S04.E14: A Hard Way to Go

[DoctorAtomic]

There's no way Darlene is that forward planning though. 

[MargeGunderson]

Well, the finales of How I Met Your Mother, original Dexter, and the Sopranos just moved down on the list of most unsatisfying endings ever.    I hate all of the Byrdes.

[Avaleigh]

Far from a perfect ending but I didn't hate it as much as others did.

Jonah shooting Mel reminded me of Shane on Weeds. To me it makes sense that this would be a consequence of his parents making the choices they made. It was also a good callback to season 1. I liked too that it happened in the same episode where he indicated that he wanted to stop with the crime and money laundering and lead a more normal life. Even if he gets away with it, he'll never be able to go back to having a crime free life. He'll always have to live with the fact that he's a killer. Also, unlike with Shane who wanted to eliminate a person who would qualify as evil, the person that Jonah ended up taking out was a good guy. 

Agreed that it was out of character for Ruth to approach a random car unarmed. At the same time, I'm okay with her death, I just wish it had happened differently. For me, Ruth's character is the only one where a death would have had any real meaning for me. Her journey from the pilot to the finale was fascinating and I enjoyed every minute of it save the way the showrunners decided to kill her. And even there I at least like that she wasn't afraid and just told Camilla to get on with it. She was tough until the end. 

As for Wendy and Marty making it out alive--they're alive for now. They'll never be 100% safe, they'll always be looking over their shoulders and the perfect family life that they envisioned for themselves will never be a reality. Yes, ideally Wendy would have had to pay a higher price but in reality a lot of bad people get away with heinous activities. 

[EllaWycliffe]

3 minutes ago, Avaleigh said:

Also, unlike with Shane who wanted to eliminate a person who would qualify as evil, the person that Jonah ended up taking out was a good guy. 

I really don't know that I would characterize the PI who got fired for stealing coke and who routinely harassed people and who pretty openly commited breaking and entering as "a good guy". Agree it would scar Jonah but all things considered I can see it being justified as saving the family. 

[DoctorAtomic]

I don't think he was a good guy either. I'm doubtful this was the first time he was breaking and entering for a case. I don't know if he thought his sanctimony would somehow intimidate the Byrdes. For someone who was such a great cop he sure didn't do his homework. 

[Avaleigh]

49 minutes ago, EllaWycliffe said:

I really don't know that I would characterize the PI who got fired for stealing coke and who routinely harassed people and who pretty openly commited breaking and entering as "a good guy". Agree it would scar Jonah but all things considered I can see it being justified as saving the family. 

Fair enough. I guess I meant "good guy" in comparison to my example. The PI was trying to put away bad people in comparison to a character on another show who was a stone cold killer. Point taken though that he wasn't some white knight.

[Marley]

I knew Ruth was going to be dead soon. Didn’t think Claire would be the one to snitch tho. The whole day dream with the fam tho seemed to be pushing towards it.

I liked the ending. I didn’t know what would go down but it seemed right somehow. Someone like Ruth is not gonna win against the cartel. 

I also kind of knew the kids would come out with a gun but I kind of thought we would see the PI be shot in the head or something.

Edited May 2, 2022 by Marley

[90sfan]

When Ruth pulled up to her property, I still had hope that somehow she would not be killed. At first I thought maybe the Acting Sheriff would show up and that he had been watching her since she confessed. I thought maybe when Camila emerged from the woods that she would end up surrounded by law enforcement.

When that didn't happen, I thought maybe Ruth and Camila would strike up some deal to get rid of Marty and Wendy. I wanted Ruth to be the one to make it out alive.

[gesundheit]

I thought Ruth walking to that car was very in character. There wasn't a way out, she knew it was over. As someone mentioned above, she opted to go out like a boss. Perfect tragic ending for her. Locked in the second she killed Javi in front of Claire, a completely unknown entity. The Byrdes were obviously going to cover for her as long as they could, but Claire was a variable leaving her exposed. She knew when she did that, it was going to blow back on her -- she just didn't care.

