by Jake Bourgeois, Contributing Writer
Ozark is back for seven final episodes. It’s been a more than solid show for Netflix over the last number of years, but ending a show satisfactorily — regardless of quality up to that point — has proven a tricky proposition. So, how does it fare?
First off, fair warning — if you’re reading this, I’m assuming you’re caught up with the series. If you’re not, feel free to check out the review from the first half of the final season from a few months back. Otherwise, there will be spoilers from here on out from the series through this point.
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The season picks right back up where part one left us, dealing with the fallout from Javi’s killing of Darlene Snell and Wyatt Langmore in the first part’s finale. And it wastes no time getting right down to business with one of the more tense episodes of the series to date, and I’m not sure the rest of the season hits the lofty heights achieved by this first episode. It tops it all off with a gorgeously-shot long take at the end. As we know from where the show left us, Ruth (Julia Garner) was not in a great space at the end of the first part, and I thought it was really captured well. You’re not quite sure what she’s going to do, which serves to heighten the atmosphere.
Speaking of Garner, I was glad to see her back on her game after my experience with Inventing Anna. She is once again absolutely fantastic. Neither Marty (Jason Bateman) nor Wendy (Laura Linney) are the most emotional of characters, so Garner is doing a lot of the more emotional work in the series and has really, more than anyone else, become the person you’re rooting for — if such a person exists in this show.
As for the Byrdes, masters of weaseling their way out of seemingly impossible situations, does the conclusion feel satisfying for their respective arcs? In short, yes. Sure, we’ve watched the Byrdes maneuver their way out of many a sticky situation, but they’re always one wrong move from disaster. The threat levied by the cartel still feels very real. For the second part, we get to learn a little more about the cartel family, with Omar Navarro’s sister Camila brought into the fold. A late addition can throw things out of whack, but the character fits effortlessly into the story.
In a general sense, I largely found myself with the same overall feeling I had during part one: I’m definitely team Mary over team Wendy. Marty is by no means “the good guy” here; after all, he’s the one who got the family into this mess in the first place. However, he seems to have a better grasp of the situation they find themselves in. Meanwhile, Wendy seems inclined to keep pushing things dangerously and letting personal rivalries get in the way. The way the two characters interact is interesting, when placed side by side to where they were at the start of this story. Marty lets his emotions uncharacteristically burst out on a couple of occasions — a far cry of the seemingly always mellow character we’ve come to know. Contrastingly, it’s Wendy who’s viewing most everything cold and detached. The rare instances where that is not the case for the Byrde matriarch didn’t land as well for me. Though I do really hate her father. He somehow manages to be the least likable person in a show teeming with terrible people. His interactions — particularly with Ruth — are infuriating. So, there’s that.
With the Snells out of the way for this final section, we really do get to get hyper focused on Ruth and the Byrdes. The Snells were usually my least favorite storylines to follow. The fact that the show is allowed to focus on the storylines I personally connect with more is a big positive for me.
All told, I was pleased with where things ended for Ozark. If you’ve taken the ride to this point, I think you will, too. The performances remain top-notch, the technical aspect of the show remains a highlight, as usual, and the story tracks with what we’ve been fed for the previous three-and-a-half seasons. The show makes good narrative use of its super-sized final season in a way that doesn’t make it feel bloated. If there’s anything that can rival the tension of the first episode, it’s the last 20 minutes. It really is one hell of a bookend and it allows the show to leave on a high.
Besides, how would you live with yourself if you couldn’t have the flash forward tease from the start of part one paid off?
Grade: 8/10
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