In Netflix’s twisting crime-thriller Ozark, we always suspected Ruth Langmore would blow up the Byrdes’ money-laundering enterprise. But, as shown in the penultimate episode of Season 4 Part 1, Julia Garner’s Ruth—at times a friend to the Byrdes, at others a foe—has now reached her point of no return. The conclusion is approaching, and we may expect much-burnt ground in its wake.
Ruth has been subjected to torture in past seasons. She’s lost a man she cared about: Ben Byrde, Wendy Byrde’s brother. Now she’s lost her cousin, Wyatt, who was brutally killed by Javi Elizondro, the new Navarro cartel head, for his affiliation with the insane heroin queen Darlene Snell. Is the Byrde family solely responsible for Wyatt’s death? We can point fingers afterward, but the risk remains: Ruth is on the prowl, and she has nothing left to lose. Suppose the Byrdes genuinely hope they can leave their laundering days behind them in favor of a squeaky-clean profession in Chicago, operating the charity Byrde Foundation with money from Shaw Medical. In that case, they’ll have to deal with a rage-filled Langmore first.
The good news is that there are still plenty of narratives left to tell before we say goodbye to one of Netflix‘s most constantly compelling originals. Part 2 of what we know about Ozark season 4.
When will Ozark Season 4 Part 2 air?
We won’t have to wait long to watch the concluding chapter of the Byrdes. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the second part of Season 4 will be broadcast in 2022. Jason Bateman, who plays Marty Byrde, disclosed the date in an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, saying it was “yet publicized, but it’ll be relatively soon, I guess.”
Season 4 production completed in October 2020, which means the final episodes should be available by then. Ozark’s creators will most likely aim to bring the last season into Emmy contention for 2022; they’ll need to broadcast the entire season by May 31 to fulfill eligibility rules.
Will the Ozark finale be in Season 4, Part 2?
This will be Ozark’s final chapter. Netflix initially disclosed in June 2021 that season 4 would be split into two halves, each seven episodes long, to cover the entire plot. “A supersized season creates supersized troubles for the Byrdes,” Bateman explained. “I’m looking forward to finishing with a bang(s).”
Ozark showrunner Chris Mundy shared more about why part 2 would contain the show’s final episodes in an interview aired shortly after season 4, and part 1 was released on Netflix. “Jason has talked about making sure we don’t overstay our welcome since the beginning,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “And because we’re serialized, we needed to stay emotionally honest and avoid feeling like we’re just putting them in the same old predicament again.” So something in the five-season range seemed appropriate. We’d be vamping if we went on much longer.”
What will the topic of Part 2 be?
Part 1 leaves many mysteries unanswered, addressed in Ozark’s final seven episodes. Consider the following:
What will Ruth do now that she has discovered who murdered Wyatt? Will she be able to stand up to the cartel?
Will Jonah, Marty, and Wendy’s kid keep rebelling against them?
Where will Charlotte, their daughter, go now that she appears to have taken over the family business?
Will the Byrdes all survive, and if so, will they remain together as a family? Is Wendy and Marty’s marriage doomed?
Ben, how about you? Will Wendy keep using her departed brother as a pawn in her “positive PR” game?
What more will the private investigator introduced in Part 1 discover as he continues his search for Navarro lawyer Helen Pierce’s body? Will he learn what happened to Ben?
The first episode of Season 4, Part 1, foreshadowed an unexpected vehicle catastrophe. When will we witness the accident in Part 2, and what will happen due to it?
Will Wendy’s goal for the Byrde Foundation come true, or will her past sins come back to haunt her?
What will Javi do as the Navarro cartel’s new leader?
Darlene’s death has left a void in the Ozarks; will someone step forward to fill it?
Will the new sheriff find out what happened to the previous one?
The Ozark creators are optimistic that all of these issues will be answered—and that the growing family strife of the past three seasons will be resolved in a dramatic (but hopefully satisfactory) manner. Mundy cautions that Navarro, in particular, will continue to make moves from prison: “He surely won’t trust the Byrdes, but they’re a necessary evil in his life.” So we wanted him to be as nailed down as possible, but you certainly haven’t seen the last of him.”
Mundy implies that Wendy’s guilt will play a significant role in Part 2. She’s still dealing with her brother’s death, which she’s now referring to as a drug addict to anybody who would listen. “Wendy, a lot of season 4, it’s incremental in the first seven, and then it becomes more evident in the back seven, is starting to wonder whether or not she’s lost a grasp on reality,” Mundy explained to EW. “Is she losing her mind as a result of her anguish and guilt?” Or is she able to teach herself the lie and practice it sufficiently that she suddenly believes the lie and the rest of the world regard the lie?”
But, if I had to wager, I’d pick Ruth as the one to watch in Part 2: It’s often those we underestimate that end up with the most power.