‘Ozark’ Season 4 Episode 9 Recap: “Pick a God and Pray”

By
Alison Helms
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Ozark Season 4 Episode 9 Recap
Julia Garner, Skylar Gaertner, Sofia Hublitz, Jason Bateman, and Richard Thomas in ‘Ozark’ season 4 episode 9 (Photo By Steve Dietl / Netflix © 2022)

Netflix’s Ozark season four episode nine opens with Wendy (Laura Linney) and Marty (Jason Bateman) back in their hotel room trying to drink away the night’s events. (Episode eight ended with Ruth killing Javi and the Byrdes left to clean up). It’s no surprise Wendy immediately blames Marty for what went down.

They play the blame game with each other, and Marty feels he could have talked Ruth out of killing Javi. Wendy scoffs at that suggestion. She’s dumbfounded that Marty apologized to Ruth, and Marty reminds her that Ruth has lost her entire family because of them.

Marty, who actually seems remorseful, begins to shed some tears. It’s safe to say Wendy isn’t even on the verge of crying, which isn’t a big shocker at all. Although our opinion of Wendy doesn’t seem like it could get any worse, she proves us wrong and lowers the bar yet again after Marty says, “I’m just so sick of having blood on my hands, Wendy. It doesn’t bother you?” Wendy places all the blame squarely on Marty’s shoulders, saying he’s the one who suggested this life. He’s the one who knew better.

Marty admits he got them into this but no one talked her into it. She was excited about this life.

Marty asks how much Wendy wants and she says they had it five hours ago and he threw it all away. Marty thinks enough is enough but, of course, Wendy isn’t ready to give up. She’s not falling on her sword because Marty messed up. To get her point across she throws in, “If you love me you wouldn’t give up.”

Ruth (Julia Garner) returns home and when her cousin Three (Carson Holmes) asks if she did it, she simply replies yes.

Wendy is back at the Shaw building waiting for Clare when Clare’s bodyguard, Conner McVeigh (David A. MacDonald), informs her Clare isn’t there and she should just go home.

Private investigator Mel Sattem (Adan Rothenberg) is the bearer of bad news to Helen’s ex-husband. Mel explains Helen was working with the Mexican cartel and Helen’s husband reacts in disbelief. (How did he not know this after all these years?). Mel tells him he might be able to get more information but he believes she’s dead and she was murdered in the States. (We know that’s not true. She was shot in Mexico in season three.)

Their daughter Erin admits she already knows what happened and urges her dad not to look any further. She realizes that if the cartel is involved it could be dangerous for them to pursue the matter. Mel tries to push for the investigation while Erin begs her dad to let it go. Ultimately, Helen’s ex-husband listens to his daughter and excuses Mel with a thank you for all his work.

Meanwhile, Marty and Wendy are back home and Wendy’s mad because she assumes Jonah’s the one who told Ruth about Javi. However, one look at Charlotte (Sofia Hublitz) and she realizes it wasn’t Jonah. Wendy yells at her daughter, asking why she would do such a thing. Charlotte tries to tell her she didn’t mean to.

Wendy’s anger toward Charlotte is put on hold when the FBI shows up.

Agent Hannah Clay (Tess Malis Kincaid) briefs them on Javi and explains he never showed up at the airport to return to Mexico. Plus, all his clothes are still in his hotel room. Agent Clay wonders if he told them his plans. Marty says no and Wendy mentions he was going to meet a former professor for dinner.

Marty jumps to the point and asks where their deal stands. Agent Clay explains that without Javi there isn’t any deal. She reminds them this will create problems in the Navarro cartel, and they were apparently the last people to see Javi alive. It doesn’t take a genius to know that doesn’t look good for the Byrdes.

Clay suggests that if they’re willing to testify against Omar Navarro, she can get them into the witness protection program. Wendy lets it be known they don’t want that and asks how they can get their deal back. Wendy suggests extraditing Navarro back to Mexico. Once he’s there he can most likely break out of prison and everything they agreed upon can move forward.