 

The PI at the end was a bit ridiculous, of course. Yes, this was always pulp tragedy, but whew, kind of silly use of the trope. "I'll go announce what I have on them, that I have nothing left to lose and only want to take them down while taunting them! What could go wrong, they won't do anything to me, I'm only allegedly obsessed with them because she had her own brother murdered!"

 

I was fine with Jonah killing him, though. Completes the arc, nobody gets out of this uncorrupted. They made their kid a killer so they could "get away clean." Perfect.

[ICantDoThatDave]

17 hours ago, Avaleigh said:

Far from a perfect ending but I didn't hate it as much as others did.

Same here - overall I liked the ending (as someone upthread pointed out, the Goodbye special called the Byrdes "an invasive species" & they tend to survive while everyone around them dies off) as well as the final season as a whole.  Some parts I didn't like, but overall it worked for me.  Nowhere near as bad as the Dexters or GoTs of the world, IMO.

Quote

Agreed that it was out of character for Ruth to approach a random car unarmed. At the same time, I'm okay with her death, I just wish it had happened differently.

I've seen others express this but I don't think it was that unusual.  I think she thought for the first time in a long while she was "safe", so let her guard down a bit (EDIT: although the interpretation above that "she knew it was over" is also valid).

As far as being unarmed, she was going legit - she couldn't very well carry around a gun legally, either on her or in her car, & definitely not to that fund-raiser (a quick trip to Google tells me that getting your record expunged does not mean you can legally purchase a gun).  The trailer where she kept the shotgun we saw get demolished, & I doubt she could have kept it on the construction site anyway.  The gun she used on Nathan was in a safe at the hotel. I don't think she had a lot of options.

Edited May 2, 2022 by ICantDoThatDave

[BC4ME]

Like others have said, it’s not an ending I hated the most of any ending for any series, but for that quality of a show, they sure didn’t stick the landing imo. Really didn’t like how Ruth went out. Really disappointed at the car crash. Jesus, come on. Not even a scratch on any of them. Why did they even include that?  So many loose or illogical endings.
 

It just didn’t tie things up well enough for me. Very disappointed.

[ICantDoThatDave]

I agree on the car crash.  That was a complete whiff for me.  I honestly thought it was gonna be simply symbolic - as in, before these last few episodes, I did not expect to see that scene actually happen for real, but more as a metaphor for "they think they're going to get out, they are so close! but then... disaster strikes! dun dun dun" that the showrunners threw in that we could look back on & say, "ohhh... I get it now."

So when the scene actually started (& granted it took me a few seconds to recognize it was happening) I was like "oh, huh, they're really doing this" & I was a bit let down just on that front.  Then it just led to... nothing much really.  So I was disappointed that 1) it was real, but more 2) it didn't much matter.

[DrSpaceman73]

It wasn't a bad ending it was just kind of bland. 

The whole second half of the last season was slow moving dull and predictable. 

And I really like the first half. 

[DoctorAtomic]

I think the car crash brought the kids back into the fold. 

[ICantDoThatDave]

I mean, yeah, it did, but that whole situation had already been dealt with.  The kids were already talking about, even joking about, the future before the crash, & were pretty clearly back "in".  Ruth dealt with it. 

It just didn't need the whole "OMG foreshadowing scene! when is this gonna happen?!?" treatment.  It was overblown & ham-fisted.  IMO at least.  Still liked the final season as a whole, but that scene was not as pivotal as it was played up to be.

[UnknownK]

I liked the ending because in real life that is probably what would have happened. Marty and Wendy made a weird combo of a money launderer trying to keep his head low and a wife who wanted power to screw with people like her father had over her. Smarts and the ability to get others to do what you want using money, greed, and threats is how the cartel, FBI, and Byrdes did business.

Ruth was dead girl walking as soon as she killed the cartel guy in front of witnesses. You can pretty much kill anybody in the Ozarks and get rid of the body without the local corrupt law enforcement figuring anything out if there are no witnesses. I mean the acting sheriff pinned a dual homicide on a farm worker who stole a couple of trinkets worth next to nothing for drug money. If he had killed those two for money he would have taken anything of value in the house. Ruths problem was she was hillbilly smart in that she could learn how to do middle management yet wasn't smart enough to take the cash and run when things were going downhill. You can say family is everything but when yours is getting smaller and smaller every year because of violence till you have none why bother staying.

