SPOILERS: ‘Ozark’ Showrunner Discusses Ruth’s ‘Debated’ Fate: ‘It Was Really Hard’

etcanada.com:

SPOILER ALERT: The following article contains a spoiler for the series finale of “Ozark”.  “Ozark”‘s fourth and final season has come to an end and fans may still be shocked over show writers’ decision to kill perhaps the series’ most liked character in Ruth Langmore (Julia Garner).

The decision to have Ruth shot in the final moments of the last episode didn’t come easy, however, as showrunner Chris Mundy wants fans to know that “there was a debate” in the writers’ room on Langmore’s fate. READ MORE: Jason Bateman Teases ‘Ozark’ Finale: ‘A Happy Ending — But They’re Limping’ “Half of the writers, or maybe a little under half, felt that there was something nice to knowing that Ruth would be out there in the world and doing well,” Mundy told TVLine.

Although the other half won, the screenwriter noted that Langmore “was going to be alive” at first, until Netflix ordered an additional four episodes to the final season, changing the 10-episode plan to 14 episodes, which ultimately shifted the entire outcome of the series finale.

Cancelling Langmore’s happy ending simply came down to the story’s lack of honesty “if everyone just gets off too easily.” READ MORE: Ruth Has Scores To Settle In ‘Ozark’ Final Season Trailer Speaking on the series’ conclusion of the Byrdes, Mundy points out that Marty and Wendy “don’t get away clean karma-wise, but they do get away clean in terms of their lives and their success,” as they quite literally dodge one last bullet. “It started to feel like the writers were just imposing a happy ending on things because we’re kind of like surrogate parents of the characters.