Dhruv Trivedi
What would ‘Ozark‘ be without Ruth Langmore? The scrappy Langmore has survived longer odds than most seasoned criminals, but that doesn’t change the fact that young Ruth is surrounded by danger constantly. In season 4, this is truer than ever before. Ruth isn’t one for being scared and has often left Marty speechless with her instant rebuttals, irrespective of who is on the receiving end.
However, after her beloved cousin, Wyatt, is senselessly murdered, Ruth goes after the most dangerous person she might have ever dealt with. As unthinkable as it seems, could ‘Ozark’ season 4 be the end of the road for Ruth Langmore? Take a deep breath and read on. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Does Ruth Langmore Die in Ozark?
Whereas many characters of ‘Ozark’ meet ill-fated and sudden ends, Ruth’s curse seems to be that those around her keep dying, particularly members of her family. Following her two uncles and father, Cade, her cousin Wyatt is the fourth Langmore that we see get killed on the show. Combine this with the recent murder of her lover, Ben, and it is easy to see why Ruth is close to her wit’s end.
Partial credit for Ruth having stayed alive for so long also goes to Marty Byrde, whose level-headed and calculated approach has stopped his ill-tempered prodigy from going through with her rash decisions on multiple occasions. Most memorably, the Byrdes stop Ruth from killing Frank Jr. (the son of the Kansas City mob leader) after he assaults the young Langmore. However, combined with various other factors, the Byrdes’ inaction causes Ruth to become completely disillusioned, and she leaves their employ on a pretty harsh note.
Thus, when Wyatt gets killed, Ruth is in no mood to listen to Marty’s pacifying statements. With a shotgun in hand, she sets off to confront Javi — the new leader of the Navarro cartel and strong contender for the most dangerous criminal on ‘Ozark’ (which is saying something, given the colorful variety of murderous characters on the show). Even though there is a lot that Ruth can get done on her own, killing the head of one of the most powerful drug cartels in the world might not be one of them.
Ruth is alive at the end of ‘Ozark’ season 4 part 1. However, she is swiftly moving towards an inescapably deadly situation. Going up against Javi armed with just a shotgun seems like certain death. The only glimmer of hope is that on her way to the new cartel boss, Ruth stops on the side of the road. Though we don’t see what happens next, it could be because she has realized that attacking Javi without a plan is sheer suicide.
Considering how much she loved Wyatt, it is highly unlikely Ruth will just walk away. She has Javi fixed firmly in her sights and is going to try and kill him, one way or the other. Unfortunately, as long as Ruth is chasing down Javi, she is walking a perilous path that has all the signs of ending with her own demise. It all looks very bleak (as is usually the case with ‘Ozark’), but don’t lose hope yet. With Darlene gone, can you think of a more fitting person than Ruth to kill the head of the Navarro cartel? If the narrative takes a poetic bent, things might just work out for our favorite Langmore.
