The Pogues are back for their final ride, but they’ll be on this last adventure without one of their own: JJ Maybank. The fifth and final season of Outer Banks, premiering August 20, will follow the Pogues as they avenge their beloved JJ and seek to get their hands on the Blue Crown again.
It’s been almost two years since Outer Banks Season 4, so we’ve assembled a recap of what happened to JJ. Could Rudy Pankow return? We’re answering all of your burning JJ questions.
How did JJ die?
JJ died in the Season 4 finale episode after being fatally stabbed by Chandler Groff (J. Anthony Crane), who happened to be JJ’s own father. JJ got his hands on the Blue Crown treasure, which Groff was also after, but Groff forced JJ’s hand when he held Kiara (Madison Bailey) at knifepoint.
JJ gave the Blue Crown to Groff to save Kiara. Groff called out to JJ and told him, “It’s a shame. You and me.” Then Groff plunged a knife into JJ’s side. “You should have given me the rope,” Groff said to his son, referring to the moment when JJ didn’t help get Groff out of the well Rafe had pushed him into. JJ spent his final moments with Kiara. After all the Pogues found out about JJ’s death, they buried him in Morocco.
Could JJ be alive?
Outer Banks fans are still holding out hope for a miracle, but JJ very visibly died on screen. The official Season 5 trailer teased the possibility that the Blue Crown could bring back the dead, sending Kiara on a mission. Barring any supernatural twist, that is likely only a myth.
Will Rudy Pankow return for Outer Banks Season 5?
No, Pankow is not returning for the final season of Outer Banks. Earlier this year, Pankow addressed his character’s shocking departure and revealed that he’d be tuning in. “I’m totally going to watch it,” he said on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. “I want to see how they do it. I really want to. And they’re going to crush it. No doubt.”
After the Season 4 finale, the Outer Banks showrunners revealed that JJ’s tragic death had been planned from the start. “We’re planning a story of redemption, and a season that embodies the friendship that JJ had come to represent,” Josh Pate told Tudum. “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.”
Outer Banks, Season 5, August 20, Netflix