Summary
The ending of part 1 is emotionally taxing and intense, and it all boils down to Julia Garner’s performance of Ruth.
This recap of Netflix’s Ozark season 4, episode 7, “Sanctified,” contains spoilers.
Read the review of part 1 of season 4 of Ozark.
The end of part 1 packs a punch. Viewers will be left reeling and screaming for part 2 to be released. Episode 7 had plenty of twists and turns, but it ends in such an emotional bubble that it’s almost exhausting. Ozark delivers at the midway point of season 4.
Ozark season 4, episode 7 recap – the ending of part 1 explained
Ozark season 4, episode 7 opens with a memory; Marty remembers his friend Bruce questioning his average life. He wanted to go into a partnership with his friend. In the present, Marty reminisces the simpler life and smiles; he then tells Wendy that he loves her before they head out for a critical day. Omar will be meeting the FBI to finalize a deal.
Ruth believes she will be leaving her old life behind with her cousin Wyatt in episode 7. However, Ruth is dealt with a blow; Wyatt reveals he will be marrying Darlene, so Zeke does not end up in a foster home. She is shocked and calls Darlene dangerous. But Wyatt has already made his mind up. After calming down, Ruth begs Frank Jr not to kill Darlene because her cousin is marrying her. She thinks it would be wise that he takes over his father’s business instead. Surprisingly, Frank Jr promises not to touch Darlene.
Later in the episode, Darlene and Wyatt tie the knot in a private ceremony, which turns out to be pivotal.
And the crucial meeting happens; after many episodes, Omar finally meets with the FBI. A momentous occasion in the series. Jim tells the FBI that Omar Navarro has ceded power to his nephew, Javier Emilio Elizondro, in exchange for the freedom of mobility and promise of immunity, which will also help neutralize the cartel entirely. However, the FBI has their own ideas and throws in a twist; they ask Omar to stay as the head of the cartel for five years and provide intel. Afterward, he will be free from prosecution. Maya Miller is shocked at this approach; she had no idea they would do this, and her only motive was bringing down the biggest cartel in North America.
Maya Miller forgot one thing; at this level, it’s all about intel, power, money, and politics. There’s a bigger picture.
Of course, Omar feels uncertain about having a relationship with the FBI, so Wendy proposes a 1-year relationship instead. But, the FBI does not want to negotiate, and they tell Wendy and Marty to convince Omar to agree to this deal.
Omar knows that he will be killing family members by accepting this deal, and he knows Javi is “too stupid and too dangerous.” He also senses that the FBI will “fuck him over” in five years. Wendy admits nothing is certain, but she doesn’t think he has a choice but to agree. Omar returns to the meeting and agrees to the five-year relationship with the FBI. The FBI tells Wendy and Marty that their work with the cartel is done, and they will take over.
And what follows is a brief but quiet celebration that speaks volumes; Omar tells Wendy that it’s been a pleasure watching her work, but he also tells her not to forget about him “when all is quiet.” He senses that she enjoys the life of crime. Regardless, Marty and Wendy take in this occasion and tell Charlotte the excellent news.
But it all felt so simple, and even the creators of Ozark were not going to fool the audiences. As Omar makes it to his plane to return home, he’s surrounded by the police and arrested — Maya Miller leads the arrest. Her moral compass shines. She refuses to let Omar go and used a different legal entity to take him down. The news spreads fast, so Marty and Wendy pack up for the family, and there’s a panic surrounding them. Unfortunately, the FBI’s hands are tied as Maya used a different authority. And so, Marty tells the FBI to offer the same deal with the nephew, Javi. When the FBI hesitates, Marty reminds them of the multi-million funding they receive every quarter for this operation and promises them a higher fee.
Marty proved in this moment that anyone can be bought.
With everything on the line, Marty rings Javi and tells him he had nothing to do with his uncle’s arrest, and he wants to present an opportunity. Javi only has one thing on his mind — to kill Marty. And then, Jim calls and tells him that in light of Omar’s arrest, his entire business dealings need to be bulletproof and insists he visits his house immediately.
