Ozark is nearing the conclusion of its run and Netflix released the final seven new episodes. Ozark’s last season was split into two parts. Season four, part one, was also seven episodes long and premiered on Netflix in January.
Viewers probably thought they knew how the second half of Ozark’s final season would play out after the explosive finale of Season 4, Part 1- the first half of the show’s final season. With cartel chief Omar Navarro (Felix Dolis) behind bars, Javi is left to his own devices.
Elizonndro (Alfonso Herrera) gained complete control of the situation, as well as a nice cozy deal with the US government. With this cover, he murders both Darlene Snell and Wyatt Langmore, the latter killing infuriating Ruth Langmore (Julia Garner).
Ruth pursues Javi to Chicago in the first episode of Season 4, Part 2, where she murders him in front of Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman), Wendy Byrde (Laura Linney), and Clare Shaw (Katrina Lenk). But, as all witnessed throughout the show and in the conclusion, the cartel never goes away. The cartel is known for its tenacity. And changes are always being made.
When Javi spoke with his mother, Camila Elizonndro (Veronica Falcón), earlier in the first episode, Camila appeared to be a tiny player in the grand plan of Ozark at first, she turned out to be one of the most powerful figures in the land. Camila, in the end, has the most influence on how the show unfolds and where things wind up.
Camila eventually rises to become the new cartel head, demonstrating that she is just as capable of both violence (murders) and business (the FBI agreement) as her brother and son. She embodies the notion that one cannot defeat the power that certain harmful institutions wield.
Ruth Langmore (Julia Garner) was determined to identify the man who shot and killed her cousin Wyatt (Charlie Tahan) and his wife Darlene Snell (Lisa Emery) in their home after Part 1 ended on a big cliffhanger.
The last episodes, directed by Chris Mundy, focus on a variety of facets of the show’s strengths: Laura Linney is given plenty of opportunities to show off her talent. Julia Garner gets to delve deeper into Ruth than just pledging vengeance, and for the climax, Bateman returns to the director’s chair, excelling in tiny, fleeting moments onscreen. Bodies are laid to rest. Tension rises. The last 72-minute episode strikes a delicate mix between surprise and foreboding, landing with the force expected of a show that began with a voiceover about the true meaning of money.
As the series draws to a close, “Ozark” stays true to its roots. Even if the Byrdes’ heinous journey is interpreted as a metaphor for the risks and problems of a long-term marriage, raising children, and/or upholding the American ideal of family, the conclusion should be obvious.
It may not tell much more about the Byrdes than has previously been said, but that, in some ways, just emphasizes the last note: Are they going to get away with it, or are they going to pay a bill? Bateman is sure to have wondered before discovering the ending.
