Netflix's Ozark primarily focuses on the Byrde family, it also portrays how their fractured relationships and malicious criminal actions affect others around them. One of the main characters who suffer the consequences of crossing paths with the Byrdes is Ruth Langmore.
Ruth, who first appears in Ozark season 1, episode 3, "My Dripping Sleep," is initially a habitual petty criminal. However, as the show progresses, she puts her intelligence, awareness, and ambitiousness to good use and gradually rises in ranks in the meaty underbelly of the Ozarks. Although Ruth, too, is morally ambiguous like almost every other character in the series, her rite of age after Ben's death has tugged many a heartstring. Owing to her growing popularity, it isn't surprising that fans keep a close eye on everything she says and does.
Ruth's tragic love story in Ozark makes her endearing to many fans; however, some viewers have also questioned the inconsistencies in her timeline. A Reddit noticed that in Ozark season 4, part 1, episode 6, "Sangre Sobre Todo," Ruth empathizes with Frank over his father's death and claims that she, too, lost her father, Cade, "last year." Considering that a lot has happened since her father's death in season 2, the Redditor believes that this is an evident plot hole, and it makes "the suspension of disbelief a bridge too far." While this scene could be a subtle depiction of Ruth losing her sense of time, it also could be a plot hole caused by inconsistent writing.
According to other Redditors on the same thread, even the ages and appearances of several characters don't line up too well. One pointed out that "Charlotte is 15 in S1 and they say she's nearly 18 in S4," which suggests that at least two years have ed since Cade's death. Another responded that Baby Zeke hasn't aged a day while Jonah has aged twice as much in appearance. These discrepancies in character timelines show that in all of its chaotic greatness, Ozark isn't bereft of narrative blunders.
Needless to say, despite these glaring shortcomings, Ozark continues to keep its fans white-knuckled with its moral reckonings and high-gloss drama. Perhaps, that explains why these trivial blemishes in the storyline are too fleeting to dwell on for most fans. With Ozark season 4 part 2 still , the show might resolve some underlying plot holes without stretching the suspension of disbelief any further. However, even if it doesn't, fans can rest assured that the Byrdes' final few perilous adventures — and misadventures — will undoubtedly keep them captivated.