When Marty gets to Jim’s house, Javi is there, and he immediately assaults Marty. Meanwhile, Wendy visits Omar in custody, and she tells him to ring Javi and explain that he was working with the FBI. She admits an error was made with Agent Miller, and they need Javi. She guarantees that as soon as Javi agrees to a deal, Omar will be extradited to Mexico. She swears on her life that he can walk away from all of this if he calls Javi.
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Back to Marty, who is again facing the gun of a cartel member. He asks Javi for time and guarantees he can get a deal with the US government like his uncle. As Javi is about to shoot Marty, Omar rings him. After hearing what Omar had to say, Javi decides not to kill Marty. Omar tells Wendy that he wants to be out in 48 hours, or she and Marty will be killed.
Feeling that their entire family is in danger, Marty asks Ruth to go by the house in the morning, and if Wendy is not there, she wants her to take the stash of money at the church and take his children out of town; Marty knows Javi is an erratic and unpredictable man — Ruth agrees to help. Oh, how ironic this scene turned out to be.
Wendy tells the FBI that they need to meet Javi at one of their business establishments; initially, they refuse as they want a specific location, but Wendy threatens to reveal everything to the media if they don’t. The FBI meets Javi with Wendy and Marty. They offer him a deal, and he accepts it. Marty and Wendy tell Omar that they never revealed to Javi that he worked with the FBI on an agreement; they ask the cartel boss for assurances that their family will be safe or money and capital will be emptied from his accounts. Omar is disappointed in both of them, especially Wendy, and he is dismayed that they hid their children. He states he would never threaten to kill children before walking off.
Charlotte returns home and tells her parents that Jonah went back to the motel, and he has no intentions of joining them for Chicago. The next day, Jonah gets the rest of his things. This feels like a moment of failure for Wendy; everything she has tried has not worked to bring Jonah back into the fold. We must wonder if, in hindsight, staying calm, like Marty, would have been a better option. Meanwhile, Marty starts to think about returning to everyday life and purchasing an office like he was going to do in the past. In a flashback, Bruce tells Marty about the Lake of Ozarks and how he and his partner loved it.
The ending
The ending of part 1 is emotionally taxing and intense, and it all boils down to Julia Garner’s performance of Ruth. She owns this ending…
Darlene and Wyatt return home after getting married, and Javi is sat in their house. He reminds the newly married couple that he asked them to stop selling heroin, and before they can respond adequately, he shoots and kills them both.
Ruth heads to the house and hears Zeke crying frantically in the cot. She finds Wyatt and Darlene dead, and the music goes silent briefly, allowing the audience to soak in the shock that Ruth is experiencing. Ruth drives away from the house, sobbing. She rings Frank Jr and accuses him of killing Darlene and Wyatt. Frank Jr insists he played no part in their murders.
And so, Ruth heads to the Byrde family house, and she is inconsolable, explaining that her cousin Wyatt and his new wife Darlene have been killed, and she demands that they tell her who did it while wielding a shotgun. When Marty claims not to know, she calls him a liar. While Wendy tries to calm Ruth down, Jonah tells her that the person who killed them is Javi.
Realizing the danger of this situation for Ruth and their family, Wendy tells her that Javi works for the FBI, so she cannot touch him if he is responsible. Ruth explodes, ripping the fabric of the scene with her emotional outlet, and tells them if they want to stop her from killing him, they’ll have to kill her before driving off.
And breathe…
We must ponder as we reach halfway through season 4 whether Wendy and Marty will survive — all the chaos in the Ozarks seem always to center them. Yes, Javi killed Ruth’s family member, but look how it started? It all leads back to the Byrde family. Ruth even told Marty that all his schemes never end well for her.
As for everything else — anything can happen. We’ll have to wait for season 4, part 2, to be released.
Additional points
- Mel Sattem rings Agent Millar — he says he’s a big fan of her after seeing her on the news taking down Omar.
What did you think of Netflix’s Ozark season 4, episode 7? Comment below.
