Laura Linney's Wendy Byrde is the last person you'd ever want to cross on 'Ozark.'
Netflix’s hit drama series Ozark boasts no shortage of dangerous and cunning characters – it’s about money laundering for a Mexican drug cartel, after all. And though the leader of the Navarro Cartel should be the scariest person in the show, he’s not. Largely due to Laura Linney’s masterful portrayal, Wendy Byrde, the originally unsuspecting housewife of the money laundering genius Marty Byrde , is by far the most formidable character in Ozark.
Sure, for a while Wendy’s actions are aimed at keeping her and her family alive. But once Season 3 rolls around, and Wendy develops somewhat of a friendship with Helen and a trusting relationship with Navarro, her ambitions are raised, and “protecting her family” becomes more of a cover than the actual truth. When Wendy wants to open another casino , she shows how ruthless she can be when there’s competition.
Wendy’s willingness to hurt others in order to remain on top seems to truly know no bounds, especially as the danger surrounding her and her family escalates. When Ruth’s dad Cade becomes an issue, Marty thinks that he is sending him away with money and a promise to never return. But we see Cade get murdered by the cartel, and eventually learn that Wendy ordered the hit without telling Marty.
Though Ozark has many powerful characters, Wendy is the most fearsome for the way she employs her cunning, manipulation, and even cruelty to achieve her goals. Though Marty also possesses certain qualities that are crucial to the Byrdes' operations, it’s Wendy who often has the intuition and foresight to make the right decisions, however difficult they may be.