Warning! SPOILERS ahead for Ozark.
Ozark’s Wendy Byrde is a complicated character, made more so by her relationship to cartel leader, Omar Navarro, who, by Ozark season 4 part 1, Wendy has come to think of as a father figure. Debuting on Netflix on January 21, Ozark season 4 part 1 was the first seven-episode installment of the hit show’s final season and ended with the Byrdes at odds with Navarro — something Wendy did not take well. How Wendy will handle Navarro’s disappointment in her will likely play a major role in Ozark season 4 part 2, due out later this year.
Ozark begins with Jason Bateman’s character Marty Byrde, a corporate financial advisor turned criminal when he and his partner begin laundering money for a Mexican drug cartel. When Marty’s partner is murdered for stealing from the cartel, Marty offers to move his family to the Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri to create a laundering empire for the cartel and save himself and his family from a similar fate. It quickly becomes apparent, however, that Marty is not the only criminal mastermind in the family with Marty’s wife, Wendy proving herself to be as valuable to the cartel as Marty.
By Ozark season 4, Wendy has established a far more personal relationship with cartel leader, Omar Navarro, with Navarro having become something of a father figure to Wendy. As the series enters its final seven episodes, Navarro’s disappointment in Wendy may have a profound effect on her, as was hinted at in Ozark season 4, part 1. Here’s how Navarro became Wendy’s father figure and what it could mean for Ozark season 4 part 2.
How Omar Navarro Became Wendy Byrde's Father Figure in Ozark
Following Ben’s murder in Ozark season 3, Wendy covers her tracks by declaring him missing, which brings her own biological father out of the woodwork in Ozark season 4, part 1. It takes little time to decipher that Wendy and her father do not get along, the tension between them quickly rising to verbal blows which reveal a raging animosity between them. It's implied through the interaction that Wendy’s father was neglectful throughout her childhood, may have significantly favored Ben, and that his alcoholism played a large role in Wendy’s upbringing.
Ozark’s Omar Navarro is, in many ways, Wendy’s father’s complete opposite. Firstly, he is a family man, seen frequently throughout the series with his children. Many of Navarro’s deals and actions can be directly related back to his concern for his children’s well-being (which is why the Byrdes’ threatening them at the end of Ozark season 4, part 1 was such a dirty deed) and, secondly, Navarro is never seen inebriated, his character rarely seen drinking at all.
But what’s more, Omar Navarro recognizes Wendy’s gifts and, in many ways, respects her in a way that her father never did. Setting aside that Wendy is one of Ozark’s most ruthless characters, her character is distinguished by her political prowess, and Omar sees that. Not only that, but Omar frequently challenges Wendy, like when he offers Wendy and Marty freedom from the cartel in exchange for his freedom from law enforcement — something that no other character does on the show.
Navarro's influence on Wendy in Ozark
Because of Navarro’s faith in Wendy and his respect for her talents, Wendy feels seen — possibly for the first time in her life. When Ozark begins, Wendy is a stay-at-home mom keeping herself busy with an extramarital affair, but, the strange and deliciously subtle surprise of Wendy’s character comes when, amidst the chaos of Marty’s disaster, Wendy finds herself (like Breaking Bad’s, Walter White). After their move to the Ozarks, Wendy begins a slow crawl from a deep hole and discovers elements about herself she had forgotten, and Navarro sees them too.
Unlike Marty who is constantly trying to mitigate their issues and diffuse the fallout, Wendy seems thrilled by her new involvement in the cartel and by what she can accomplish when given the room and power to run, which Omar supplies her. This, in turn, along with the fact that Navarro is the father to his children that Wendy’s wasn’t, fosters deep respect within Wendy for Navarro. She yearns to please him and prove herself worthy of his respect, akin to a daughter seeking the approval of her father, which is why Navarro’s saying he is “disappointed” in Wendy at the end of Ozark season 4, part 1 seems to hit her so hard.
What This Means for Ozark Season 4 Part 2
Ozark season 4, part 1 began with a flash-forward to the Byrde family, driving together in their family car, discussing their plans to move back to Chicago. They seem happy and, more importantly, at ease, with Charlotte even remarking that she and Jonah had left some money behind for some lucky person to eventually find. This leads the viewers to believe that the Byrdes are finally free — no longer worried about things like leaving evidence behind and, from the sound of it, financially set for the future. A moment later, a semi-truck comes straight at the Byrdes’ vehicle, causing the Byrdes to suffer a horrendous crash, with all of their lives left in question.
The truck could be one of Javi’s, as he was using similar trucks to move the cartel’s contraband throughout Ozark season 4, part 1, but, as previously mentioned, Javi is not a calculated villain. The show has proven with the deaths of Sheriff Nix, Darlene, and Wyatt that when Javi wants someone dead, he doesn't think twice. Whereas Omar Navarro is a very calculated man — something Wendy understands and a type of leader Wendy flourishes under, Javi, is not. Javi is impulsive and rash, murdering anyone for seemingly any reason. Javi’s lack of forethought may leave Wendy (assuming she survives the crash) in a very vulnerable place in the upcoming Ozark season 4, part 2 as she will likely be unable to understand - and thus, out think - Javi. She will likely seek motive and strategy in his actions, but Javi is lacking in both, which may leave Wendy powerless. Alternatively, Wendy could find that her time spent working with Omar has groomed her perfectly for such a mediocre, power-hungry villain, and Ozark season 4, part 2 may see Wendy as the primary force in eliminating Javi.
The crash may also have been a tragic accident, though it seems strangely coincidental considering the Byrdes’ conversation prior to the crash. It also seems unlikely that the car crash would end the entire Byrde family as that would be out of style for the Ozark writers who have delighted viewers with their intricate and thrillingly subtle writing throughout the series. It seems more likely that, if the crash was done purposefully, it was orchestrated by Omar Navarro, exacting his revenge on the Byrdes for his deal going sour and their threatening of his children. If this was the case, and Wendy survived the crash, Wendy may, for the first time, be trying to bring Navarro down instead of helping him succeed, and the result could spell an explosive ending for Ozark’s final season.