There’s only one thing worse than on-set drama — on-set drama that ends up affecting a film or TV project so heavily that it leads to some major changes. Now, obviously nothing has been confirmed by any sources, but it’s clear something is rotten in the state of North Carolina, specifically Outer Banks. Given the way Season 4 Part 1 ended, this felt like the season where Rudy Pankow’s JJ Maybank would shine. Instead, the season concludes with a disjointed and sudden departure, and it’s hard not to look at all the rumors and crosstalk about this show and point to it as the potential impetus for Pankow’s departure. However, even pushing aside anything happening behind the camera, Season 4 Part 2 exposes some of the show’s largest weaknesses and proves that it’s overstayed its welcome.
‘Outer Banks’ Season 4 Part 2 Still Wins on Some Fronts
While the latter half of Season 4 largely felt like Outer Banks was running in place and replaying some of its greatest/worst hits, there were some highlights to be had. Chiefly among them is the surprisingly warm chemistry between Chase Stokes and Madelyn Cline. When Sarah finds out that she’s pregnant in this season, John B’s reaction is nothing but adorable. Not only are the two excited for the next chapter in their lives — despite also worrying that they might be too young to have kids — but they cutely march toward City Hall to finally make their commonlaw(-ish) marriage into a legitimate one. Stokes and Cline have a natural magnetic chemistry that makes you want to root for the young lovers even if their romance is sometimes so saccharinely sweet that you’re liable to get cavities. What also makes this development work is the fact that Sarah’s pregnancy puts just how dangerous their lifestyle is in a harsh light. It’s clear that this is the turning point for them as John B reckons with not only the prospect of fatherhood but the responsibility that comes with it.
The Cameron family is two-for-two when it comes to Rafe (Drew Starkey), who surprisingly takes a turn toward the end of the season and ends up on the side of the Pogues. One of the best parts of Outer Banks has been watching Rafe slowly develop from an unhinged and unstable teenager into someone who, at the very least, understands his faults and perhaps is trying to live a better — and less murderous — life. Though his proposal to Sofia (Fiona Palomo) feels incredibly rushed, it feels like a step in the right direction for him. As is him deciding to help out the Pogues, even when they turn on him. It’s not an easy path, and the show is right to have Rafe take the occasional two steps back on his path. But when it comes to characters on this show, Rafe is by far the most fully formed, and it’s a pity we don’t get to spend more time with him.
What was also revealed at the end of Part 1 was JJ’s true parentage, and thankfully, Part 2 digs into that in a surprisingly satisfying way, but also left me wanting. We flash back to when Luke Maybank (Gary Weeks) worked on the Genrette property and befriended Larissa (Tommi Rose) when she was taking care of a baby JJ. It is somewhat disappointing to know that Luke and Larissa never had anything romantic between them. Still, him just being an unexpected friend to Larissa when she was feeling isolated and struggling to take care of her baby was strangely wholesome. The younger Luke is a far cry from the alcoholic and abusive father we first met on the show. And while no one can say he’s a perfect dad (in fact, the only parent who is worse than him might be JJ’s biological father), he did not abandon JJ when Chandler Groff (J. Anthony Crane) dropped his son off at Luke’s door. In fact, he committed to raising the boy for his entire life. There are still some admitted plot holes when it comes to Luke’s story. However, exploring this facet of the past makes it clear that Outer Banks shines when it’s able to perfectly meld its treasure-hunting adventure with its small-town setting.
‘Outer Banks’ Sidelines Some Pogues in Favor of Others
This has never been more obvious than when it comes to Pope’s (Jonathan Daviss) storyline. After he lands himself in jail, Pope is subsequently separated from his friends and forced to go home with his parents. There, his father pressures him to go into the Marines like his uncle, and, per court orders, he is not allowed to see any of his friends. Only Cleo (Carlacia Grant) turns up and crawls through his window. I had to wonder, while I watched JJ, Sarah, John B, and Kiara (Madison Bailey) run around town, if they were even thinking about checking on their friend.
Similarly, Cleo spends much of her time running around but is largely divided from the group and relegated to being Pope’s girlfriend rather than a fully-fledged character. Cleo’s desired vengeance for Terrance’s (Terence Rosemore) death seemingly disappears. She still wants to kill Lightner (Rigo Sanchez), but much of the rage about losing Terrance evaporates when it’s inconvenient. Similarly, Kiara doesn’t have a storyline this season other than to follow along and occasionally question JJ in the few scenes they have together.
Outer Banks also continues to neglect characters like Shoupe (Cullen Moss), turning him into somewhat of a caricature until it’s convenient for the story. It sucks because Shoupe’s character has the most potential out of all the adults on the show. There was an opportunity for the show to make him something of a father figure or a guiding hand for the group early on, seeing as he seems to be annoyed by their antics but also understands that they are not any real threat. On the other hand, characters like Hollis (Brianna Brow), who somehow seemed to be one of the few people who saw past Chandler’s schemes at the end, were quickly dispatched. The show seems reluctant for any more roots to form for this group, even if Hollis’ past as a Pogue could have brought a new dynamic into this story.
