How Does ‘Ozark’ End? That Series Finale, Explained (2024)

Once upon a time — way back in 2017 — Ozark was a quaint show about a husband and wife who had to launder cartel money to save their lives. Countless deaths, betrayals, and innovative strings of curse words later, that’s all changed. Over the course of its four seasons, Ozark has evolved into one of the most shocking and addicting crime dramas on television.

Truly, we could watch Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, and Julia Garner argue and scheme forever. But series creatorsBill DubuqueandMark Williams had a different plan for us. Wondering how Ozark officially ended for the Byrde family and their various frenemies? We have you covered.

Do Marty and Wendy Get Their Children Back?

Things are going to get dark, so why not start on a nice note? Part 2 saw the arrival of Nathan (Richard Thomas), Wendy’s (Laura Linney) estranged and abusive father. Nathan claimed that he was in town to find out what happened to his missing son, Ben (Tom Pelphrey). Really, he came to town so that he could get sympathy points from his congregation. That goal changed once the truth about Ben emerged.

After learning about Wendy and Marty’s (Jason Bateman) involvement with the cartel, Nathan offered to take Charlotte (Sofia Hublitz) and Jonah (Skylar Gaertner) with him to North Carolina. Charlotte and Jonah, knowing that they were in danger and scared that if they refused it would hurt their parents’ chances of getting free, agreed to go with him. Nothing Marty or Wendy said could make their kids come back. That’s why Marty enlisted the help of one Ruth Langmore (Julia Garner).

Ruth started by congratulating Nathan for pulling one over on Wendy. Then she got him to admit the truth. With a gun aimed at him, Nathan admitted that he only wanted Charlotte and Jonah to get back at the daughter he hates. The Byrde children left their grandfather and visited Wendy in the mental hospital, a move that eventually led to them agreeing to return to their parents. Just remember that on top of everything else, Marty and Wendy owe Ruth for their children.

Who’s in Charge of the Navarro Cartel?

Now that the happy reunion is out of the way, let’s talk politics. Toward the end of Part 2, Wendy and Marty make yet another cartel alliance change. Say goodbye to Omar and hello to Camila.

Siding with Omar Navarro (Felix Solis) would have required Marty and Wendy to get Omar off of the Specially Designated Nationals list, a registry that pays special attention to people or organizations that may pose a threat to U.S. national security and economic policy. That was one big hurdle. Another was Randall Schafer (Bruce Davison). The retired Republican Senator was Marty and Wendy’s only hope at removing Omar from the SDN list. He only agreed to remove Omar from the list if the Byrdes helped him commit widespread fraud through his grandson’s vote suppressing voting machines.

Basically, helping Omar meant breaking him out of jail, getting him off a federal list he deserved to be on, committing U.S. voter fraud, and aligning with an unpredictable man who actively hated them. But Omar’s sister Camila (Veronica Falcón) came with far fewer strings attached. She wasn’t even imprisoned. By now, you know how Marty and Wendy work; they’re going to go with the most logical choice. The Byrdes aligned themselves with Camila instead of Omar, making her the new head of the Navarro cartel.

What Happens to Omar Navarro?

There can’t be two cartel leaders in town. Working with the FBI, Marty, Wendy, and Camila arranged for Omar to be transported to a different prison. But in the middle of this transfer, one of the guards murdered his coworker, gave Omar a gun filled with blanks, and released him. To the untrained eye, it looked like Omar Navarro murdered one of his escorts before getting shot mid-escape. Omar Navarro is the first major character to die in Ozark’s finale.

How Does Ozark End for Ruth?

The second Ruth started planning her new house, we should have known her fate. Ruth started Part 2 by murdering Javi (Alfonso Herrera) to avenge Wyatt’s (Charlie Tahan) death. Long before she even pulled the tigger, Marty and Wendy warned Ruth that this was a death sentence, and they were right.

Camila always suspected there was more to the story of her son’s death. At the Missouri Belle’s fundraising event, she learned the full truth. Pharmaceutical CEO Clare Shaw (Katrina Lenk) told Camila that Ruth was the one who murdered Javi. That’s when the real betrayal of this show unfolded.

Camila, realizing that Marty and Wendy were close to Ruth, told them that if they warned Ruth she would kill their entire family. To her credit, Wendy tried to devise a way they could save Ruth, even suggesting bringing Omar back as the leader of the cartel. But it was Marty who made the call. After teaching Ruth everything she knows and treating her with more respect than he’s ever given his own daughter, Marty allowed her to die.

The second Ruth saw Camila, she knew her time was up. But she wouldn’t be Ruth if she didn’t go down cursing. With a gun pointed at her, Ruth yelled her final words: “Well? Are you going to f*cking do this sh*t or what?”

Even when she could have thrown Marty and Wendy under the bus to extend her life, Ruth stayed more loyal to them than they were were to her. Way to stay a legend to the very end.

How Does Ozark End for Marty and Wendy?

Ozark’s final episode was all about survival for the Byrdes. They survived a car crash, Camila’s investigation into the death of her son, and working for a cartel. But the final moments of this show saw this family confront one final threat: Mel (Adam Rothenberg) the private investigator.

Earlier this season, Marty and Wendy schemed to get Mel his job back on the Chicago police force. Naturally, it wasn’t choice they made out of the goodness of their hearts. Reinstating Mel meant that he would be unable to testify in Nathan’s custody case against Marty and Wendy. Well, even though Mel got the job he always wanted, he wasn’t able to leave the Byrde family alone.

Mel arrived at the lake house with Ben’s goat cookie jar in tow. After correctly surmising that the jar was filled with the late Ben’s ashes, Mel told Marty and Wendy that he planned to use the ashes to prove their guilt. They tried to buy him off, but it was no use. Mel refused to budge. That’s when Jonah stepped up. In a nod to Jonah’s fascination with guns in Season 1, the youngest member of the Byrde family aimed a shotgun at Mel. Ozark officially ends with the screen cutting to black as a gunshot is heard.

Who Dies in Ozark’s Finale?

In the end, there were three major casualties: Omar Navarro, Ruth Langmore, and Mel Sattem. Despite all the bloodshed, every member of the Byrde family was able to make it out alive. It seems as though Wendy’s dream may actually come true. Assuming they can cover up Mel’s death, this money laundering family may be able to live a clean, politically connected life in Chicago. Fingers crossed that we get a spinoff to see what happens next.