This week was a wild one for Outer Banks fans as it was announced that the series would return for a fifth and final season. The news came ahead of its Season 4 Part 2 premiere on November 7. But when Part 2 premiered, fans were shocked by the ending which resulted in fan favorite JJ (played by Rudy Pankow) dying.
However, in a recent interview with Netflix’s Tudum, Outer Banks co-creator Josh Pate said that JJ’s death was always part of the plan: “It was a really hard decision because he’s such a great piece of the ensemble. It sets the stage for an epic fifth and final season. We’re planning a story of redemption, and a season that embodies the friendship that JJ had come to represent. JJ’s death was a hard but necessary piece of the architecture for the story, and we plan on honoring that as much as we can because we love the character as much as the fans do. And Rudy’s a great friend of ours.”
Josh also told Tudum, “At some point, this had to happen in order to justify P4L. There’s definitely a sense of mortality that runs through the show. John B talks about it all the time.” Co-creator Shannonr Burke added: “[the Pogues are] willing to give up anything for each other, and this is the ultimate example of that.”
Tudum also spoke with Rudy, who said: “When I first found out JJ was gonna risk it all and not make it, I understood it. And the risks got bigger and bigger, and the stakes got higher and higher. His death really does set up the future of OBX with the question, what is worth it? And when someone that close to you is gone, how do you navigate that?”
Outer Banks Season 4 Part 1 & 2 are streaming on Netflix.
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