Each season of Ozark is filled to the brim with fascinating characters, intricate business dealings, and shifting alliances. On top of that, things stepped up in the third season, as characters started falling into their endgame positions. It wouldn't be hard to get confused when starting season 4.
With the introduction of new characters, relationships, and surprising betrayals, season 3 found the Byrde's testing their fate on multiple occasions. With so much going on in each episode, here are the essential things you need to remember going into Ozark's final season.
Wendy's Rise
Over the course of Ozark season 3, Wendy Byrde (Laura Linney) finally begins to act on the bubbling resentment of her husband's approach to business. Where she used to take a back seat to Marty's (Jason Bateman) actions, Wendy now starts to make moves of her own.
To get what she wants, she provokes an otherwise content Darlene (Lisa Emery) into attacking her, attempts to undermine the Big Muddy casino and hotel deals, and convinces Navarro (Felix Solis) to start focusing on legitimate businesses, which was ultimately the right decision for the Byrdes.
Marty “Works” For The FBI
In episode 3, Marty enters a deal with newly assigned Agent Miller (Jessica Frances Dukes), but only pretends to cooperate, engaging with her mostly when it's to his benefit. While Wendy thinks Miller is incorruptible, Marty sees their relationship as another opportunity.
Throughout the season, he baits her with information on clients, financial fraud, and evidence that leads to the arrest of cartel members from one of Navarro's rivals. When it seems that Miller is headed back to D.C., Marty creates a surge in profits at the casino to ensure that she stays.
Marty's Abduction
At the end of episode 3, Marty is abducted by Navarro's men and brought to his home in Mexico. While imprisoned, Marty is tortured, questioned, and has flashbacks to his father's death.
During questioning, Marty admits to Navarro that he fears Wendy, and Navarro tells him he admires her. However, when there's a bank account issue, Marty proves once again to be irreplaceable to the cartel and is returned home.
Wyatt And Darlene's Relationship
Refusing to live with Ruth (Julia Garner), his sister and one of Ozark's most powerful characters, Wyatt (Charlie Tahan) breaks into vacant homes for temporary lodging and is ultimately arrested.
After rejecting Ruth's bail money, Darlene surprisingly posts it. When Darlene offers Wyatt a job on her farm, he accepts. After lying at a custody hearing for Darlene's adopted baby Zeke, they begin a sexual relationship.
Darlene Rejoins The Heroin Business
After Wendy's attempt to have her lose Zeke, Darlene decides to go back to her old line of work. Against her nature, she acts subtly, attempting to recruit Wyatt's remaining family members.
Darlene starts by offering Three (Carson Holmes) a job and then does a series of favors for Ruth so that Ben (Tom Pelphrey) doesn't get in trouble, all while aligning with other outside forces against the Byrdes.
Ben And Ruth's Relationship
When Ben, Wendy's bipolar brother, comes to town, he takes an interest in Ruth and they eventually get involved. However, it's not long before this creates tension with the Byrdes.
When Ben stops taking his medication after he can't perform sexually with Ruth, his behavior gets more and more erratic, causing Ruth to take increasingly dangerous actions to protect him.
The Attack On Ruth
After a near-death ambush by a rival cartel in episode 6, Frank Jr. (Joseph Sikora) accuses Ruth of orchestrating it. After Ruth denies it, Frank Jr. later attacks Ruth, leaving her hospitalized.
When Ruth asks Marty to exact revenge and kill Frank Jr., Marty turns down the proposal. Ben takes it upon himself to do what Ruth asked but retreats after unsuccessfully trying to break into the Cosgrove compound.
Ben's Death
In two of Ozark's best episodes, Ben makes continuously perilous choices after failing to avenge Ruth. First, he punches Marty at Wendy's charity launch. Then, he goes to Helen's house to confront her about the business, in front of her daughter Erin (Madison Thompson), who doesn't know about it.
Facing Helen's deadly retaliation, Ben goes into hiding at Darlene's but leaves to pledge his love for Ruth, who's at the casino. Tracked by Helen's bodyguard, Ben quickly runs out of places to hide. Knowing Ben will likely get her family killed, Wendy abandons him and hands over his location. In the next episode, he appears to be cremated.
Ruth Stops Working For Marty
In each episode, Ruth gets another reason to turn against Marty. During the season, she gains a vicious adversary in Frank Jr., is interviewed by the FBI, and finds out that the Byrdes are responsible for her dad's death.
That said, after years of being taken for granted, thrown under the bus, and put in dangerous situations, it is Ben's death that leads to Ruth's quitting. In the aftermath, Darlene goes after Frank Jr. for Ruth and eventually makes up with Frank Sr. (John Bedford Lloyd), potentially securing two alliances.
Helen's Death
Going into the finale, Helen appeared to have the upper hand over the Byrdes as a result of Ben's actions. But, when Navarro calls for Helen, Wendy, and Marty to attend his son's second baptism, this turns out not to be the case.
In a shocking sequence considered to be the biggest plot twist in Ozark, Helen is shot in the head by her bodyguard shortly after they arrive. The season ends with Navarro saying "Today is our beginning" while hugging the blood-splattered Byrdes.