Summary
The eleventh chapter of season 4 delves into the complicated scenario bubbling between the Ozarks, the FBI, the Byrde family, and the cartel.
This recap of Netflix’s Ozark season 4, episode 11, “Pound of Flesh and Still Kickin’,” contains spoilers.
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Have you ever thought you did not want something, but you realized it is something you’d like when you get it? Money, power, fame? We either tap into our dark desires, or we suppress them away. If we recall Marty from the first season, he felt like he did not amount to anything. It’s no surprise that he took on the challenge of money laundering for a cartel boss. Our deepest desires can sometimes get the better of us.
Ozark season 4, episode 11 recap
Episode 11 opens up with Marty watching a maid clean up the blood of Arturo — a man he ordered to kill as he regains control of the cartel on behalf of Omar Navarro. The next day, Omar’s sister Camila asks Marty if she can visit him. She doesn’t know he’s in a coma, so Marty buys time.
For Ruth, episode 11 starts with her on a flight. She visits Rachel while at work and has a business proposition for her.
Marty returns to the Ozarks, and Charlotte gives him a tight hug. He looks over to his wife, knowing she gambled with his life. Over dinner, Marty describes life running the cartel and makes it sound boring. Charlotte reveals that Ruth wants to meet them for a business proposal.
And then, Wendy tells Marty how rumors are circulating about getting Omar Navarro off the SDN list (this is part of the plan to extradite him to Mexico). Marty knows the only person he’s told about this is Omar’s sister — he now believes that it was the sister that put out a hit list on Omar because of the murder of her son, Javi. Marty now feels incredibly guilty for getting Arturo killed. Wendy reassures him that the only way forward is their current plans.
Ruth and Rachel meet Wendy and Marty at the casino for the meeting. Ruth wants to buy the casino off them — the Byrde family will get money for the foundation, and she will get the casino. Rachel will be a partner so she will be the license holder. Wendy throws Ruth under the bus by telling Rachel what she has done recently (including the killing of the head of the cartel) and believes she’s punishing them for what happened to Wyatt. Wendy ends the meeting by telling them to “fuck off” and tells Marty she does not want the money from Ruth for the foundation. Rachel is also shocked at the revelations and ends her partnership with Ruth.
Marty learns from the FBI that Omar Navarro is awake. The FBI also suggests that if Omar doesn’t fully recover, Marty could have a permanent position at the cartel. And so, Marty visits Omar at the hospital and tells him he’s handled the situation with the traitor who tried to kill him. Omar tells Marty that he played his part well. When Marty returns to the Ozarks, Omar’s sister Camila is in their house spending time with Wendy. Wendy reveals she reached out to the sister. Camila asks if she can see her brother Omar again. When Camila leaves, Wendy tells Marty that using Omar’s sister is the smartest play to get Clare back into funding the foundation. Marty is frustrated because they cannot trust Camila.
Marty meets Clay from the FBI in Chicago — the cargo route he gave away was empty, a decoy. Marty lies and says he sent a decoy out on that route, but it’s apparent he had no idea that the cartel had done this. Meanwhile, Wendy blindsides Clare and reminds her that she owes a stock option to Javi’s mother. She tells Clare to treat the cartel with respect. And so, the stock meeting happens, and Clare tells Camila they didn’t have the deal in writing with her son. Wendy and Camila put pressure on Clare, leaving her no option to move forward with the business agreement.
Rachel is annoyed at Marty for not keeping an eye on Tuck, who has lost his job. He calls him a selfish asshole. Feeling aggrieved, she reaches out to Ruth and wants to go ahead with the casino, but she wants full transparency. Rachel wonders if Wyatt had a will as his wife Darlene had a stake in the casino — she thinks they do not need the Byrde family to own the place. They visit a lawyer, and Ruth is the heir — she has a claim to half, if not all, of Darlene’s estate, but the casino may be complicated. And so, Rachel and Ruth visit Jonah Byrde for advice.
Marty tells Wendy that the last cargo was a decoy — he believes that Camila is trying to flush them out. Wendy tells Marty that she promised Camila she’d take her to see her brother, Omar. Marty is stunned by this.
When Wendy and Marty return home, Wendy’s father, Nathan, and Mel are there, and they want to talk about Ben. Mel provides evidence that Wendy was with Ben the last time he was seen. Nathan is angry that Wendy has lied. Wendy claims she protected Ben by taking him to Memphis, but on the way, they got into a fight, so she left him at a diner. She tells Nathan that Ben is running and does not want to be found.
The ending
As the episode ends, we see where Marty truly is at in his life.
Camila finally gets her meeting with Omar at the prison hospital. She tells Omar that Marty and Wendy can move mountains and they will get him home. Wendy asks Omar if Camilla can replace Marty at the cartel while he gets him off the SDN list. Marty listens nearby, and it’s written all over his face that he did not know Wendy was going to do this. Omar agrees to it, leaving no room for Marty to disagree. Camilla is now in charge of the cartel.
When they leave, Wendy tells Marty she did this for him, so he does not have to go to Mexico again, but Marty raises the music volume in the car — he’s angry. Marty gets mad at another driver and confronts him by getting out of the vehicle. Tensions rise, and Marty tells the driver that he can make a single phone call and get him killed. The driver calls Wendy a bitch, so Marty punches him. After a moment of physical altercations, Marty brutally beats the man repeatedly. Fortunately, another man drags Marty away.
We can view this moment in many ways, but here are the obvious conclusions. Marty feels ousted by his wife and feels he does not make decisions in their “power marriage” anymore, leading to his rage. Or deep down, he enjoyed his power with the cartel, and being replaced by Camila has highlighted his true thirst for power. For the first time in his life, he was the single point of decision making — everyone listened to him. He was respected. Losing that meant more to him than he thought.
Or it could be both. Either way, episode 11 demonstrates what power can do to a person.
The eleventh chapter of season 6 delves into the complicated scenario bubbling between the Ozarks, the FBI, the Byrde family, and the cartel.
Additional points
- Marty visits Jonah at the motel and tells his son that he misses him.
- Wendy visits Senator Randall, but he’s furious as he’s wondering where the money is. He knows the foundation is in trouble. Wendy sweet talks to him and tells Randall they’ll get the money.
- Mel Sattem speaks to Ruth about Ben and reveals a timeline of his disappearance that ends with the diner with Wendy. Ruth tells Mel that she wishes he could tell him more about Ben.
- Mel Sattem shows Agent Maya footage of Ben getting into a car with a man. She tells them that the man is from the cartel, and she thinks Mel should move past it.
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