We always say that the sign of a great TV show is when you are thinking about the characters and wondering what will happen to them, even when you are not watching the show. Well, we’ve been thinking A LOT about Ozark. But season three is over, and it’s time to break down that final episode. 

Click on the player above to listen to our full discussion on the podcast!

*** SPOILERS AHEAD ***

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The final episode opens with a shot of Wendy’s car – still on the side of the road the next morning. She goes to the “Warner Mart,” buys a large bottle of vodka, and drinks in her car. 

Nelson brings Ben’s body to the funeral home. Marty and Ruth are there. WHY IS RUTH THERE?? We had some issues with this scene. Marty seems way too detached. He says to Ruth, “I know you loved him, do you want to say something?” Oh, you’re so sensitive Marty.

We think Marty is trying to play this off like it was ALL Helen. It had to be done, but they are allowing the family to have the body instead of just dropping it in the lake. Marty cremates Ben’s body.

You can tell Ruth is questioning what happened.

Wendy is freshening up in the store’s bathroom. We love how real they make the characters in this show. She buys an old T-shirt and puts on deodorant, then goes back to drinking in her car.

Wendy is not ready to tell Marty where she is. She asks, “Do you have his ashes? Are they heavy?” This could be symbolic of the “weight” of what they have done.

We’re not sure how many days Wendy sits in her car drinking… but when she’s in the store buying more vodka and chips, a little boy runs up to her and thinks she’s his mother (she is dressed similarly). This seems to snap Wendy out of her funk – she thinks of her own kids – and she goes home.

But when she gets home, she is greeted by a very pissed-off Jonah. He wants revenge on Helen. “We’re just going to keep working with her???” Jonah tells Wendy, “I hate you. There’s nothing normal about anything we do.”

Helen Makes Her Move

The next scene is a christening in Mexico. Navarro is watching a live feed, so this must be his child. Suddenly, men come in and shoot everyone. The baby survives. 

Navarro meets with Helen and tells her they are losing the war. He wants Helen to take the Nanny and his boys to America until it’s safe. He asks Helen to transfer all his legitimate assets to a trust in the boys’ names. Helen tells Navarro she wants to take control over all the Byrdes’ affairs “in case their involvement continues to prove erratic.”

Back in Missouri, Helen goes to Wilkes to add her name on to the casino license for the Missouri Belle. She’s planning to take everything and get rid of the Byrdes!

Helen says to Wilkes, “Let’s not pretend we don’t both know how badly they fucked you over.”

What did Wendy do to Wilkes in Season 2? During our podcast, we couldn’t remember, so we looked it up. In season 2, episode 8, Wendy uses the account Jonah opened to launder money and hide a donation to Charles Wilkes. Once Wilkes accepts what is basically cartel money, she uses it as leverage to get him to take the final steps to make the casino a reality.

When Helen talks with Wendy and Marty, she lies to them about being on the casino license. Wendy finds out very quickly when Wilkes’s assistant Jim calls her about Helen being added to the license.

Wendy thinks Helen is going to have them killed. She wants to tell Navarro the sacrifice she made, to get ahead of what Helen might tell him. She calls him and explains about Ben. Navarro says, “You did what was required. Don’t act like I should be grateful.”

Ruth and Wylene – Season 4’s Power Family?

Ruth and Wyatt are talking after Ruth gets back from the funeral home. Wyatt says Darlene wants him to meet her mom. Ruth says, ”That’s fucking weird.” Wyatt wonders if she’ll like him and Ruth tells him, “Everybody likes you.”

Ruth says, “I’m so fucking tired Wyatt. I can’t make fucking sense of it.” Wyatt tells her she should be asking questions and not be afraid of the answers.

Ruth does go to the Byrdes to ask questions. Wendy blames Ruth. Ruth quits, telling Wendy, “What the fuck are you gonna do? Kill me, you fuckin’ bitch wolf?”

Wendy crawls into bed, saying “I can’t do this anymore.” Marty tries to soothe her and remind her she’s done it all for their family. He says they’d all be dead if she didn’t do it. We get confirmation that Wendy “made the call” to have Ben killed.

