Ozark season 4 finale reactions are in – and they're seriously divided

Jason Bateman as Marty Byrde in Ozark season 4 part 2
(Image credit: Netflix)

Ozark season 4 part 2 has wrapped up on Netflix – and, naturally, people have a lot of thoughts about how it all went down. Major spoilers ahead! 

In the episode, we finally find out how the story ends for Marty and Wendy Byrde (Jason Bateman and Laura Linney). Their foundation fundraiser is a huge success, but things take a dark turn when new cartel boss Camila Navarro (Verónica Falcón) finds out Ruth Langmore (Julia Garner) killed her son Javi (Alfonso Herrerra). 

Ruth is then shot dead by Camila, and it seems the Byrdes have got away with everything until private investigator Mel Sattem (Adam Rothenberg) shows up. He knows the truth about Ben's (Tom Pelphrey) death, but Jonah (Skylar Gaertner) arrives on the scene with a shotgun, and the screen cuts to black – followed by the sound of a gunshot. 

"Okay, Ozark had to have the most unsatisfying and dumbest ending of any single show I've ever watched. What a massive disappointment," said one viewer

"They made Ruth seem so slow and dumb in the ending that was horrible writing y'all made her pull up to her crib saw a Cadillac truck that she KNOWS the cartel drives and made her turn her car off to go see who it is ??? You got to be fucking kidding me" criticized another watcher

"Anyone else VERY dissatisfied with the ending of the season 4 part 2 finale of #Ozark? #RuthLangmore deserved a better, more intelligent, happier ending," said someone else

"I sat through four seasons of Ozark's despicable characters for THAT ending? Seriously??? I'm literally fuming right now. What's the point of a story where nobody learns anything? Spoiler alert: waste of time. Wish I could rewind and not watch it," complained another viewer

"Guess I have to add #Ozark now as one of the great series that got a disappointing finale. I get the "sometimes the bad guys win" ending but it went out with lots of loose ends! Like the story just stopped," noted another person

But it definitely isn't all bad. In fact, a lot of people enjoyed the ending, and thought it was a fitting send-off for the Netflix show. 

"That #Ozark ending was just perfect. The show not having a slam-bang finale and having a slow burn instead was the very ethos on which it was built. The theme persisted... that the world is an unfair place, no matter what you feel about it. Hats off [Jason Bateman]," said one impressed viewer

"The end of Ozark was unfair... but fitting. It perfectly sums up American culture. Look at the last few scenes. Pay attention to what color Ruth is wearing. Would I have preferred a neater ending?? Sure. But this one... feels appropriate," believes someone else

Another viewer also picked up on the symbolism of Ruth's white dress: "#Ozark had a perfect ending and the negative reactions prove it. The Byrdes get their happy ending, all dressed in black, and Ruth, dressed in white, has to die for it. It isn't right, but for four seasons we watched Marty and Wendy win as everyone else lost." 

Someone else noted parallels to real life: "I liked the #Ozark ending. They didn't baby us, stayed true to themselves. Didn't need to be a neat little bow on top. I get the picture. The Byrdes are covered in blood and dirt, but they're about to be one of the prominent political families in the country. American way." 

"Here's an unpopular opinion: I thought the series finale to #Ozark was perfect for the story it was telling. Not everything has to have a happy ending and sometimes the bad guys DO get away with it. That's real life. It started with the Byrdes… It ended with the Byrdes…" says another fan

Another watcher has praise for the very last moment: "That Ozark ending was harrowing as fuck. The predatory glint in Jonah's eyes. The pride on Wendy and Marty's faces. Chills. Jonah was the last vestige of humanity the Byrdes had and the show ends with the dark rot consuming them all. A perfect ending." 

All 14 episodes of Ozark season 4 are streaming on Netflix now. If you're up to speed, check out our breakdown of the Ozark season 4 part 2 ending explained and who dies in Ozark season 4 part 2 – and see our roundup of the best Netflix shows streaming now to fill out your watchlist. 

Molly Edwards
Senior Entertainment Writer

I'm a Senior Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.