Breaking Bad May Be Over, But Netflix's Replacement With 82% On Rotten Tomatoes Remains An Underrated Must-Watch

The Breaking Bad universe is probably finished for good, but Netflix has its own version of the classic crime drama, Ozark, that remains an underrated gem. In the years since Breaking Bad ended, Vince Gilligan has continued to tell fascinating stories within that world. The spinoff series, Better Call Saul, proved to be just as captivating as Breaking Bad itself, and the sequel movie, El Camino, tied up all the loose ends with Jesse Pinkman’s character and left him in a good place. But now, it seems as though the Breaking Bad franchise is fully over and done with.

But even if there’s never another official spinoff, the influence of Breaking Bad can be seen all over the TV landscape. It established a few key trends in TV drama: the darker, the better; the protagonist is a reprehensible antihero who undergoes a shocking change; no main character is safe from an untimely demise. Most Breaking Bad knockoffs don’t hold a candle to the iconic original, but Netflix’s own Breaking Bad imitator came impressively close to matching its greatness. Ozark skews pretty closely to Breaking Bad, but it also has its own unique style and identity.

The Breaking Bad Franchise Might Be Over, But Netflix’s Ozark Is The Perfect Replacement Show

Ozark Is Another Crime Drama About An Ordinary Family Man Becoming A Ruthless Criminal

The Breaking Bad franchise is probably over, with Gilligan moving on to a totally unrelated project, but Netflix’s Ozark is the perfect show to replace it. Much like Breaking Bad, it revolves around a seemingly ordinary family man falling into a life of crime and uncovering a surprisingly ruthless side of himself. And much like Breaking Bad, it stars a traditionally comedic actor giving an uncharacteristically dark, dramatic performance. Jason Bateman stars as Marty Byrde, a financial advisor who gets involved in a scheme to launder money through his firm for a Mexican drug cartel.

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In the pilot episode, the cartel boss realizes Marty’s business partner Bruce has been skimming millions of dollars off his profits, so he executes Bruce in front of Marty. Marty pleads for his life by promising to launder $500 million for the cartel outside the jurisdiction of federal law enforcement in the Ozarks. So, he moves his family from the urban metropolis of Chicago to rural Missouri and gets to work setting up laundering operations for his unsavory new employers. As the series goes on, Marty gets himself into deeper and deeper trouble with the cartel and local gangsters.

Ozark was co-created by Bill Dubuque, who also created The Accountant franchise.

Ozark is every bit as thrilling as Breaking Bad, and wrings just as much tension out of the double life of a secret criminal. Marty’s wife Wendy, played brilliantly by Laura Linney, gets swept up in the criminal enterprise as they try to simultaneously keep their kids safe and keep them in the dark. Julia Garner steals the show in a star-making turn as Marty’s badass local partner-in-crime Ruth Langmore. The series is a riveting blend of straightforward family drama and pulpy, blood-soaked crime thriller, and it walks that tonal tightrope masterfully.

Ozark Remains Underrated, But It Deserves The Same Attention As Breaking Bad

Jason Bateman Undergoes The Same Dramatic Transformation As Bryan Cranston

Jason Bateman and Laura Linney as Marty and Wendy Byrde getting on a plane in Ozark

Although it was praised by critics throughout its run — reaching the peak of its acclaim in season 3, with a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score of 98% — Ozark remains an underappreciated gem. It was unlikely that it would ever receive the same attention as Breaking Bad, since Breaking Bad was a game-changer that defined the so-called Golden Age of Television. But Ozark is great enough that it deserves that love.

It was unlikely that it would ever receive the same attention as Breaking Bad, since Breaking Bad was a game-changer that defined the so-called Golden Age of Television.

Bateman anchors the series with an incredible performance. Just like Bryan Cranston’s turn as Walter White, Bateman makes great use of his usual dry, deadpan comedic talents, but also demonstrates a previously unseen ability to dig a lot deeper into the psychology of a complex character. Marty has a lot in common with Bateman’s Arrested Development character, Michael Bluth — he has no choice but to keep his not-so-law-abiding family together — so, in a sense, Ozark is Breaking Bad meets Arrested Development.

All 4 Seasons Of Ozark Are Currently Available To Stream On Netflix

Ozark’s 44-Episode Crime Saga Can Now Be Binge-Watched In Its Entirety

Skylar Gaertner as Jonah Byrde, Jason Bateman as Marty Byrde, Sofia Hublitz as Charlotte Byrde, and Laura Linney as Wendy Byrde in Ozark

Ozark ran for four seasons, comprising a total of 44 episodes. The first three seasons consisted of 10 episodes each, then the fourth and final season was split into two parts of seven episodes each. All four seasons of Ozark are currently available to binge-watch on Netflix.