PHOTOSWhy Did 'Outer Banks' Kill Off One of the Main Characters in Season 4?
'Outer Banks' left fans devastated and outraged after its fourth season killed off a fan-favorite character: Rudy Pankow's JJ.
How Did 'Outer Banks' Season 4 End?
The second part of 'Outer Banks' Season 4 premiered on November 7.
Viewers experienced a whirlwind of emotions after Outer Banks aired its Season 4 – Part 2 on November 7. The final episode saw Rudy Pankow's JJ and Madison Bailey's Kiara finally getting the Blue Crown they had been looking for and running for it in Morocco.
Suddenly, JJ's biological father — J. Anthony Crane's Chandler Groff — grabbed Kiara and threatened her with a knife, forcing his son to give him the treasure. He soon fatally stabbed JJ and left him to die in Kiara's arms.
"Take care of the others. I love you, Kie," JJ told Kiara before taking his last breath.
"It's something that's engineered to be gratuitous," showrunner Shannon Burke said of the death in an interview with EW. "JJ totally is at peace, that's the intent. He's gotten past this. He's been in a bad place and has been spinning for a lot of the season...And you feel when he comes back [after saving Sarah] that he's in a better place and that there's a long and bright future with him and Kiara, so it makes it extra tragic, what happens."
The 58-year-old novelist shared a similar sentiment with Deadline, saying it was "always JJ that was going" to die, but they "just weren't sure how we were going to play it."
Why Did 'Outer Banks' Kill Off Rudy Pankow's JJ?
The 'Outer Banks' storyline was reportedly revamped because of issues in the third season.
Following the season finale, DeuxMoi released a report about the behind-the-scenes drama of Outer Banks.
"Rudy asked them to write him off because of the drama! Production got mad and they had to refilm episodes," claimed the insider.
The source added, "They filmed episode 10 before the last episodes of the first half and Rudy didn't tell the cast so it threw them off. In the last episode you can see how mad everyone was at Rudy. It's a mess and it pissed off production but they are going to brush it off like it's 'always been the plan.'"
What Has Rudy Pankow Said About His Character?
Netflix released a clip featuring the cast and creators as they talked about 'Outer Banks' Season 4 finale.
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Netflix shared a behind-the-scenes clip on its YouTube channel, sharing what the stars and creators thought about JJ's death.
Pankow, who portrayed the character over the past four seasons, said, "When I first found out that JJ was going to risk it all and not make it, I understood it. 'Cause when I read the character breakdown for the audition, it said 'loyal to a fault.' And I think as the stakes got higher and higher, his whole thing is he takes the risk and puts his friends before himself."
Will Rudy Pankow Return as JJ on 'Outer Banks' Season 5?
Netflix confirmed 'Outer Banks' Season 5 will be the last one.
As of press time, neither Pankow nor Netflix has confirmed his appearance on Outer Banks Season 5. However, fans speculated the Pogues might use the Blue Crown to bring JJ back. They also assumed Pankow could reappear in flashback moments.
What Will Happen on 'Outer Banks' Season 5?
'Outer Banks' premiered in 2020.
In an Instagram post, the Outer Banks creators revealed what they envisioned for the series' conclusion.
"From this beginning, we imagined a mystery that would lead to a five-season journey of adventure, treasure hunting and friendship," said the showrunners. "We hope to bring our beloved Pogues home in the way we imagined and planned years ago. We hope you'll join us for one more paddle out to the surf break."
