The first half of the final season of Ozark picks up right where we last saw the Byrdes,
still reeling from the execution of Helen. Navarro introduces the Byrdes to his hotheaded nephew,
Javi, who has his sights set on succeeding Navarro as leader of the cartel. Navarro warns the Byrdes
that if Javi detected any weakness or problems from the Byrdes, he would kill them all. Navarro
also explains to the Byrdes why he killed Helen, but kept them alive. Navarro wants the Byrdes to
help broker a deal with the FBI that would ensure his immunity from any prosecution,
allowing him to retire with his family in peace. As they return to America, Marty and Wendy realize
how impossible it would be for them to negotiate immunity for such an infamous drug kingpin.
And unfortunately for the Byrdes, their problems don’t end there. Javi follows them
back to the Ozarks to try to run things his way, insisting that the Byrdes put a definitive end
to Darlene’s heroin business. That’d be easier said than done, as Jonah has joined Darlene,
Wyatt, and Ruth’s business to help them launder money. He’s rightfully bitter and
disillusioned toward his family following their involvement in his uncle Ben’s death. And so,
there’d be no way for Marty and Wendy to take down Darlene without also taking down
their son. This doesn’t stop Wendy from attempting to send the authorities after Darlene, knowing she
had the political pull to get Jonah out of any serious legal trouble should he be arrested.
Another problem for the Byrdes is private investigator Mel Sattem,
who has arrived in the Ozarks to find the missing Helen Pierce.
When he convinces Sheriff Nix to look into Helen’s disappearance, Javi impulsively kills the sheriff
to put an abrupt end to the investigation. This does nothing but further fuel Mel’s
investigation. The private investigator sets his sights on the Byrdes and their potential
involvement in the disappearances of Helen, Sheriff Nix, and even Ben.
To better protect themselves from threats on all sides, Marty and Wendy set their sights
on amassing more political power. Wendy brings on Jim Rattelsdorf to be the Byrde’s personal lawyer
and political strategist. Jim helps Wendy use the Byrde’s charity foundation to bribe politicians
and rig elections. In order for this plan to be successful, the charity foundation would need
a LOT more money. And so, the Byrdes cut a deal with Clare Shaw, CEO of pharmaceutical company
Shaw Medical, to sell her Navarro’s drugs. Navarro’s drugs would save Clare hundreds
of millions of dollars in the manufacturing of her company’s own pharmaceuticals. In exchange
for this deal, Clare agrees to donate $150 million to the Byrde’s foundation.
When Marty overhears that Javi is orchestrating a large sale of guns,
he convinces Navarro to leak info of the sale to the FBI, as it would help
prove Navarro’s worth and cooperation to the US government. When the guns are seized by the FBI,
Javi deduces that there was a snitch in the operation and refuses to make any more sales,
including the pivotal heroin sale to Clare Shaw, until he finds the rat.
Meanwhile, Ruth is trying her best to run her own heroin business, but it’s a difficult task
with the loose cannon Darlene as her partner. Ruth buys the Lazy-O motel as a money laundering front
and places Sam in charge as the manager. But you can’t launder money if you’re not making money,
which is the situation Ruth finds herself in when Frank Cosgrove pulls out of his deal
to distribute the heroin. Ruth is then forced into finding a new buyer for their product.
Luckily, Marty is now in need of large quantities of heroin to sell to Shaw Medical, so he and Ruth
once again partner together to make a deal. But before they can sell the heroin to Clare,
Darlene cuts a deal with Frank Jr. to sell the heroin behind his father’s back. Ruth manages to
convince Frank Jr. to sell back the heroin so that Marty could sell it to Clare, and the two former
rivals actually begin to develop a friendship. When Frank Sr. finds out that Darlene had tried
to cut a deal with his son behind his back, he confronts her. This prompts Darlene to shockingly
kill Frank Sr. Finally coming to terms with how dangerous it was to be associated with Darlene,
Wyatt agrees to ditch her to run away with Ruth. Unfortunately, Darlene convinces Wyatt to stay,
guilting him into marrying her in order to help their custody battle for baby Zeke.
Navarro tells Javi that he is retiring from the cartel and placing Javi in charge. Following this,
Navarro finally goes to America to face the FBI and negotiate his surrender.
During a meeting between Navarro, Marty, Wendy, Agent Maya Miller and FBI leadership,
the FBI offers Navarro immunity in exchange for remaining as cartel leader for the next five years
and serving as an informant. Navarro accepts the offer and leaves for Mexico. Maya, tired
of being caught between the Byrdes and the FBI and their varying tolerances for corruption, finally
makes a move that she feels is the most morally right. She goes behind the FBI’s back and leads
local police in arresting Navarro as he tries to depart. Thinking the Byrdes were responsible for
his uncle’s arrest, Javi confronts Marty and holds him at gunpoint. Wendy manages to make a deal
with Navarro, promising to secure his release from prison in exchange for telling Javi that
he was working with the FBI. After a call from Navarro with this news, Javi spares Marty’s life.
Javi cuts a deal with the FBI to serve as head of the cartel for the next ten years
and serve as their informant, potentially putting the uncle and nephew at odds.
Javi’s final act of the season is to finally pay a visit to his chief rival in the heroin business,
Darlene Snell. Javi executes Darlene and Wyatt before leaving.
With their foundation now at full political power, and their deals with the FBI settled,
the Byrdes are finally ready to put their dangerous criminal lives behind them
and move back to Chicago. They hit a tiny bump in the road when Jonah insists on staying in the
Ozarks to continue working with Ruth. And speaking of Ruth, she discovers the dead bodies of Darlene
and Wyatt and emotionally bursts into the Byrde’s home, confronting Marty and Wendy with a shotgun.
She declares that she was going to kill Javi for what he had done, but Marty pleads for her not to,
as Javi’s death would ruin their deal with the FBI. But Ruth wasn’t taking no for an answer. She
was going to kill Javi, and the Byrdes would have to kill her if they wanted to stop her.
Oh, and in a flashforward to sometime in the future, the Byrde family, including Jonah,
are all piled into their minivan, finally leaving the Ozarks and heading back to Chicago.
But when a large truck drives toward them in the wrong lane,
Marty veers off the road and crashes the car, leaving the fate of the Byrde family unknown.