Let’s Be Honest, ‘Outer Banks’ Is Recycling Plot at This Point
Beyond Rafe’s change of character, nothing about Outer Banks Season 4 Part 2 feels extremely new or fresh. Once again, JJ spirals out, and that spiraling is made so much worse as he unleashes chaos across the town in a flurry of vandalism, leading the police on a merry chase. But, this is honestly nothing new for JJ, so it was hardly a shock when he started a physical fight. What’s even less of a shock is that his biological dad is, somehow, so much worse than Luke. Outer Banks kind of has a reputation for terrible parents, and it feels like this is a rite of passage at this point.
But some of these plot points feel all too familiar. Pope once again throws away his future for his friends needlessly, getting himself thrown in jail when he attacks a police officer. The gang gets on a boat to try to get to another country to chase down the pirates chasing him. And Pope, once again, self-sabotages to run back to his friends, which will inevitably lead to worse consequences for him when he gets home. While some of these storylines were exciting when we first encountered them seasons ago, the idea now feels stale.
Season 4 Learns the Wrong Lessons From ‘Outer Banks’ Season 3
What is the most irritating is the way Outer Banks didn’t steer clear of what was wrong with Season 3 at all. Once again, the show splits up the gang, isolating JJ with his father, Pope and Cleo, and Kiara with John B and Sarah. What didn’t work well in Season 3 was how fragmented the group felt, and the feeling is amplified this season.
Another flaw of Season 3 and 4 is the change in location. When there are so many issues back home, especially with the fate of Goat Island hanging in the balance, the group also makes the decision to leave for Morocco to chase after the pirates and go for the blue crown rather than stay in the OBX. The issue here is that Outer Banks continues not to understand what makes the show so good. It isn’t the wild treasure hunts the kids go on, but rather the way the show mixes the action-adventure elements with the small-town drama. The show struggles without villains like Topper (Austin North) and ambiguous allies like Shoupe. The constant push and pull between Kooks and Pogues is something unique to this show, and not leaning into it is a fatal flaw of this series.
JJ’s Death in the ‘Outer Banks’ Season 4 Finale Just Doesn’t Work
Some TV deaths are sudden but feel earned. Ned Stark (Sean Bean) getting beheaded in Game of Thrones, Logan Roy (Brian Cox) suddenly dying in Succession, Glenn (Steven Yeun) getting killed by Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) in The Walking Dead — when a death is done right, it hits hard and has the desired effect. It devastates viewers, but it remains one of those watercooler moments in popular memory. JJ’s death is not one of these. After getting the blue crown, JJ and Kiara try to escape the city but are confronted by Chandler Groff, who has managed to climb out of the bottom of a well. Groff holds Kiara hostage with a knife to her neck to get the crown from JJ, who immediately gives it up to save Kie. In a move that comes out of nowhere, Groff takes the crown and viciously stabs JJ.
Considering how many characters have “died” only to return to life, JJ being snuffed out like a light is disappointing. He dies in Kiara’s arms after telling her that he loves her, and we’re treated with a little flashback montage to cement that we are saying bye to one of the most pivotal characters in the show. It doesn’t work because there is no narrative purpose for killing JJ. The show heavily hints a couple of times that his luck is running out, but it’s hard to say it’s just JJ who is the lucky one when all the Pogues continue to defy death at every turn — the show is hardly a paragon of realistic storytelling.
If, perhaps, the show ended with Groff defeated but JJ still dead, it would be a somber but fitting end for the Pogues. A sign that not everything turns out right, that this adventuring life actually has risks, and they can’t keep running around like they are cats with nine lives. But with one more final season in the barrel, it’s obvious we are not done with adventuring. The show sets Groff up as the final big bad, but it would not work if it were just Kiara chasing after Groff. However, in what world do John B and Sarah, now expecting parents, want to chase after a greedy heartless man who would kill his own child for a treasure? Does Pope continue to put off the rest of his life? What dog does Cleo have in this fight, if any?
I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: Outer Banks is two shows. At times, it’s a swashbuckling modern adventure where a Scooby gang of teenagers outsmart dastardly adults and chase after a magnificent treasure. Other times, it’s a small-town drama that pits the haves and the have-nots against each other going back generations. It’s never been more obvious that this formula no longer works for this show. The reality that I doubt Netflix or the showrunners are willing to admit is that the series should have ended cleanly after Season 3. The only time this bizarre pair of story types worked was when it was about John B finding his dad and the treasure hunting only came secondary. It wasn’t about gold or money for John B, that’s what made him different from all the other avaricious people around him. John B’s story has always been the strongest, and with that plotline resolved, it’s clear that without such a solid foundation, the luster of Outer Banks has faded.
All episodes of Outer Banks are now available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.
