I watched season 1 of Ozark when it first came out but didn’t keep up. Recently, I decided to start over and finally finish the whole series through season 4.

By season 3, I found myself constantly frustrated with Wendy. She made so many choices that were hard to root for, yet every now and then, I'd feel a twinge of sympathy for her. Her ambition pushed her into some dark places, especially with her father showing up and bringing out the worst in her. It made her such a complex character, and as much as I disliked her at times, I couldn't look away.

(Spoiler alert) Helen’s death felt inevitable, but honestly, season 4 just didn’t live up to the buildup. Darlene, as ruthless as she was, was fascinating to watch—unapologetic and fierce, driven by pride and her twisted sense of tradition. Marty, on the other hand, was constantly caught between survival and his moral compass, and you could see how this life was chipping away at him, making him more tragic by the season.

Then there’s Ruth. She had so much potential and grit; I was always rooting for her. No matter how much the world tried to beat her down, she kept pushing through, resourceful and tough as nails. I kept hoping she’d find a way out, maybe even some kind of peace. She deserved so much better.

The fates of Wyatt, Three, and Zeke were just heartbreaking—they each deserved more, and Ben… he absolutely didn’t deserve what happened to him. Even with the Byrde kids, I’m left feeling conflicted, knowing how much their parents’ choices shaped their lives.

In the end, the last season was underwhelming. Honestly, if this was how it was going to wrap up, they might have been better off ending after the casino opened. That felt like a peak moment, where they’d reached a place of power they’d never imagined. Dragging the story beyond that only to end on a less impactful note felt like a missed opportunity. At least, that’s how I feel about it.

I thought whenever the logo would fade in, or out you would hear an announcer in a Sunday Monster Truck Rally Voice say, "YOU'VE BEEN OZZZZARRRRRRRKKKEEEEDD ZARRRKKKK ZARRRRRRKK ZARRRRRK!!!!!" 0/5 show. Honestly Disappointing....

I loved how they set Darlene's character as not giving a shit when she executed Del, but by the time they got to her arc with the KC mob in seasons 3-4, her actions didn't make her look tough -- it only made the mob like a bunch of fucking pussies.

Why even include the KC mob and set them up as another daunting player in seasons 1-2 if the plan was to make them a complete joke.

Darlene physically castrated the lead's son, and not once do they retaliate in any way whatsoever? They even could've killed her during one of her many threatening visits TO FUCKING KC ON THEIR TURF, and they'd never need to set foot in the Ozarks ever again. This wasn't like Del's execution, serving as a reminder they were in unknown territory with unknown dangers.

Even worse, she keeps fucking with them, and we see the literal castrato Cosgrove telling his Dad he should forgive her... I just felt they couldn't figure out how to write the KC mob in, so they wrote them out... and for some reason, decided to make them a joke or character-arc fodder for the Snell gang v2.

I'm years late to the part, but did this make anyone else pissy?

Just finished s3 and jumped into the first episode of s4. The first episode feels like they are dragging this show on for longer than necessary. They also raised a few new subplots and conflicts which I honestly didn't care too much for. S3 did the annoying thing of starting some seemingly interesting subplots only for them to fall flat, which I found a bit emotionally exhausting. I also thought S3 was in general pretty weak though it had some great moments. If s4 continues down this path, I don't think it's worth investing my time into finishing the show

so it most likely either played in the 2nd or 3rd season, it sounded old like 70s vibes, its sang by a male, and its pretty upbeat. hes been trying to find this song for for 2 whole years 😭 i literally went through the whole track liste with him and couldnt find it 😭

What the hell was that ending? Everything felt so rushed, and it felt like they just wanted to get it over with. You have 14 episodes to finish off a show, and you still make it feel unbearable. First off Ruth dying, if I were the director I would make Ruth the one who wins making it seem like a curse(Lose Whole Family, Win And Be Almost Alone), and Byrdes, Wendy should have died at the end of the series IMO. It would have been the perfect ending to her character. They should have never ended the show with Jonah shooting Mel because what happens now? the whole point of completing a show is to wrap up all the plot holes and questions. But hey man I could be just be yapping

