Ozark

Showrunner Chris Mundy has managed to land on a conclusion for their saga that’s at once surprising and fitting, not to mention underscores the series’ bedrock truths about greed, ambition, and amorality in 21st-century America. ... Ozark stays true to its focus on ruthlessly enterprising women, with Linney and Garner as formidable as ever, and Falcón a welcome addition to what has long been the best female cast on television. Yet it’s Bateman who does perhaps his finest work of the series in these chapters.

Cements its place among Netflix's finest dramas. Having already shown itself to be one of those addictive series that pushed the boundaries of serialized thrillers, its full-throttle race to settle accounts in this final flurry of episodes officially closes the deal.

“Ozark” isn’t as flashy a production as “Breaking Bad” or “Mad Men,” or even older series like “The Sopranos” or “The Wire,” but has proven itself just as capable of the writing, direction, and acting on other, more high profile prestige dramas. These last seven episodes of Season Four do not disappoint.

Jason Bateman and Laura Linney continue to deliver some of the finest work of their respective careers, while Garner remains the supernova standout in the universally excellent, extended supporting cast. Over the course of four seasons, “Ozark” hit a few road bumps but never stalled out, not for one single episode. The finale keeps that streak alive.

The quality contrast between the final arc of “Ozark” and some that came before is so vast, it’s like the writers were keeping every ace up their sleeves until the last possible moment. Even so, the show’s final season is a surprisingly rich viewing experience, and an assured end to a series that never stopped upping the ante.

In a 70-minute finale, once again directed by Bateman, the series manages to wrap up every loose narrative thread, without ever crowbarring in senseless endings for the sake of it.

The result is an ending that’s unbearably tense, obliquely poignant, and some of the best event TV we’ve seen on any streaming service.

Whether you’ve been hooked since that first scene or grew weary during the bleak ensuing seasons, “Ozark” remains true to itself as it comes to a close.

Season four part two offers plenty of reminders about what made this show work really well for a little while. Ozark might not be getting out clean. But it isn’t overstaying its welcome either.

It might not have been the most intelligent or profound show, but Ozark has never backed off from its dark, nihilistic, and destructive view of middle-class family values, and its final two episodes bring that vision into its ultimate fruition.