Ozark cast teases 'very satisfying' ending and why 'the blood spigot does not ever get turned off'

When the final episodes of Ozark drop on Netflix April 29, they won't be going out with a bang — at least, not a literal one.

"I just think it ends in such a — pardon the term — elegant way, consistent with the measured approach [his character, Marty] took to all of these extraordinary circumstances," Jason Bateman says during EW's Around the Table with fellow cast members Julia Garner and Laura Linney and showrunner Chris Mundy.

"In other words," he continues, "I think it would have been easy to really push the TNT lever down and have some big, huge, forced crescendo at the end. It's only a spoiler to say that it's not that. It's much more consistent with our show, where the ending has a very satisfying resolution, but it doesn't smack you in the face."

For four seasons, the Emmy-winning drama has followed the high-stakes exploits of Marty and Wendy Byrde (Bateman and Linney) and their family as they try to get out from under a Mexican drug cartel after a money-laundering scheme goes south. At best, their complicated plots and lies have turned a lot of people against them, such as one-time friend and partner Ruth Langmore (Garner). At worst, it's both directly and indirectly lead to a lot of death.

When it comes to the latter, Bateman won't say who might be staring down the barrel of a proverbial gun this season, but he does tease that "the blood spigot does not ever get turned off" on the show. "As blue as it is, it needs to remain somewhat red to keep things consistent," he says, referring to the show's cinematography. "But, I feel like the average stays pretty consistent. You can always count on something going wrong for somebody in every episode or every other episode, at least."

"Chris [Mundy] always keeps it interesting, not only for the audience, but for the actors," Garner adds. "Every season making the show, it's like, all right, who's on the chopping block now?" Because of his penchant for killing off beloved characters, according to Linney, the cast joked on set that he was "the grim reaper." "Chris is the nicest grim reaper of all time," Garner clarifies.

Netflix Julia Garner in 'Ozark'

The fourth and final season of Ozark was given an extended 14-episode order, with the first seven episodes released in January. The final seven episodes pick up right where those left off, with Ruth vowing to get revenge on drug lord Omar Navarro's nephew, Javi (Alfonso Herrera), who murdered her beloved cousin Wyatt (Charlie Tahan).

Because of this, Mundy says viewers can expect Javi's mom and Navarro's sister, Camila (Veronica Falcón), to be a "significant part of the endgame." So, too, is Rachel Garrison (Jordana Spiro), former owner of the Blue Cat Lodge, the first business that Marty became involved in to launder money through in the Ozarks. "We bring Rachel back to the Ozarks, which, to me, is really satisfying because she's such a part of the fabric of that place and our show," Mundy says of the character, who hasn't been seen since season 2.

Ultimately, Mundy and his cast don't want to say too much, lest they spoil the fun for viewers. But they will say how important it was to them that the show told the stories it needed to without overstaying its welcome. Says Bateman, "We'll be sad not to do any more. But how many times have you stayed at a party too long because you just loved it so much, and then, it's like, 'Oh, you know what? I ruined a bad thing.' I think that's the fear anybody always has. So while we didn't pull the plug ourselves, I'm glad that we got out still enjoying it, and hopefully, the audience will feel the same."

Watch the full roundtable with Mundy, Bateman, Garner, and Linney above.

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