‘Ozark’ ending proves the meaning of a Netflix ending

After a marathon preparation to this point, “Ozark” executive producer Chris Mundy has mixed feelings about his audience crossing the finish line at different times.

“As a viewer, I love being able to dive in and move on,” Mundy said. On the other hand: “I wish there was a way to let everyone binge on the first five” of the show’s final episodes, “and then say, ‘Now you have a weekend to do the last two, so let’s talk.'” .

The all-at-once launch model pioneered by Netflix gave users the freedom to consume TV at their own pace. But that distinguishing feature has come under scrutiny as the company grapples with subscriber loss and the need to establish more series with the kind of longevity and audience loyalty of “Ozark” or “Stranger Things,” another landmark drama. suspenseful with a conclusion. approaching.

Among the many series that have come and gone on Netflix, “Ozark” gave the streamer a rare buildup of anticipation for a final episode. In an effort to improve the fan experience, the producers of “Ozark” and Netflix attempted to remove spoilers by stipulating that reporters with early access to the ending couldn’t write about the details until Monday, three days after release. Mundy said it was the first time in the show’s run that the producers had suggested such an embargo, and they debated how long it should last.

Once upon a time, the series finale was the TV fan’s ultimate group ritual. When the original broadcast of “The Sopranos” ended on a Sunday night in 2007, nearly 12 million viewers experienced a simultaneous moment of confusion when the screen went black over Tony and his family. The ending of “Ozark” begs the question: does a long-awaited series finale pack as much punch when fans don’t experience it in unison?

“There’s a sense that we’ve put five years into this, so doing it together seems more important,” Mundy said.

When the first half of the final season of “Ozark” hit Netflix in January, interest in the show spiked for a week after those seven episodes dropped, then dipped for the following weeks, according to Parrot Analytics. The research and consulting firm tracks “demand” for titles by measuring downloads from file-sharing services, Internet searches and other activities.

A competitor crime drama on cable channel AMC, “Better Call Saul,” which airs traditionally weekly, saw a very different demand pattern.

When season 5 of “Better Call Saul,” a prequel to “Breaking Bad,” aired in 2020, each new episode was accompanied by an increase in demand, according to Parrot. After a mid-season dip, weekly demand levels increased as the season drew to a close. Following the Season 5 finale, demand for “Better Call Saul” was 53% higher than after the season premiere two months earlier.

More streaming services now use the weekly model than not. In 2020, 70% of the shows in Parrot’s top 50 ranking of new broadcast series were compulsive model releases. In 2021, that figure fell to 28%.

TV fans are divided on how these release patterns affect their relationships with their favorite shows. That goes more for the grand finals.

For the “Ozark” faithful, what really matters is whether Mr. Mundy and his team pulled off the landing and brought a satisfying resolution to all the plot forces at play. And there are many, a drug cartel, the FBI, a tenacious private investigator, zeroing in on Marty (Jason Bateman) and Wendy Byrde (Laura Linney), their children (Skylar Gaertner and Sofia Hublitz), and their accomplice Ruth (Julia). Garner).

Producer Joel Stillerman, formerly head of programming at AMC, said priorities around endings have changed for both TV companies and fans.

For AMC, the goal was to maximize ratings for the sendoffs of “Breaking Bad” in 2013 and “Mad Men” in 2015.

“Those kinds of measurements used to be hugely important in the world of linear television, where every waking moment was spent strategizing how to get as many views as possible to a piece of content,” Stillerman said. Creating landmark cultural moments around the endings was just a bonus.

Now, when it comes to a show’s long-term legacy, he added, “I don’t think it matters if people watch at the same time or experience it more slowly.”

Allison Elise, a 25-year-old “Ozark” fan in San Diego, wants her closing moment to happen with other fans, specifically the circle of half a dozen friends who have been watching “Ozark” together since 2020.

When everyone was homebound during the height of the pandemic, the group used an app that allowed them to stream episodes of “Ozark” in sync. They discussed what happened when running text messages and FaceTime calls.

To make the final moments of “Ozark” more of an event, the friends agreed to save the last two episodes and watch them together, this time in person, at Mrs. Elise’s house next Friday. “If it was just a regular season,” she said, “we wouldn’t have put time on the schedule.”