How Will Ozark End? Showrunner Is Preparing For Netflix Series Finale

Ozark Marty Byrde Jason Bateman Wendy Byrde Laura Linney Netflix

(Image credit: Jessica Miglio / Netflix)

If you are wondering how Ozark will end, then know that the showrunner is already preparing the series finale of the Netflix series. Fans are currently awaiting the crime drama’s third season. The second installment arrived in August of last year. Ahead of Season 3’s release, Ozark’s showrunner, Chris Mundy, has shared where things stand on the show’s ending.

Not that anyone is in a rush to see it come to fruition. It is one of Netflix users’ favorite shows, and LeBron James has expressed his love for the series. So far, viewers have only had two seasons of Ozark’s twists and turns. Asked if he has an endpoint in mind for the series, Ozark showrunner Chris Mundy told Variety:

I remember reading a review in Season 1 where they said, 'We know where this is going,' and I was like, 'Really? Because I don’t!' We’ve talked more and more, especially this year, about that emotionally and philosophically we know how it’s going to end. How we do that specifically — the mechanics of it — we don’t know. But I don’t think it’s where that reviewer thought it would be.

Prepare to be surprised! It sounds like Ozark is zeroing in on the emotional aspects of its ending. However, the plot that drives it all to happen is still a work in progress.

It is safe to say that a lot more deaths will probably happen along the way there. Season 2 certainly did not hold back. Speaking of holding back -- when should viewers start bracing themselves for Ozark’s endgame? Well, they have a while. The series’ showrunner has previously discussed how long the series could last on Netflix.

Showrunner Chris Mundy shared that they had always talked about doing five seasons, which would make Season 3 the one before the penultimate. However, he then said that Ozark could last as little as four seasons, or as much as seven, before settling on their previous count as a “good number.”

In both of Ozark’s previous seasons, the finale ended on a vast emotional note, all the while avoiding a cliffhanger-type urgency. At least, from where I stand. Ozark’s showrunner, Chris Mundy, weighed in on crafting a season finale and what he has to say is quite insightful. Mundy explained:

Finales are really fun. I’ve been lucky because I’ve written the finale throughout, including this upcoming third season. And if you’ve built your season right, they’re the easiest episodes to write — at least for me. Because every scene is a big scene in some way. I feel like seasons should end, and yet there has to be something you know could be coming, even if it’s just an emotional component. We ended our finale in Season 2 on a really big emotional question. There were some plot things, but if you only watched that season, would it be satisfying, or do you feel screwed, like you have to watch Season 3?

I agree that those kinds of endings are rough! As a viewer, I think there are a lot of major scenes that have played out in each of Ozark’s season finales. They have certainly been fast-paced installments that have hurtled the characters towards a certain point in their respective journeys.

Look no further than Wendy’s massive move in Ozark’s Season 2 finale. Will the Byrdes’ marriage ever be the same? Can they live with Wendy’s decision? It is unclear. What is driving the couple apart will be a significant focus for Season 3, according to showrunner Chris Mundy. Speaking about Wendy's power move, Mundy said:

Some of it was born out of the fact that we thought that was a decision Marty wouldn’t make, certainly at this point in time. I think Wendy’s better and this kind of stuff. ... And one of the things we’re really focusing on in Season 3 is there’s this equal and opposite resentments in their minds, where Marty’s like, 'I stayed with you, despite what you did,' and she’s like, 'I gave up part of my soul because you weren’t willing to do what needed to be done for this family.' So that just felt like the right place to end.

Hopefully, Marty and Wendy enter into some sort of couples counseling in Season 3. Their family’s survival depends on them being on the same page, as well as keeping each other apprised of things. These issues will have to get addressed, right?

I look forward to seeing what Season 3 has in store for the Byrdes. It sounds like it is going to be exciting! Viewers will need to stay tuned for all of the things that Ozark is planting.

A premiere date for Ozark Season 3 has not gotten announced yet. The first two seasons of Ozark are currently streaming on Netflix, among other premieres. To bide your time while you await the Byrdes return, check out this summer’s premieres.

Britt Lawrence

Like a contented Hallmark movie character, Britt happily lives in the same city she grew up in. Along with movies and television, she is passionate about competitive figure skating. She has been writing about entertainment for 5 years, and as you may suspect, still finds it as entertaining to do as when she began.