Wendy says, “You were right when you wanted to run.” Marty wants her to get out of bed and get back on track.

Meanwhile, Ruth goes to tell Helen she quit. Helen asks if she’d come back to work if Marty and Wendy were out of the picture. Ruth says, “I ain’t hard to find.” Uh-oh!

And FINALLY we see Darlene making her move! She’s been biding her time this whole season and now we see her plan! Darlene follows Frank Jr. and comes up on him in his car, pointing her rifle at his penis. “The reason you like to beat up on girls because you got a tiny dick?” She shoots him in the dick. 

Darlene then goes to Ruth: “I thought you should know, I shot Frank Jr.’s prick off this morning.” Darlene wants Ruth to work with her on the heroin operation. She tells Ruth, “You can elevate without turning your back on what’s come before.”

Ruth & Darlene go to Cosgrove. Darlene tells him Ruth had nothing to do with the shooting and she offers him 50% in her heroin operation, plus the contracts on three new opioid treatment centers she’s building. Now THAT’S the Darlene we know and are terrified of!

Back at the farm, Wyatt, Ruth and Darlene are looking out over the field of poppies. Ruth says, “I think it’s fucking beautiful.”

This is a BIG set-up for season four!!

Marty & Wendy Prove Their Value

Wendy remembers what Maya told her – if a drug cartel commits a crime on American soil, the US military can get involved. Since the Lagunas Cartel made the hit on the KC mob, they could get the military involved and end the cartel war. They just need some proof. Charlotte chimes in that Jonah has the drone footage. Wendy calls Navarro with this info and asks him for assurance that Helen will be out of their business if they end the cartel war for him. Navarro doesn’t exactly agree, saying that he’ll run his business the way he sees fit. 

Marty goes to Maya with stills of the footage that will incriminate the Lagunas cartel. He tells her if this isn’t acted on, his family will be killed.

Meanwhile, Helen goes to Agent Evans as Marty’s lawyer and says he is willing to confess in exchange for witness protection. She has a confession drawn up and forges his signature. She is trying to get the Byrdes killed.

A call from Navarro wakes Marty & Wendy. He wants them to come to his son’s baptism and a car is coming for them in 15 minutes.

A Few More Details

Sam proposes to Jade at the casino… as he gives her the ring, he tells her, “It’s my mom, pressed hard and firm and wrapped around your finger for life.” CREEPY. Before Jade could really react, Maya arrests Sam as an accessory to money laundering.

When Marty sees Maya, he tells her she’s like Evans & Petty – she doesn’t care whose life she destroys. “Your dragging Sam off, for what? You’re gonna end up losing your career.” We’re not sure what Marty is playing at. Is he still trying to get Maya on his side?

Jonah also makes a bold move this episode that we think will factor in to season 4. He goes to Helen with a gun. Is he really going to kill her for having Ben killed? Jonah has lost a lot – Buddy, Erin, Ben. But Helen saves herself by telling Jonah that Wendy OK’d having Ben killed. Jonah goes back home, he takes out Ben’s ashes, then he shoots out a window in their house. It’s symbolic of his world being shattered.

Season 3’s Shocking Ending

Maya calls Marty as he’s getting on the plane. She can’t believe he’s confessing. Since Helen and Nelson are right next to him, he has to play it cool. He tells Maya, that is not the case at all. She tells him not to get on the plane, but of course, he has to.

At Navarro’s compound, he greets his kids and sends them into the house. And immediately Nelson shoots Helen. Her blood splatters all over Wendy and Marty.

Navarro hugs them. “Today is a beginning.”

On the podcast, we discuss WHY he had to kill Helen. What did she do wrong? We plan to discuss this more in our Season 3 Wrap-up next week. If you have thoughts, please leave a comment or email us at stingerpodcast@gmail.com.

The symbols in the opener of this episode (and their meanings) are: model airplane (going to Mexico); Virgin Mary (baptism); six pack (Ruth & Wyatt drinking); engagement ring (Sam).

Dirty Dilemma

What does the future hold for Jonah and Ruth? We’ll talk more about this on our Ozark Season 3 wrap-up next week!

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