Where Did We Leave Off on ‘Ozark’?

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Five questions that need answers in the final ‘Ozark’ season

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There’s something that’s just right about the final season of Ozark being presented by Netflix in two parts, given that Breaking Bad did the same thing. Breaking Bad has always been Ozark’s most obvious influence, along with Justified and perhaps the second season of Fargo. The seven episodes that make up the first half of the fourth and last season (yes, that is convoluted math) will arrive on the morning of January 21, so let’s take a look at some of the things that still need resolution. (Other than: Why so many blue filters, and why is it so dark all the time?)

Please note: Even posing these questions presupposes that you have seen the first three seasons, so if you are still making your way through the series, please stop reading!

What about the criminal enterprise?

At the end of Season 3, drug kingpin Omar Navarro’s (Felix Solis) hitman … well, there’s no nice way to say this, but he splattered bits of cartel attorney Helen (Janet McTeer) all over Marty (Jason Bateman) and Wendy (Laura Linney) Byrde. Omar went on embrace them, brain matter in their hair and everything, and say, “Today is our beginning.” Marty’s relationship with Navarro has included everything from tense cooperation to being thrown in a dungeon. But with Helen out of the picture, what does Omar intend for the Byrdes?

Navarro has always seemed to have a certain fondness for Wendy; he has admitted to admiring her determination to get everything she wants. Where does he see Marty and Wendy in the organization, and does he really envision both of them remaining there at all? (The fact that nobody has killed Marty yet is, by the way, probably the show’s most implausible aspect.)

/ Netflix / Netflix Julia Garner and Laura Linney, as Ruth and Wendy, are the MVPs of Ozark, let’s face it.

What is Ruth going to do with Darlene?

Finding out that Wendy was responsible for Ben’s death alienated Ruth (Julia Garner) from the Byrdes, particularly when combined with the fact that Wendy also arranged for the death of Ruth’s father, which Ruth continues to have deeply conflicted feelings about. For her part, Wendy blames Ruth for failing to understand the dangers of breaking Ben out of the hospital.

At the same time that this estrangement was intensifying, Darlene took it upon herself to pick up a gun and colorfully avenge Ruth’s assault at the hands of Frank Jr., giving Ruth something she’s rarely had in her life: someone who acts to, in a sense, protect her. So it’s perhaps not surprising that Ruth has seemingly been persuaded to join up with Darlene and Wyatt (Charlie Tahan) in their revived heroin operation.

Steve Dietl / Netflix / Netflix Skylar Gaertner as Jonah, who has had to grow up just a bit too fast.

What does the future hold for Jonah and Charlotte?

One of the creative decisions that separate Ozark from some other family crime dramas like The Americans is that the parents decided to tell the kids what was going on, pretty much right away. So Jonah (Skylar Gaertner) and Charlotte (Sofia Hublitz) have long known that their parents were deeply involved in crimes up to and including killing people. Charlotte seems to have almost adjusted to it, slipping into a certain acceptance of the lives she and her parents live.

Jonah, on the other hand, is understandably devastated by Helen’s revelation (at gunpoint) that it was Wendy who allowed the cartel to kill Ben (her own brother). Jonah has also always had an independent streak and the ability to work with or without help. Other shows have been willing to acknowledge that family and crime may not be able to coexist forever as kids grow up and assert their own desires. Charlotte does not seem to be pulling away from her parents at this point — but what about her brother?

/ Netflix / Netflix Charlie Tahan as Wyatt, who has a lot to think about.

What about everybody else?

There is a whole secondary and tertiary set of characters, including Wyatt and Three, Maya, Sheriff Nix, the Franks Sr. and Jr., and Helen’s daughter Erin. And they are still out there just … involved. Not on current clear paths, but involved. Something is going to become of all of them. Heck, even Rachel is presumably still out there somewhere following her trip to rehab on Marty’s dime, and while there’s no reason to believe we’ll see her again, fans certainly have agitated for it.

It remains to be seen how all of these people will fit into the final act, and — let’s not sugarcoat it — how many of them will survive a show that knocks people off as regularly as this one does. I mean, let’s see: Ash, Jacob, Del, Petty, Helen, Cade, Bobby, Mason, Grace, Ben, Sue, Russ, Boyd, Silverberg, and the entire Season 1 Episode 1 massacre … that’s something like one killing every other episode. It’s hard to believe there are not more to come.