[ICantDoThatDave]

I honestly think if, in these last episodes, they played that whole "car crash" scene exactly the same, with all the episodes right before it the same, but when we saw it "for real", like they were in the car, exact same dialogue, leads up to the "crash", but... they avoided the crash in real life & just kept driving, like "whoah! that was close!"... that would have been better screen-writing. Because that's what *actually* happened, in the show. Better symbolism I guess.

EDIT: But clearly keep the earlier "foreshadowing scene".

Edited May 3, 2022 by ICantDoThatDave

[IslandGirl]

I think Ruth was suicidal, so similar to suicide by cops, when Ruth marched over to the car unarmed, she knew she’d be shot…😞

[BC4ME]

Judging by how fast she spilled the beans on Ruth, Marty and Wendy will need to “get rid” of Clare. And there will keep being more Clares who they will have to take care of in order to “ save the family.” Because that’s the way they’re living their lives now. And that’s how they justify it. And they’re all on board.

[ICantDoThatDave]

Unless the Byrdes feel like making the same "mistake" Ruth did, they are done with Clare.  They have no reason to ever care about her again.  They are out & done.  The ended where I wish Ruth did - done.

[Racj82]

I'm not mad at the finale at all. No matter what they did, it would have been terrible, or top safe or didn't answer enough questions to someone. Just end the show the way you want to.

The Bryrde's are too far gone. Even Marty in the end is smirking at the sight of his son about to commit murder. They are the villains of this peace. Just in different ways.

I shed no tears for Ruth. She had a shit go of it in life but she constantly made her own bed. Now, she had to lay in it. Marty, for all his faults, tried and did save her from herself and her impulses so many times. But, her time was up.

Someday, the Byrde's time will be up as well. They didn't win. They just survived until the next crisis because they are stuck.

[DrSpaceman73]

They still need Clare to fund their corrupt charity. And as a means to sell opium from the cartel in the US.  

But they'll continue to have problem after problem. They're doing highly illegal things. And people know it

[AZChristian]

I originally made the comment in jest that I think Jonah shot Wendy, but having just re-watched that episode yesterday . . . I think it has plausibility.

Both of the kids knew that Wendy was the source of their ongoing problems, and they were both done with dealing with her.  Marty was willing to go into witness protection, but Wendy was not having it.  With Wendy out of the picture, he and kids would have their best opportunity to start a new life, without having to constantly worry about her sabotaging that new life.

Besides, Mel was holding Ben's ashes in that goat cookie jar.  Jonah would have made him put it down before shooting him.  He may have shot Mel after he shot Wendy (just to keep him quiet), but I really want to believe Jonah shot Wendy, they threw her in the trunk of Marty's car and drove her to the crematorium, and then headed off to Washington State and a new life.

[DoctorAtomic]

He could have shot the cookie jar. No more evidence for Mel. 

I wanted him to and still think he shot Mel. I don't think it's plausible he shot Wendy.

[Anela]

No!! God damn, poor Ruth, and Jonah using that fucking gun after all. That is not the ending I wanted, at all. 

[Anela]

On 4/29/2022 at 5:52 PM, Avabelle said:

Cannot believe I wasted four years on this show for that ending. Waste. No payoff. I know the writers think they’re being smart and delivering some deep and meaningful message about good v evil but this was just shit. A shit, shit ending.

All of that crap about "you know how she is" when it came to the kids wanting their dad to leave Wendy, and then they're all cool with it, and joining in? I'm so pissed.

I'm also pissed that the PI ended up doing something I hoped he would do, and then he waited around to explain in great detail, what he planned to do with it. I thought about the evidence being *right there*, so take the damn thing, or get a warrant, don't tell them, like the villain in a stupid book or movie.

