Ozark season 3 featured the deaths of some major characters, but is there a chance that Ben Davis (Tom Pelphrey) is still alive? The latest season of Netflix’s hit crime drama arrived at the end of March 2020 and continued the story of the Byrd family. After successfully launching a casino, Ozark season 3 saw Marty (Jason Bateman) and Wendy’s (Laura Linney) relationship tested as they became even more entrenched in the empire of Mexican drug lord Omar Navarro (Felix Solis). Netflix’s subscribers responded very well to the series, as it was a bigger hit than Tiger King.
Ozark‘s ability to dive deeper into the characters fans of the show were already familiar with was one of the main reasons why the third season elevated the series to a new level, but so too was the addition of Tom Pelphrey as Wendy’s brother Ben. Previous seasons of the show referenced him as a danger and season 3 showed the full range of Ben’s personality. When he wasn’t busy falling in love with Ruth Langmore (Julia Garner) or trying to be a great uncle, Ben slowly began to unravel as he stopped taking his medication. This made him a problem for the Byrds and Navarro, leading to them making the difficult decision to kill Ben.
At first, Wendy attempted to save Ben’s life by putting him in a mental institution and then helping him flee the state, but it eventually became clear that this wouldn’t work. Wendy instead left Ben at a restaurant where one of Helen’s men came to take him. The show then reveals Marty getting possession of his body and cremating him. Ben’s death not only sent shockwaves through Ozark, but also fans of the show who didn’t want to see him die, especially in this manner. But there is a chance (albeit a small one) that he might still be alive.
In the world of entertainment, there is an unwritten rule concerning whether or not someone died: if you don’t see the body, then the person isn’t dead. Ozark season 3 cleverly plays with this idea. When Helen’s henchman delivers the body to Marty and Ruth, it is completely wrapped in a blanket, concealing the identity of the body to the viewers and the show’s characters. This could mean that Ben didn’t die after all and this is all one big cover-up to get him out the picture, with Ben potentially sent to an institution again. This could mean that he would be able to return in season 4, which would certainly complicate the storyline – in an interesting way, that is.
Even though Ozark season 3 doesn’t show Ben’s death or body after the fact, it is still difficult to believe that he is still somehow alive. Wendy, particularly, is broken up about Ben’s death, and her emotions are intensified by the guilt she feels because she’s the one who called Helen knowing this would be the outcome. There is no evidence that she is faking the emotional turmoil or drunken afternoons in a parking lot. The only way this theory would then work is if Wendy was in the dark on what happened and Marty arranged a different deal. But since Ben’s death makes Marty and Wendy’s kids dislike them even more and results in Ruth no longer working with them, the cost of faking the event should be too big, even for Marty. If this isn’t the case though and Ben is still alive, then Ozark season 4 will have some serious explaining to do.