/ Netflix / Netflix Jason Bateman and Laura Linney as Marty and Wendy Byrde.

What is the Byrde marriage, in the end?

The very first conflict introduced in Ozark’s complicated history — ever — was Marty’s discovery that Wendy was cheating on him. Since then, the marriage has seemed at times to be merely an arrangement (they’ve as much as said so) and has seemed at other times to contain genuine affection. But how much either of these people would risk for each other, if the choice to do so were presented straightforwardly, is not clear. Would Marty let Wendy die? Would Wendy let Marty die? She did, after all, essentially have her own brother killed, and she loved him.

It often feels like Ozark must all be building to some massive test of their true feelings for each other — whether they will join together or turn on each other if the purely pragmatic “trust” between them shatters. Perhaps with Ruth as the fulcrum: Would Marty let Wendy have Ruth killed, given that he feels largely responsible for dragging Ruth into all this? Would Wendy let Marty have Ruth killed, given the guilt she already feels and her apparent belief that Marty is the cause of everybody’s problems in the first place?

These seven episodes will presumably start to answer all these questions. Seven more — which don’t have a release date yet — will reveal what the writers of the show have in mind, and how cunning they are relative to the world of criminals they’ve created.

‘Ozark’ Season 4A Ends With Two Shocking Deaths and a Plan for Revenge

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‘Ozark’ Season 4A Ends With Two Shocking Deaths and a Plan for Revenge

Spoiler alert! Do not proceed if you haven’t watched season 4A of Ozark. If you’re ready to talk all about that jaw-dropping finale, read on!

Ozark released the first episodes of their fourth and final season on Friday, setting up high stakes for what’s sure to be a jaw-dropping and blood-soaked series finale.

The Netflix crime drama has earned a major fan following and consistent critical praise for stars Jason Bateman and Laura Linney, who star as Marty and Wendy Byrde – a Chicago couple who became embroiled in organized crime when they started laundering money for a Mexican drug cartel – as well as Julia Garner, who plays Ruth Langmore, a member of a local crime family who starts working with the Byrdes. It seems the final episodes of the series will see that trio’s loyalty put to the ultimate test, as season 4A ended on an ominous note of vengeance that could have repercussions for all of the show’s major players.

After spending the final episode of 4A wheeling and dealing between drug lord Omar Navarro (Felix Solis), his volatile nephew, Javi Elizonndro (Alfonso Herrera), and a full slate of corrupt FBI agents, the Byrdes thought they were in the clear, and were preparing for a return to “normal” life, when a major wrench got thrown into their plans.

Ruth discovered the bodies of her cousin, Wyatt Langmore (Charlie Tahan), and his new bride, heroin maven Darlene Snell (Lisa Emery), shot dead in their home as poor baby Zeke cried in the background. After determining that Frank Jr. (Joseph Sikora) and the KC Mob weren’t responsible for the murders, Ruth stormed into the Byrdes’ house, shotgun in hand, demanding answers.

“I know you know who did this,” she demanded, threatening them with the shotgun when Marty first claimed ignorance. “You tell me his name!”

However, the Byrdes’ estranged son, Jonah (Skylar Gaertner) also happened to be at the house at the same time, and he offered up the killer’s name freely, to spite his parents.

“His name is Javi Elizonndro,” Jonah told Ruth. “I’ll tell you everything I know.”

“Do not hurt this man,” Marty warned Ruth, as Wendy also tried to caution her against tracking down Javi, who has both the backing of his cartel as well as the power of the FBI behind him. But Ruth wouldn’t hear them out.

“If you want to stop me, you’re gonna have to f***ing kill me!” she screamed, before storming out. The final shots of the season show her driving away in a panic, leaving the stunned Byrde family in her wake.

ET spoke with Gaertner and Sofia Hublitz – who plays the Byrdes’ daughter, Charlotte – ahead of season 4A, who shared a tour of the Ozark set and a few hints about the drama to come for their on-screen family.

Gaertner noted that the final season is definitely a “turning point” for Jonah, who moves out of the family’s home, feeling betrayed over his parents’ criminal dealings and the revelation that Wendy ordered a hit on her own brother.

