Warning: The following article contains spoilers for the Ozark season 4 episode A Hard Way to Go.
With the final batch of episodes of Netflix’s crime-fueled hit Ozark finally available on the streaming platform, the series finale is receiving a mixed bag of reactions when it comes to its most shocking moments — which includes the death of fan-favorite Ruth Langmore at the hands of Javi Elizonndro’s mother Camila. Amidst the chaotic reactions, star Jason Bateman — who famously portrayed Marty Byrde in the show — has opened up about the jaw-dropping moment that fans surely didn’t see coming.
While speaking with Vanity Fair, Bateman discussed showrunner Chris Mundy’s vision for killing off a major character in a way that feels true to the fans, while explaining the process of Langmore (Julia Garner) experiencing the realization that she was going to die.
Chris was really passionate about making sure that, if we’re going to kill a beloved character, we better do it in a way that fans of that character can feel good about. I talked to Julia about how to navigate what Chris had given us [in the script], which was that the character has a moment of fear and realization of what was coming, then a moment to transition to acceptance and almost turning it into a good thing. Obviously we don’t have the dialogue that says all of that. But hopefully you can see that in her performance—just a taste to motivate the audience to find acceptance like the character did.
The execution of a major character is certainly never an easy decision to make, but there’s no telling if we’ve seen the last of Ruth Langmore, as an Ozark spin-off is always possible.
Ozark is available to stream now on Netflix.