Ruth langmore drive back to her house after navarrro's sister learned she killed javi while radiohead creep playing on the radio she imagine ben is sitting near next to her in the car and he sing out loud I'm creep, I'm weirdo and ruth start to cry looking at ben smiling with tears. Ruth getting out of the car while ben singing she's running out the door she's running part of the song ruth look at navarro's sister and say fck you and run towards the lake navarros sister shot her from back she collapse to the floor while marty and wendy run towards her they are holding ruth in their arms and in her last breath she say I don't belong here. Camera zoom out from scene slowly ruth see darlene wyatt and her dad are coming to get her from the sky she give her hand to wyatt and they are walking to the sky together and dissappear. Camera zoom to the marty's face song switches to nirvana all apologies song and he say while cry out loud well i guess uhm uhhh yeah everything is my fault ruth i'm really really sorry. He is hugging ruth corpse for last time and they go back to home. Marty's phone is ringing while they are sitting at home and they shocked because caller is navarro marty opens up the phone navarro says you fuced me marty in his last breath and dies next to police car camera zoom in to arcade machine screen at the home that says game over.

The least they can do after killing his whole family

New watcher👋

I just started watching, I'm on episode 1. Please tell me it gets better....I have almost no idea what's going on. The most I can grasp is drug cartel money went missing and the family is running, trying to find a way to launder money. Jason Bateman talks so damn fast (or maybe it's just me). I realized I should pay attention when I saw old dude get thrown from a balcony...who is he, what did he do...I'm gonna keep going but I guess I should actually pay attention

The hatred i got for wendy byrde is 1 of one, directors did they thing creating this annoying ass character but at the same time shes the perfect character in the whole show. when she lost the kids in episode 12 I was genuinely happy. i felt like a anchor that has been in the depths of core has been lifted. i started screaming fuck you wendy byrde. she so stupid bro she jeopardized everything that Marty worked for, just so she could get a taste of the pie and she was way to ambitious. i know that's the whole point of why its a SHOW but still she so annoying and Marty cant ever put his foot down his ass just takes everything and anything. it makes me mad cuz you not a man bro

Maybe an unpopular opinion but god damn there’s something very hot about Ruth🥵

In episode 6 of Season 4, Wyatt consoles and proposes to Darlene in what was an incredibly moving and powerful scene, as it seemed to solidify their unconditional love for one another. Watching this scene I was moved almost to tears(hence my username) with the raw and vulnerable emotions displayed by Darlene and Wyatt. Despite any misgivings you had for Darlene, at that moment - there was two just people sharing a deep human connection and bonding over their pending family formation. Despite all of her evil deeds and wicked behavior - watching this scene, I had nothing but empathy for Darlene - here was a woman who longed for a child and family, finally achieving that. It was a beautiful moment in the show and the accompanying music (Jim James’ – Here in Spirit) made the scene ever more powerful.

Set aside (if you can) all your revulsions of the age difference, Darlene’s wickedness, her predatory behavior and recognize that this was a love story, however unconventional. You could argue that Wyatt was too young (he was), he was naïve and manipulated, but he made an adult decision in that moment, to be Zeke’s father and Darlene’s husband to form a family. The relationship was likely doomed from the outset, but I had nothing but well wishes, empathy and compassion for them.

In the next episode, they were married and looked happy. Their relationship was unnatural, perhaps creepy and unhealthy but it was the one love story in Ozark that was seemingly authentic.

I love Ozark, it’s my favorite show. This may be my 20th time watching it, and I’ve noticed something I can’t figure out. This is in no way bashing the show. I am genuinely just confused. In Season 4, Part 2, when Ruth gets Rachel to fly back to the Ozarks for the casino, the plan is to put Rachel’s name on the casino license since Ruth has a criminal record. But we saw Rachel get arrested in Season 2... If I’m not mistaken, she was facing three felony charges.

Obviously, she had the whole situation with Agent Petty in Season 2, where she became a CI, and Marty managed to get him off her back. Are we supposed to assume all her charges were dropped...?

Also, in Season 4, when Rachel and Ruth are talking with Charles Wilkes about expunging Ruth’s record, Rachel says to Ruth, "People like us don’t get these opportunities," which makes it sound like she still has a criminal record. So if she does, how were they planning to get her name on the casino license?

What do you guys think?

Sam gets pulled aside from the craps table while he’s still holding the dice. At the end of the conversation he sticks the dice in his pocket and walks away. At any casino I’ve ever heard of, you cannot walk away with the dice and you certainly cannot conceal them from the cameras’ view. You will be arrested if you leave with the dice.

Also, watching any of the blackjack dealers is amusing. The dealer whose table Ben was at simply stood there in the middle of an active hand for the most pregnant of pauses before finally paying Ben’s ante.