Edited May 3, 2022 by Anela

[Raja]

On 4/30/2022 at 7:47 PM, Stats Queen said:

Well, that ending was such a let down. What was the point of the flashforward with the car rolling? I thought that a least one of her would be dead. Instead, it was, oh, we were in a car accident. Why show of this suspenseful moment for it to end up being totally meaningless.

I thin Ruth expected to die. But she is not stupid enough to get out of her car and approach a stopped ve Nile, Maybe she figured that it was inevitable and she has made peace with it.

I really thought all of it after the car crash was kind of pointless and more of the same.

Many of these shows are now ending by taking a big character out just before the end. A clean accidental death for Wendy would have done that, but they tried to fool us when she started to move.

The character that I feel for is Charlotte. With Jonah's kill and his high school accounting skills being a chip off of daddy's block he is set up to be a big boss somewhere down the line. What is there for Charlotte except being married off in a cartel political exchange.

[Anela]

On 4/30/2022 at 11:22 AM, tomsmom said:

I liked the end. The whole reason Marty and Wendy did everything they did was to get out of that life and go legit and that’s what happened. 

I hoped Ruth would make it out but unfortunately she had to pay for Javi, just like Javi did for Wyatt.

When does Wendy pay for Ben's death? When does the other woman pay for Ruth's death? When does anyone in that cartel, pay for the deaths of everyone they've killed? 

[Anela]

On 5/1/2022 at 2:19 PM, cdnalor said:

I'd rather think that Jonah shot the cookie jar, scattering the ashes, and then they chased the PI away while they cleaned up the ashes.

Totally out of character for Ruth to just walk up to that vehicle empty-handed after everything that's happened on this show.  She would have either u-turned out of there, dropping f-bombs all the way, or marched into her trailer to get the shotgun like she's done so many times.

That deep into it, there's no way the Byrdes are getting free of anything.  At best, it's a temporary respite until the cartel or the FBI want something else.

A disappointing finale, in my opinion.

 

 

 

I hope he just shot the cookie jar. I hadn't thought of that. I doubt it, though.

The only thing I liked about it, was Ruth being Ruth to the very end. She didn't think she needed a gun, she thought she was in the clear. It was out of character for her to just approach the car, but everything she said to Camila was pure Ruth. 

[Raja]

50 minutes ago, Anela said:

When does Wendy pay for Ben's death? When does the other woman pay for Ruth's death? When does anyone in that cartel, pay for the deaths of everyone they've killed? 

They don't, justice does not always play out. If it did Navarro wouldn't have had that estate and empire in he first place for Camila to absorb.

[Anela]

19 minutes ago, Raja said:

They don't, justice does not always play out. If it did Navarro wouldn't have had that estate and empire in he first place for Camila to absorb.

But people were saying that Ruth had to die, because she killed Javi. If justice doesn't always play out, she didn't have to die. Javi had it coming more than she did. 

[EllaWycliffe]

I mean, I don't think Ruth was the worst in murdering others but from a fairness standard.....

Javi killed Wyatt over business, at the end of the day.

Ruth killed Javi for killing her family member 

Camilla killed Ruth for... killing her family member. 

If you're going to kill in revenge, that same thing can easily happen to you.

[DoctorAtomic]

Really you could call Wyatt collateral damage. Javier had no context for the situation. It's not like if only Darlene was killed, Wyatt would have continued the heroin trade. I mean, if he happened to be in the bathroom, we're not here. 

[gesundheit]

Ruth killed emotionally, without a plan, caring none for blowback. On purpose. That's why she had to die and far worse people didn't, because they're better at it. She was willing to go out for it and did. Textbook tragedy (not very tragic when the worst folks die), but a little satisfaction in the fact that she went out on her terms.

[Anela]

I might change my mind in the future, but for now, I'm still pissed. 

[Johnny Dollar]

The Byrdes aren’t really out after all. With Ruth being killed, the FBI and Camila will still need someone to launder their cash. And I would trust Omar before I would trust Camila to keep up their end of the bargain. Welcome back Marty!

