When faux cartel head Javi Elizonndro (Alfonso Herrera) blasted the brains out of newlyweds
Darlene nee Snell (Lisa Emery) and Wyatt Langmore (Alfonso Herrera), Ozark season four part
one finished with a bang (and plenty of blood spatter) (Charlie Tahan).
This was the kick in the teeth that fueled Ruth's grief-stricken wrath and put in motion
a chain of explosive events that even the Byrdes couldn't stop.
Enough with the foreplay!
Let's take a look at what transpired in the fourth season of Ozark.
The conclusion of Ozark season four is explained.
Part two begins with Ruth (Julia Garner) on the hunt for Wyatt's killer.
Her furious outburst culminates in her fatally killing Javi in front of the Byrdes and Shaw
medical CEO Clare Shaw (Katrina Lenk).
In order to protect themselves and Ruth, the Byrdes inform Omar Navarro (Felix Solis) that
his nephew has vanished and is assumed dead.
This puts Navarro in a good position to reconfirm his extradition agreement with the FBI, but
he must first reclaim control of his drug gang.
He does this by having Marty personally carry the message that he killed Javi and temporarily
appoint him as his emissary in Mexico.
The news is not well received, and someone attempts to assassinate Navarro - that someone
being his sister Camila (Javi's mother, Veronica Falcón).
Clare Shaw is wary of the Byrdes after assisting in the cleaning of Javi's blood from her office
flooring.
She makes a pact with Ruth Langmore to evict the Byrdes by supplying Shaw medical with
Darlene's inherited medications.
This is ideal for Ruth because, in addition to cheating the Byrdes out of their deal,
she plans to use her newfound wealth to purchase the bulk of the casino The Missouri Belle
from them.
Naturally, they reject, as it is the cartel's principal money-laundering industry.
Ruth, on the other hand, is a Langmore, and Langmores don't give up easily.
Ruth got Darlene's inheritance and shares in the Belle as a result of the Langmore-Snell
marriage.
She purchases the remaining shares from Charles Wilkes and has her criminal record wiped,
making her the Belle's proud majority owner and the first Langmore in five generations
to be clean.
If only there was a gold plaque to commemorate it.
She can purchase one, for crying out loud.
Wendy Byrde (Laura Linney), who also has a backbone, manages to persuade Clare to sign
a five-year drug supply contract with the cartel in exchange for a $150 million contribution
to the Byrde charity and shares in Shaw Medical for Camila.
The loss of the Belle, on the other hand, remains a significant issue for the Byrdes,
since they need it to launder Navarro's money, and Navarro's extradition preparations have
been accelerated from months to days.
Ruth, who insists on operating a respectable company, says no.
So, how do the Byrdes operate?
On top of their quicksand foundation of half-built blueprints, devise a new strategy.
Following the attack on Navarro, the FBI says that if he dies, they'd be delighted for Marty
(Jason Bateman) to take over the cartel and keep the drug seizures coming.
Of course, the Byrdes aren't going to like that, but it does offer Wendy an idea: murder
Navarro and replace him with his sister.
Camila, who is still upset over her son, agrees.
Despite Wendy's seeming dark nature, her perverted intense love for her children implies that
none of this matters until she can reclaim her children.
You might be wondering where this came from.
In the middle of this life-or-death drama, her own father coerces Charlotte (Sofia Hublitz)
and Jonah (Skylar Gaertner) into moving away with him after learning she ordered the kill
on her brother Ben (Tom Pelphrey).
Wendy is compelled to commit herself after hearing the news, and she refuses to leave
the facility until Marty forces them to return.
Marty, who already has enough on his plate, delegated the assignment to Ruth by threatening
to reveal the truth about his death to Camila.
She complies and persuades Jonah and Charlotte to realize the truth about their cruel, alcoholic
grandfather, whose true motive was to bring Wendy pain and humiliation.
Wendy admits to trying to dominate Charlotte and Jonah throughout their discussion.
"Your father and I were trying to construct something for all of us," she adds (in these
crucial lines), "and I swear I won't lock you inside it."
They go on, feeling sentimental, well, as emotional as Byrdes can get, and agree to
rejoin as a family.
The vehicle collision scenario follows this heartfelt heart-to-heart.
You may recall the flash-forward at the start of the season.
The stereo is playing Sam Cooke, and suddenly bang!
The Byrdes take to the air.
They all emerge unhurt and eager to dance the night away at the Belle-Byrde foundation
gala later that evening, proving that it was all simply a metaphor for life's unpredictability.
Everything appears to be going swimmingly.
The Byrdes are nearing the end of their drug-dealing career, having passed over the Missouri Belle's
laundering duties to Ruth and Rachel (Jordana Spiro) – yes, she's back.
Legally, of course — can't taint Ruth's spotless record – since the FBI has given
her the go-ahead, posing as a cooperating witness.
But this isn't Ozark unless there are a couple more twists and turns.
Camila has a sneaking suspicion that the Byrdes and Clare know more about her son's death
than they're letting on at the charity fundraiser.
Especially after learning that her brother was not to blame (she still proceeds to have
him killed and take his business though, which is kind of bad sibling behaviour).
The Byrdes remain chilly and reserved, until a casual reference of a senseless death prompts
Clare to reveal that Ruth is to blame.
If Ruth is alerted of what is coming, Camila orders her henchman to kill the Byrde children.
Despite their obvious distress – Wendy was over herself – they maintain their composure
and go on while Ruth Langmore is killed murdered by Camila on the side of the road.
Their unstable pseudo-family connection comes to a terrible end.
This note recurs throughout Ozark's last act, but there's one last stinger for the Byrdes
in classic Ozark form.
Remember Mel Sattem (Adam Rothenberg), the disgraced cop-turned-private eye who was hell-bent
on proving the Byrdes were responsible for Ben's death?
In exchange for him dropping the Ben case, Wendy and Marty pushed ties to get him his
job back as a cop.
He agreed at first, but his moral compass continued to point north.
He returns to Missouri with proof that Ben is dead, not missing (that darn cookie jar
full of ashes!).
The Byrdes rely on their tried-and-true bribery strategy, but he cannot be bought this time.
When Jonah pulls out a pistol and shoots Mel, their fragile house of cards is ready to come
crashing down.
Yes, Jonah Byrde, who despises this life (save while he was handling Ruth's money-laundering
books), legally executes Mel, ensuring his own doom.
Just when Wendy was about to release him and Charlotte, his terrible deed keeps him in
the world she was trying to liberate him from.
Marty and Wendy Byrde may have gained the freedom they desired, but their act serves
as a reminder that their wrongdoings have and continue to have an influence on the one
thing they treasured most: their children.
That one, we believe, is known as poetic justice.