the best job she'd ever had.
- I got us a brand new business to launder through.
- Great!
- [Narrator] When the FBI put more scrutiny on the Byrdes,
Ruth stayed loyal, toughing out torture from the cartel,
and reassuring Marty after he learned
of her previous plot to kill him.
- I swear to God, Marty, you can trust me.
I swear on my life.
- [Narrator] And he did trust her.
- I'm gonna need you to take over the whole operation.
The second the casino's approved,
I'm getting my family outta here.
- [Narrator] But as Ruth reached a high point with Marty,
her family was falling apart.
- [Wyat] Ruth?
- [Narrator] Wyat had become
the one steady light in Ruth's life
and she was thrilled when he became
the first Langmore to get into college.
So, Ruth finally had enough with her dad
when he threatened Wyat's future.
- The only money I got is for Wyat's tuition.
- Well, then you're gonna give it to me.
- No.
- You're gonna give it to me,
or I'm gonna walk over there
and I'm gonna tell him exactly what happened to his daddy.
- [Narrator] Even knowing it would wreck their relationship,
Ruth told Wyat the truth instead,
jeopardizing his shot at a good education.
- You can hate me, and I know you will,
but I need you to know
that you're the only thing in this world
that I'll ever fucking love.
- [Narrator] And Ruth could breathe again
when her dad became a casualty of the Byrdes doing business.
When the cartel stopped the Byrdes from jumping ship
and leaving Ruth in charge
of their new riverboat casino/floating laundering front,
Marty still gave Ruth a big promotion,
as manager of the Missouri Belle.
There, Ruth expanded her role by overseeing a partnership
with the Kansas City mob.
Though her refusal to be intimidated by mobster Frank Jr.
landed her in some hot water -
(Ruth kicking Frank Jr.)
(Frank groaning)
- Stupid bitch!
(water splashing)
- [Narrator] She still came out on top.
- You got any idea what my boy has been begging me
to let him do to her?
- She's untouchable too.
- [Narrator] Then, Ruth got lucky with another gambler.
- I'm Wendy Byrde's brother.
- [Narrator] Despite initial hesitation,
Ruth fell in love with Ben's kindness and sense of humor.
- I think you're pretty spectacular, to be honest.
Now, eat your burrito.
- [Narrator] But Wendy saw their relationship
as a threat to Ben's mental health
and to the Byrde family's safety.
- We have a very narrow window here
where Ben can get back on his meds and level himself out,
and without them he's dangerous.
- [Narrator] Ruth didn't listen.
Then, Ben saved her life.
- Get the fuck outta there.
- [Ruth] I don't have time for this.
- Something's fucked up.
Run!
Now!
(guns firing)
- [Narrator] And Frank Jr. wrongly blamed Ruth
for the hit that killed his men.
- [Frank] Hey!
(Frank punching Ruth)
- [Narrator] Ben spiraled.
- I need you to just calm down a little.
(Ben punching Marty)
- [Narrator] And Wendy checked him into a hospital.
Ruth couldn't stand to see Ben suffer,
so she checked him out.
But he got on the cartel's bad side.
- You tortured Ruth!
Did you kill her dad or did you just order the hit?
- [Narrator] At the end of season three,
Ruth said goodbye to Ben,
thinking he was headed toward a safe hiding place.
Instead, he was killed,
and Ruth hit a low point
when she learned Wendy gave him up to the cartel.
- You fucking murdered him.
- I begged you not to get involved with him.
- [Narrator] Heartbroken after Ben's death,
Ruth severed ties with the Byrdes
and realized her talents were in demand.
- I'd like you to come and work with me.
- Ruth took Darlene up on an offer
to help run her heroin business.
Since Darlene was dating Wyat,
and Wyat and Ruth had reconciled -
- I shoulda done better by you.
- [Narrator] Ruth bought the motel she used to clean
to use as a laundering front
(Ruth chuckling)
and recruited Marty's son, Jonah, to launder for her.
Though Darlene and Ruth's business
was in competition with the cartel,
they weren't willing to back down.
- Okay, but if you don't do this
their response is gonna be quick and it's gonna be brutal.
- [Narrator] Despite initial creative differences,
Ruth and impressed Darlene.
- You've been waiting for a partner
with as much guts as you your whole life.
- I knew I made the right call bringing you on.
- [Narrator] Now, one of the most powerful players
in the Ozarks,
Ruth partnered with Marty as an equal
and sold Darlene's heroin to a pharmaceutical company
in bed with the Byrdes and the Navarro cartel,
which was just one of several moves
that Darlene pissed off.
(rifle firing)
- What the fuck?
What the actual fucking fuck Darlene!
- I've been in this long enough
to know when I am being blackmailed.
- [Narrator] Darlene's erratic behavior
made Ruth concerned for Wyat.
She was ready to leave everything behind
and start a new life with him.
- We're not our daddies.
We can get out of this fucking place.
- [Narrator] But Wyat married Darlene
and the cartel made good on its threat.
(gun firing)
(baby crying)
- Ruth,
do not hurt this man.
- If you wanna stop me,
you're gonna have to fucking kill me!
- [Narrator] Lower than ever,
and with nothing left to lose,
and no more faith in the Byrdes,
Ruth went after Wyat's killer,
the second in command for the Navarro cartel.
(gun firing)
As much as Wyat's death gutted Ruth,
and murdering Javi made her vulnerable to retaliation,
Ruth gained more power than ever before.
- Darlene had a stake in the casino.
Your cousin married her.
You should know that this woman is in line
to become the largest landowner in the Ozarks.
- And with your help,
the largest stake owner in the Missouri Belle.
- [Narrator] Ruth also achieved the impossible
and got a fresh start.
- You know, that's doable.
- What?
- Expunging your record.
- The first clean Langmore in five generations.
- [Narrator] She broke ground on her dream home
and seized the casino from the Byrdes in a hostile takeover.
- But the controlling interest here is mine,
so you need to find another way to launder your money.
- [Narrator] When the cartel wasn't happy
with Ruth's decision to keep the casino clean,
she buried the problem.
(gun firing)
Everything was looking up for Ruth.
Only one problem:
Javi's mom was still looking for his killer.
- It was Ruth Langmore.
- If you warn her,
if I even sense someone's following me,
I'll kill all of you.
- [Narrator] Even in her last moments,
Ruth stayed true to herself.
- Well, are you gonna fucking do this shit or what?
(gun firing)
- [Dealer] Eleven!
(Everyone cheering)
- [Narrator] Relive Ruth's rise and demise
with 43 episodes of Ozark, only on Netflix.
- Why?
- Cause you're Ruth fucking Langmore, that's why.