REVIEW: ‘Ozark’ Season 4 Part 2 The Series Finale

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Five years, four seasons, and 37 episodes to date. It’s finally time to wade into Ozark Season 4 Part 2, with the remaining seven episodes coming to Netflix on Friday, April 29th. Created by Bill Dubuque and Mark Williams, with Chris Mundy serving as the showrunner, Ozark follows the Byrde family as they launder money for the Navarro cartel in a frantic bid to stay alive as they fall deeper and deeper into a hole they can’t get out of. After surviving the horrific events of Season 3, the Byrde family has now been given an opportunity to get out of the laundering business, given they can accommodate one small feat. Omar Navarro (Felix Solis) wants to be a US citizen and be free from prosecution by the FBI.

Meanwhile, Omar’s nephew, Javi (Alfonso Herrera), is chomping at the bit to take over the Cartel and unleashes his blood lust on the Ozarks, putting Marty (Jason Bateman) and Wendy (Laura Linney) in an extremely precarious situation. Unfortunately, some problems can’t be fixed, and when Javi murders Darlene Snell (Lisa Emery) and Wyatt Langmore (Charlie Tahan), Ruth (Julia Garner) finally snaps and vows revenge.

With Ruth untethered from the loyalty of Marty, she’s set up to be a huge antagonist for the show. However, that description doesn’t feel like it does justice to what and who Ruth is because what’s most interesting about the development of these characters throughout the series is the shifting perspective of who are the heroes and who are the villains. Where once the Byrde’s were simply a family trying to escape the clutches of gruesome cartel death, they have now become integral to the operations of the Navarro family. As you dive into the second part of Ozark, while you can describe Ruth as a “villain” to Marty and Wendy, the change of perspective leaves you feeling her pain and rooting for her success.

Garner did such a wonderful job with this character, and when you compare her character to where you find her in Season 1 as a rough and horribly unlikeable person, her brashness chips away at you over time, and you can’t help but find yourself wanting to see her beat that Langmore curse. One aspect I’ve always loved that Garner brought to her execution of Ruth was how she carries herself physically and in her facial expressions. She has this very distinct walk, and while obscure, you can see that the actress has thought about who this young woman is down to every little detail.

Part 2 of the series does a brilliant job of giving screen time to a lot of the characters, and plot lines that have made this show what it is, so expect some unexpected and fun cameos to complicate matters. One actress I can’t help but gush over is the terrifying talents of Laura Linney. Wendy continues to spiral in Part 2, and Linney taps into something truly frightening with a charming demeanor and a smile that will send chills down your spine as the phrase “kill them with kindness” takes on new meaning. The dichotomy of character development from Ruth to Wendy couldn’t be more polar. Where you once wanted Wendy to succeed, to help Marty in some way to keep them alive, she’s now tipped those scales, and the power has corrupted her beyond the point of recognition.

In this coming season, Wendy will come up against an unexpected opponent who’s more than prepared to go toe to toe with her in the form of her father, Nathan Davis (Richard Thomas). Thomas is so good, and he plays a fantastic opposite to Wendy. This is exactly why I love Ozark and the stories the show has generated. The long-form storytelling that has been adapted for this show is a brilliant example as the characters grow further and further into their roles, and every plot point this far in feels agonizing based on the history that has come before it. I never expected a show that focuses more on the particulars of laundering money in a cartel operation to be just as compelling as the running of the criminal enterprise itself.

I watched Ozark Season 4 Part 2 on the edge of my seat and with clenched teeth as I prepared to see the curtain fall for the final time. Expect to see the tension cranked up to 11 as characters are pushed to their limits, and the power dynamic shifts constantly. Bonds will be tested, relationships stretched, and blood will be split. The ending is here, choices will be made, and it’s painfully harrowing.

Ozark Season 4 Part 2 will be available exclusively on Netflix Friday, April 29th.