Cr. Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix © 2024
Outer Banks is causing waves this weekend online as fans revolt against some of the writing team’s decisions for that jaw-dropping ending. Why are fans so ticked off? We contacted a few Outer Banks super fans and asked for your thoughts on Twitter, and we got a lot of feedback. A lot.
It should go without saying that this article contains major spoilers for the fourth season of Outer Banks. If you have not yet finished season 4, episode 10, we recommend not reading this until you have. Also don’t forget that Outer Banks was also officially renewed for a fifth season earlier this week.
The main controversy for that final episode comes because JJ (played by Rudy Pankow) chose a path in season 4, episode 10, facing off against his father, which ultimately proved to be a fatal mistake. According to the showrunners, it was always the plan to kill him off, with them saying, “It [JJ’s death] 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.”
Cr. Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix © 2024
Most people’s problems with this season fall into three categories:
- Most of the complaints are about JJ’s cause of death and the subsequent impromptu funeral, with many feeling that it disrespects his character arc and relied completely on shock factor.
- The tonal shift in the second half of the season
- There have been complaints about the relationships on the show and which characters got less/more screentime, such as JJ and Kiara’s relationship (most people refer to this as Jiara) being on the back burner and how Kiara was ultimately not seen as much this season.
The first person we contacted was Vee on X, who has been a vocal critic of that ending for both how JJ died and also talking about some of the other flaws this season. In a DM, Vee said:
“The fandom and I is disappointed for multitudes of reasons— disappointed isn’t even a strong enough word… It genuinely feels like Outer Banks just got thrown away. We’re crushed. JJ, a character who’s endured nothing but pain and abuse, finally gets the girl of his dreams and a home, just to get murdered? This writing truly sabotaged everything OBX was about. I’ve dedicated my life to this show since the day I turned it on 4 years ago— and now loyal fans like me feel robbed. We didn’t see Jiara’s surf trip dream, JJ healing from his trauma, him becoming a godfather, and potentially marrying Kie (Fans noticed emphasis when he stole a ring in 4.06) Despite OBX3 solely revolving around Jiara’s growth— we hardly saw them this season. There is still SO much to be explored with JJ. Everything went down the drain. Cline said it herself; “JJ is the heart of the pogues”, so how are we expected to survive without it? We can’t, the pogues can’t. With sincerity, I hope they write him back on the show. They can go completely supernatural I don’t care… As long as it means the heart returns.”
They’ve also put out a thread (which has gone viral with nearly 1 million views) going through some pretty valid theories on how JJ could actually be alive and return for season 5. Netflix bought back Hopper after his supposed death in Stranger Things season 4 – why not do the same here?
DISCLAIMER:
the fandom and i are grieving the loss of our comfort character, so yes i’m considerably bias in my beliefs.. however the logic and plot i’ve been researching is worth considering as they begin writing the final season, HERE WE GO!
— vee is mourning jj & obx (@kiesgallery) November 8, 2024
Many show fans reached out to us telling us that something felt materially different with the second half of season 4, often citing that the tone and writing style were entirely alien from seasons beforehand.
One person who contacted us (who goes by the name of Inez) said, “The first part of the season was actually good, and the chemistry between the actors felt real and natural. But the second part? Things changed drastically. Not only was the promotion terrible, but the relationships between the characters started to make no sense. With all the drama behind the scenes, we understand why now, but was it really necessary to kill off everyone’s favorite character like that? His death felt rushed and didn’t even seem logical. A character like him, who had suffered his whole life, deserved at least some happiness before dying. The other characters didn’t even react to his death in a realistic way, and he was buried in the middle of a random desert in Morocco. How is that fair?”
Many fans point out the behind-the-scenes drama between some of the cast members, which may have led the creators down this path. One fan was so disappointed this season (Jade G.) and the drama they said, “They should have stopped filming at season 3. They should have left it alone. The pogues were happy, everybody was chill, and everyone was civil.”
Why People Liked About Outer Banks Season 4
However, not all the feedback we received was entirely negative. Some expressed that they thought the showrunners displayed courage in making such a big call to kill off a fan-favorite character.
Some of the other positives about the new season were summarized perfectly by Katherine M, who gave us three major things they loved about this most recent season (in addition to not liking JJ’s cause of death, his burial, and Jiara’s presence this season):
“Sarah’s Pregnancy: I liked this storyline between her and John B, it shows how they are growing up and treasure hunting isn’t the most important thing for them anymore. Also I like how Kie was the first to find out. I thought it was a very nice touch for the relationship of Kie and Sarah.
Cleo and Pope’s relationship: I really liked the development of Cleo and Pope’s relationship. I thought they were very cute together and that whole storyline of Pope not going to the marines because he wanted to be with Cleo was nice.
The Season 1 Feeling: I really liked how the first part felt very much like season 1 because all of the pogues were living and working together and it had the upbeat feeling we all were looking for. Unfortunately this will never happen again because the pogue’s dynamic will never be the same without JJ.”
Others praised some other relationship dynamics this season, such as Milena D. telling us they love the chemistry between Rafe and Sofia, calling them the “cutest thing in the world.”
Petition to Revive JJ in Outer Banks Season 5
You know things are serious when people begin a petition. That’s right, fans have taken to websites like Change.org to protest the decision to kill off JJ Maybank, with one already reaching close to 2,000 signatures. Some in their emails mentioned they think it’s already the case that JJ will be returning, given that he was included in the season 5 teaser poster two days before season 4 part 2 dropped.
Not everyone agrees that JJ should come back, though. Julia A. contacted us over email and said, “I really hope the writers and producers don’t try to do fan service for season 5. It’s the last season, and JJ is dead; they should focus on that, on concluding the characters’ arc. Not on ships. The show ending with Kiara agreeing with Rafe after he just made up with his sister to seek revenge left an amazing storyline and I hope they use it.”
Before signing off (this is already a big article), we wanted to convey how upset many of the fans were with this ending. Many conveyed how devastating the show’s finale felt, saying that it had ruined the past four seasons for them.
Apologies to anyone we missed (there were hundreds of you!), but if you did send us a message and didn’t get featured, we’d invite you to include your thoughts on the big finale in the comments below.
