‘Ozark’ Is the Only True ‘Breaking Bad’ Successor

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It’s still a common problem in 2026: after watching a truly exceptional show, everything else feels disappointing. You keep waiting for something that measures up. That’s the lasting effect Vince Gilligan had with Breaking Bad. The show continues to be incredibly popular, holding the top spot for series on IMDb and still generating discussion online.

Though Better Call Saul was a strong follow-up to Breaking Bad, many fans feel the earlier seasons, which centered around legal cases, weren’t quite as captivating as the later ones. Currently, only one show truly delivers the same kind of intense experience for Breaking Bad enthusiasts. That show is Ozark, released on Netflix nine years ago. It provides similar thrills and features a protagonist who is arguably more relatable than Walter White. So, what’s the show about?

‘Ozark’ Takes Viewers Back to a Dark World

E.M. Forster, a famous English author, beautifully explained the difference between a story and a plot. He said that simply stating “The emperor died, and then the empress died” is a story. But saying “The emperor died, and then the empress died of grief” is a plot – it shows why things happened. Great TV shows follow this principle, and Ozark is a prime example. We’re often shown characters who are already criminals, without ever learning how they became that way, but Ozark avoids that pitfall.

The show Ozark gives a behind-the-scenes look at money laundering. It centers on Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman), a financial advisor from Chicago who finds himself washing money for a Mexican drug cartel to save his business. He’s not inherently malicious, just ambitious and realistic. However, his partner, Bruce, makes a costly mistake by stealing $8 million, despite knowing it would likely be discovered.

A few days later, a dangerous cartel enforcer named Del (played brilliantly by Esai Morales) arrives at the company and kills several employees. Facing immediate danger, Marty quickly proposes a deal: he’ll launder $500 million in cartel money over five years, hiding it in the remote Ozark Mountains of Missouri where federal scrutiny is low. The enforcer agrees. Marty abruptly moves his entire family, including his wife Wendy (Laura Linney), who is unhappily having an affair, to the Ozarks. To ensure Wendy remains focused, the enforcer has her lover – the man she intended to leave with – killed. This is how the story of Ozark begins.

The show features multiple storylines that don’t simply combine into one overarching plot. Instead, these threads gradually connect and become intertwined, eventually leading to a complex and somewhat unraveling conclusion. It’s been nominated for an incredible 45 Emmy Awards, making it one of the most celebrated shows ever. But what makes it particularly appealing to fans of Breaking Bad?

‘Ozark’ and ‘Breaking Bad’ Share DNA But Have Different “Personalities”

Both Ozark and Breaking Bad share similar themes, with Breaking Bad being the earlier and highly influential show. Like Walter White in Breaking Bad, Marty Byrde in Ozark is driven to a life of crime by difficult circumstances. Walt turned to crime to provide for his family after receiving a cancer diagnosis and facing financial hardship, and Marty does the same to protect himself and his loved ones.

Both Marty and Walt are exceptionally intelligent. Walt excels in chemistry and science, using his knowledge to profit and solve problems. Marty, on the other hand, is a financial whiz, making it simple for him to create fake companies and launder money. Despite being clever, both men are ultimately controlled by more powerful drug organizations. Like Walt with Jesse Pinkman, Marty eventually takes on a young apprentice of his own.

Both shows feature the idea of crime involving the whole family. Unlike some portrayals, the spouses aren’t kept in the dark – Wendy, like Skyler White, is fully aware of her husband’s activities and struggles with whether to help him or leave. While she’s often unhappy, she ultimately stays with him because she feels she has no other choice.

Both Breaking Bad and Ozark start with straightforward ideas, but the complex worlds around the characters are always causing problems. The showrunners enjoy taking everyday situations and twisting them, repeating them, and rearranging them – and that’s what makes these shows so gripping. If you like one, you absolutely need to watch the other; missing out on either would be a mistake.

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2026-04-07 20:03