This article includes SPOILERS for Black Rabbit!
Jason Bateman’s new crime thriller on Netflix is being compared to Ozark, but Bateman’s characters in the shows couldn’t be more different. One of Jason Bateman’s most notable non-comedy roles is Marty in Ozark, one of the best family crime dramas of all time.
In the three years since its ending, many shows have been considered perfect Ozark replacements. Black Rabbit, starring Jason Bateman, is the newest addition to the list, according to critics – though it’s nowhere near as good.
The show follows two brothers, Vince (Jason Bateman) and Jake (Jude Law), who get wrapped up in organized crime in New York City. Black Rabbit and Ozark have many similarities. However, Bateman’s two characters feel like opposites of each other in their personalities and the way they handle situations.
Black Rabbit’s Vince Is Less Calculated Than Ozark’s Marty
Vince in Black Rabbit feels like the definition of a “hot mess.” He desperately wants to fix the problems in his life, but he has no clue how to do that. As such, he makes extremely messy, impulsive decisions that are not well-thought-out. Frequently, his brother Jake has to swoop in to save him from his own bad choices.
He receives some money to pay the organized crime boss, but instead of settling the debt, he decides to gamble to increase it, unaware of the risk. He decides to burn down his parents’ house for the insurance money, but the plot is only successful because of Jake. Additionally, he diverges from Jake’s robbery plan, and it goes horribly wrong.
In this way, Ozark’s Marty is much more similar to Black Rabbit’s Jake than he is to Vince. Marty is the ultimate fixer who can handle any situation. Every decision that Marty makes feels extremely calculated, being driven by logic instead of emotion. Besides getting involved with the cartel, he tends to see in the long term.
There’s a bigger picture that other characters miss, but Marty usually sees in the hit crime drama. He definitely makes some bad decisions, but they’re at least well-thought-out. He’ll even kill if it benefits his end goals, which is morally dubious but shows that he understands the way others influence his plans. His grasp of cause and effect is shockingly impressive.
Marty Wants Out Of The Crime World, While Vince Dives Deeper Into It
Both Marty and Vince knowingly got themselves into the world of organized crime. They both eventually come to the realization that they want out. However, there is a big difference between Marty and Vince that makes them opposites. Marty repeatedly tries to escape that situation, but is mostly pulled back in by his wife and the cartel.
On the other hand, Black Rabbit’s Vince attempts to get out of trouble with the mob boss by diving even deeper into the world of gambling and organized crime. He seems to think that committing more crimes is the solution that will get him out of crime. The steps he takes to solve his problems made me want to shout, “What are you doing?” at the screen.
Vince tries to get a loan to pay off his other loan. He burns down his house to get the insurance money. He gambles away the little money he has at the same place where he got into debt to start, putting him even further in debt. He thinks that robbing a restaurant is a brilliant idea, leading to murder.
Marty seems to understand that crime isn’t the solution to crime. He might initially attempt to commit fraud by faking his death for the insurance money, but he quickly shifts to creating escape plans and seeking help from the FBI. Meanwhile, Vince is the prime example of starting crime young and never seeming to find a way out.
Marty Can Talk His Way Out Of Most Situations, But Vince Can’t
Along the same lines as being a calculated, Marty is a smooth talker who always seems to keep calm, no matter what happens. He’s very capable of talking his way out of tense situations. Rarely, he will start to crack and lose his cool. However, that’s not ordinary for Marty Byrde.
It’s more often that everyone is freaking out around him, and he’s in survival fixer mode. Internally, he’s probably panicking and worried about whether he’s saying and doing the right things. However, he’s externally cool as an ice cube.
Vince is the exact opposite of this in Black Rabbit. Everything he says seems to make his problems worse. He’s not persuasive when speaking to Mancuso or his sons about needing more time to pay them back. They only back off a little bit when Jake steps in to convince them to make a payment plan for the debt.
Vince Doesn’t Put His Family First, While Marty Does
Another key difference between Vince in The Black Rabbit and Marty in Ozark is the fact that they have opposite values when it comes to family. Vince’s relationship with his daughter is strained, at best. He doesn’t actually seem to care about her or show up for her. What’s more, Vince makes impulsive decisions without considering their impact on Jake.
Despite his calculated nature and his involvement in organized crime, Marty Byrde’s redeeming trait is that he seems to care about his family. He isn’t emotive except when it comes to his loved ones. Even when Wendy gets them into more trouble, he’s still absolutely devoted to his wife.
Marty is also a surprisingly great father to Jonah and Charlotte, and a father figure to Ruth Langmore. He tries to protect and support them through teenage struggles and mental health issues. Ultimately, he justifies many bad acts so that he can take care of his family in Ozark, which is a stark contrast from Vince in Black Rabbit.