Ozark season 3 recap – everything you need to know before season 4

Front and centre throughout have been Marty and Wendy, who seem capable of dealing with anything. Initially, they were a couple in free fall, but they've managed to hold their relationship together in a bid to survive. However, this family has moved on from the days of personal betrayal and extramarital affairs to morph into something far more interesting.

With the blood spots still warm after that season 3 finale, this seems like an ideal time to look back at the series and pick up a few pivotal turning points.

Marty Byrde loses his mojo

From the outset, Marty has been carved out of granite, juggling family life and daily death threats with emotional detachment. Logic, reason and a firm understanding of every situation have always seen him prevail. It is only in season 3 that those defences start to erode, as the necessity to delegate leaves him compromised.

Having killed Michael Mosley’s Mason Young out of necessity in season 2, Marty is forced to give up the preacher’s baby as a bargaining chip. This drives a wedge between himself and Wendy, strengthens her alliance with Helen and gives Darlene Snell back some leverage. This is the beginning of a domino effect that sees their family fracture into competing factions with differing agendas.

As Ruth and Wendy gain dominance with the cartel, questions around his importance begin to surface. This reaches a turning point when Marty is kidnapped and incarcerated by the Mexicans, just as FBI auditors move in to monitor casino activities. Not only is Marty Byrde powerless for the first time, but audiences share a rare moment of introspection as his defences are finally breached. The flashbacks that reveal this formative life experience at the bedside of his dying father expose what it is that ultimately makes Marty tick.

Wendy Byrde and Helen Pierce united

Since the arrival of Helen Pierce in season 2, Ozark has kicked up a notch. Forthright, formidable and psychologically incisive, her statuesque demeanour and nose for bulls**t lit fires everywhere. What audiences get in season 3 is a glimpse behind the iron curtain into the world of a single mother, who is trying to be both a parent and provider. Above all, that is what draws Helen and Wendy Byrde together.

Having been instrumental in calming the political waters in season 2, this third run sees Wendy regain her sense of identity just as Marty is losing his. Whether that means getting into fistfights with mean-spirited widows, or negotiating face to face with cartel bosses, there is a distinct feeling that Wendy Davies has emerged from her domestic stasis.

With a ravenous desire for corporate expansion, which goes hand-in-hand with this renewed sense of self, she slips effortlessly into the family trousers and grabs every situation by the cojones. This new-found vigour finds an ally in Helen, who encourages a move away from reliance on Marty, even after she endures waterboarding during cartel questioning. However, beyond this sense of empowerment that defines their friendship, it is the connection with cartel boss Omar Navarro that really opens things up.

Omar Navarro and Wendy Byrde have a connection

What begins as a necessary power play to keep cartel cogs turning quickly blossoms into something else as Omar Navarro is drawn to Wendy's strength. Either by default or design, this tactical choice is the moment when things shift. Following Marty’s betrayal over the baby and indifference to a necessary expansion, Wendy steps up and makes him superfluous.

From their first meeting on the private jet, Navarro is intrigued by this woman and her lack of fluff. This turning point opens Ozark up by taking the focus away from money laundering for a moment, to show audiences a different dynamic. Suddenly this cartel boss ceases to be the bogeyman, hiding in his fortress behind impregnable walls. The connection they share during a handful of conversations, reveals his vulnerability and unspoken attraction to a woman who knows her own mind. Although this meeting might be Marty’s undoing, it may also be the reason they survive this season.

Darlene Snell and Wyatt Langmore share a bed

Other important partnerships in season 3 include the unexpected union of Darlene Snell and Wyatt Longmore, who are thrown together after the latter leaves home. Having come clean about the murder of his father in season 2, Ruth and Wyatt are no longer talking, which sees him look for support elsewhere. Although this is a minor development that all stems back to the Byrde family, it offers some interesting opportunities to divert expectations and fan some dramatic flames. Lisa Emery and Charlie Tahan also work hard to move their relationship beyond what many might have anticipated, revealing Darlene to have a softer and more human side than anticipated.

Murder(s) Most Foul

There was an alarming catalogue of killings in the two seasons prior, and the third run added a few more, two of which really took our breath away. First up was Wendy’s straight-talking baby brother Ben, who suffered the consequences of telling Helen’s teenage daughter what her mum does for a living. He was also drawing the wrong kind of attention to the Byrdes after punching Marty at the unveiling of the family's foundation.

Wendy, after fighting against the inevitable, moved aside so that Navarro's henchman Nelson could do his worst – and he did just that.

Not only did his grisly end have a significant impact on viewers, it also served as a precursor to the business-like dispatch of Helen Pierce (Janet McTeer). Following the Byrde family sacrifice, any moves Wendy makes against them are meaningless, as that gunshot to the head illustrates all too well. Going into season 4, it will be interesting to see how Ruth’s resentment towards Wendy plays out considering her romantic involvement with Ben.

The best of the rest

For many, the ability of Ozark to genuinely humanise the most inhumane of people remains a defining draw. Although there is a multitude of minor plot points which contributed to the success of season 3, Wendy and Marty remain the driving force behind this imperfect family enterprise. When the curtain rises on season 4 this Friday, audiences best prepare themselves for war.

Read more Ozark content:

• Meet the cast of Ozark, Jason Bateman’s acclaimed Netflix thriller
• Jason Bateman shares hints about Ozark season 4 ending
• Where is Ozark filmed? Location guide for Jason Bateman drama

Ozark season 4 arrives on Netflix on Friday 21 January. Take a look at more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.