Ozark season 4, part 1 disproves major fan theory

When he arrived in the Ozarks back in season 3, the siblings hadn't seen one another in quite some time. During that period apart, Wendy's life had drastically changed direction – she's now working for a drug lord alongside Marty (Jason Bateman), and one wrong move results in her immediate death.

That new development coupled with Ben's erratic behaviour – which was fuelled by his bipolar disorder and the ever-growing web of lies stemming from Marty and Wendy's criminal dealings – made Ben a serious liability.

"You're a f**king liar," he yelled at Wendy (Laura Linney) after security ousted him from the grand unveiling of the Byrde foundation for assaulting Marty. He then informed the daughter of Navarro's ex lawyer Helen Pierce (Janet McTeer) about who her mother was really working for. Big mistake. Big. Huge.

Helen, concerned about Ben's impact on her boss's operation and in turn, her own survival, ordered Navarro's henchman Nelson (Nelson Bonilla) to "neutralise" him. Wendy initially resisted that by heading out on the open road with Ben in search of a place for him to lay low. But following further troubling behaviour from her brother, she felt that her options had run out. If Ben continued to disrupt their situation, it would mean death for Wendy, Marty and their children.

During a pitstop at a diner, Wendy excused herself from the table, promising Ben she'd be "right back". But she didn't return and not long after, Nelson arrived to do the unthinkable.

He delivered Ben's body to Marty and together, they ensured that the evidence was incinerated.

But a number of Ozark fans refused to believe that Ben had been terminated given that the body we saw was wrapped up, with no face visible. Without physical proof, there was a chance that Ben had somehow managed to wriggle out of his predicament, with Pelphrey's character set to return.

Redditor Codan04 highlighted the fact that Ozark 'thrives on showing us the demise of the characters we love'. They referenced Ruth's previous visit to the morgue, where the body bag containing her uncle Russ (Marc Menchaca) was unzipped so she could give him one final kiss.

Referring to Ben, they questioned why the writers 'wouldn't have done the same here'. Did they have a grand reveal up their sleeves?

The speculation was so loud that showrunner Chris Mundy himself addressed the speculation at the show's virtual PaleyFest panel (via TVLine).

"I love the fact that people love [Ben] enough to come up with that theory," he said. "I wish it were true. But it ain’t true.”

He could have been bluffing, as we saw with Sex and the City writer, director and executive producer Michael Patrick King, who told The New York Times that Mr Big was "not dead" in And Just Like That, prior to its release.

But in the latest chapter, it's confirmed that Ben is pushing daisies and his death becomes the subject of a power play between Wendy and Darlene (Lisa Emery). According to Wendy, Ben is missing and she uses a fabricated story about him being a drug addict as PR spin for the Byrde foundation. Darlene knows that isn't true and decides to provoke Wendy by plastering the town with posters of Ben's face.

Marty, too, is agitated by the lie his wife is parroting and makes a point of saying that they both know her brother "won't be coming back".

But despite his absence, Ben's spectre hangs over season 4, with Ruth (Julia Garner) permanently weighed down by her grief, while Jonah (Skylar Gaertner) is unable to forgive his mum for the role she played in his death. Wendy, too, has been irreversibly altered by the events surrounding her brother. She's highly emotive and quick to anger throughout the latest season, and appears more willing than ever to do what's required of her – which is unsettling but more vital than ever as the Byrdes' house of cards is in danger of total collapse.

Navarro (Felix Solis) is now behind bars, but he expects to be released in 48 hours or less. That can only happen once the FBI has arrested Javi. But with Ruth on the warpath after Navarro's nephew murdered her cousin Wyatt, there's a chance that she might reach Javi first and put a bullet in him. If that happens, the Byrdes are toast.

With Ozark season 4, part 2 still to come, there's plenty more life left in this tale yet.

• Read More: Ozark season 3 recap – everything you need to know before season 4
• Read More: Meet the cast of Ozark, Jason Bateman’s acclaimed Netflix thriller
• Read More: Jason Bateman shares hints about Ozark season 4 ending
• Read More: Where is Ozark filmed? Location guide for Jason Bateman drama

Ozark season 4 is available to stream now on Netflix. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our guide to the best series on Netflix and best movies on Netflix, or visit our TV Guide.