Ruth Langmore (Ozark)

Whenever people ask why on earth I collect Funko Pop figures (which is basically, like… ALL the time), this - this right here - this would be “Exhibit A.”

Ruth Langmore.

Ruth freakin’ Langmore.

The secret to Funko’s eye-popping success isn’t exactly rocket science, as much as people pretend to be utterly mystified by it. It’s the licensing, stupid. More specifically, it's the sheer *breadth* of the licensing. As the company is so fond of saying “Everyone is a fan of something.” And my Pop collection is like a veritable microcosm of this entire website - a highly-personalized mosaic of self-expression, curated and distilled from the complete pop culture spectrum. 

In other words, anyone can own a Rey figure from Star Wars. But not everyone owns a Rey figure that sits between Beth Harmon from The Queen’s Gambit and Piper Chapman from Orange is the New Black.

Which brings us back to Ruth Langmore, one of my single favorite characters from the past decade or so of television. To say I was delighted when Funko announced they were doing an Ozark line would be an understatement. The figure’s likeness is solid, effectively capturing Julia Garner’s distinctive mess of curls and subtly conveying her Ruth-ian body language (oh, you don't think Pops convey body language? Think again). Interestingly, most female Pops have a standard tri-lash design… but I don’t think I’ve ever seen this particular look (at least within my collection), in which the eyelashes are basically a single barb, jutting from the eyes like devil’s horns. But I dig it - coupled with the sharp eyebrows, it definitely hints strongly at Ruth’s volcanic personality. ​

In spite of having seen every episode of Ozark, I have to admit I was left grasping for the significance of the headphones. I gather it may be a reference to “The Cousin of Death,” in which… something pretty momentous happens, plot-wise, but it’s an odd detail, especially since I’m pretty sure Ruth always used EarPods on the show anyway? Of course, oblique symbolism is rather fitting when it comes to Ozark, since I’d always make a special point of paying attention to the episode-specific images that appear in the opening “O”… only to completely forget about them two minutes later. Every. Single. Time.