Warning: Spoilers for Ozark season 4, part 1.
Ozark season 4 part 1's ending may not go how audiences expected, but it certainly sets up some surprising and unpredictable developments as the Netflix show heads toward its final seven episodes. The new batch of episodes picks up right after Ozark season 3's ending, which saw Marty and Wendy Byrde head to Mexico for a meeting with Omar Navarro. Like its predecessors, Ozark season 4 is full of unexpected and brutal twists that have helped it become one of the most highly regarded Netflix original series.
The plot of the new season is laid bare in the first few minutes of the first episode - Omar Navarro wants Marty and Wendy's help cutting a deal with the FBI so he can travel freely between the U.S. and Mexico and not face prosecution for the myriad number of crimes he has committed. Of course, that is easier said than done. To get out from under the thumb of the cartel, the Byrdes have to convince FBI special agent Maya Miller to help negotiate a deal with the government. Meanwhile, things at home aren't in great shape as Jonah betrays his family in Ozark season 4.
Still, there is an odd sense of hope in the first seven episodes of Ozark season 4. Like usual, the Byrde family is able to knock every obstacle in their way aside and they soon find themselves on the brink of freedom. Marty and Wendy begin planning a move back to Chicago, telling Charlotte that she will be able to see her friends again. Wendy tries to bring Jonah back to the family, telling him that she will make all their misdeeds right through the family's philanthropic foundation. The Ozark season 4 part 1 ending turns all of that on its head, though, as one decision from Agent Miller turns the Byrde's hope into dust and sets into motion the events of part 2 of the final season.
Why Agent Miller Arrests Navarro
Against all odds, the leader of the Navarro Cartel manages to secure a deal with the FBI, proving Omar Navarro was right to choose the Byrdes over Helen. Unfortunately, it's not quite the deal he was hoping for. Instead of being able to leave the cartel, the FBI wants Navarro to continue on as the leader of the operation for at least five years while giving the U.S. government information that will cripple the business. Navarro reluctantly accepts, but the decision doesn't sit right with Agent Miller, who is told by her superior to fall in line. She flouts this command, arresting Navarro at the airport.
Agent Miller has always been a cipher - initially, Jessica Frances Dukes' character was brought in to audit the Byrde family in the hopes of catching them in the act of money laundering, but Miller begins to begrudgingly respect Marty, going so far as to offer him a job at the FBI. For some reason, she is able to overlook the fact that Wendy and Marty are Ozark's biggest villains, but letting Omar Navarro go free is one step too far for the law enforcement agent, and her decision to arrest Navarro has major consequences for the Byrdes that will continue to reverberate throughout the rest of the season.
Javi Will Be Ozark Season 4 Part 2's Main Villain
With Omar Navarro seemingly out of the picture, his nephew Javi seems poised to rise as the series' newest and final villain. Throughout Ozark season 4 part 1, Javi has a menacing presence, inserting himself in the Byrdes' affairs and killing people with abandon, including the local sheriff. Javi even makes it clear that he does not trust the Byrdes and voted to have them killed over Helen at the end of season 3. This culminates in a shocking moment fulfilling a promise made in the opening moments of Ozark season 4 part 1. Javi unceremoniously kills Darlene Snell and Wyatt Langmore, something that Omar Navarro had threatened at the beginning of the season when Darlene resumed her heroin operation.
In addition to his murder of Darlene and Wyatt, Javi seems poised to kill another major Ozark character when part 2 premieres. In the final episode of part 1, Javi is ready to kill the Byrdes after Omar is arrested, but in typical Marty fashion, he's able to worm his way out of the situation by convincing the FBI to work with Javi. In an uncharacteristic move, Javi agrees to work with the U.S. government, ensuring the release of Omar back to Mexico. This could all be a trick, though. Considering Javi's already contentious relationship with his uncle (and the fact that Omar was willing to work with the FBI), it seems possible that Javi will kill Omar, take over the cartel, and begin his mission of destroying the Byrdes. Javi may be one of Ozark season 4's newest characters, but he's already one of the series' most menacing to date.
Ozark Season 4 Part 2 Setup Explained
The murder of Wyatt and Darlene sets into motion what may end up being the main plot of Ozark season 4 part 2. At first, Ruth thinks that Darlene and Wyatt were murdered by the Kansas City mob, but she soon comes to realize that it was, in fact, the Navarro Cartel that killed one of her closest family members. Ozark season 4 part 1 ends with Ruth in a fit of rage, barreling down the highway in her truck and toward a confrontation with Javi that could signal the end for her, one of the show's best characters. With Ruth reeling from Ben's Ozark season 3 death, her emotional state is only further heightened by the death of Wyatt.
This will put Marty in a precarious position - will he sacrifice himself to save Ruth or will he sacrifice Ruth to save his family? Ultimately, it may not matter. Despite the Byrdes feeling freer than ever, the circle is closing around them. Private investigator Mel Sattem, who began the season searching for Helen Pierce, is slowly realizing how deep the Byrdes are in with the cartel. He also knows that Maya is close with the Byrdes, but her hatred for the cartel was made clear by her arrest of Omar Navarro.
Despite all these events, it seems the Byrdes ultimately end up on top by Ozark season 4 part 1's ending. They are preparing for a brighter future, but it won't be smooth sailing in the final episodes of the show. Wendy may have ultimately doomed the Byrde family by negotiating for Omar's release, installing Javi as the head of the cartel by threatening to expose the FBI, and sending Ruth on a path of self-destruction that could undo everything they've worked for leading up to Ozark season 4 part 1's ending.