The 18 Best Ozark Episodes Ranked

The long-awaited release of Netflix's viewership numbers revealed "Ozark" as the streaming giant's most-watched original series of 2020. The Southern crime drama follows financial advisor Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman) as he's forced to relocate with his family from Chicago to Lake of the Ozarks to launder money for the Navarro drug cartel. When his partner, Bruce (Josh Randal), is caught skimming off the top, Marty watches as he and his accomplices are executed by their cartel liaison, Camino "Del" Del Rio (Esai Morales). Marty narrowly escapes the same fate even though he was in the dark about Bruce's theft. With some quick thinking and the help of a random brochure, he's able to convince Del that the quiet Missouri town is the perfect place to launder money and that he will be able to repay the $8 million Bruce stole by the end of the summer. Convincing his family is another matter, though, and his wife, Wendy (Laura Linney), daughter Charlotte (Sofia Hublitz), and son Jonah (Skylar Gaertner) are less than thrilled about their new zip code. With enemies on all sides, Marty forms a tentative partnership with local criminal Ruth Langmore (Julia Garner) to complete the task before he's killed by the drug cartel.

"Ozark" premiered to modest ratings in July of 2017 but saw significant growth throughout its five-year run. The fourth and final season, split into two parts, dropped in early 2022, drawing a record number of Netflix viewers in its debut week. Part two blew that record out of the water, ranking No. 1 in the Neilsen Top 10 in the three days following its release. Now that this chapter of the Byrde family's saga is complete, let's revisit each season, ranking the top 18 episodes of the gritty drama's record-breaking run.

As the penultimate episode of Season 2, "The Badger" sees many characters rapidly approaching the point of no return. Charlotte continues to infuriate by hiring an attorney to sue her parents for emancipation. Marty takes steps to pass on cartel business to Ruth, hoping to flee with his family to Australia. It's not the first time he's erroneously believed he can extricate himself from the massive web of corruption he's spun, and it will not be the last. Ruth finally begins to see the cost of her father Cade's (Trevor Long) influence as he and Wyatt (Charlie Tahan) rob the Lickety Splitz, putting Ruth's business and Wyatt's future in jeopardy.

This episode is centered on the Snells. It begins with a flashback in which we see Jacob's (Peter Mullan) first introduction to the woman who will become his wife. He remembers her crashing a date with a woman she calls boring and inviting him to follow her into a life filled with excitement. He wakes from this dream while being driven away from the cartel's failed assassination attempt. Faced with no other options, Jacob agrees to sell his land and plans to stab Darlene to death, knowing she will never agree. But Darlene has plans of her own. While walking on their property, Jacob prepares to make his move but collapses before he can land a blow. Darlene reveals that she poisoned his coffee before they left the house. They pledge their love to each other as he dies in her arms, bringing to an end a tumultuous but thrilling love story.

As the midpoint in the final season's first act, "Ellie" advances several plot lines and reveals insights into many characters' motivations. Jonah continues to burn bridges on all sides by telling his mother that Darlene is responsible for the missing posters suddenly papering the town. When questioned about his loyalty, Jonah tells Darlene that his parents helped cover up Sheriff Nix's (Robert C. Treveiler) murder. Wendy is tempted with an offer to get involved with widespread election fraud, complicating her plans to go legit after completing their deal with the FBI. Faced with cartel underboss Javi Elizonndro's freeze on her shipments of heroin, Clare Shaw (Katrina Lenk) agrees to buy from Ruth and Darlene, further entrenching her in the criminal world. This episode also sees Marty and Ruth working together again, if somewhat reluctantly. Forced to recoup the drugs that Darlene had Frank Jr. (Joseph Sikora) distribute, Ruth must once again trust her instincts and put herself in a dangerous situation to get the job done, but this time, she demands a high price from Marty for her assistance.

Though these developments are all interesting, "Ellie" is most notable for its shocking conclusion. Darlene confronts Wendy in the Byrdes' driveway, furious that she keeps interfering with her operations. At the end of her rope, Wendy challenges Darlene, causing the old woman to collapse with chest pains. Rather than call the police, Wendy watches Darlene have a heart attack in her driveway, even sitting down to more fully enjoy her enemy's suffering. The gleam in Wendy's eyes as she watches what could be Darlene's final moments are either chilling or cathartic depending on viewers' feelings about the fiercely protective mother.