Agent Clay correctly points out Wendy’s reaching but Wendy doesn’t give up. Wendy thinks Omar was always the better choice because he’s stable and knows the cartel inside and out. Agent Clay points out that Navarro is on the SDN (Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons) list which makes extradition impossible.

Marty picks up on Wendy’s plan and asks what it will take to convince Agent Clay’s bosses that Navarro’s still in control. Clay believes money combined with continuing seizures might work. Wendy wants to see Navarro in person and Clay attempts, once again, to talk them into entering witness protection.

Clare Shaw (Katrina Lenk) arrives home to find Javi’s lawyer and some of his men in her driveway. The lawyer asks if she’s seen Javi and Clare claims she spoke with him over the phone the night before about stock options but she didn’t see him. The lawyer tries to get her to change her story but Clare holds firm to her lie.

PI Mel receives a call for a new job and it appears he’s heading back to the Ozarks.

Ruth is loading up baby Zeke in the car when she spots the gun she used to kill Javi in the passenger seat of her truck. She throws it in the lake right in front of her trailer. (Ruth’s usually much smarter than this.)

Ruth heads over to the sheriff’s station with Zeke and gives her statement. Sheriff Guerrero (CC Castillo) wants to know where Ruth’s been the last 24 hours. Ruth doesn’t answer but instead tells the sheriff to do Zeke a favor and not give him to Wendy Byrde. The sheriff brings the questioning back to where Ruth’s been. Ruth lies and says after she found Wyatt and Darlene she took Zeke and then needed to clear her head. The sheriff confirms she’s aware they were in the drug business together and asks if the murders had to do with drugs. Ruth claims not to know anything.

Marty goes to see Agent Maya Miller (Jessica Frances Dukes) and says he’s now willing to take her deal. He’ll do jail time and will come work with the FBI after his time in prison. Maya reveals that not only does she not give a crap about him, she knows Wendy would never go for it. They would lose the casino and he’ll have a criminal record. Marty reminds her she didn’t have to arrest Navarro, basically suggesting this could be Maya’s fault his family’s in danger. Maya says the deal is long gone and he’s just another criminal in her eyes now.

Wendy gets her wish and is allowed to visit Omar Navarro (Felix Solis) in prison. She informs him that she spoke with the FBI and his nephew Javi has disappeared. They are assuming he’s dead and don’t know who’s responsible. Omar isn’t stupid and accuses Wendy of knowing what happened to Javi. She changes the subject and tells Omar the FBI can get him off the SDN list and extradite him back to Mexico. They just have to establish that Navarro is still in control.

Omar has had it with the Byrdes and warns Wendy that if he wasn’t handcuffed to a table right now, he would kill her. He also threatens to kill Marty and her children. Wendy, looking smug, reminds him he’s in solitary confinement and asks who does he think let her in there? She assures Omar that the FBI will listen to her.

Omar screams at Wendy to get out and warns her that he’ll find a way to kill her.

PI Mel’s return to the Ozarks was financed by none other than Nathan Davis (Richard Thomas), Wendy’s dear old dad. Nathan’s going to be actively involved in the search for Ben and shows up at the Lazy-O Motel with a bus full of his church friends. Mel warns him he might not find any good news.

Jonah (Skylar Gaertner) spots his grandpa and after they greet each other, Nathan explains he’s there to find Ben. Nathan thinks it’s weird Jonah’s at the hotel and Jonah says he lives at the Lazy-O now because he needed space.

Wendy calls Agent Clay and lies, telling her Navarro is interested in the new deal. Wendy wants the FBI to move Omar from solitary confinement to protected custody and that Navarro must know it was the Byrdes who got him moved. Clay agrees.

Wendy continues with this lie and tells Marty that Omar’s interested but angry.

Ozark Season 4 Episode 9 Recap
Jason Bateman as Marty Byrde, Richard Thomas as Nathan Davis, and Laura Linney as Wendy Byrde in ‘Ozark’ season 4 episode 9 (Photo By Steve Dietl / Netflix © 2022)

Marty informs Wendy they have another problem; her dad is there to search for Ben. Nathan tells his daughter he hired a PI from Chicago and Marty asks if his name’s Mel. Nathan confirms it is. Wendy fills in a little backstory on Mel, telling her dad he’s an ex-cop who got caught stealing drugs out of an evidence locker and that he’s an addict. Nathan isn’t fazed by that development.

