Fans of Netflix hit Ozark have waited patiently for the fourth and final season to arrive and we are almost there.
The first half of Ozark’s final season will reach our screens in January 2022 with seven episodes in part one. We don’t currently have an official date for the second and final instalment.
We were treated to the upcoming season’s first trailer back in September 2021, which shows Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman) and Wendy (Laura Linney) at Navarro’s residence following Helen Pierce’s murder, with the pair doing their best to wash the dead attorney’s guts off their clothes.
A second trailer gave fans another look at the darkness to come (read more on this below.)
The latest full-length trailer – which can be found further down in the article – is the most explosive yet and teases armageddon for our favourite characters.
While fans will undoubtedly be disappointed that the show is ending after four seasons, it’s set to go out with a bang, as promised by Bateman himself, who told fans back in 2020 that they wouldn’t be disappointed by the show’s ending.
!["Ozark]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/01/Ozark-season-4-c0a04b8.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"Jason")
“I do know where everything is going to end,” he told IndieWire. “The specifics leading up to it, I didn’t really grind [Mundy] on. But I was interested in the big question he has the opportunity to answer: Are they going to get away with it, or are they going to pay a bill?”
He added: “What does he want to message to the audience about the consequences of what the Byrdes have done – or lack thereof?”
“We had some great conversations about that, and he’s got really good ideas about that. Specifically, what kind of happens at the end of the last episode: I know, and it’s great.”
Alongside Bateman and Linney, Sofia Hublitz and Skylar Gaertner will be bringing the popular crime drama to a close once and for all.
Julia Garner will also be back in her fan-favourite role as Ruth Langmore, but she has a bone to pick with Marty and Wendy after last season.
Will they regret crossing her?
In addition, the likes of Ali Stroker (The Glee Project) and Veronica Falcón (Jungle Cruise) will be joining the show for its farewell season, as well as rapper Killer Mike, who makes an unexpected cameo.
Read on for everything we know so far about Ozark season 4, including release date information, which cast members will be returning and our theories around the upcoming episodes.
Ozark season 4 release date and time
Ozark season 4 part 1 will arrive on Netflix UK on Friday 21st January 2022 at 8am GMT.
The new season will be split into two parts, with a total of 14 episodes set to air in 2022.
The cast and crew finished filming the series in October 2021 after beginning almost a year before.
Jason Bateman, the show’s star and Emmy-winning director, revealed in an interview with IndieWire that production started in November 2020, with safety measures in place against the virus.
!["Julia]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/01/julia_garner_ozark-d2bb283.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"julia_garner_ozark\"")
“We’re going to start November 9th. Everything is moving well toward that, and we’re very confident in the guidelines and protocols we’re going to be following. We’ve got tons of consultants, [and] we’re learning a lot from other productions.”
A spokesperson for the MRC production company added: “The health and safety of our Ozark family is our first priority. Our team has approached return to production with a mandate of exceeding guidelines outlined by the CDC, government officials and others; and we expect our protocols to evolve as we learn from the industry and our own productions.
“As we aim toward a return, we are working with the unions, health officials, our consultants, and Netflix on our COVID safety guidelines and protocols. Upon approvals from our partners and the implementation of safety required in this new environment, we are targeting a November start date.”
Ozark season 4 trailer
A full trailer for Ozark season 4 has now been unveiled.
Released on Thursday 6th January 2022, the new trailer shows that Marty and Wendy will face some dangerous threats in the upcoming first half of the season.
The footage shows off some action-packed scenes including car crashes, violent clashes and nasty threats being shared.
The full trailer follows teaser trailers being released last year, but this full trailer gives us the best look at the upcoming episodes.
Will our favourite characters survive?
Is Ozark season 4 the final season?
!["Jason]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/01/Ozark__Season_4_Part_1__Let_The_Great_World_Spin__1971167__01_02_37_08__3761111R-f903196.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C281" "\"Ozark__Season_4_Part_1__Let_The_Great_World_Spin__1971167__01_02_37_08__3761111R\"")
Yes, Ozark season 4 is the final season of the show.
Netflix has confirmed that season four is the end of the line for Ozark, but they seem content on making the finale a genuine television event.
Not only will the season have an expanded 14-episode run, but it will also be released in two separate batches of seven, spreading out the suspense even further.
Ending on season four appears to be a slight variation from the original plan hinted at by showrunner Chris Mundy, who previously suggested that the show could go on for longer.
“We’ve always talked about it as five seasons,” he said during a panel discussion with The Hollywood Reporter. “It could be four, it could be seven… but that always seemed like a good number to us.”
At a SAG Awards panel, however, the cast said it makes sense for the series to end with its fourth season before it is drawn out longer than necessary.
Omar Navarro actor Felix Solis told Deadline: “All good things must come to an end. This was a good job that must come to an end. We don’t want to wait until it’s not good for it end.”
