Rudy Pankow as JJ and Madison Bailey as Kiara on ‘Outer Banks.’ Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix
Outer Banks‘ fifth and remaining season is off to a rocky begin after the controversial determination to kill fan-favorite character JJ Maybank.
The hit Netflix sequence, which debuted in 2020, follows the battle between two teams of youngsters in a coastal North Carolina city. The social divide is launched by way of the Kooks a.ok.a the rich residents and the working class, who’re also called the Pogues. The seek for a misplaced treasure causes the teams to be much more at odds whereas a discovered household types between the good friend group on the heart of the present.
It was confirmed in November 2024 that Outer Banks would wrap up John B (Chase Stokes), Sarah (Madelyn Cline), Kiara (Madison Bailey), Pope (Jonathan Daviss), JJ (Rudy Pankow) and Cleo’s (Carlacia Grant) particular person arcs in season 5. Whereas followers have been initially excited for one remaining journey with the Pogues, issues took a flip when the season 4 finale ended with JJ’s surprising dying.
Whereas some viewers criticized the present’she determination to eliminate one of many foremost characters — seemingly stored out of left subject — government producer Jonas Pater, claimed JJ’s dying was at all times the plan.
“It’s been sort of lurking in his DNA from the start. He’s actually a tragic determine, and the thought of mortality, and also you solely have a finite window — it’s additionally a theme of the present,” Pate instructed The Hollywood Reporter in November 2024. “It’s one thing John B has talked about from the primary season. So consider it or not, that is one thing that was at all times type of baked within the cake, and we simply needed to inform the story as elegantly and apparently as doable.”
Pankow weighed in on the shocking narrative determination as effectively, telling Netflix’s Tudum that very same month, “After I first discovered JJ was gonna danger all of it and never make it, I understood it. And the dangers bought larger and larger, and the stakes bought greater and better. His dying actually does arrange the way forward for OBX with the query, what’s price it? And when somebody that near you is gone, how do you navigate that?”
The ultimate season explores Kiara’s plans for revenge after her boyfriend’s dying. Outer Banks will even reveal whether or not the Pogues can full their remaining treasure hunt efficiently whereas making an attempt to construct a everlasting future for themselves.
Hold scrolling for all the pieces we all know to this point about season 5 of Outer Banks:
When Will Netflix Launch ‘Outer Banks’ Season 5?
Government producers Jonas, Josh Pate and Shannon Burke confirmed in November 2024 that they have been writing the scripts for the ultimate season. There’s a tentative manufacturing begin date set for spring 2025, which might imply season 5 will possible premiere in 2026.
Who Is Coming Again — And Who Is Becoming a member of — The Remaining Season?
(L to R) Rudy Pankow as JJ, Chase Stokes as John B, Madelyn Cline as Sarah Cameron, Carlacia Grant as Cleo, Jonathan Daviss as Pope, Madison Bailey as Kiara. Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix
Stokes, Cline, Bailey, Daviss, Grant, Drew Starkey and Austin North are anticipated to return. The chief producers additionally confirmed that Dalia’s mission (Pollyanna McIntosh) isn’t over but as she tries to get the crown from Chandler Groff (J. Anthony Crane).
Season 5 will provide an replace on Sarah and Rafe’s stepmother, Rose (Caroline Arapoglou), and their sister, Wheezie (Julia Antonelli), after each have been nowhere to be discovered after Ward’s (Charles Esten) dying. The standing of Rafe (Starkey) and Sofia’s (Fiona Palomo) engagement will get addressed as effectively after she double crossed him.
Outer Banks followers have watched the solid change on and off display screen because the sequence first debuted. The hit Netflix sequence, which premiered in 2020, launched viewers to a coastal city within the Outer Banks of North Carolina, which is split into rich and working-class sides. In the meantime, a bunch of youngsters by accident discover themselves at […]
The place Does the Story Choose Up?
The fourth season ended with the Pogues — and Rafe — burying JJ in Morocco after his organic father, Chandler, stabbed him. Chandler ran off with the blue crown, which meant that treasure was nonetheless up for grabs. However the primary motivation driving Kiara and the others is getting revenge on Chandler for killing JJ.
Outer Banks additionally revealed that Sarah is anticipating a child with John B. Pope, in the meantime, ran away from residence after promising to join the army and Rafe was swindled out of a big sum of cash by Chandler.
Will Extra Pogues Die?
(L to R) Drew Starkey as Rafe, Rudy Pankow as JJ, Madison Bailey as Kiara, Carlacia Grant as Cleo, Chase Stokes as John B, Jonathan Daviss as Pope, Madelyn Cline as Sarah Cameron. Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix
Throughout an interview with Deadline in November 2024, the present’s creators defined the choice to kill off a Pogue.
“The overarching plan was to start with just a few youngsters who needed to have an excellent time on a regular basis, and take them on a complete journey,” Burke famous. “Certainly one of them was going to finish up dying, and fairly early on, we knew that was going to be JJ, he’s essentially the most reckless. He’s additionally essentially the most beloved and, in a method, essentially the most sacrificing and essentially the most risk-taking. And this was going to be JJ’s yr.”
He continued: “The children, they’re getting older. We needed to start in a spot of innocence after which go to a spot that at the very least one level to go is admittedly darkish for them, after which have them come out of it. That’s the overarching plan for the present. It was at all times JJ that was going to be, we simply weren’t certain how we have been going to play it.”
The trio didn’t make clear whether or not another character from that good friend group can be at risk of getting killed off earlier than Outer Banks‘ sequence finale.
Who Is the Season 5 Villain?
