Ozark season 4 part 1 sets up the endgame for the Netflix series – but one shocking moment teased in the first half of the season is still to come. Major spoilers ahead!
At the beginning of episode 1, we see a flash-forward to a serious car crash for the Byrde family. They swerve to avoid an oncoming truck and the car ends up flipping into a roll. It’s not looking good for the family, but who lives and dies is left up in the air because the season does not reveal the outcome of the accident.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter (opens in new tab), showrunner Chris Mundy was asked about the moment, and the characters’ ultimate fates being left to an apparently random catastrophe rather than their own decisions.
“Even as you trying to control everything, there are always certain things in life that are just completely out of your control,” Mundy explained. “Marty, especially, is always trying to control everything – and he’s so smart and verbally dextrous that he usually can. So some of it was just a reminder that the world is unpredictable that way.”
As for whether we’ll see the car crash play out in real time, that’s a given. “Obviously we will catch up to that at some point,” Mundy continued. “But as much as anything, it was just that feeling that even in moments of relative peace that life can slip through your fingers at a moment’s notice.”
That’s far from the only cliffhanger leading into part 2 – Ruth is out for newly crowned cartel boss Javi’s blood, Jonah is still firmly against moving back to Chicago with the rest of the family, and Navarro remains behind bars.
Ozark season 4 part 2 doesn’t have a release date just yet, but while you wait, check out our guide to the best Netflix shows to find your next binge-watch.