“Up until that point, he’s been kinda inseparable from his family, ‘cause they’re kinda all he has,” the actor shared of Jonah’s evolution throughout Ozark’s previous seasons. “He doesn’t have a whole lot of friends or anything, but after he threatens Helen’s life with a shotgun and he finds out that it was his mom that killed his best friend… Obviously that’ll change the way he thinks about his family, so we’ll see how that plays out.”

On the other side, Charlotte has stood by her parents throughout their descent into the criminal underworld, and even through she and Jonah share a nice moment of sibling solidarity in the 4A finale, fans will have to wonder whose side she’ll be on after Jonah’s potentially world-shattering revelation to Ruth.

“If anything, I think she’s been kind of super amenable to her parents’ wishes and is sort of falling in line with the family business,” Hublitz shared. “I think you’re seeing Charlotte sort of be conditioned to become the successor to Byrde Enterprises and become kind of a little, mini Wendy. I’ve been wearing a lot of business outfits this year, a lot of sweaters, a lot of blazers. I’m in business mode a lot.”

Check out the full set tour in the video above. Ozark season 4A is now streaming on Netflix.

New On Netflix This Week, Including Ozark & Royal Treatment

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Yikes, winter made itself known in a big way this month, so let’s hunker down and enjoy everything that Netflix has to offer this weekend. Preferably, let’s do so in a warm room with hot chocolate and popcorn and blankets with company optional. This week, return of Ozark returns with the first half of a finale season, which (so far) belongs to Julia Garner. There’s also some unsettling true crime and a ridiculously horny dating show, so don’t worry about not finding variety to keep you interested all weekend.

If that’s not enough, there’s a World War II dramatic movie and a food-tourism series that’s fiery hot. A royal-obsessed sugar cookie of a project follows, and if you manage to work through all of those sections, Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread also came to the streaming service this week, in case you missed it in theaters.

Here’s everything coming to (and leaving) the streaming platform this week.

Ozark: Season 4, Part 1 (Netflix series streaming 1/21)

The bad news is that Marty Byrde and fam will only be with us for one more season. The good news is that this is a supersized season that will arrive in two halves, so I’m pretending that we’re getting two more seasons. Jason Bateman’s baby has been good to us all, even if it’s been bad for Marty, Wendy, and the kids, and so-so for Ruth. This season, we’ll see what happened after the blood-spattered tarmac happenings. Marty and Wendy were received with opened arms (for a new life in Mexico?) after Helen took a gunshot to the head, and one can bet that this new beginning won’t be any more relaxing than the Byrdes’ money-laundering U.S. life. Luckily, Laura Linney and Julia Garner will still be around to make Marty’s life a little more hellish, and then I hope the ladies can take a nice vacation.

Too Hot To Handle: Season 3 (Netflix series streaming 1/19)

If you want to watch a bunch of beautiful people who are also sexually frustrated, then this is the dating show for you. Netflix is officially describing them as “horned-up hellraisers,” and yes, that sounds perfectly accurate. They’re all banking on being able to abstain from both sexual contact and solo gratification while playing this game for prize money…. and maybe some love? And yes, this one was inspired by Seinfeld. Watch out for those Costanzas.

Munich – The Edge of War (Netflix film streaming 1/21)

This movie, which is based upon Robert Harris’ international bestseller, takes place as Adolf Hitler’s gearing up (in 1938) to invade Czechoslovakia. Negotiations are also set to begin between a British civil servant and a German diplomat, who seek a peaceful resolution on behalf of Neville Chamberlain’s administration. The history books can tell us what happened next on the larger scale while this story also revolves around two men, also friends, who put themselves in danger while attempting to navigate political subterfuge.

The Royal Treatment (Netflix film streaming 1/21)

A hairdresser in the Big Apple ends up making heads pretty for a charming prince’s wedding, and then, like, they end up having a thing? This sounds sketchy as heck, and of course, he’ll find himself torn between duty and love in the process. Bridgerton this ain’t.

The Puppet Master: Hunting the Ultimate Conman (Netflix limited series streaming 1/18)

True crime fans can get a fix with this stunning story about Robert Freegard, who fleeced and conned several women and one man. These victims ended up believing that they were in, uh, operations for the secret service, and that they must comply for the safety of their families. Eek.

Heavenly Bites: Season 1 (Netflix series streaming 1/20)

Settle in to watch this series about all the food that Mexicans love to eat but hate to digest. Bring on the ghost peppers, baby. And cry.