(L to R) Jonathan Daviss as Pope, Chase Stokes as John B. Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix
Outer Banks will proceed to give attention to newcomer Chandler after he killed his personal son.
“You’re proper to level out that it appears gratuitous, and a number of the work of season 5 goes to be going again and understanding why he did it,” Burke instructed Deadline. “The story’s not over, we’re half approach by way of. It’s all potential [for season 5] however I’m fairly certain that’s going to be developed, about why he needed to do it.”
Outer Banks followers have seen JJ Maybank (Rudy Pankow) and Kiara Carrera (Madison Bailey) develop from finest buddies to a lot extra. The hit Netflix sequence, which debuted in 2020, is targeted on a bunch of youngsters who by accident discover themselves on the heart of a harmful treasure hunt. When JJ and Kiara’s shut bond […]
Will Kiara Get Revenge After JJ’s Dying?
Rudy Pankow and Madison Bailey Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix
It stays unclear whether or not season 5 will follow Kiara’s promise of getting revenge.
“That’s the place we begin however I feel it is going to undergo completely different iterations,” Jonas hinted to Deadline. “Should you take a look at The Rely of Monte Cristo, one of many best revenge tales, you begin with revenge, however it goes to understanding and forgiveness, so revenge goes on to completely different iterations of that, however revenge is the place we begin for certain.”
Season 5 will focus on Kiara’s journey, with Josh including, “Kiara goes to be a giant focus however we positively wish to give extra time to Cleo too. It’s a query of bandwidth within the present that we’ve with all these tales, so it’s arduous to say, however we positively wish to develop Cleo and honor her character as effectively.”
Jonas added: “Kiara goes to be the backbone of the season the best way JJ was this season. But it surely’s the final season, so hopefully we’ll be capable of deliver everyone to a conclusion and to get in all the pieces we wish. Like Josh mentioned, there’s at all times bandwidth points however we’ve good plans for Cleo, so I feel we can inform her story.”
Might Rudy Return?
“That’s a fantastic query — perhaps? I wouldn’t put it out of the realm of chance,” Burke hinted to Leisure Weekly in November 2024. “I wouldn’t say for certain however I wouldn’t be stunned if it occurred.”
No matter Pankow’s potential return, JJ’s dying will change into the driving pressure for the fifth and remaining season.
“That is going to be the primary story for the remainder of season 5 — it’s going to be the emotional backbone. It’s not one thing you recover from in a day or an episode,” Burke continued. “It’s one thing that’s going to have an effect on them and it’s going to be the emotional heart of the remainder of the sequence. Mourning is only a tiny piece of it, however all of them shall be coping with this hole of their friendship and the way it impacts them.”
What Will Occur to Sarah as She Navigates Being pregnant?
(L to R) Chase Stokes as John B, Madelyn Cline as Sarah Cameron Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix
In line with Josh, Outer Banks deliberately made Sarah pregnant after she expressed not being prepared for motherhood.
“That’s why we gave her one,” he instructed Cosmopolitan in November 2024 earlier than Jonas added, “There was one thing natural about it on some stage, and it has to do with our bigger imaginative and prescient of the sequence.”
The trio have been requested whether or not there was ever a plan to indicate Sarah exploring all her choices when it got here to the being pregnant, to which Jonas replied, “We definitely talked about all of the outcomes of that story early on, however on the similar time, as Shannon was saying, they’re devoted to one another they usually’re married — in their very own bizarre approach with beer can rings. So it felt actual.”
He concluded: “And there was zero bigger assertion that we have been enthusiastic about exterior of those two characters. Folks would possibly learn into it someway, however we weren’t enthusiastic about that.”
Will There Be Spinoffs?
“We’re excited for season 5, and we’re excited for different tales on this universe down the road,” Jonas, Josh and Burke shared with Deadline about the way forward for Outer Banks. Whereas they wouldn’t elaborate on their plans for the fictional universe, the outlet reported that no initiatives are at present within the works however offshoots are being explored.
North subsequently instructed Us Weekly that he would love for his character to get his personal present.
“This present is simply so particular and I’m simply so grateful to be part of it. It’s at all times enjoyable to see the place they take these characters so it will be cool to proceed the journey in a derivative,” he mentioned in November 2024. “I might positively be open to that. That may be lots of enjoyable and I may proceed to do different initiatives on the facet.”
Might Topper Be a part of the Pogues in Season 5?
Madelyn Cline as Sarah Cameron, Chase Stokes as John B, Jonathan Daviss as Pope, Carlacia Grant as Cleo, Madison Bailey as Kiara, and Rudy Pankow as JJ on ‘Outer Banks.’ Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix
“There’s some redemption that might occur [for Topper]. I feel deep down he’s an excellent man,” North teased to Us. “You see these moments of him being an excellent particular person and I may see extra of that taking place in season 5. Possibly it will be cool to see some moments of him referring to the Pogues extra. He could possibly be placing himself of their sneakers and realizing that they’re from completely different upbringings — and that’s nice.”
The actor continued: “We are able to nonetheless get alongside and let’s put the previous behind us and perhaps get to know one another as individuals as people. With out diving an excessive amount of into it — I don’t know what the plans are [for season 5] — however these are simply form of some issues that I want to see.”
Regardless of JJ’s surprising dying, North maintained that he wasn’t involved about the place Topper may find yourself, including, “On the finish of the day, I belief the artistic group. I’m there to do my job and present as much as movie the fabric they offer me. I dive into it 100% and attempt to deliver my most to the character. So no matter route they take issues, that’s what they do.”