!["Felix]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/01/ozark_felix_solis-2720ebd.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"ozark_felix_solis\"")
It looks hopeful that the crime show will stick the landing too – with Skylar Gaertner, who plays Jonah Byrde, also telling Deadline that the production team “pull all the stops with the finale”.
“We have so much confidence that everyone’s going to pull it off perfectly,” Gaertner said, adding that this season’s experimental storytelling will play with the surviving characters.
Although showrunner Chris Mundy previously told The Hollywood Reporter that he had “always talked about it as as five seasons”, he’s since expressed his excitement at ending – and doing justice to – the Byrde family saga in the extended fourth season.
The acclaimed crime drama promises to bring the Byrde’s family criminal relationship with the Navarro drug cartel to a dramatic and “great” conclusion.
Speaking about the final, extended season, Mundy also told Gold Derby: “Knowing it’s the end and to write to an end is really helpful. But getting a little more time to tell it is great honestly.”
Who stars in Ozark season 4?
!["Damian]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/01/damian_young_jim_rattelsdorf_ozark-12d22d1.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"damian_young_jim_rattelsdorf_ozark\"")
It seems the core Ozark cast members will return – based mainly on who’s still alive.
Jason Bateman leads the cast of Ozark as Marty Byrde, with Laura Linney as Wendy Byrde. We can also expect to see more of their daughter Charlotte (Sofia Hublitz) and son Jonah (Skylar Gaertner).
Other key cast members include Julia Garner as Ruth Langmore, Charlie Tahan as Wyatt Langmore, Lisa Emery as Darlene Snell, and Felix Solis as cartel boss Omar Navarro.
Fans can also look forward to an Oscar-nominee joining the Ozark season four cast.
Bruce Davison (X-Men) will join the cast, playing the recurring role of Senator Randall Schafer, who Deadline describes as “a powerful retired Illinois U.S. Senator who is accustomed to doing things his way,” but who can be bought for the right price…
The introduction of the character suggests that the Byrde family have set their aspirations high this season – but with every high comes a low, as we’ve learnt from previous seasons.
Damian Young will portray Jim Rattelsdorf in the new episodes, while Nelson Bonilla plays the role of Nelson.
Veronica Falcón and Ali Stroker (The Glee Project) have also been cast, as Camila Elizonndro (an aspiring cartel boss) and Charles-Ann (an old friend of Ruth’s), respectively.
The introduction of Falcón’s character in particular speaks to a potential new ally (or foe, depending on how things pan out) for the Byrde family: Camila Elizonndro, whose ambitions may well outmatch those of her brother, drug cartel leader Omar Navarro (Felix Solis).
!["Sofia]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/01/ozark_sofia_hublitz-94fb529.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"ozark_sofia_hublitz\"")
It remains to be seen whether some of the supporting characters will still be part of the story, including FBI Special Agent Maya Miller (Jessica Frances Dukes), Frank Cosgrove Sr (John Bedford Lloyd) or Sam Dermody (Kevin L Johnson).
We won’t, of course, be seeing any more of Helen Pierce (Janet McTeer) after Omar had her killed; nor will we see more of Ben Davis (Tom Pelphrey) after his untimely death or Marty and Wendy’s therapist Sue (Marylouise Burke) who met a similar grisly fate.
Despite being the final season, Ozark is still adding plenty of new characters – with Jessica Frances Dukes teasing that we will finally see characters that have only been mentioned by name so far while at a SAG Awards Panel.
Rapper Killer Mike will reportedly be making an unexpected cameo in a scene alongside rap enthusiast Ruth Langmore (played by Julia Garner), who is at her “lowest point” following a shock season three death.
Killer Mike said of his Ozark role, “I went from waiting to find out what happens next [in the show] to being a part of it… I’m excited.” (via The Express)
Ozark season 4 theories
The end of season three saw Marty and Wendy Byrde working more closely with the Navarro cartel than ever, after crime boss Omar Navarro announced that this was the beginning of increased cooperation between the three of them. The Byrdes had won Navarro over by working (briefly) with the FBI to end the gang war by bringing down the rival Lagunas cartel.
We also expect to see more on Ruth and her decision to cut ties with the Byrdes – how will things work out for her, Darlene and the KC Mob?
Season four may also look at Wendy’s decision to let her brother Ben die and what effect this might have on her and the rest of her family – particularly Jonah Byrde, who took his uncle’s death badly.
!["Skylar]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/01/Ozark_skylar_gaertner-d81f3d9.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"Ozark_skylar_gaertner\"")
It remains to be seen exactly what would happen in season four, but there are plenty of unfinished storylines to pick back up! The show’s lead writer Craig Mundy said: “I think it will be about if the Byrdes can turn the biggest mistake of their lives into this huge advantage, and how much will karma catch up with them if they do?”