Directed by producer and star Jason Bateman, the final episode of Season 1 resolves some important plot threads while complicating life for the Byrdes. Pastor Mason Young (Michael Mosley) decides that his conscience will not allow him to return to his waterfront preaching, denying the Snells a way to distribute their drugs. Mason pays a steep price for this decision. He returns home to find his pregnant wife gone and his newborn son crying alone in the house. It's a devastating turn of events showing the ripples of tragedy that follow in the wake of Marty's corruption.

When a cartel hitman enters the house, Jonah holds him at gunpoint only to find that Buddy has secretly removed the bullets. Determined to protect the family, Buddy himself emerges and kills the hitman allowing Wendy to escape with her children. The season ends on a slightly uplifting note as Wendy and the kids return home, choosing to stick it out as a family rather than flee with their new identities. The episode's most shocking moment establishes Darlene as a dangerously unpredictable element in the Byrdes' plans. A recently tortured Marty brokers a deal between the Snells and Del to build a casino on the Snell's lakefront property, seemingly resolving the tension between the two warring drug lords. When Del makes an offhand comment about rednecks, Darlene shoots him without a thought for the larger prices they will all have to pay.

One of the series' most harrowing episodes, "One Way Out" sees the annihilation of one family and the reunification of another. When baby Zeke is taken into state custody, Pastor Mason Young holds Wendy hostage until Marty finds a way to bring his son back. After her attempt to break free is thwarted, Wendy tries to talk her way out of Mason's basement and gives a monologue that could serve as a thesis statement for "Ozark" itself. She rejects Mason's assumption that the virtuous choice is always clear, saying that though she always intends to do the right thing, sometimes the only option available is evil. Convinced that Marty is the devil, an unhinged Mason accuses the Byrdes of somehow altering his son and attempts to run away with Wendy in tow to protect her from her husband. Marty is forced to kill the pastor to save his wife. It's his first time taking a life, and the guilt he feels will linger long after they've disposed of the body.

Family dynamics dominate this episode, as the Byrdes use the baby to project a wholesome image of family love, an ironic twist given how they gained custody of him. Marty refuses to vouch for Blue Cat manager Rachel (Jordana Spiro) with the cartel, putting his family's safety before hers. Meanwhile, Ruth sobs in apology when the robbery she's set up for her father, Cade, is foiled by the homeowner's return. It's a startling moment for the strong character, revealing the toxic level of emotional control her abusive father holds.

Season 2 concludes with a literal bang as Marty finds himself caught between two powerful criminal enterprises. Angered by his plans to construct the casino, Kansas City mob boss Frank Cosgrove (John Bedford Lloyd) sends Marty a message by blowing up the Byrdes' office buildings, but the casino finally opens, assuring a reliable method of laundering for the foreseeable future.

After two seasons of watching Cade manipulate his daughter Ruth, his time in the Ozarks finally comes to a close. He beats Roy to death in the river, putting an end to the psychopathic agent's manipulations. Once again proving himself to be anything but a criminal mastermind, Cade faces being charged with the murder of an FBI agent. He attempts to extort money from his daughter, threatening to tell Wyatt that she is responsible for Russ' death. Ruth finally realizes that her father is a toxic element in her life and calls his bluff, telling Wyatt the truth and alienating her closest friend.

Wendy steps in to protect her children, offering baby Zeke to Darlene after she kidnaps and shaves Jonah's head. When Cade attacks Charlotte, Wendy pays him $500,000 to leave town. This money turns out to be payment for a hit, and Cade is killed by a cartel gunman on his way out of town. It's one of Wendy's more sympathetic actions, and the fierce mother likely feels a strong connection to Ruth, having grown up with her abusive father.

The third season of "Ozark" debuted to a huge increase in popularity, earning 8.7 million viewers in its first 10 days on the streaming platform. This success was bolstered by an explosive opening episode that places the Byrdes squarely in the middle of a drug war. Season 3 begins with a series of brutal executions that leave money raining from the sky — bait to increase the collateral damage of the next explosion. This carnage effectively sets the stage for the drama's deadliest season yet with a run of episodes that will feature many innocent people caught up in the Byrdes' dangerous web.

The Missouri Belle casino is now up and running with Marty and Ruth handling daily operations and laundering cartel money. Having fully committed to a life of crime, Wendy begins a plan to increase her influence with Omar Navarro and goes over Marty's head to conspire with Helen. Although Wendy curries her favor, the formidable lawyer gets a taste of her own medicine when she's waterboarded to determine if her ex-husband knows anything incriminating. Despite its deadly tone, "Wartime" contains several moments of dark humor. Wyatt is caught luxuriating in the vacation homes of strangers, and Darlene feels ostracized as the oldest woman in her Mommy and Me class. On a return trip to Chicago, Wendy releases some pent-up anger as she breaks into her old home and vandalizes it, taking her rage out on the family that's now occupying her old life.

