Outer Banks Season 4, Episode 7 ‘Mothers and Fathers’ is another outstanding episode, one that isn’t as fast-paced as Episode 6, but that nonetheless doesn’t take the foot off the pedal until the very end. From life-changing revelations times two, to problems that threaten to tear the Pogues apart for a significant amount of time, the hour wastes no time in moving the plot along, all while delivering several outstanding character moments.
From JJ’s reunion with his birth father to Sarah and Kiara’s beautiful moment after Sarah finds out she’s pregnant, the episode holds nothing back. And perhaps that’s for the best. This season of Outer Banks has been excellent overall, and part of the reason why has been that the show has done a great job of getting these characters to a place where their relationships feel so much stronger. This is TV, so there will always be issues. There will always be drama. But now, we believe that no matter what the show throws at us, these people can get through all those things together.
MORE: Here’s the review for Outer Banks Season 4, Episode 1! And Outer Banks Season 4, Episode 2.
JJ’S FATHER(S)
It’s hard not to feel bad for JJ right now. It turns out he doesn’t just have one bad father, he has two. Chandler Groff is a murderer who never wanted him, and Luke Maybank is an abuser. There’s no upside there. And if JJ went into a tailspin after Luke showed up and revealed the truth about his parentage and then came to the town council to betray him once more, it’s easy to predict how he’ll react once he finds out Groff would have had him murdered just to get him out of the way.
For JJ this entire storyline is about family, yes, but about the family you have built. The one that was there for you in good times and bad times. And it’s about realizing that the similarities you might find between yourself and the people who share your genes don’t define you. You aren’t doomed to repeat your parents’ mistakes. Neither are you beholden to their fate. You are your own person and you make your own choices.
JJ has chosen chaos many times. And he’s one of those characters who feels like he’s got a good reason for it. The world has been unfair to JJ, over and over again. And part of the reason he continues to choose chaos is that deep down, he’s convinced he doesn’t deserve the life he has. And he can’t keep it, or keep his friends and Kiara if he doesn’t prove to them over and over again that he’s worth keeping.
But Kiara, John B, Pope, Sarah, and Cleo don’t need him to prove anything. They don’t need him to be anything other than JJ. Now, let’s wait and see how long it takes for that to sink in.
MORE: Here’s our review for Outer Banks Season 4, Episode 3! And Outer Banks Season 4, Episode 4.
POPE’S FATHER
Heyward isn’t a bad father, and he has certainly proven to be much better than either of JJ’s fathers, John B.’s father or Kiara’s father. But he’s also the type of father who believes he knows better than his son, in every circumstance, and who has never seen Pope for who he is – instead, he’s always seen Pope for what he isn’t.
That’s a really hard way to live, and though Heyward might not be abusive and he truly does care for his son, it makes him a bad father too. Because your children might be your children, but they’re their own people too. And part of parenting is not just realizing that, but giving your kids the freedom to become who they want to be.
Sure, that will involve them making mistakes. You did too, when you were young. But that’s okay. When they make mistakes, your job isn’t to fix those, especially if they don’t ask. Your job is to be there to support them, no matter what. This is especially true for Pope, who has lived on his own for almost two years and has successfully run a business with these friends Heyward still seems to resent, who has proven time and time again that he’s a kind, smart, and focused individual who will ultimately make the right decision.
What’s the best way to lose your kids? Try to force them to be something they’re not.
MORE: Here’s our review for Outer Banks Season 4, Episode 5. And Outer Banks Season 4, Episode 6!
SARAH
This episode sees Sarah find out she’s pregnant, right after a few episodes ago she was very adamant this isn’t what she wanted out of life, not yet. And yet Kiara is right, Sarah is going to be a great mom. John B. is going to be a great dad. And part of the reason why is that they understand what their parents did wrong and know that what a kid needs, above all, is love and support without judgment.
But Sarah is also going to be alright because Sarah isn’t alone. When she finds out there’s happiness, of course, but there’s also fear. She’s so young, and though she knows John B. loves her and will be happy about it, she’s alone. She doesn’t have a family, not really. She doesn’t have backup. Except, as Kiara reminds her, she does. It takes a village, and Sarah and John B. have a village.
All of these kids would take a bullet for each other. That’s always been clear. And now, the family is just expanding. They’ll take care of this baby like he’s one of their own. Not like JJ’s father, or Kiara’s father, or even John B.’s father, no. In a new, healthier way. The Pogue way.
MORE: Did this season deliver any of the things we wanted from Outer Banks Season 4?
Things I think I think:
- The more the similarities between Groff and JJ are pointed out, the more I feel unsettled. No, JJ. I hope you’ve learned this lesson already when you thought your father was Luke. You aren’t him, and you will never be.
- The pace of these episodes has been insane, and yet I felt much calmer watching this one.
- Kiara knowing JJ so well will never not give me feelings.
- Heyward annoys me because he’s got such a good kid, and it’s like he can’t see it. Look at what Pope has accomplished! Nothing is ever enough.
- The pregnancy reveal scene between Sarah and Kie was my favorite scene in this episode, truly. The way this season has showcased the deepening bonds between these kids who are now not just kids and who have long been family is one of my favorite things about it.
- Topper is the real villain of this story, I swear.
- I’m so glad Pope and Cleo got that quiet moment together, and that while everyone else is fixated on JJ, Cleo was laser-focused on Pope.
- Look JJ, I hope you’re seeing through this guy.
- “It was this kid right behind you.” Man, I didn’t think anyone could be worse than Luke but here we are.
- JJ and John B. are the perfect chaotic team.
- Of course, Groff wasn’t going to die that easily.
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of Outer Banks Season 4, Episode 7 ‘Mothers and Fathers’? Share with us in the comments below!
Outer Banks season 4 is now available to stream on Netflix.
Need more? Read our other reviews below:
- Outer Banks Season 4, Episode 1 Review: ‘The Enduro’
- Outer Banks Season 4, Episode 2 Review: ‘Blackbeard’
- Outer Banks Season 4, Episode 3: ‘The Lupine Corsairs’
- Outer Banks Season 4, Episode 4 Review: ‘The Swell’
- Outer Banks Season 4, Episode 5 Review: ‘Albatross’
- Outer Banks Season 4, Episode 6 Review: ‘The Town Council’
- Outer Banks Season 4, Episode 7 Review: ‘Mothers and Fathers’
- Outer Banks Season 4, Episode 8 Review: ‘Family Plot’
- Outer Banks Season 4, Episode 9 Review: ‘The Storm’
- Outer Banks Season 4, Episode 10 Review: ‘The Blue Crown’
