Ruling Days

**Ruling Days** is the fifth episode of the first season of *Ozark*. It aired on July 21, 2017.

## Synopsis

Marty decides to invest in the religious sector, unaware he will disrupt a discreet business operation. A surprise visitor shows up at the Byrde home.

## Plot

The episode begins in a flashback when a young man robbed a convenient store, which he shot one of the customers when they panicked. Mason Young coincidentally entered the store when the robbery happens and tried to persuade the robber to shot him instead of the customers and the store owner, which he does before escaping. Mason survived the shooting and seen swimming in the lake in the present when his pregnant wife Grace called him that Ash arrives with the box full of bibles.

While kayaking, Wendy sees a bloated body at the Byrde's boat dock. When she calls Marty down, he instantly recognizes it as Bobby Dean. After considering doing otherwise, she and Marty are spotted looking at the body by some boaters, forcing them to report it to the police. The local sheriff John Nix suspected the Byrdes are involved since Marty bought his business days before his death. While Marty drives from home, Jacob Snell stops Marty and asks if he is the new owner Lickety Splitz, which he confirms. Jacob tells Marty that Bobby was his business partner and subtly demands that Marty must work with him, which Marty refuses since his employers won't allowed it.

Wanting to know more about the Byrdes, Jacob and Darlene send Ash to spy on them. Meanwhile, Charlotte started working part-time at Blue Cat Bar and making friends with the Langmores while Buddy teaches Jonah how to shoot a gun.

At the strip club, Marty asks Ruth why everyone being hostile to him, she answers that most of the people thought that he killed Bobby, which Marty denies. He then asks Ruth to run the strip club over the Fourth of July weekend, which leads to him hiring her as the full time manager. At her care, she betters Bobby's management with actions, including hiring new dancers that turn Lickety Splitz into a moneymaker, much to the old staff's disdain. When one of the girls insults Ruth's father, she violently punches her and challenges anyone else to insult him.

Josh, the son of Gary "Sugarwood" Silverberg visit's the Byrde's house, demanding to know what caused his father's death. Marty leaves so that Wendy can talk to Josh while he goes to the bar. Wendy lies to Josh that Gary committed suicide because she broke up to him on the day of his death, but Josh doesn't believe her. He says that Gary was a happy person and the investigators he hired didn't support those claims either. Before he leaves, Josh asks Wendy if she really loved his father, which she later answers "No."

The next day, Marty gives the payment notes to the sheriff as a proof that he owned the strip club now. Nix reluctantly let them go as he can't find a motive from the Byrdes to kill Bobby and the police ruled his cause of death are from heroin overdose. Later, they visit Mason and offer the local pastor to build a church for his sermon as they find it a suitable place to launder money.

Russ stops his truck when he comes across Roy jogging and asks if he still wants fishing guide services, saying that "money's money." Riding on a high after their next fishing session, Roy attempts to kiss him, provoking a violent reaction from Russ who punches him and kicks him out of the truck. He shows up drunk at Roy's motel room and later they have sex.

After brainstorming how to increase cash flow, Marty and Wendy decide they need a big construction project. They meet Mason and Grace Young at the Young's house to discuss building a new church for the congregation.

Jonah steals one of Buddy's rifles from the house and buries it in the woods.

Wyatt picks up Charlotte for a date, where they discuss books.

Marty checks in at Lickety Splitz and picks up a big haul of cash from Ruth, offering her the job of running the club permanently. Ruth follows Marty and watches him stash the money in the pontoon boat.

While Marty and his family watch the Fourth of July fireworks, Ash breaks into the house and takes photos. Unbeknownst to him, Jonah is in the garage and hears him. Jonah secretly leaves the house to retrieve the rifle. Hidden, Ash hears Jonah and readys a knife, when a car pulls up and honks its horn, causing Jonah to hide the rifle and leave the house.

The Snell heroin operation is revealed - they produce the heroin and smuggle it in bibles at Mason's lake-based congregation. Jacob claims as long as they are on the water, the police can't touch them. However, their operation is compromised by Marty and Wendy's offer to build Mason's church on land.

## Production

### Credits

* Starring
* Guest Starring
* Co-Starring
### Starring

* Laura Linney as Wendy Byrde
* Sofia Hublitz as Charlotte Byrde
* Skylar Gaertner as Jonah Byrde
* Julia Garner as Ruth Langmore
* Jason Butler Harner as Roy Petty
* Esai Morales as Camino Del Rio (credit only)
* Peter Mullan as Jacob Snell
* Lisa Emery as Darlene Snell

### Guest Starring

* Charlie Tahan as Wyatt Langmore
* Marc Menchaca as Russ Langmore
* Michael Mosley as Mason Young
* Ben Rappaport as Josh Silverberg
* Robert Treveiler as John Nix
* Carson Holmes as Three Langmore
* Quinn Cooke as Raven
* Spencer Neville as Zach

### Co-Starring

* Michael Tourek as Ash
* Bethany Anne Lind as Grace Young
* Drew Starkey as Boy
* Sherry Richards as Clerk
* Carroll M. Johnson as Boater
* Phi Vu as Store Customer #3
* Jim Dougherty as Store Customer #4
* Sondra Darlington as Congregation Singer
* Bethany DeZelle as Congregation Singer
* Kathy Dillon as Congregation Singer
* Steven Reddington as Congregation Singer
* Troy Rudeseal as Congregation Singer
* Joy Glover Walters as Congregation Singer