(Plentiful spoilers from Netflix’s Ozark Season 3 will be found below.)
If you’re gearing up to watch Ozark Season 4, Part 1, you could use a quick refresher on pivotal moments from the last time around. That’s only natural — Season 3 arrived in March 2020, and a lot’s gone down in the real world since that time. As you dive back into Marty Byrde’s fine mess, however, it’s most useful (because yep, it’s that kind of show) to remember the biggest deaths from last season.
Here are the two important character sacrifices: Helen and Tom, who were nice enough to be photographed here together in (much) happier times.
The two are of no blood relation (Helen being the attorney for drug lord Navarro and Tom being Wendy’s troublesome brother) and died in separate incidents:
Helen Pierce: That blood-spattered moment on the tarmac was a shocker for all viewers. Helen had landed with Marty and Wendy in Mexico to see their mutual boss, and Navarro greeted them with open arms as Helen got a bullet to the head. And it was the ending that Helen deserved, given that she’d attempted to turn Navarro against the Byrdes, but Wendy had outsmarted everyone by already arranging a deal with Navarro. Both deals involved the FBI, but Wendy managed to edge out Helen by proving the Byrdes’ loyalty to Navarro, whereas Helen got cocky, not to mention sloppy, during her own work, which could have eventually jeopardized Navarro’s own freedom and family. So yep, he took Helen out.
Tom Davis: The cartel got Wendy’s molotov cocktail of a brother, too, and that order ultimately got greenlighted by Wendy. Ben was new to Season 3 and proved to be (despite being an inherently good person) nothing but trouble for the Byrdes. He had a terrible set of triggers, and his bipolar disorder made him act unpredictably and in ways that could expose cartel business. He does, however, grow close to both Jonah and Ruth. Given that Ruth grew romantically involved with Tom, his death sets up a good chunk of her emotional path in Season 4. Watch out, everyone.
‘Ozark’ is currently streaming (Season 4, Part 1) on Netflix.