How does the final season of "Ozark" end?

Bad. Favorite characters die. Assholes survive. Plus a Sopranos ending rip off (kinda).

The whole thing was set up by Valerie Harper and Sandy Duncan.

S P O I L E R

A L E R T

Navarro’s sister has her brother killed so she can take over the cartel. That pharmacy lady tells Navarro’s sister that Ruthie shot Javier, so she kills Ruthie. Marty and family get in a car accident yet miraculously survive and realize they all love each other. That detective shows up at their house with Ben’s ashes and says he’s going to turn them in for murder, but Jonah shoots him and the credits roll.

If they went ahead and killed Ruthie, they should have killed Marty or Wendy or their kids as well. It seems like they left it open for more seasons down the road, but without Ruthie, who would watch?

^You only see Jonah with a gun, black screen and hear a gun shot later.

These bastards also immediately offered the PI cash to safe their own asses. They have no soul or integrity just like Rachel said.

[quote] If they went ahead and killed Ruthie, they should have killed Marty or Wendy or their kids as well.

The point is that the Byrdes always survive, no matter who else they have to sell out or kill.

^Much like corrupt Republicans and Trump supporters today. While people who still have an ounce of shame and decency left resign or end up in jail, corruption and evil prevails.

R6 we're discussing a TV show. Take it to a political thread.

I was shocked enough at when Hillbilly bitch and Wyatt got shot. I always figured she would end up killing Wyatt. Also kind of shocked that Javvi got it so early.

Wendy becomes governor of Missouri. (I live in Missouri, so she would be an improvement considering the dolt we have now.)

The last episode is pretty good but the rest of what was just released was boring.

The last seven episodes were underwhelming. Not bad by any means, just underwhelming; far from the show's peak.

Having a 15-year-old apparently shoot the cop doesn't bother anyone, I guess.

Out of the final seven episodes, I was only "underwhelmed" by the second and third. The other five had me drop my jaw at some point .

The ending makes a lot of sense. Of course, I didn't want to see you know what happen (like anyone else), but it makes sense. And I think it was handled appropriately. Head held high for sure.

This is one of the few series that actually went out on top. The whole series is pretty strong. Bateman, Linney, and Garner all gave career-best moments at one point or another. Garner gave some of the best acting ever in Episode 7 (back in Part 1 of Season 4).

Any given season was better than Succession Season 3 by a long mile. This was the kind of series Nip/Tuck wanted to be. This is probably my favourite one-hour show since The Sopranos.

I also thought the ending was cynical. But, come on, is the world ever going to change? Let's not pretend it's happening anytime soon. It could happen, but I'm not going to make any bets in that direction. Humans are too predictable. We are creatures of habit and self-preservation, a leopard never changes its spots, etc.

Spoiler

I wanted to see the finished lake house. I guess Three is a filthy rich teenager now. Who's gonna take care of him? Rachel? He's the last surviving Langmore.

It was really the only way to go. People like Marty and Wendy manage to avoid consequences. They keep their hands clean enough.

I hated seeing Ruth die, but the show telegraphed it in advance. Unlike the Byrds, she actually did the killing. Marty told her not to kill Javi and she had multiple chances to back off.

It’s not a nice view of humans, but it has been consistent throughout.

With a BANG! With a BANG!

Well, I did predict that it would have to end with another sister killing a brother, so I got that part right, but I really thought it was going to be amongst the Byrd children.

I thought the car crash scene was really corny. I was hoping Wendy would have died. She’s a cunt.

I hate Wendy and wanted her to get her comeuppance somehow - even just get the shit kicked out of her. I guess begging on the courthouse steps was the closest she came. But of course she maneuvers to get that taken care of. It makes perfect sense that she came out on top. No, it was never "easy" for the Byrdes - but I still wish Wendy faced more direct, painful consequences. But the whole show is essentially about their avoidance of that.

Laura Linney really does deserve the Emmy this year. She's almost the quintessential likable actress, and yet she made Wendy become so incredibly despicable.

Fortunately this year she won't be up against anyone playing the Queen in The Crown, so she stands a good chance.

I was surprised that Richard Thomas also did a good job this season playing someone so awful, since like Linney he also usually gets likable roles. He does not seem old enough to play her father, but he's got such great genes--he's really aged well.

Omg, I didn't even recognize Richard Thomas. Does he still act?

The mini van flipped, what, 4-5 times? They all just crawl out with some ruffled hair and then head to a gala that night?! I was expecting them to all drop dead of internal injuries when they got up on stage.

[quote] Omg, I didn't even recognize Richard Thomas. Does he still act?

Well, he is on the show so yes…he does still act. He is also in tour with the play “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

I thought Richard Thomas did an excellent job playing such a malevolent, sanctimonious prick. He made you understand how Wendy became the immoral, sociopathic bitch that she did.

[quote] The mini van flipped, what, 4-5 times? They all just crawl out with some ruffled hair and then head to a gala that night?! I was expecting them to all drop dead of internal injuries when they got up on stage.

Again, the point of that was to show that the Byrdes ALWAYS survive. They are like cockroaches.

SPOILER

Weird last episode. They survived the crash from hell with barely a scratch, what was that other than a hook to keep us watching? Also, morally speaking, Ruth's death is troublesome (although I personally couldn't stand her voice so, good). And the very end, well, it does go on forever, doesn't it.

