Summary

• Ruth Langmore's abundance of witty and on-target quotes sets her apart as one of the most memorable characters in Ozark.
• Julia Garner's delivery of Ruth's iconic lines helped her win three Emmys and made Ozark one of the most-watched shows on Netflix.
• Ruth's love-hate relationship with Marty Byrde and her journey throughout the show contribute to her transformation into one of the best characters on Ozark.

Content Warning: The following article contains spoilers for the Netflix series Ozark and discussions of ableism, drugs, and misogynistic language.

Ruth Langmore quotes show why the character became one of the most memorable in the crime drama Ozark. Ruth (Julia Garner) is often tough, fearless, and very intelligent. Her love-hate relationship with the show's main character, Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman), is always entertaining. One minute she will die for him, and the next minute she wants to kill him. Both her interaction with Marty and her journey through the show helped her morph into the best character on Ozark other than the Byrde family, and fans watched her spiral to an eventful conclusion.

Julia Garner won three Emmys for Best ing Actress In A Drama Series in 2019, 2020, and 2022 for her performance as Ruth in Ozark. One of the big things that makes Ruth Langmore stand out is her abundance of brilliant quotes, often witty and very much on target. It is Garner's delivery of these iconic lines that helped bring her awards recognition and helped Ozark become one of the most-watched shows on Netflix for four thrilling seasons. In the end, the Ozark cast might not have had a better character than Ruth Langmore.

20 "What You Got Ain’t A Disability, Just Poor Judgment."

Season 3, Episode 5: "It Came From Michoacán"

Joseph Sikora's Ozark villain Frank Cosgrove Jr — the entitled son of the Kansas City mob boss — has mostly had a terrible relationship with Ruth (at least until the last season). He spent most of his days in Marty's casino trying his luck at high-stakes card games. During the games, he was often unruly and couldn't refrain from using foul language.

When he shows up one day and parks his Dodge Challenger in the area allocated for people with disabilities, Ruth doesn't hesitate to call him out for it. And she does so in the most offensive way possible by making fun of his level of intelligence, leading to one of the best Ruth quotes from Ozark season 3. It's the kind of biting remark that made Ruth such a fan-favorite character in Ozark, and also showed that she was never afraid to put Frank in his place, despite his family connections.

19 "If I Was Kidding I Would've Said You're Witty And Handsome."

Season 1, Episode 3: "My Dripping Sleep"

In the third episode of Ozark season 1, "My Dripping Sleep", Ruth puts the $20,000 they took from Marty in a cabinet in the trailer. Neither Russ (Marc Menchaca) nor Boyd (Christopher James Barker) feels it is a safe spot, so Russ asks her if she's kidding. She bluntly demonstrates her honesty by reminding Russ what she'd have said if she were.

As she leaves to go look for Marty, she lets Russ know that if she was kidding, she would have praised his looks. Russ looked nothing close to a male model on a magazine cover, so the joke landed perfectly. This is yet another example of Ruth's incredibly scathing wit that made her so popular. It also shows how Ruth is willing to dismiss anyone around her, even her own uncle.

18 "Look, I Know I Kissed You Last Night, But It's Coz I Thought I Was Gonna Die."

Season 3, Episode 9: "Fire Pink"

After Marty gets kidnapped by Navarro's (Felix Solis) men and then Navarro's bank gets flagged, Ruth, Wendy (Laura Linney), and Helen (Janet McTeeer) begin freaking out. Ben (Tom Pelphrey), who had been trying to woo Ruth, went to the trailer park to see her. He told her he wouldn't go anywhere until he knew she was safe. Ruth was awed by Ben, so she kissed him.

One of the best Ruth quotes in Ozark came when she let Ben know that she didn't kiss him because she liked him.

The next day, Ben showed up again, but Ruth didn't seem so pleased to see him. One of the best Ruth quotes in Ozark came when she let Ben know that she didn't kiss him because she liked him. She only did so because the Marty incident had made her scared. It's that kind of humorous ruthlessness that makes her one of the best characters in Ozark.

17 "How's About Instead Of S*****n’ On Me, You Get Your Own House In Order?"

Season 3, Episode 10: "All In"

Ruth and Marty certainly have a love-hate style relationship, with Marty often trying to control Ruth as he believes he is better than her throughout the show. This eventually becomes a big problem for them, and this is a great moment for Ruth. Marty might technically be Ruth's boss, but he certainly is no better than her when it comes to making questionable decisions and breaking laws.

Despite the dynamic of their relationship, Ruth didn't treat Marty any differently from other Ozark characters when it came to her sharp tongue, and the confrontations between the two were always momorable. This Ruth Ozark quote is a perfect example of Ruth putting Marty in his place. She makes it clear that he needs to sort his problems out before blaming her, which is his usual go-to decision.

16 "Was He Murdered?"

