The fourth season of Netflix’s ‘Outer Banks‘ left fans with a major spoiler at the end of the season. Viewers weren’t prepared for a key character to die in the season finale, even though the cast hinted that the show was going deeper and more complex than it had ever been.
By the end of the season, the Pogues had made it to Morocco, where they were competing to locate the Blue Crown — a reward that had been sought after since Blackbeard’s time. Along with JJ’s (Rudy Pankow) father, Chandler Groff (J. Anthony Crane), the trio had to deal with a gang of mercenaries. The more surprising part of the ending was the death of JJ, which came across as a shock to most viewers. Here’s how JJ died and what it means for the show’s future
What Happened In The Season Four Finale?
The 85-minute season 4 finale of ‘Outer Banks‘ began with the Pogues — John, Sarah, Kiara, Pope, Cleo, and JJ — traveling to Morocco. In typical Pogue form, the team discovers the map that would lead them to the Crown after a series of spouts with Moroccan authorities.
But when they reach the isolated location where the crown resides, they encounter mercenaries who are also looking for the same crown and are murderous about it too.
JJ eventually acquires the Blue Crown and takes it down for the Pogues in the midst of a sandstorm and deadly foes. But it is taken away from them in the episode’s last seconds, leading to a full circle. The surprising part about the finale was JJ’s death.
How Does JJ Die?
After successfully recovering the crown, JJ gets back together with Kiara, and the two set out to locate the others. But after he climbs out of a well Rafe shoved him into, his father shows up out of nowhere and chokes Kiara. He orders JJ to turn over the crown so that Kiara can leave.
In a heartwarming moment, JJ tells his father that he already has all he needs—his friends—so he doesn’t need the treasure. Later on, Groff (his father) stabs JJ in the stomach, leading to his death.
In a final montage of JJ’s best moments, it says, “If JJ was the king of anything, he was the king of friendship. He held us all together. He was the best friend we ever had.”
The showrunners told Teen Vogue that JJ’s death was what they planned all along as Shannon Burke said, “We had thought that it was going to be JJ basically from the beginning. For a long time we had known that someone was going to die.“