As Nathan gets up to leave, he shares his concern about his grandkids. He assures Wendy he’s not leaving until he knows what happened to Ben and that his grandkids are okay.

Marty visits Ruth because she’s not returning Harry’s calls on what to do with Wyatt’s body. Marty tells her he’ll handle it and she agrees to let him.

Wendy calls Clare again and it just wouldn’t be Wendy if she didn’t issue a threat. She leaves a voice message letting her know she would hate to tell their donors that Shaw Medical doesn’t make good on their promises.

Charlotte announces she’s going out to dinner with her grandpa. Wendy and Marty reluctantly decide to go to dinner with Nathan as well.

Nathan brings up that he spoke with the sheriff and she told him about the murder of Wyatt and Darlene. Charlotte confirms Wyatt was her friend and that his cousin was dating Ben. Nathan starts reminiscing about how Wendy ran away at 10 and brings up how Ben use to worship Wendy. Wendy’s had enough, makes an excuse about an early meeting, and leaves.

On the way home Wendy’s convinced her dad’s going to turn her kids against them. She admits they have done harm to their kids by dragging them through all of this. (You think?!) Marty takes this opportunity to tell Wendy he went to see Maya about the deal. He doesn’t lie and admits Maya turned him down.

Mel meets with Maya and explains he’s learned Wendy lied. The day Ben went missing Wendy rented a car. They agree to keep each other informed of any new developments.

Navarro is moved to the jail’s more open protected custody area. The first thing he does is make a phone call.

The day of Wyatt’s funeral arrives and Nathan shows up. He notices Wendy is absent and Marty claims she had to work.

Ruth leaves before she can bring herself to throw dirt on Wyatt’s casket.

Wendy comes home to find Omar’s right-hand man Nelson and his priest in her house. She assumes they’re there to kill her, but the priest wants to talk. He asks if she really believes she can get Omar out. She says she wants to try. He then asks if she believes in God. Wendy doesn’t know what his angle is and he claims Omar’s arrest is an opportunity for all of them. He promises Wendy he can help her find her way. Wendy assures the priest she doesn’t need him to save her.

Before he leaves, the priest tells her Navarro wants to see them tomorrow. After the men leave Wendy the Ice Maiden actually cries.

Navarro claims he can not run his operation from prison and Marty offers to go to Mexico for him. Marty believes he can represent Omar’s interests and can make sure the money is flowing. Navarro thinks they won’t just accept Marty but Marty wants to try. Navarro’s certain it won’t be easy and knows he must seem powerful to his people or they won’t respect his leadership. Navarro believes his men must think he’s the one who killed Javi. Marty will be the one to deliver that message to them.

In a strange turn of events, Clare and Conner make the trip to Ruth’s place. Clare explains she needs Ruth’s product since she’s the one who killed the guy she was in business with. Ruth wonders why she would ever help them out and Conner reminds her they have a video of her blowing a man’s head off. Ruth seems unfazed by that. She enters her trailer and returns with a shotgun, warning them it’s not smart to try and blackmail a woman they’ve just seen kill a man. Clare promises this is a deal that will be very lucrative to them both.

Maya and Mel meet up again. This time Maya has surveillance video from a store showing the police arriving and talking to Wendy and Ben.

Clare, surprisingly, answers Wendy’s call but it’s only to tell her their deal is over. Wendy warns Clare that her company won’t survive without them. “We’ll see about that,” replies Clare before hanging up on Wendy.

Ruth heads over to Darlene’s and retrieves the keys to the barn where the heroin’s being made.

Season four episode nine closes with Charlotte begging Marty not to go to Mexico. She’s worried he’ll get killed. Wendy attempts to tell her Marty’s doing this for the family. Charlotte says that’s not the case; he is doing it for her.




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