They kept it open for a spinoff etc. Cop-out ending, and agree with R1 that it was a weak rip off of the Sopranos ending.

I hated that boy kid, he looked like he had school shooter in his future.

And they killed Mel, the PI, who had a kitteh he loved very much. 🐈 What will become of her?

Laura Linney was exceptional. So was Julia Garner. This is really a story about evil women, or women being underestimated. The men are basically just props.

R28 I worried about the kitty too. Hopefully he had a sitter.

Without that scene with the kitty, I don't think we would have cared nearly as much that Mel was killed. They were wise to include it--it really humanized him.

[quote] They were wise to include it--it really humanized him.

It's in every screenwriting book. Give a character a pet and the audience will automatically accept them as good.

[quote] Again, the point of that was to show that the Byrdes ALWAYS survive. They are like cockroaches.

Okay, but no one needed even so much as a stitch after that crash? Give me a break.

[quote] It's in every screenwriting book. Give a character a pet and the audience will automatically accept them as good.

Then it's a good piece of advice, because it worked here.

The kitty didn't make me care about Mel. Fuck him and the kitty.

This is interesting.

I finally finished last night. I thought it sucked they killed off Ruth but I guess it was inevitable. I really wanted her and Three to live in that big house with a pool on that lakeside bluff.

I did not like the ending. They killed the best character (Ruth) and left the Byrde family the same with no consequences. It also seemed glib with Wendy doing a “noble” thing by stopping rigged voting machines (only because she no longer needed one crooked Senator). The fade to black was also a lazy ending. Very disappointed.

A better ending would have been Jonah shooting his mother. Jonah shooting a police officer was inconsistent and lazy.

Maybe the ending is leaving an opening for a VERY SPECIAL CHRISTMAS episode.

Why did some of you expect a happy ending for such an exceptionally dark TV show?

Why did some of you seem to expect a happy ending for an especially dark TV show?

Speaking of dark shows did that French show on Netflix ever conclude? I think it was called Black Spot.

I was hoping that Mel would relapse and the kitty would find his stash of cocaine while he was away and overdose.

That would have been a very happy ending for Mel's kitty.

Fancy Feast!

The actor who played Jonah Byrd is only 5'4" tall. I hope he isn't finished growing.

^ Bryan Singer

Wow! So that was John Boy Walton. I thought he seemed familiar.

Not to be outdone, Melissa Sue Anderson will be joining Euphoria next season.

It seemed to me that Wendy gradually looked more and more like Darlene.

"^Much like corrupt Republicans and Trump supporters today. While people who still have an ounce of shame and decency left resign or end up in jail, corruption and evil prevails."

And that is what is enjoyable about the irony regarding Wendy and Marty. They don't even see it! They get their panties in a twist about whether a senator wants to push through some corrupt voting machines. And yet they have little to no remorse when someone who gets in their way gets murdered. I imagine Marty felt terrible about Ruth, but he learned to compartmentalize the horror in order to get through with his life. Wendy may have felt some slight remorse, but the show really unveiled her to be a sociopath.

By the way, I really could have done without Evil John Boy. He wasn't convincing at all. His story really didn't mesh with the rest of the goings-on.

It was a cop out that they left all the Byrd family intact. Now they will do some shitty sequel in 2025.

I really thought they would kill off Wendy, R53. But they need a Lady Macbeth.

Thanks OP. I also wanted to know the ending but have no desire to sit through notes episodes.

Holy Christ, I'm late to the game. Just finished watching it. I HATE that they killed Ruth, also my favorite character and a terrific actress. So many plot holes left that need to be filled in with the subsequent sequel. Without Ruth, I don't care.

Ruth should have persevered like the rest of them. She sure put in the work. Her death left a bad taste in my mouth. Garner was phenomenal in Ozark, so much so, I was convinced she was 'one to watch'. I was excited by how much she put into her performance (but let's not talk about Inventing Anna.) I still hope there are great projects ahead for her.

The son killed a private detective. He was struck-off from being a cop quite some time ago. Or am I wrong?

Watched this show until the end.

But don't remember a single fucking thing about the end.

The Byrdes don’t survive. You all are forgetting that Camila establishes at the gala that the Byrdes are lying about not knowing anything Jaavi’s death and also forgetting that when she kills Ruth she is alone; her bodyguard/fixer/hit man isn’t with her. He’s off on a different mission.

Whimper, not a bang.

[quote]R21 I was surprised that Richard Thomas also did a good job this season playing someone so awful, since like Linney he also usually gets likable roles.

I worked with him in the 90s and he really is as kind and good natured as his trademark roles. Just a very warm and approachable person.

I was surprised he was so effective playing a cold character on OZARK. Because most performers only do 1 thing very well. And it’s usually an extension of their native personality.

Don't forget. Marty Byrd still has that phone number given to him by Navarro that would lead to Camilla's assassination and then Marty having to take over the cartel. And Rachel is the owner of the Casino and hasn't a clue how to run it without Ruth so Marty will once again have to come in and help with the laundry and the paperwork. Three Langmore now, I am guessing, inherits Ruth's property....what the hell is he going to do with all that? The Byrds aren't going anywhere. Maybe the kids will get the hell out but Marty and Wendy are there until they die.