[DoctorAtomic]

If all Marty had to do is launder money, I don't think he's got much is a problem with that. It's all the other nonsense he's had to deal with. And he doesn't need to be at the Belle 24/7 to do it. 

[DrSpaceman73]

I think some of you are overlooking one of the major themes of the first several seasons by thinking 

1.  The cartel is their biggest threat and

2.  The Byrds brought none if this on themselves outside the initial decision to work with the cartel. 

3.  The Byrds aren't part of the problem 

Working with politicians, drug companies, the fbi, all just as complicated and risky and working with the cartel. The pharmaceutical company for one is illegally importing opium for their pharmaceuticals.  I'm not sure the fbi even knows that part.  If anyone finds that out they are all spending a long time in jail. 

They've covered up information on countless murders in the area

Wendy does not have it in her nature to 'go straight.' If their is more power and money to be obtained, she will seek ot out no matter the legality.  In fact, if anything, getting away with all this likely makes her even more bold in her actions. Wendy and Camila are one and the same. 

And she and Marty keep telling themselves it's all for their family and their kids, but it's a lie.  They do it for themselves. And they've ruined those kids. 

They aren't 'out' by any means. Just the opposite. This solidifies them all as 'fully in', for life.  Their daughter shifted over in part one of this season we saw that. Jonah was the last hold out and the last scene showed he is in with the rest of them. This was the story of them all becoming sucked into the life of greed and corruption. 

Edited May 4, 2022 by DrSpaceman73

[SandyToes]

On 5/1/2022 at 4:30 PM, DoctorAtomic said:

I've been rooting for them to 'get away with it' since the start. Marty was good at his job. It's criminal, but he was the best. Wendy was good at her job. Being massively manipulative. The tragic part I guess is that the kids can't live a normal life, but that never was really an option once they moved to the Ozarks. 

We were too, kind of.  If ONLY they had been likeable people!  Sometimes you can root for the bad guys if they have some redeeming qualities.  That was my one big issue with this series - there were no likeable characters (for me.) Ruth came closest, but even the kids were awful for a while there in the middle.  We did like how Marty was always so able to quickly, and calmly, respond to any sudden obscure and often horrible twist in the middle of a conversation. We just found the series the last month or so, so I'm sorry for those of you who invested years in this!  Ack!

We also half-expected Ruth to shoot Camila.  And I think Jonah shooting Wendy is a possibility, too.  Doubtful, but just maybe....

The car crash was stupid.  And who goes through a crash like that with NO scrapes, cuts, bruises??  Little details like that bug me and take me out of the moment. 

I'd have probably bailed on the series after the first season or so, but the Spousal Unit is a 'finish what we start" kind of guy, so....

[Rootbeer]

12 hours ago, Johnny Dollar said:

The Byrdes aren’t really out after all. With Ruth being killed, the FBI and Camila will still need someone to launder their cash. And I would trust Omar before I would trust Camila to keep up their end of the bargain. Welcome back Marty!

Not only that, but Camila knows they lied to her about who killed Javi and she isn't likely to forgive and forget anytime soon.  They're screwed and they know it.

[Shriekingeel]

Such a terrible end for the series. The pointless fake-out with the auto accident was a complete waste of time. 

[DoctorAtomic]

1 hour ago, Rootbeer said:

Not only that, but Camila knows they lied to her about who killed Javi and she isn't likely to forgive and forget anytime soon.  They're screwed and they know it.

Not necessarily. Wendy and Marty have more sway with the FBI than Camila. The FBI only needs a functional 'head of cartel'. It's changed three times now. If Camila moves out of her lane, they'll replace her. The agent clearly said, 'you're agreement is verbal but binding'. That's essentially 'you serve at our pleasure'. 

[Johnny Dollar]

Sway with the FBI won’t help when Camila sends a hit man after you and your family or the FBI changes tactics and considers you expendable. 

[DoctorAtomic]

The Byrdes are never going to be expendable. 

[Marley]

I’ve been thinking about this finale the last few days and I’ve changed my mind and I don’t like it now. I’m disappointed at how it just cut off at the end and it just could’ve been so much better. Stupid all around. Too much time spent on the dumb grandpa too.

