Ozark's Finale Avoided The Sopranos Mistake (But Just Barely)
Warning! SPOILERS for Ozark.
Ozark’s long-anticipated finale resolves many of the show’s biggest conflicts, though it nearly made the same mistake as the often-criticized final episode of The Sopranos. The Netflix crime series first aired in the summer of 2017, following the Byrde family’s rise to power after developing a money laundering business in the Lake of the Ozarks. For four seasons, Ozark has raised the stakes and increased the number of threats against the Byrde family. Along with the criminal activity, the show’s focus on the family dynamic between the Byrdes is similar to the approach taken in The Sopranos.
Comparisons between The Sopranos and Breaking Bad have often been made, but Ozark may have even more in common with the HBO series after the finale. The Sopranos ran for six successful seasons before ending in 2007, though its influence on the television industry is still apparent. The show follows New Jersey Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) as he leads a criminal organization. Like Ozark, the illegal activities in The Sopranos have a direct impact on the family at the center of the show.
Related: Ozark: The Dark Meaning Behind The Byrde's Name Explained
The Sopranos frustrated audiences by cutting to black in the last moments of the series finale instead of offering concrete resolutions for the characters. Although The Sopranos creator later confirmed Tony’s death following this moment, the decision to cut to black instead of showing viewers this outcome resulted in an ambiguous ending. In the final moments of the last episode of Ozark, the scene similarly cuts to black during a tense interaction. The resolution of Ozark might have been as unclear as The Sopranos, if not for the
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