How does Rachel go from managing a lodge to a casino? Normally it requires years in the gaming industry to attain that position because it requires a lot of knowledge not just of guest service but also dealing the games.

AGH!

Like many of you, I was also pretty disappointed with the ending. It just doesn’t feel like the last few episodes did a good job at tying everything together and closing the story for most of the characters.

So I asked ChatGPT to imagine an alternative one! With a prior prompt to enumerate some of the best writers (screenwriters included) in modern day media. I quite liked it and thought I might share 😊

“If these seven writers collaborated on an alternative ending to Ozark, the result would be a rich, multifaceted narrative that combined their distinct strengths in character development, dialogue, philosophical inquiry, and genre-bending. Here’s how their unique contributions might shape the ending:

Margaret Atwood:

Atwood would bring a dystopian twist, emphasizing the power dynamics and moral decay at the heart of Ozark. She might delve deeper into Wendy and Marty Byrde’s growing corruption and complicity with criminal enterprises, framing their survival as a critique of power and capitalism. She would explore how Wendy, in particular, leverages patriarchal systems to her advantage while paying a personal toll, perhaps drawing parallels to characters like Offred in The Handmaid’s Tale. Expect an ambiguous ending, with the Byrdes trapped in a never-ending cycle of compromise and moral erosion, rather than a clean resolution.

Haruki Murakami:

Murakami might inject a surreal, dreamlike element into the ending. He could introduce subtle, symbolic elements—perhaps scenes where Marty or Ruth Langmore experience strange, metaphysical events, blurring the line between reality and dream. He might highlight the existential isolation of the characters, with Marty drifting between worlds of legality and criminality, losing his sense of self. The ending could involve an open-ended, spiritual escape from the life they’ve built, leaving viewers to ponder whether the Byrdes are in control of their fate or being led by forces beyond their understanding.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie:

Adichie would likely focus on the social and cultural ramifications of the Byrdes’ actions, especially on the people of the Ozarks. She might develop deeper, more complex arcs for minor characters, particularly those from marginalized backgrounds. She could critique how the Byrdes, as an upper-middle-class family, manipulate local communities for their gain. Ruth’s narrative, in particular, could be expanded to explore themes of class, power, and self-determination. Adichie might end the series by exposing the consequences of the Byrdes’ exploitation, with the community rising up in subtle, but powerful acts of resistance.

Kazuo Ishiguro:

Ishiguro would add a layer of quiet, emotional devastation to the finale. His writing often focuses on characters who come to realize too late the consequences of their actions. Marty and Wendy, under Ishiguro’s influence, would likely have an emotionally restrained but deeply tragic confrontation—one in which they acknowledge the destruction of their moral compass and family bonds. The final scenes would be tinged with melancholy, as they look back at their choices with a sense of deep regret, knowing that even their victories have left them irreparably damaged.

Aaron Sorkin:

Sorkin would inject sharp, rapid-fire dialogue into the finale. The Byrdes might engage in a series of tense, intelligent exchanges where they justify their increasingly indefensible decisions. Wendy and Marty’s arguments about morality, business, and family could take center stage, with Sorkin emphasizing how power dynamics in relationships and politics collide. He’d likely ramp up the drama in the courtroom or political scenes, delivering a cathartic but intellectual confrontation between law enforcement and the Byrdes. In Sorkin’s version, Marty might craft an intricate legal argument to save the family, but with a moral victory over power taking a backseat to pragmatism.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge:

Waller-Bridge would bring dark humor and emotional vulnerability to the ending. Ruth would likely get an expanded role, with her sarcasm and wit providing a biting critique of the Byrdes’ increasingly absurd moral rationalizations. Waller-Bridge might create moments of self-aware humor where characters break the fourth wall metaphorically, reflecting on the craziness of their situation. However, she would also humanize characters like Wendy, giving them moments of raw, personal reflection that tug at the audience’s heartstrings. The ending could see one of the Byrdes making a bold, unexpected sacrifice, accompanied by a moment of bleak, but resonant, humor.

Quentin Tarantino:

Tarantino’s influence would likely manifest in a more violent and stylized ending. There would be a grand, bloody showdown involving multiple factions—perhaps the Byrdes, Ruth, the cartel, and law enforcement—culminating in a final standoff that’s both shocking and visually arresting. Tarantino might inject references to classic crime films and create iconic, quotable lines during the climax. In his hands, the ending could be more exaggerated and over-the-top, with characters like Ruth getting revenge in a flamboyant, cathartic manner. However, the Byrdes’ fate could end in an explosive, operatic crescendo, leaving few survivors.

