[BIG SPOILER WARNING for the Ozark series finale] Even though Netflix crime drama Ozark has now come to an end, people always want to know if there will be more, if certain characters will return and if there will be spin-offs. And with how the TV landscape works now, it’s more likely than you think.
However, showrunner Chris Mundy has confirmed that one fan-favourite character is well-and-truly dead, with zero possibility of resurrection. Yes, that’s right, the shocking shooting of Ruth (Julia Garner) cannot be undone. “I’m sorry; she totally, absolutely is (dead)” says Mundy.
Speaking to TVLine, Mundy says; “”We talked about it, we debated it. It was really hard and emotional trying to figure out what the right decision for the show was.” Ultimately it was decided that; it didn’t feel honest “if everyone just gets off too easily.” The ending fits the show’s themes surrounding class and capitalism. Having Ruth acquire two separate businesses, clear her criminal record, and seemingly turn her life around makes for a tragic ending worthy of the Greeks.
The EP concedes that there is an “innate cynicism” in having the underdog (in this case, Ruth) pay the ultimate price while the Byrdes get away with murder. “Capitalism doesn’t work unless there is a winner and a loser,” Mundy argues.
“And there’s a degree to which the Langmores are going to be the losers of that equation, while somebody else builds their fortune. The Byrdes came in and climbed their way up off the backs of people like the Langmores, and they’re representative of a lot of people. There’s something about it that’s cynical and there’s something about it that’s very, just, true. So we were trying to write into that truth.”
Julia Garner will hopefully be booked-and-busy in the near future anyway. She is one of several young hopefuls reportedly in the running to play Madonna in the biopic that Madonna herself is making. The talented actress, who wowed in Kitty Green’s The Assistant, will surely have no shortage of quality work to come.
If you’re life is going to be short of thrills now that Ozark is over, check out our guide the best thrillers.