Ozark Season 4 Part 2 Finale's Jonah Twist Explained by Showrunner

Ozark showrunner, Chris Mundy, speaks about that shocking Jonah twist in the series finale and what it means for the Byrdes moving forward.

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Ozark season 4.

The showrunner of the recently completed series Ozark, Chris Mundy, discusses the highly-anticipated series finale's shocking twist involving Jonah Byrde. Ever since its initial debut on Netflix in July 2017, the series has been noted as one of the best modern crime shows of the era, with many critics praising the twist-filled writing and the cast's performances. After airing for four successful seasons, the second half of the final season premiered on the streaming service on April 29.

Ozark follows a financial advisor forced to move his family from Chicago to the Missouri Ozarks, where he works to launder money to appease a debt held over him by a drug lord. Throughout the several seasons, other family members also become involved in his crime-ridden business, and they ultimately work together to protect each other as a family. The star-studded cast of the series includes Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, Sofia Hublitz, Skylar Gaertner, Julia Garner, Jordana Spiro, Jason Butler Harner, Alfonso Herrera, and Adam Rothberg, amongst others.

In an interview with Vanity Fair, Mundy spoke about the shocking final twist of the series, with the Byrde's young son, Jonah, using a rifle to stop private investigation Mel Sattem digging deeper into the family's many crimes. The showrunner explained that Jonah was the last of the family to come around to their criminality, noting that Jonah pulling the trigger represents "the family being brought back together through this act of violence.” Mundy also says he aimed for viewers to be caught off guard by the show's final moments, leaving them unclear if they should "cheer" for Jonah becoming a murderer or not. Mundy continued, saying:

We wanted people to think about the reality of what happened, not just in the context of watching a TV show, but also in whatever reality these characters are going to keep living in.

With the show being popular worldwide, the theories leading up to the series finale spanned several outcomes for the criminal family, including some about Jonah's possible actions. One even concluded that Mel would be able to bring down the family for their criminal transgressions, adding an equally shocking ending compared to the one fans received. The show's finale left every member of the immediate Byrde family alive, something many theorized would be too happy of an ending. However, there's nothing to celebrate at the end of the series; even though Marty, Wendy, Charlotte, and Jonah make it out alive, they aren't walking away without a lot of blood on their hands.

With this direct explanation from the showrunner himself, audiences who may not have completely understood the series' ending now have some sense of closure, and the show's ever-complicated nature shines through. However, with such a shocking conclusion, some may be left wishing for more of the Byrde's complicated life. The whole fourth and final season of Ozark is now available to stream on Netflix.

More: Ozark: The Dark Meaning Behind The Byrde's Name Explained

Source: Vanity Fair