Collaborative Ending:

In a true collaboration, this alternative ending would balance elements of psychological depth, moral ambiguity, stylish violence, and emotional resonance. Here’s how the final sequence might unfold:

The Byrdes, trapped in an inescapable web of their own making, are facing mounting pressure from the FBI, the cartel, and local forces. The series would build to a violent, Tarantino-esque climax, with a bloody confrontation between the cartel and the Byrdes at the casino. Amid the chaos, Ruth, fueled by rage and disillusionment, kills a key cartel figure, while Wendy and Marty manage to survive by manipulating the situation to their advantage.

After the violence subsides, Murakami’s influence emerges in a surreal, reflective aftermath. Marty, in a dreamlike sequence, wanders through the casino, haunted by visions of his past actions. He encounters Ruth, now alone and broken, as they share a wordless exchange—an acknowledgment of the emotional toll they’ve paid.

The final scenes shift to a quiet moment between Wendy and Marty (Ishiguro), where they speak in hushed tones about what they’ve lost. Wendy reflects on the cost of her ambition, while Marty admits that, despite surviving, they’ve become prisoners of their own moral compromises (Adichie). They realize they’ve irrevocably changed and will never escape the weight of their decisions.

The series closes with a darkly humorous touch from Waller-Bridge: as the Byrdes sit in their empty home, they exchange a wry glance, and Wendy mutters something ironic about surviving everything except themselves, leaving the audience with an unsettling, yet oddly human, conclusion.“

you can’t make a self-insert character with an adult’s apprehension of accounting and programming and at the same time cop out with “he’s just a kid” when he does things that are fucking stupid.

I've finished the whole show, and I was really disappointed in Ruth in season 4 - I felt her actions were illogical, stupid, and downright nonsense. She was always smarter than that.

Realistically, I feel like after she killed Javis, she and Marty should have met up, had a massive discussion (which could have spanned a half or whole episode) about the entire course of events of the series.

It would have been a back and forth about wits, emotions, betrayals, companionship, business, hatred, respect, etc.

It could be shot as one-shot, to be honest - that would give the audience such a visceral witness of the connection between Marty and Ruth. It would have also showcased the amazing acting abilities of both actors.

They would have laughed, hated, cared, feared. They would have talked about their own troubles, their own shit, their own baggage which they brought into this series. They would have confronted eachother with hard hitting truths which neither of them wanted to hear.

And in the end, after such an emotionally exhausting 30 minutes to an hour, they would both been so spent with it all. Ruth would have sunk to a level where we'd never seen her before - all of her armour, her intelligence, her wit, is completely destroyed, and she regresses back to a child again - like in season 1 (or was it 2?) where she begs her dad not to abandon her and that she's not a fuck up after the heist goes wrong. She'd sink down and say "I just...didn't want to be alone... I wanted someone to need me. I wanted to be someone."

Marty would have seen that after all of the things that has gone down, Ruth just needed to find her people, and to be loved. She loves her, and Marty tells her this, and holds her, much like a Father would to his daughter, or as Marty would do to Charlotte.

Marty reminds Ruth that she still has Three to take care of. He offers her 2 new identities, a fuck load of cash, and to disappear. She agrees, and she disappears.

However, near the end of the final series (episodes later), in the last few episodes. Clare reveals to the Camila that Ruth was the one who killed Javis. Thus, Camila not only refuses to go forward with the deal, but demands that Ruth is delivered to her, or she will kill everything, beginning with the Byrds. Camila has Jonah kidnapped and tortures him, in order to make Marty and Wendy feel what it is like to lose a son.

Marty and Wendy deliberate for a short while. Wendy knows Marty can track down Ruth if possible by getting hold of the new identities and quickly tracking her down. The two do not know what to do, since Ruth is much like family also. Wendy is insistent, however, that they must get Ruth back, and that all of this has been to protect the kids and the family - the true family. This goes back to when Wendy tells Marty "why do always choose everyone else, apart from your family" (or something like that).

In the end, Marty manages to get a hold of Ruth via phone by getting her identity, and tracking her expenses and getting her phone number associated with her accounts. Ruth is surprised, but Marty tells her the situation.

