‘Outer Banks’ Season 5: Everything We Know About The Final Season

It’s true. The Pogues are coming back for one last time on Netflix. Season 5 of Outer Banks is set to enter production imminently and is expected to land on our screens in 2026. Here’s our updated everything you need to know about the fifth and final season of the show as of February 2025.  

In case you missed it, Netflix renewed the series for its final season on November 4th, a few days after Poguelandia and ahead of the release of season 4, part 2. The renewal came alongside a note that confirmed that the team behind the show had always dreamed of getting to five seasons to tell the full story of the Pogues and that they’d been granted that wish. 

Co-showrunners Shannon Burke, Josh Pate and Jonas Pate wrote, “With a little sadness, but also excitement, we’re putting season 4 behind us, and are turning to season 5, in which we hope to bring our beloved Pogues home in the way we imagined and planned years ago. Season 5 will be our last season, and we think it will be our best yet. We hope you’ll join us for one more paddle out to the surf break.”

Since season 4 was chopped up into two halves, comparing its performance to prior seasons and other shows is a little harder. What we do know is that the show spent 10 weeks in the weekly global top 10s in total, picking up 292.80 million hours watched, which equates to around 49.60 million views. By our estimates, however, season 4 lost 15% of its viewership season over season.

Season 4 featured in the weekly top 10s of 75 countries, slightly down from the 77 that featured season 3. 

---

What to Expect from Outer Banks Season 5

As a quick recap of season 4’s big feature-length finale (read an extensive recap here) and how it sets up season 5. The episode takes the Pogues to Essaouira, Morocco, where they navigate a bustling, unfamiliar terrain in pursuit of the fabled Blue Crown. Of course, things didn’t go entirely to plan. 

Kie, devastated by JJ’s brutal murder, has vowed for revenge against Groff. Rafe’s betrayal, Groff’s ruthless nature, and a desperate treasure hunt intertwine, leading to JJ’s courageous yet tragic demise. As he retrieves the Blue Crown amidst a raging sandstorm, he sacrifices himself to save Kie, only to be ruthlessly stabbed by Groff. His final words, affirming his love for Kie, seal a heartbreaking moment, leaving the Pogues shattered and forcing them to face a future without him.

In season 5, the Pogues will be hunting down Groff, who has fled to Lisbon with the Blue Crown. Of course, amidst the chaos, Sarah and John B’s revelation of their pregnancy adds an emotional weight to the ending and will add an extra dynamic for season 5. 

The co-showrunners have known precisely how the series will end for a long time. They told Netflix, “We’ve always known from the beginning what the last scene would be, if we would be lucky enough to get it that far.” 

We can’t mention what to expect from season 5 without mentioning the fact that JJ Maybank was controversially killed off in the final episode. That led to an outcry (more on the fan’s campaigns in a second), hoping to get the character reinstated in some form in season 5. 

The full cast will be revealed at a later date. Still, we can expect all the prominent members to return, including Chase Stokes as John B, Madelyn Cline as Sarah Cameron, Madison Bailey as Kiara, Jonathan Daviss as Pope, Carlacia Grant as Cleo, Austin North as Topper, Drew Starkey as Rafe Cameron, and Fiona Palomo as Sofia.

---

The Ongoing Campaign to Bring Back JJ 

Given that fan backlash, we should note that fans have mobilized to try to campaign to get JJ back for the final season. As with all campaigns, their effectiveness could ultimately be negligible for the final product. 

What have fans been up to in getting their voices heard? Well, we spoke to one of the leaders of a group of fans that’s organized a big petition, which, as of February 2025, has over 11,000 signatures. They’ve also hired numerous billboards, including several in New York’s famous Times Square and in Los Angeles, with further plans in place. 

---

When and where will Outer Banks Season 5 film?

We’re still waiting for an exact filming schedule, but we know that filming is set to take place in early Spring and run through the Fall of 2025. That’s thanks to an interview with Jonas Pate with Port City Daily, who spoke to the outlet while gearing up for another production he’s helming earlier in the year in the form of a new movie called Driver’s Ed.

As with all prior seasons, filming will occur in Charleston, South Carolina, in the United States. Whether season 5 will have an international stint of filming is yet to be seen. Last year, the team filmed part of the season in Morrocco. Given that Groff has fleed to Lisbon, could we see Portugal as a filming stop? We’ll find out soon. 

---

When will Outer Banks season 5 be released on Netflix?

With the production schedule as it currently stands, it’s unlikely that the show will return in 2025. Indeed, the series was missing entirely as part of the Next on Netflix 2025 slate reveal for the year. 

Instead, we’d expect the show to be on our screens sometime in early to mid-2026, that is, sometime between Spring and Summer 2026. 

---

Another Outer Banks Story Will Release on Netflix Stories in 2025

We do have some good news for Outer Banks fans craving for some new content this year. Netflix has confirmed some of the games it has lined up for 2025, and as part of that slate reveal, it’s been confirmed that another season of Outer Banks is coming to the Netflix Stories app. For those unfamiliar, Netflix Stories allows you to create your character and traverse through the worlds of your favorite Netflix shows. 

There are no details on when exactly the new season will drop, but we do have an official synopsis of what you can expect:

“Your twin brother disappeared while searching for a mysterious ancient treasure off the coast of the Outer Banks. Shocking family secrets emerge, revealing deeper ties to the treasure than you ever imagined. In this thrilling quest, trust is scarce as you and the Pogues face danger and deception to find the treasure and your missing brother.”

---

We expect to get a lot more news from Outer Banks throughout the year. The show could make an appearance of some description in May 2025 at TUDUM and we also could see Poguelandia back later this year. 

Are you excited for the final season of Outer Banks? Do you hope JJ comes back? What are your expectations for what’s coming up? Let us know in the comments below.