‘Ozark’ S4, Pt1’s Finale Sets Up a (Somehow) More Explosive Pt 2

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This story contains spoilers for Season Four, Part One of Ozark.

In the opening minutes of Season Four, Part One of Ozark, we hear Sam Cooke’s sweet, soft “Bring It On Home To Me” playing in the background, as the Byrdes drive through the Ozarks, pine trees flanking the road. Wendy likes Sam’s voice. Marty makes some quip about the FBI. Charlotte seems like she’s in good spirits. Jonah, you know, is not. Then… Marty totals the car.

Ozark quickly flashes back to the aftermath of Season Three, and we’re living in the cartel’s post-Helen Pierce life all over again. But you’d think that Ozark would’ve returned to the scene of the crash, or at least reminded us that the entire Byrde family is in a near-death situation before the credits roll on Part One. Nope! Ozark, ever the Grade A purveyor of suspense, wants to make us sweat a little while longer. Clearly.

We’ll get to the crash, but first, we need to discuss the other assortment of batshittery that went down in the finale of Season Four, Part One of Ozark—which included two major character deaths and a baby you should feel very, very bad for. Let’s get to it.

The Langmore Curse

Hours after tying the knot, Wyatt and Darlene are murdered at the hands of Javi. For fans of Ozark who’ve followed the series from the start, it’s a heartbreaking moment. Wyatt and Ruth will never get a chance to repair their relationship. Darlene, as flawed as she is, will never get to see through her marriage. Baby Zeke loses another caretaker. Ruth, understandably, is shattered by the sight of the dead couple, giving the Byrdes a rather epic talking to, even by Julia Garner’s standards, soon after. Jonah tells Ruth that Javi likely is the murderer, setting up an endgame battle between Ruth and Javi in the final seven episodes. Yeah. Things don’t look good for Javi.

Photo credit: STEVE DIETL/NETFLIX

Navarros on Navarros

At this point, the entire Navarro clan is just a mess of death threats and backstabbing. The FBI gives Omar a lukewarm deal, which isn’t a total surprise. But Agent Miller arresting him is. Thanks to Wendy and Marty, he’ll likely be back in Mexico come Part Two. As for Javi, he’ll surely figure out that the Byrdes and FBI are playing him. It’s just a matter of when. Plus, there’s one more Navarro left to introduce: Veronica Falcón’s Camila, who is Javi’s mother. Expect Javi to get a slap on the wrist from mom for his extended temper tantrum in the Ozarks. Maybe Camila will be the leader of the cartel by the end of this thing.

Story continues

Miscellaneous Troublemakers Lurking in the Ozarks

For the sake of clarity—scratch that, for the sake of sanity—let’s sprint through a few remaining Ozark players, with a couple thoughts on each.

Agent Miller: The only character with morals in this show makes a move we won’t forget. Please hide, Agent Miller.

Three: Where is Three in all of this!? Man, we know you can rock a suit. Maybe help your family out.

Erin Pierce: Poor Erin lost her mother, was on the receiving end of a Byrde shakedown, and quietly went away. We wouldn’t rule out some form of justice for Erin by the time Ozark calls it quits.

Mel Sattem: Think like an Ozark writer. Marty needs to kill someone before the season ends. Maybe Sattem finds out about Helen and forces Marty’s hand.

Jim Rattelsdorf: Rattelsdorf oozes the smarminess we so love about Ozark. Would you be surprised Rattelsdorf ends up being a casualty in this war?

Clare Shaw: Our favorite Big Pharma CEO is in some deep shit. Expect Shaw to be the rope in a tug-of-war battle between Javi and the Byrdes in Part Two.

That Crash

All right. We have to ask if, you know, Ozark is about to pull a Sopranos party trick and cut to black after the crash. Fortunately, we highly doubt it. If we had to show up to Marty’s big ol’ casino boat and put a bet on it, we’d say that the crash will happen around Episode Two or Three of the last bath of episodes. One of the Byrdes probably won’t make it out alive. We hate to say it, but perhaps either Jonah or Charlotte dying in the crash would finally shock Marty and Wendy out of their cartel-money-laundering-gunfighting-political slumber. They’d actually have to own up to the fact that they’ve been awful, awful parents. Who knows. Maybe Charlotte and Jonah’s graveyard conversation was a bit of foreshadowing, and they’ll be the only two left standing. In that case, get ready for a sequel series set in the Pacific Northwest.