Season 3, Episode 3: "Kevin Cronon Was Here"

Marty isn't the only person Ruth is prepared to talk back to and silence, as she showcases when Helen begins to creep into her life. Helen Pierce, played by Janet McTeer, was introduced in Ozark season 2 and was one of the most intimidating presences on the show, though this didn't seem to impact the way Ruth dealt with her.

While most of the other characters are petrified of Helen, that isn't the case with Ruth, who isn't as intimidated by her. When Helen tries to sympathize with Ruth by pointing out that her father died when she was the same age as Ruth, she quickly fires back by asking if he was murdered. It's clearly a moment of her telling Helen to be silent, as they can't be compared, and it makes for a fantastic encounter between them.

15 "Y'all Need To Have A Story. For instance, Old Auntie Dips**t Just Left Me A Whole Bundle And She Dropped Dead And Yadda Yadda Yadda."

Season 3, Episode 4: "Boss Fight"

Ozark season 3 was one of the most intense of the show, and the upped stakes also led to some of the best Ruth quotes in the entire series, showing that even impending danger wouldn't put a dent in her unflappable humor. After Navarro kidnaps Marty, he demands that business go on as usual. So, Ruth did her best to fill her boss's shoes.

Since the FBI agent, Maya (Jessica s Dukes), was watching every move, Ruth and Wendy came up with a perfect plan to launder money without Maya’s noticing. They assembled a group of stooge players (including Ben) and gave them $9000 each. Their job was to go to the casino, lose the money, then get paid $1000. Ruth also did a great job of explaining to them what they should say if they were asked about the money's origins.

14 "I’ve Got A Pretty Strong F*****g Stomach… Pardon My French."

Season 2, Episode 7: "One Way Out"

Ruth Langmore has a habit of squeezing a swear word into nearly every sentence. She swears more than any other character in Ozark, and is always somehow endearing when she does so, just as she is when insulting her superiors or refusing to be intimidated by the likes of Helen.

This particular expletive filled Ruth Ozark quote about her strong stomach is hilarious because she expresses self-awareness of this by apologizing in her own way.

However, this particular expletive filled Ruth Ozark quote about her strong stomach is hilarious because she expresses self-awareness of this by apologizing in her own way. The moment comes in the funeral home while she's talking with the director, making it very clear that anything they show or tell her won't be an issue, alluding to the fact she's been through a lot and is made of tough stuff. The addition of "pardon my French" makes the scene even more comical and unforgettable.

13 "If You’re A Killer, Then I’m Snow White. And I Don’t See Any Dwarves Around."

Season 1, Episode 5: "Ruling Days"

In the Ozark season 1 episode "Ruling Days," Bobby's body is discovered at Marty's boat dock. The Sheriff takes a look at the sale documents for the strip club and concludes that neither Marty nor his wife had any motive to kill Bobby (Adam Boyer). Bobby's death is thus ruled as an accident. Later on, Marty explains to Ruth that he didn't kill Bobby.

Marty does this to make her feel comfortable and not be afraid of something similar happening to her. Ruth tells Marty that she is not concerned — not even close. However, as it's Ruth, she can't simply come out and say that she knows he's not as dangerous as others seem to think. She knows he is not a killer, but it's the characteristically colorful way she expresses her trust that makes this one of the best Ruth Langmore quotes.

12 "What The F**k Are You Gonna Do? Kill Me, You F****n’ B***h Wolf?"

Season 3, Episode 10: "All In"

After Ben gets killed by a cartel hitman, Ruth becomes angry and goes to confront Wendy in the finale of Ozark season 3. In turn, Wendy blames Ruth for what happened, since she is the one who organized his release from the psychiatric hospital. Ruth then asks what her boss is going to do to Wendy and quits, letting out yet another timeless expletive-filled Ruth Langmore quote instead of simply fielding the question.

Later on, the scheming Helen asks Ruth if she'd like to work for her, and she seems open to the idea. However, Helen died before this potentially interesting dynamic could come to fruition. Not only is the colorful language Ruth uses part of the reason this is such a memorable Ozark quote, but it's the absolute fearlessness she shows too.

11 "How About I Pop Those T**s And Squeeze Out The Silicon?"

Season 2, Episode 5: "Game Day"

One thing that is always clear about Ruth Langmore is that she has no filter, a fact made apparent by practically every line she delivers. This is a key reason she's the source of so many of the best Ozark quotes, as it's almost impossible to guess what she's going to say in any situation, but it's almost a certainty that it will be hilarious.

Ruth doesn't care who she offends, and she makes it a point to insult everyone.

Ruth doesn't care who she offends, and she makes it a point to insult everyone. This has led to many of the best Ruth Ozark quotes, and one of the most hilarious lines comes during an argument with the stripper, Jade, when she won't leave and keeps eavesdropping on her conversation in season 2. It's a quick remark that easily sends Jade on her way and shows how Ruth is able to shut down just about anyone with a well-timed insult.