Before “Outer Banks” says goodbye to the Pogues, fans are still mourning the death of fan-favorite JJ (Rudy Pankow). After five seasons, the Netflix series is coming to an end, but JJ won’t be joining his friends for their final adventure. Although rumors surrounded Pankow’s surprise exit, “Outer Banks” co-creator Josh Pate said in a Netflix memorial video that JJ’s death “was always part of the plan.”
The character died in the Season 4 finale after trying to save Kiara (Madison Bailey) from Chandler Groff (J. Anthony Crane). Earlier in the season, JJ discovers that he was born a Kook, with his late mother belonging to a wealthy local family, and that Groff is his biological father. Groff later uses Kiara as a pawn to retrieve the Blue Crown, leading to a confrontation that costs JJ his life.
Speaking in the same Netflix video, Pankow shared that JJ’s demise reflected his unwavering loyalty to Kiara and his friend group. “I think as the stakes got higher and higher, his whole thing is he takes the risk and puts his friends before himself,” he said.
Pankow also spoke about how the death sets up the future of “Outer Banks,” leaving the Pogues questioning what is worth fighting for. Season 5 will see them grieving and embarking on a dangerous mission to avenge JJ and retrieve the Blue Crown that Groff stole.
An Outer Banks prequel is in the works
In spite of JJ’s tragic passing, Rudy Pankow is still supportive of the series that gave him his breakout role. The actor revealed on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast that he plans to watch the final season and find out what happens to the Pogues after his character’s death. “I’m totally going to watch it,” Pankow said. “I want to see how they do it. I really want to. And they’re going to crush it. No doubt.”
“Outer Banks” will wrap up with Season 5, but Netflix is already looking backward for another story in this world. The streamer confirmed on August 19, 2026, that a prequel is in the works. The project will focus on the origins of Kildare’s social divide and how the rivalry between the Pogues and the Kooks began. Although showrunners Josh Pate, Jonas Pate, and Shannon Burke started teasing the prequel a few years ago, they confirmed to Deadline that the script is already in development.
“It really is the story of how the island split — and it’s particularly relevant in our country right now — how it split into the haves and have-nots, how the Kooks and the Pogues started,” Pate told Deadline. Burke also shared that the prequel will take place 20 years before the events of “Outer Banks,” following “the parents’ generation.”
This story originally appeared on TVLine
