Ozark Showrunner Weighs in on Controversial Series Finale

Ever since Ozark debuted on Netflix back in 2017, the Byrde family was a group of characters that audiences loved to hate and hated to love, leaving them to wonder if they would ever have to pay for their crimes or manage to escape their situation without any repercussions. The series finale debuted on Netflix just over a week ago, allowing viewers to witness the culmination of all four seasons, and, as is the nature of any narrative with a passionate following, has left audiences split on the conclusion. Showrunner of the series Chris Mundy recently weighed in on why he felt this storyline had to culminate in this way.

WARNING: Spoilers below for the series finale of Ozark

After initially agreeing to launder money just to survive, the Byrde family ingrains themselves in the Lake of the Ozarks community, opening a casino, and even making a play to get into the world of politics. After making necessary agreements with the Mexican cartel and the FBI, the Byrde family prepares to leave it all behind and head back to Chicago, only for a private detective to confront them in the final scenes, threatening to expose them. In the series’ final moments, the scene cuts to black, only to hear the sound of Jonah Byrde (Skylar Gaertne) firing a shotgun, killing the private detective and implying that the Byrdes will once again safely escape their fate.

“Capitalism doesn’t work unless there is a winner and a loser,” Mundy shared with TVLine in defense of the Byrdes getting away with their crimes. “And there’s a degree to which the Langmores are going to be the losers of that equation, while somebody else builds their fortune. The Byrdes came in and climbed their way up off the backs of people like the Langmores, and they’re representative of a lot of people. There’s something about it that’s cynical and there’s something about it that’s very, just, true. So we were trying to write into that truth.”

As if the Byrdes getting away with everything without repercussion wasn’t frustrating enough, the final episode also saw one of their closest allies, Ruth Langmore (Julia Garner), get killed. With the character seen shot and left for dead, but without a definitive demise, some fans had even hoped she could somehow survive the injury, only for Mundy to note that she’s dead, confirming, “I’m sorry; she totally, absolutely is.”

All four seasons of Ozark are now streaming on Netflix.

What did you think of the series finale? Let us know in the comments below!