Ozark Season 4, Part 1 Sets the Stage For a Cohesive and Complete Finale: Review
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The post Ozark Season 4, Part 1 Sets the Stage For a Cohesive and Complete Finale: Review appeared first on Consequence.
The Pitch: Ozark is back for its final season, conveniently divided into two parts in the hopes that fans will be hooked for as long as they can to the many twists and turns of the Byrde family business. After a stunning and heart-wrenching season 3—arguably the best of the series—the show has a lot to live up to. Thankfully, it’s planted enough intriguing seeds to keep us watching.
After the emotional death of Ben Davis (Tom Pelphrey) by the order of his very own sister Wendy (Laura Linney), alliances have shifted, and loyalties have realigned. Season 4 begins with a furious and grieving Ruthie (Julia Garner) partnering up with impetuous hillbilly-elegy-fever-dream matriarch Darlene Snell (Lisa Emery).
Marty (Jason Bateman) and Wendy are trying to work as a united front but their son Jonah, fueled by the loss of his beloved uncle, threatens to sabotage their plans. And even Omar Navarro (Felix Solis), the menacing cartel leader and frontrunner for Worst Boss Ever, is busy putting out the fires of his nephew and potential successor, Javi Elizondo (Alfonso Herrera).
Underlying the family tensions is the one straightforward goal that unites the Byrdes, Ruthie, and even Navarro: going legit and freeing themselves from a violent lawless life. That is Navarro’s main goal for Q1, and he is counting on the Byrdes to make that happen. In theory, it would also give the Byrdes a way out. But is that even possible with the ever-growing body count amongst them? And is that something they actually want?
Grief Grounds Things: There are parallels Ozark tries to make between the show and some of the most deplorable events of our very real world. Clare Shaw (Katrina Lenk) as the CEO of a family-owned biopharmaceutical company is an obvious stand-in for the Sackler family exploitsm and there are plenty of instances where the politicians and federal agents circling the Byrdes are proven as corrupt and malicious as any cartel leader. Perhaps, in a simpler, less apocalyptic time, these would have been more satisfying revelations than they end up being in these episodes.
Ozark (Netflix)
However, the most impactful and memorable moments are usually the result of an emotion too many of us have had become acquainted with recently: grief. Garner and Linney are at their most riveting when portraying the depths of their sorrow. It is also the motivation behind some of their most questionable decisions. Unlike other seasons where Ruthie and Wendy were playing at the top of their most strategic game, the weight of their misery is causing them to spiral. In fact, most characters are starting to fumble. At its best, it provides higher stakes throughout the episodes, but it also provides the show with some missteps.
Chaos Is Good — Sloppy, Not So Much: The big challenge of any final season is straddling the line between introducing new elements to keep viewers engaged while guiding storylines to a sound and worthwhile end. For the most part, Ozark strikes that balance, especially when it comes to Javi. A man who is as beautiful as he is reckless, the Navarro heir is chaos wrapped in a suave-looking exterior. He brings a hint of unpredictability to any move his uncle or the Byrdes make, and there is a certain sadistic joy in seeing them scramble because of another one of his boneheaded mistakes.
(As an aside, thanks are owed to the Ozark producers and casting directors for making sure the Navarros speaks with a Mexican accent, whether via training or birth. It’s a significant detail that too many shows ignore and can be jarring to a Spanish-speaking audience, who will be able to pick up non-accurate accents immediately.)
However, Javi’s storyline can feel rash. There are one too many scenes where we learn of important agreements via dialogue, or moments where threatening situations are quickly diffused off-screen. The show is aware that Netflix is best when binged, which means it tends to squeeze the juice out of the opening and final scenes while leaving the middle a bit muddled. It can be easy to get lost in the in-and-out of the constant negotiations between the feuding parties, which then feels less like a raising of stakes and more like a repetitive, frustrating cycle.
Blood Is Thicker Than Water (But a Whole Lot Messier): Still, Ozark has moments where it shines as a dark, nail-biting, tense, yet somewhat bizarre family drama. When it focuses on the strained dynamics between husband and wife, mother and son, mentor and protégé — in short, when it focuses on character relationships, the show soars. Ben’s death proved that the Byrdes are not above sacrificing their own for self-preservation and the younger generation is virtually going rogue against their own versions of authority.
Ozark (Netflix)
As Omar Navarro knowingly states, “Your greatest threat will always come from the inside, Marty”, offering a compelling thread line for the rest of the season. The question of family — who defines it, and what we owe them — is a constant source of turmoil in the world of Ozark. But it also provides some much-needed comedic relief.
From Wendy exclaiming in exasperation to Marty, “You don’t think attempted murders is cause for grounding?” to Ruthie describing a drug-loving chef to her clan as “one of those sarvonts” to other quotable lines we won’t spoil here, there are glimpses of an Ozark richer and more idiosyncratic than we’ve given it credit for.
The Verdict: If you have been a devoted viewer since the start, this is not the time to bail. One of the smartest decisions Ozark has made is to finish off the current storyline: Greater shows have fallen by virtue of letting their narrative metastasize into a shell of their former selves. Instead, Ozark seems to be setting up a cohesive and closed drama where almost every element introduced in the prior seasons is coming back, like an arsenal of Chekhov’s guns. The KC mob, Agent Miller, Sam, even Zeke, and others continue to be looped into the evolving mess the Byrdes make and clean up.
Do keep in mind, though that this is only the first half of Season 4 and we still have to see if the payoff will be worth it. For now, signs point to a tentative yes — though if we’ve learned anything from Ozark is that no reward comes without startling losses, unpredictable twists, and the sinking feeling that peace of mind is an unachievable high.
Where to Watch: Ozark Season 4 Part 1 premieres Friday, January 21st on Netflix.
Trailer:
Ozark Season 4, Part 1 Sets the Stage For a Cohesive and Complete Finale: Review
Ines Bellina
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