Content Warning: The following article contains spoilers for the Netflix series Ozark.
Life isn’t easy for the Byrde children in Netflix’s Ozark, as they live very unconventional lives thanks to their law-breaking parents, Marty and Wendy. Jonah’s story arc has been particularly interesting, as despite being protective of his family and their illegal activities at first, he has become a threat to their survival eventually.
Over the past four seasons, Jonah has experienced terrifying events that no young boy should ever have to go through. Audiences have seen how much his outlook and personality have changed since uprooting his life in Chicago all the way to laundering for Ruth Langmore. With the highly-anticipated finale just around the corner, it’s the best time to look back at how much Jonah has transformed over the past four seasons.
Season 1
Jonah is immediately set apart as one of the best characters in Ozark in the first season, as fans quickly see that he’s not an average kid. The first indication that something isn’t quite right about his relatively subtle reaction to leaving Chicago is when he’s shown watching gruesome videos. Viewers later learn that this is part of his attempts at understanding who exactly his dad is working for. This obviously makes him fearful about his and his family’s safety, which is what prompts him to secretly purchase a gun through his new friend, Tuck.
This season is also when Jonah begins to develop a close friendship with Buddy, who even teaches him how to shoot and hunt animals. It’s a good thing that he does, too, as Buddy prevents a potentially traumatic event by emptying Jonah’s gun, which he later tries to use on Garcia. By the end of season 1, fans can already tell that Jonah is beginning to change from being a quiet and reserved boy to a protective and brave protector, which is definitely not something any kid should be forced to do. As if all that isn’t bad enough, at one point, Marty even teaches Jonah how to launder money, saying his now-iconic line, “money laundering 101.” Little does he know this will backfire in the worst way soon enough.
Season 2
In season 2, Jonah is caught in the middle when Charlotte decides to file for emancipation. No one seems to be paying any attention to how this could be affecting him, which is later revealed to be a huge mistake, as he’s understandably feeling hurt and betrayed by the whole situation. He also has to learn to deal with the villainous Snells, especially Darlene, who shaves his head as a threat to his parents during one scene. His mom continues to take advantage of his rapidly improving laundering skills, even stealing his alias – Michael Fleming – and using his network to blackmail a political donor.
Of course, the defining moment for his character is Buddy’s tragic death. He has become incredibly close to the old man during their time together and even admits in his tear-jerking eulogy that he was his only friend. His heartbreaking reaction to Buddy’s passing in Wendy’s car is telling of how he will eventually resent his mother for other things. For now, though, Jonah’s experience of losing his best friend will only make him even more protective of his loved ones.
Season 3
During the beginning of season 3, all seems relatively well for Jonah, who is spending a lot of time gold farming to make his own money. He’s also happy to receive a drone from Charlotte, which he uses to improve security around the Byrdes’ home. Erin’s stay disrupts his routines, though, as he’s obviously smitten with her, not to mention Ben’s introduction into their lives. Fans may recall how a trip to a cove with Erin and Tommy almost turns violent when Jonah pulls a gun on him, which, while disturbing, is nothing compared to what he’ll do to Helen later on because of Ben.
The most crucial moment in the season for the character happens when Wendy greenlights Ben’s assassination. Ben’s heartbreaking death hits Jonah hard, as, like with Buddy, he has formed a genuine connection with the guy. This prompts the unforgettable scene where he aims a shotgun at Helen and threatens her, only to learn that it’s his mother who gave up Ben’s location. It’s an important turning point in his storyline, as it signals the start of his major conflict with Wendy.
Season 4 (Part 1)
After learning about his mother’s role in Ben’s death, Jonah thinks it’s only right to give Ben’s ashes to Ruth in season 4, which only complicates things with Wendy. They have nonstop arguments in the Byrdes’ home, which is made worse by the fact that Charlotte is now seemingly on Wendy’s side. It’s not surprising that Jonah eventually starts laundering for Ruth, as it’s an action that helps him earn money and establish autonomy, while also hurting Wendy. Eventually, things get so heated that Wendy cuts off the electricity to the basement, which forces Jonah to move out and launder from the Lazy-O. Instead of backing down, Wendy decides to endanger her own son to teach him a lesson, which has the opposite effect of what she hoped to achieve.
While all this is going on, Jonah has to deal with being once again caught in the middle, as Darlene is suspicious of his true intentions in her business. Wendy, for her part, blames her for Darlene’s decisions, like when she shouts at him for the missing posters of Ben scattered around town. Hearing his decision to stay behind while his parents go to Chicago makes perfect sense, but it’s still frustrating to see how much he’s going against his family. An important moment happens towards the riveting ending of the final episode, where Jonah puts his parents in a bad situation by telling Ruth about Javi. While it’s understandable that Jonah is hurt and disgusted by Wendy’s actions, most fans would agree that his story arc has been irritating to watch, especially since he seems to only be getting angrier with his mother. Hopefully, things will work out for the now-teenager, who has seen and been through too many horrific events at such a young age.