He begs her to help him, one last time. The phone call is painful. Marty can't bring himself to demand she do this. She knows what helping him means - she knows it's walking back to surrender herself and die. She also knows that Jonah is in danger, and that she, in spite of everything, loves Marty in their soul-and-life connected sort of way.

The deadline for Ruth's arrival and Jonah's release is quickly coming. Jonah has been tortured pretty hard. The parties are at the exchange place - Ruth for Jonah.

In the last suspenseful moments, Ruth turns up, alone.

She walks, on her own, into the arms of the cartel. She does it because SHE choose to. She knows what it means, and she faces death with fear, grit, and courage.

At the end of it, she tells Camila that her son was a piece of shit, that she was happy to kill him, and that she is Ruth fucking Langmore.

Then she dies.

--

I feel this would have been an incredible end to an incredible character.

Thoughts?

EDIT: I also feel like Jonah being tortured would give a better explanation for why he killed Mel at the end of things. Having had everything endure so much, and to have had Jonah been more "broken" due to the cartel's torturing, Jonah would have been more ameable to killing to have his family survive - otherwise, him being tortured, everything losing Ruth, all the death, would have all been for nothing.

We all know, every show has that ONE character, Weather it’s breaking bad’s Jessie Pinkman or House MD’s James Willson, there’s always one Character that the writers do dirty. Ruth was for sure one of them. She Grew to be one of my absolute favorite characters in all of TV (or shows that i’ve seen) Let me explain. In season 1 especially the early episodes i hated her, i thought she was a total bitch, i really didn’t like her. Then in season 2 and 3 she kinda grew on me, season 4 is when i started rooting for her, call me a simp but i thought she was cute, and i also felt bad for her. In season 4 it felt like the world was out to get her, she lost most of her family, got tortured by the cartel, plus that FBI agent who stalked her and all she had left were the Byrds, somewhat of her second family her relationship with Marty gives me Michael and franklin from GTA vibes. Then, she finally bought the motel and things were going great, her and rachel even tried to take what was arguably hers, the casino, then, her boyfriend (Ben) was killed, witch besides ruth was my favorite character, then she got killed by Javi’s mom, which sucked. I feel bad for her, she got fucked over by the writers, she lost everything, got it back just for nothing. Truly sad

I just finished the whole show, and I gotta say, I love Wendy - I think she's fantastic.

She's smart, emotional, crafty, gutsy. It was such a delight to see her wrestle with her inner desires and demons and have that thirst to win.

I felt she was exactly what Marty needed. Without her, Mary would have just been a small time laundering pawn, eventually offed or always under the thumb of the cartel.

I especially loved her in season 4. I felt for her when she told Marty and her dad that she's difficult to love. I could see just how much she painfully loves her children, and I suspect a lot of it is from the trauma she received as a child.

She made a name for herself. She made the political side work. She had the guts to get things done. She sacrificed so much, and was so human.

I fucking love her. She's fantastic. 10/10 character

I feel like people hate her because she's ugly at times - but she needed to be ugly in this world. It's because of her that the Byrds made it.

I'm on the season 4 finale right now, just about to begin, and I am so infuriated at Ruth and Rachel.

First of all, why the hell is Rachel back here, and why is she acting like such a twat to Marty? He got her out of this hell-hole, and Ruth waves some money and friendship in her face and she comes back? Really?

Even worse is Ruth - why has she taken over the Missouri Belle and refuses to let Marty launder the money? The casino is literally Cartel ground - a cartel who she murdered the head of.

She's basically signing her own death warrant. The stupidity is insane. And now she's building a massive house which she'll never get to live in because she'll be dead? Seriously?

And her logic is that Marty will just magically be able to launder the money when she takes away the #1 most money launderable business he has?

This is insane. I really hope she dies. I never knew she was THIS stupid.

me season 4ep04

Exactly what the title says. I'm at S3E3 and literally everything she does is her selfishly feeding her ego while convincing herself it's all for the good of the family. Then she goes and acts all high and mighty with Marty about it after the fact.

I would've enjoyed seeing Darlene punch her in the face if it wasn't exactly what she was asking for. God I can't wait to see this Icarus with a silver spoon shoved up her ass lose her wings.

Ozark had the potential to be one of the greatest shows of all time.

Season 1 and 2 were written beautifully.

Season 3 was downhill.

But season 4 is just outrageous. Like the writers just wanted to get done with it.

What happened? Do you agree?