Ep 9. Coffee, Black

In the ninth episode of Ozark’s first season, titled “Coffee, Black,” the tension between Marty and Rachel continues to escalate as Rachel struggles with her addiction and her growingly intense feelings for Marty. Wendy, meanwhile, begins to take matters into her own hands as she becomes more and more paranoid about the FBI’s investigation into her family's money laundering operation.

The episode opens with Marty confronting Rachel about her drug use. After finding her passed out in her car with a needle in her arm, he’s had enough of her recklessness and demands that she clean up her act. Rachel, for her part, seems to resent Marty for putting her in this position in the first place and insists that she can handle her addiction on her own.

As Marty tries to get Rachel’s life back on track, Wendy becomes increasingly paranoid about the FBI’s investigation into their business. She begins to source new lawyers and accountants to help them find loopholes around the investigation, but her efforts are met with skepticism from Marty.

Meanwhile, the tension between Ruth and her father, Cade, reaches a boiling point as he barges into her trailer and starts throwing her things around in a fit of rage. Ruth tries to stand up to him, but it’s clear that Cade has a strong hold on her and she’s unable to fully break away from his influence.

As the episode progresses, the focus switches back to Marty and Rachel. In an effort to keep her away from her old dealer, Marty hires Rachel to work in the Blue Cat Lodge, where she quickly starts to pick up on the intricacies of his money laundering operation. Rachel's curiosity about Marty's work intensifies, and Marty begins to realize that he's created a monster.

The episode’s final act ramps up the tension even further. With a storm brewing outside, Marty discovers that Rachel has been making late-night phone calls to an associate and he worries that she's working against him. His fears are confirmed when Wendy confronts him with evidence that Rachel has been working with the FBI all along.

In a final twist, the episode concludes with Marty and Wendy discovering that Cade has kidnapped Rachel, probably as leverage against the Byrdes. The episode ends with the two of them driving into the night in search of Rachel, with the storm raging around them.

Overall, “Coffee, Black” is a tense and dramatic episode that showcases the character development and complex relationships that have made Ozark such a compelling series. The tensions between Rachel and Marty continue to simmer, while Wendy's ever-growing paranoia threatens to drive a wedge between her and her husband. With the added suspense of Cade's sudden reappearance and the looming threat of the FBI investigation, this episode keeps audiences on the edge of their seat from beginning to end.