Ozark Season 4 Explains Why Ben Died Off-screen (He's Not Still Alive)
Warning: the following contains SPOILERS for Ozark.
Ozark's Ben Davis (Tom Pelphrey) was introduced in Ozark season 3, and the character's off-screen death has led many to speculate about whether Ben is still alive. Indeed, as the extremely unpredictable but charismatic and lovable brother of Wendy Byrde (Laura Linney), Ben has quickly become one of Ozark's most beloved characters. While Ben no longer appears in Ozark season 4, part 1, the events in the new season offer some insights regarding why the death of such an impactful character wasn't shown onscreen.
Ben's first appearance on the show is in Ozark season 3, episode 2 “Civil Union.” Ben serves as a good uncle to Jonah (Skylar Gaertner), and the two even use the drone gifted to Jonah by Charlotte (Sofia Hublitz) to inadvertently gather evidence that ends up bringing down the Lagunas cartel and saving the Byrdes. Ben also becomes the first person on the show to successfully court Ruth Langmore (Julia Garner). When Ben's bipolar medication sabotages Ben's developing romance with Ruth, Ben stops taking them, which begins the character's downward spiral into becoming a liability to the cartel. Unable to process the fact that his family is working for a hyper-violent Mexican narco organization, combined with his choice to seize his medication, Ben confronts Helen Pierce (Janet McTeer) and reveals to her daughter Erin (Madison) that her mother is a drug cartel lawyer. Wendy green-lights Ben's execution, which was completed by Navarro cartel enforcer Nelson (Nelson Bonilla). Even after Ben's death, the character's presence remains strong in the Ozarks.
Ozark season 4 explores the impact of Ben's death on the lives of the loved ones that he left behind. In a way, Ben didn't truly die, as Wendy's manipulative PR strategy, the missing posters, and the effects of Ben's death on Ruth, Jonah, and other cast members give Ben a big presence in Ozark season 4. Despite how Ben was a liability to the Navarro cartel, he also served as a kind of moral compass for Wendy, he was there for the Byrde children when their parents were otherwise engaged, and he pulled off the impossible when he made Ruth genuinely happy. In short, Ozark's treatment of Ben's death is a way of not just showing respect to the character, but also of painting a clearer picture of the grief and sadness felt by those that loved him. Ozark's simple reason for not showing Ben getting executed is to soften the blow on the viewers, as Ben has already been through so much pain, stress, and confusion due to both his mental illness and the Byrdes' involvement with the cartel.
Ben was the most tortured character in Ozark, and the show's decision not to show how he was executed by Nelson is a way of saying that the character has had enough. Moreover, Ozark season 4, part 1 shows no signs of Ben being still alive, and the finality of his death has served its purpose in the show. Since there's no reason for either the Navarro cartel, the Byrdes, or even Ozark itself to keep Ben alive, it's time to lay this theory to rest.
Ozark season 4 continues the story of the Byrde family as they launder their way to security and political power. Although Ben is truly dead, his presence continues to haunt the Ozarks. Ozark season 4, part 2 will determine whether the show's main characters learned anything from Ben's demise.