How Marty Might Have Known About The Helen Scene In Ozark Season 3

Contains spoilers for season 3 of Ozark

In case you hadn't heard, the third season of Netflix's bracing, relentlessly bleak crime drama Ozark made its way to the platform a couple months back, and holy cow did things continue to get complicated for Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman) and the rest of his family. In fact, the stakes of the game for Marty, Wendy (Laura Linney) and the rest of the Byrdes have never been higher, which naturally means that Cartel bosses, Kansas City gangsters, and backwoods heroin queenpins continue to descend upon Missouri's great man-made lake (though the show is shot in Georgia).

The bloody season 3 finale was a real jaw-dropper. Most of that blood belonged to Cartel boss Omar Navarro's (Felix Solis) top advisor, Helen Pierce (Janet McTeer), and much of it ended up spattered across the faces of the genuinely shocked Marty and Wendy Byrde, who were quickly "comforted" in the embrace of Navarro himself. The ghastly moment brought a brutal end to Helen's well-laid plans to usurp the Byrdes in their laundering empire, and it instantly ranked at the top of Ozark's long list of narrative shockers.

As with most of the curveballs Ozark has thrown its fans, Helen's abrupt cancellation has left many spinning wild theories about not only what it means for Marty and his flock moving forward, but whether the not-so-mild-mannered accountant was directly involved in planning the act himself. As reported by the The Express, one savvy Redditor is convinced Marty knew precisely what fate awaited Helen in Mexico, as he'd masterminded the events with both Navarro and Helen's trusted hitman Nelson (Nelson Bonilla).  

As for what Helen's exit means for the Byrdes, they're now officially all in with Omar Navarro, which is definitely a dangerous place to be. As for that wild theory about Marty knowing all about Helen's fate, well, it's a shaky theory, but this Redditor might be onto something. 

In his post, u/davkroo states simply, "I personally think Nelson, Marty, and Navarro were in on something for a while there at the end of season 3." The suspicion derives from a scene in which Marty and Wendy are boarding a plane to Mexico. Special Agent Maya Miller (Jessica Frances Duke) warns Marty they might be walking into trap. Marty responds simply with, "Thank you for the warning," and boards the plane. Seems davkroo believes Marty's relative indifference signals he's not concerned for his or Wendy's wellbeing — because he's brokered a deal with Navarro.

Part of the theory is that Helen's murder would help Marty sway the allegiance of Agent Miller, as he promised Navarro he'd do. As Helen slyly brokered a deal with the FBI on Marty's behalf (behind Marty's back), it stands to reason that the deal going bad would put Marty in a better position with Agent Miller. But even as conspiracy theories go, this one still feels sort of thin, and as of this writing there's no real evidence to back the theory that Marty knew about Helen's murder. 

Regarding the circumstances of the Byrdes so willingly boarding the fateful flight, we'd point out Marty and Wendy weren't in any position to try and make a break as the murderous Nelson was personally escorting them aboard. Whatever the case, it should be fascinating to see what drove Navarro to take Helen out when season 4 of Ozark hits Netflix.