Review of "Ozarks" season one (spoilers)

I usually have so many things going on, I barely have time to watch TV (except news channels). But after reading this "Time" article (photo above) a couple of weeks ago (written by Daniel D'Addario) & since I like Jason Bateman's work (especially in "Arrested Development"), I decided to watch 'Ozarks' on Netflix (not binge-watch mind you since I wouldn't have the time). 

At first, the show appears to have everything a man would want to watch: strippers, organized-crime violence, sex. 
But it's a lot more complex than that. You've got the troubled FBI agent, the problematic kids, the marital conflict, etc.

The "Time" article does describe the premise of the show accurately: "Marty Byrde is a Chicago-land lawyer whose money laundering for the mob places his family in mortal danger and forces them all - Wife Wendy (Laura Linney) and two kids (Sophia Hublitz and Skylar Gaertner) -- to take up residence in the Missouri region that gives the show its name".

However, in the "Time" review, Marty Byrde (the financial adviser who's the lead character) is described as nasty: "Bateman's portrayal of his character is so nasty, you'll forget you ever liked him" is how the critic describes it. & I gotta say; I can see the critic's point of view. After all, Marty's inept greedy decisions are why his family is in danger (he should've seen it coming after making a deal with a Mexican cartel!).

But at the same time I don't agree. Because, as Marty later justifies in the show, he made a (very) bad decision at one point in his life & now he has to deal with the consequences. Anybody can identify with that. As well as with the sudden awareness of your vulnerability when in life you eventually come across people who are misleading you. For example, the scene where the young girl Charlotte Byrde (Marty's daughter) finds out the guy she had sex with had left the "Ozarks" for the season without even saying goodbye. Or the scene where Marty finds out about his wife's infidelity, or the time Russ finds out the FBI agent was just using him for sex & information on Marty, etc.
To paraphrase Charlotte's young friend "they all eventually leave" he tells her "you are now one of us".

Then there's Del (the cartel's leader for whom Marty is laundering the money) and his organized crime group. I'm wondering which cartel is it based on? Marty mentions it's the second largest cartel in Mexico. Hence, I'm guessing it's based on "Jalisco Nueva Generacion" or the "Gulf cartel". But the sophistication of Del's strategy could also point to certain operations in Chicago by the "Sinaloa federation".

Regardless, Del was killed towards the end of the last show. Hence, who knows how the cartel will react? "Breaking Bad" already dealt with similar story-lines. Although unlike Walter White, Marty will supposedly have the backing of a domestic organized crime group (the Snells) when he eventually confronts the cartel. 

I've been reading articles on the internet about "the Ozarks" & they all seem negative. But I gotta admit, despite all the bad reviews, I'd still watch season two of "Ozarks".