[Chicago Redshirt]

18 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

The Byrdes are never going to be expendable. 

It depends on who's doing the consideration.

Helen considered the Byrdes expendable and tried to orchestrate their deaths. Fortunately for the Byrdes, Omar considered Helen more expendable than them.

There were numerous times when Omar considered them expendable if the Byrdes could not pull off some crazy-ass task. Fortunately, the Byrdes kept on producing. But there are only so many miracles up their sleeve.

Javi considered the Byrdes expendable and clearly was getting in a position to off them. He probably would have moved faster if he had known half the stuff they were doing behind his back. Fortunately for the Byrdes, he was offed before he could pull that off.

I have no doubt that if Camilla were to find out that Marty and Wendy were complicit in Javi's death and hid the truth from her, Camilla would not give two shits about how much cartel money the Byrdes launder or how well they can do it.

There comes a point where the Byrdes become more trouble than they are worth. And they probably are already at that point for Camila and were for Omar. They just didn't know it.

Oh, and the FBI also consider the Byrdes expendable. It would totally look the other way if the cartel killed the Byrdes if it meant continuing on with million dollar seizures.

[Raja]

6 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

It depends on who's doing the consideration.

Helen considered the Byrdes expendable and tried to orchestrate their deaths. Fortunately for the Byrdes, Omar considered Helen more expendable than them.

There were numerous times when Omar considered them expendable if the Byrdes could not pull off some crazy-ass task. Fortunately, the Byrdes kept on producing. But there are only so many miracles up their sleeve.

Javi considered the Byrdes expendable and clearly was getting in a position to off them. He probably would have moved faster if he had known half the stuff they were doing behind his back. Fortunately for the Byrdes, he was offed before he could pull that off.

I have no doubt that if Camilla were to find out that Marty and Wendy were complicit in Javi's death and hid the truth from her, Camilla would not give two shits about how much cartel money the Byrdes launder or how well they can do it.

There comes a point where the Byrdes become more trouble than they are worth. And they probably are already at that point for Camila and were for Omar. They just didn't know it.

Oh, and the FBI also consider the Byrdes expendable. It would totally look the other way if the cartel killed the Byrdes if it meant continuing on with million dollar seizures.

True, with the FBI running cover for the cartel you don't need the world's most brilliant money launderer. You just need someone good enough to slow down other agencies long enough for the FBI to tell them that they have an undercover operation under  way. Maya could have done it if the agency trusted her.

Edited May 6, 2022 by Raja

[Totale]

I really thought there was just as good a chance that Jonah shot Wendy as Mel, moved by overhearing his "you don't get to win" speech.

[BC4ME]

8 hours ago, Totale said:

I really thought there was just as good a chance that Jonah shot Wendy as Mel, moved by overhearing his "you don't get to win" speech.

My own takeaway from that last scene was the corruption of the family was complete, with Jonah finally coming into the fold full force by killing Mel to “save the family.” Even more meaningful because he killed the man who found out the truth about Ben, who he loved and held his death against his mother. They are all complicit now, even their 15 year old son. 

[Chaos Theory]

I thought the ending was brilliant,   I am not sure what people were expecting.   Marty and Wendy were always going to get away with it.  That was the shows entire point.   “That’s not how the world works.”  “Since when?”      
 

Is the vitrol because of Ruth’s death?  Because that was kind of telegraphed too.   From the moment she shot Javier her days were numbered.   She is exactly the girl who “almost makes it out” but gets caught up in the end by the Langmore curse.    Because that is how the world works.  

Charlotte and Jonah can rebel all they want and wish for another life but they are who they are and when someone threatens their family they will ultimately chose to defend their family.

i honestly don’t see another way the show could have ended.  I get that people wanted Marty and Wendy to get caught or dead  and Ruth to get everything she ever wanted but this show was never written as a fantasy.   The Byrds of the world win.  

They just do.

 

Edited May 6, 2022 by Chaos Theory