In another emotional episode, Ruth vows to get revenge for Wyatt's death and drives to Chicago to ambush Omar Navarro's violent nephew, Javi Elizonndro (Alfonso Herrera), while he's in town to meet with the Byrdes. Still at odds over Ben and now fighting for Jonah's loyalty, Wendy and Ruth exchange harsh words, exposing the extent of their criminal operations to pharmaceutical entrepreneur Clare Shaw who's now in business with the Byrdes. Ruth balks at first but then crashes the Byrdes' dinner with Clare and demands they all meet with Javi in Clare's office. Marty tries to talk Ruth down, appealing to her humanity, but Ruth is done suffering in the Byrdes' orbit. Wendy calls Javi, and Ruth immediately executes him, sealing her fate should the cartel ever find out.

This episode also sees Javi savagely beat his former professor for suggesting he make his donation to his alma mater anonymous to avoid the stink of cartel money. This, combined with several callous murders, fully villainizes Javi and paints Ruth's actions as justified, if not outright heroic. The entire episode is framed through Ruth's grief over her cousin, and we see flashbacks of the two as children sleeping on the roof to avoid their parents' fights. Julia Garner continues her Emmy-winning performance as the troubled young Southerner, emotionally grounding a heavy episode. This is not the end of Ruth's story but is arguably its emotional peak, as Ruth finally rejects the hold Marty has over her life.

Wrapping up a series about a family of antiheroes was always going to be tricky, but "Ozark" manages to end as shockingly as it began. Still committed to the mental institution that once housed her brother, Ben, Wendy gets a visit from Ruth, who apologizes for having him released, an act that directly led to his death. Ruth then confronts Wendy's father, Nathan, about his true motives for seeking custody of Jonah and Charlotte. It's a cathartic scene that feels like the confrontation Ruth will never get to have with Cade, her own abusive father. Wendy finally reconciles with her children and checks out of the hospital. While driving home, they survive the car crash teased in the opening moments of Season 4. It appears to be a true accident and solidifies their familial bond.

Camila's hit on her brother, Omar Navarro, is carried out, and she assumes control of cartel operations in Mexico. She meets with Rachel, Ruth, and the FBI to formalize a deal that will finally remove the Byrdes from cartel involvement. Yet, two dangling threads are waiting to unravel this happy moment. At a fundraiser for the Byrde Foundation, Clare Shaw reveals the truth about Javi's death to Camila. With their hands metaphorically tied, the Byrdes must stand down as Camila confronts Ruth and kills her in front of the construction site for her dream home. They return home to find that rogue detective Mel Sattem (Adam Rothenberg) has found Ben's ashes and intends to charge them with his murder. Now fully corrupted, both Byrde children stand in defense of their parents. It's the third time Jonah has held a threat to his family at gunpoint. He finally pulls the trigger as the screen fades to black.

This shocking episode comes on the heels of Ben's death and leaves viewers on the biggest cliffhanger in the show's history. "All In" begins on a somber note, as Marty and Ruth cremate Ben's remains while Wendy drinks in an unknown parking lot, refusing to come home. It's a scene that endears the audience to her and reveals the emotional cost of the decision she made while also highlighting Marty's emotional detachment when attempting to comfort Ruth. We then cut to a brutal massacre at a baptism for Navarro's new child, a horrific attack from the rival Lagunas cartel. Darlene wins Ruth's loyalty by shooting Frank Jr. in the crotch with her shotgun as revenge for the brutal beating he delivered in an earlier episode.

Aware that Helen is prepared to move against them, the Byrdes devise a plan to prove their usefulness to Navarro by ending the cartel war. They give Agent Maya Miller footage from Jonah's drone showing a Lagunas attack on U.S. soil and giving Maya all the ammunition she needs to take the rival cartel down. Meanwhile, seeking revenge for his uncle's death, Jonah takes his shotgun and threatens Helen in her home. Helen tells him the devastating truth. His mother authorized the hit. Jonah stands down, but this revelation causes a major rift between him and his mother. Marty and Wendy are summoned to Navarro's second baptism in Mexico. They fear this is a ruse that will end in their executions, but Navarro has chosen them and executes Helen right in front of their eyes, completing their initiation into the cartel's inner circle.