And with the fourth season now confirmed to be the final run, fans will be hopeful that as many loose ends as possible can be wrapped up – and have themselves been putting forward theories as to what might happen.
Many viewers have guessed that Marty and Wendy could both end up dead, while others have suggested that some of the supporting cast’s days could also be numbered – including Sam Dermody (Kevin L Johnson), with one Reddit user claiming that the character is most likely to fold under pressure and become an FBI informant, indicating that he could very well be killed.
Despite the show’s frequent comparisons to the equally bloody Breaking Bad, it doesn’t sound like Marty Byrde (played by Arrested Development star Bateman) will follow in Walter White’s doomed footsteps – and will instead survive the final season.
In a recent interview, showrunner Mundy contradicted a review that predicted a Breaking Bad-style ending for Ozark. “I know their idea was a very Breaking Bad ending. And that’s not been the intention from the beginning,” he told Netflix.
Some other fans reckon Sam will get off rather more lightly, but until season four comes we won’t know anything for sure – and there are bound to be all sorts of interesting theories out forward until then!
!["Ozark.]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/01/OZARK_S4_Promo_TIFF2_20211027R-81aa6f0-e1642599495794.jpg?quality=90&resize=563%2C413" "\"OZARK_S4_Promo_TIFF2_20211027R\"")
Showrunner Chris Mundy has also opened up about the challenges of working not only on an extended deadline, but navigating the writers’ room via video call (via Gold Derby): “It’s hard enough to do an extra four when we’re all together, it’s even trickier to hold all that info in your heard for 14 but we’re managing.”
In addition, Ozark star Julia Garner, who portrays Ruth Langmore in the show, offered fans some hints on what to expect in the fourth season of the Netflix drama back in 2020.
“Ruth has a really good intuition, a gut feeling, always, like she was always right, and Marty and the Byrdes kind of took over that and she stopped listening to that, and at season three, she made the mistake again [of] not listening to her gut, going with the Byrdes, doing all this stuff for the Byrdes, and she’s done with it,” the star told IndieWire.
“In season four, she wants that independence back that she had before the Byrdes came in. She realized she was more independent and stronger without the Byrdes.
“She thought she was going to be stronger with the Byrdes, but in reality that wasn’t the case. She’s realizing that, and that’s what season is going to be.”
Ozark recap: What happened in season 3?
As we’ve come to expect from the drama, season three managed to pack an awful lot of action into its 10-episode run.
Marty was taken captive by crime boss Omar Navarro (Felix Solis), while things weren’t any more rosy for Wendy who was forced to put a hit out on her own brother in a bid to save the rest of her family from the wrath of the cartel.
Meanwhile the season also saw Ruth grow increasingly unhappy with her connection to the Byrdes – eventually joining with Darlene and agreeing a deal with the KC Mob.
Did Helen die in Ozark?
!["OZARK"]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2020/03/OZARK_305_Unit_02221R2-d0e39cb-scaled.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413" "\"OZARK\"")
That’s right, Ben wasn’t the only character to meet an untimely end in season three, as Helen Pierce was murdered by Navarro right in front of the Byrdes.
The cartel lawyer had wanted Marty and Wendy dead so that she could take over their business, making her one of Ozark’s most threatening antagonists – that is, until she was unexpectedly shot in the head in Mexico.
Hiro Koda, the stunt coordinator who orchestrated the brutal scene, told Express.co.uk: “When Helen was killed at the end, that was a very challenging sequence to do. It turned out perfectly and looked amazing but we had to work out her placement.
“We had to work out how much debris and blood would come out on top of Wendy and Marty, and seeing her fall – there were no stunt doubles. It’s about precise timings.”
Helen had been played by English actress Janet McTeer, whose past credits include Marvel’s Jessica Jones on Netflix and Glenn Close drama Albert Nobbs, for which she was Oscar nominated.
Speaking to Deadline, McTeer revealed that she knew in advance that Helen would be killed off, before describing her reaction to the death scene: “When I read it [in the script] I laughed out loud. It’s always good fun when you get a really good death.”
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Is Ben Davis dead in Ozark?
!["Tom]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2020/03/Tom-Pelphrey-plays-Ben-Davis-in-Ozark-b5af82b.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"Tom")
Wendy’s bipolar brother Ben features heavily in the third season of Ozark and is pivotal to the fast-moving final few episodes. And although clearly the plot leads us to believe that Ben is killed, some fans remain convinced that there’s a further twist to come in that plot.
We don’t actually see the body, and there is speculation among fan communities online that perhaps there’s more to the death than we are led to believe – and perhaps we will be seeing more from Ben in a season four?
Where is Ozark filmed?
The drama is set around Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri – but not much of it is actually filmed there. Much of the filming takes place around Atlanta, Georgia, where the production team makes use of Lake Allatoona and Lake Lanier.
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