(Plentiful spoilers from Netflix’s Ozark will be found below.)
Ozark‘s most recent batch of episodes landed precisely at the halfway point of the final season. We’ve talked about when the finale will be on Netflix, but there’s a very morbid set of details that must also be considered: Who will die when the show comes back for the final seven episodes?
Clearly, the bloodshed could not end with the deaths of Helen and Tom (in Season 3) or with the murders of Darlene and Wyatt (in Season 4). This isn’t the type of show that will let anyone walk away with too happy of an ending, and some universe-bound justice must be served. So, who could die before all is said and done?
The Byrde Family, But Especially Marty: Alright, so we need to talk about that car crash. It’s very clearly supposed to be a mystery and incredibly important, given that the season’s trailer put it on display (while interspersing sins from the past, like this was retribution), and it’s the season’s first scene. It’s all ambiguous and purposely so, but we do know that the entire Byrde quartet (Marty, Wendy, Charlotte, and Jonah) is looking relatively relaxed (well, other than Jonah, who’s had enough of this family sh*t) in family driving mode. Wendy’s practically humming, and Marty declares, “We’re all set for the FBI tomorrow.” He’s called the moving company (to head back toward Chicago), and they’re joking around about stacks of hundreds, etc. All of a sudden, a semi truck that’s carrying several cars heads straight toward them, and Marty veers off the road, where the car starts rolling and lands upside down like this:
I’m not sure that anyone could survive this crash, but if there’s anyone here that should go, it’s Marty. He’s the one who got his family into this money-laundering mess. Was this an accident or a hit? Gotta be the latter, and the show will surely follow up on the details rather than leaving everyone hanging.
Javi Elizonndro: The dude killed Wyatt, and that’s set Ruth on a course of vengeance, which she unleashed upon Marty in Episode 7. In all likelihood, Ruth (who’s dominating the show) will not heed Marty’s weak warnings and will set a plan in motion to kill the Navarro successor. Does Javi deserve to die? Obviously, the answer is yes. He didn’t even know who Wyatt was (and even admitted as much) before killing him, simply because Wyatt was there when Javi came for the reckless, arrogant Darlene. Now, what I wonder is whether Ruth will likewise be reckless and actually take her shotgun and come for Javi, or if she’ll simply pull strings and have someone else do the dirty work. Clearly, Jonah will do anything for her, and it would be a believable end (sorry, Jonah) for Marty to see that his ridiculous, show-long screwup led to one of his children’s deaths. It’d be fitting, really, but heck, they might all die in the car crash.
And Who Should Not Die…
Ruth Langmore: Look, I know that Ruth’s a lot smarter than anyone expected her to be back when she was cleaning rooms at the motel where she initially encountered the Byrde fam. And I know she sometimes does not-so-smart things and has had the holy hell beaten out of her, by Frank Jr., no less. But she should and needs to live. She’s the soul of the show, and this is her domain, and I’d be very upset if Ruth dies and Marty lives. I’d also be very upset if she ended up Jesse Pinkman-ed at the end of this series, all to set up some movie down the line. And I don’t need to see a Frank Jr.-Ruth spinoff as suggested by actor Joseph Sikora (who has a whole lot going on with Power Book IV: Force). No, I want Ruth to end this thing while litrally jumping from a casino boat to her own yacht. She needs to fully run this town, so to speak.
‘Ozark’ is currently streaming (Season 4, Part 1) on Netflix.
