Ozark season 3, episode 8 recap – what happened in “BFF”?

This recap of Netflix Series Ozark season 3, episode 8, “BFF” contains significant spoilers.

• Read the Season 3 review.
• Read the recap of Episode 9.
• Read the recap of the previous episode (7).
• Access the archive of all the episode recaps.

Ozark Season 3, Episode 8, “BFF” opens up very patiently, showing Marty heading over the therapist Sue’s house — he cannot find her. He suddenly realizes what has happened to Sue when he sees the name Helen Pierce in her appointment book.

The casualties are adding up.

Wendy is pushing Helen about their partnership and raises her discontent with Sue getting killed. Helen turns it around, saying she is sick and tired of cleaning up Wendy and Marty’s mistakes. We are seeing the start of everyone losing a grip on the situation.

But the main issue of Episode 8, “BFF” is Ruth and Ben; Ruth arrives at the casino and she is suddenly reminded of what happened to her. Wendy and Marty welcome Ruth back and assign her tasks so she can launch back into it.

Ben, on the other hand, is looking for revenge; he heads over to Frank’s work and asks for Frank Jr but the guard says he is not available. Ben drives through anyway and he is immediately surrounded by men so he drives off. Afterward, he goes to a bar and starts a fight with a random man.

Ben is already unstable and Episode 8 demonstrates how it is only a matter of time before this explodes.

Helen rings Wendy at 3 am regarding an assault case against her brother. Wendy immediately says she will take it on.

The next day, Ruth picks Ben up from the station; she’s annoyed that he went to Kansas City to try and ger revenge. Ben reiterates that Frank Jr needs to be dead. Ruth explains that Wendy and Marty have cut ties with Frank Cosgrove and that Wendy is not soft as she works for a drug cartel. Ben asks Ruth what happened between her and Ruth but she tells him to stop talking.

It’s almost like they are self-jeopardizing at this point.

On the subject of Ben, Marty asks Wendy how she is going to handle it. He suggests committing him to a mental health facility. Wendy is fuming at that idea and says she will handle it.

Meanwhile, Maya’s boss has retrieved evidence on launderers that Marty anonymously sent. Maya explains she didn’t take the evidence from Marty as it would have ruined her integrity. Her boss explains that her job is to investigate crime and takes her off field duty roles.

I can understand Maya’s position here; she doesn’t want to betray her core and you can see it in her very being in “BFF”

Wendy finally approaches Ben in “BFF” and tells him to leave as he is not safe. Ben explains that after talking to Ruth, he believes she could have done something to Frank Jr. An emotional Wendy asks how much is it going to cost for him to leave town. Ben says his life is here now and walks off.

We are witnessing a character here whose entire focus is on Ruth, which birthed the reasons for him to stop taking his meds. As stated in previous recaps, he is a ticking time bomb.

It’s Gala time at the midway point of Ozark Season 3, Episode 8, “BFF”. The Gala is held at the casino and is arranged by the Byrde Family Foundation — Helen is not ready for small talk with Wendy until the night is a success.

Darlene and Wyatt turn up at the Gala. Darlene praises Ruth for running the casino. Maya marches to the casino to speak to Marty. Marty explains to Wendy that Maya is getting pulled and going back to DC. Wendy explains that he must get her to come back and he agrees.

And then it happens; Ben the bomb goes off. He turns up while Wendy does a speech on her foundation and while Senator Andrew Wade is giving a speech after her, she sees Ben in the crowd and she walks towards him.

A loud Ben asks what happened in Chicago with Marty’s partner and then starts exploding. Wendy repeatedly asks Ben to calm down as he starts revealing loads of thoughts from his head. Marty comes over and tries to calm Ben down as the crowd starts to notice the commotion; Ben punches Marty and Ben is dragged away.

Marty tells Wendy they have no options but to send Ben to a hospital. Helen tells Wendy and Marty that Ben is going to a state hospital and not a private facility; the paperwork is done and it is too late.

Wendy and Marty listen to Helen on camera speak to Ben; she breaks it to him that he will be committed to a hospital on indefinite hold. Ben starts screaming no repeatedly before begging for Wendy. In this scene, you can see Wendy’s heartbreak as she feels helpless and cruel. Wendy never wanted her brother to return to a hospital.

The next day, Ruth and Wendy go visit Ben. He only wants to see Ruth. Ben tells Ruth that he has figured it all out; that Wendy got Ruth’s father killed. Ruth says it is complicated. Ben says what happened to her is not okay and that he should not be here. Ben sobs uncontrollably and apologizes. Ben asks Ruth to help him get out of here.

And just when you think it cannot get worse; Helen gives Navarro an update and says maybe the Byrde’s are “not who we thought they were”. Navarro tells Helen to do what she needs to do.

Episode 8 indicates things are going to change forever.

With Darlene lurking on the outskirts of this story, she tells the sheriff to get Ben out of the mental facility immediately and make out it was a mistake. The Sheriff says if he does this, she will need someone else to run Darlene’s product.

Ozark Season 3, Episode 8, “BFF” closes with Ben getting released and he gets straight into a taxi. Marty asks Wendy why Darlene would help discharge Ben; Wendy believes it is because Wyatt is related to Ruth.

And then it ends where there’s no point of return for all these characters; Ben approaches Helen and Erin and calls everyone monsters. Ben screams at Erin, telling the girl that her mother helps launder drug money for the cartel. He starts ranting at Helen, stating that she gets people killed and tortured for the cartel. Helen tells him to get out. Helen tells Erin that Ben is mentally unstable and that he’s meant to be in a facility.

The one thing Helen did not want was for her daughter to know who she really is. This is not going to end well.

Sherrif’s Diary

• Charlotte and Jonah have been put on community service.
• Charlotte and Jonah ask Marty if he is getting a divorce with Wendy. Marty says they are still a family and they will still work together.
• At the gala, Erin randomly kisses Jonah.
• Charlotte tells Jonah to remember his kiss with Erin rather than the drama with Ben.
• Marty gives Maya Milla more evidence on some more launderers. Maya reminds him that is not how it works. Marty continues to try to persuade her.