Ozark: Darlene's Death Could Be A Relief For The Byrdes - CBR

The following contains spoilers for Ozark Season 4, Part 1, now streaming on Netflix.

Ozark's final season will premiere April 29, 2022 with a radically different outlook. One element fans no longer have to worry about is Darlene Snell's interference with the Byrdes' business. She had become one of the most consistent threats on the show, with her irrational mood swings and intense temper tantrums causing problems for the Byrdes to solve. But at the end of Season 4, Part 1, she was eliminated -- and that might bode well for the family in Part 2.

Darlene was introduced as Jacob Snell's wife in Season 1. Marty and Wendy Byrde had to make multiple deals with Jacob to protect their family. Jacob isn't scared of the cartel nor the Kansas City Mob, so he threatened Marty without mercy, forcing the Byrdes to continuously jump through hoops to survive. Darlene became more prevalent as a threat when she killed Marty's direct contact with the cartel at the end of Season 1 -- establishing early on that she didn't understand the full consequences of her actions. She acted based off emotion, which made her one of Ozark's most dangerous characters until her murder in Season 4.

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In Season 2, Darlene shocked audiences when she killed Jacob. Throughout their marriage, he'd stood by her as he accepted her for who she was. As the threat of the cartel and FBI became more serious, Jacob began to lose his faith in Darlene because she continuously made situations worse. Her erratic actions quickly made her into a serial killer without remorse who expected everyone else to just cover for her.

When Marty finally made an agreement with Jacob, this gave the Byrdes temporary relief as they believed the Snells would no longer be an issue. At first, Darlene agreed with this line of logic -- but then she surprised Jacob with poison in his coffee. Once again, Darlene made everyone's situation much worse and ruined another one of Marty's plans to get the Byrdes out of trouble, instantly making her the strongest villain in Ozark -- a position she continued to hold throughout the rest of her lifetime.

During Season 3, Darlene continued to be a nuisance to the Byrde family, throwing in drama when it wasn't necessary. She didn't stop her mission to continue to make heroin and sell in a territory that was no longer considered hers. The only ally she had in the entire town is the sheriff, and that's because he had an agreement with Jacob long before the show began. Darlene also forced the Byrdes to give her a newborn baby, promising she would continue to harm them if they didn't comply, but Season 4 took her to another level.

RELATED: Ozark Continues to Dismiss Jonah Byrde's Mental Health

In Season 4, Part 1, Darlene made even more trouble when she started dating Wyatt -- arguably the worst character on the show. He convinced her to bring his cousin Ruth Langmore onto their team, and Ruth recruited Jonah Byrde, creating another rift within the Byrdes' already crumbling family unit. Wendy became even more threatened by Darlene because not only was she still causing problems with the police and the cartel, but now she was directly influencing Wendy's children.

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But in Season 4, Episode 7, "Sanctified," Darlene and Wyatt were killed by Javi. Their murders caused Ruth to spiral out in a panic at the very end of the episode. However, she might be the only person panicking. Darlene's death will bring some relief to the Byrdes in the final season because they no longer have to deal with whatever she might be planning or her impulsive, reckless decision-making. Since they have more than enough problems themselves, her absence is likely going to be seen as a good thing.

Ozark Season 4, Part 2 premieres April 26, 2022 on Netflix.