Outer Banks season 4, episode 8 ‘Family Plot’ gave us one of the best moments in this teen dramas history in the form of Sarah and John B’s conversation about her pregnancy. At the same time, it showed us how the writers will continue serving up the worst circumstances for JJ when we just want to see him happy. But at least he caught onto Groff’s madness. Even if it left him stranded and in the middle of the ocean. Thanks God for his friends.
Sarah (and John B) Are Pregnant
I’ve seen plenty of teen dramas over my lifetime. Seen plenty of surprise pregnancies too. And each time it goes two ways. One, they act all excited about the pregnancy even though they’ve never talked about having a baby. At that moment, it’s a given that the baby will happen. Then there’s two. In that instance, someone is disappointed and doesn’t want the baby or think they’re ready. I’ve never seen a middle ground like the one between Sarah and John B in Outer Banks. It wasn’t automatic or instantly happy moment for the couple. They were both scared, with me being immensely proud of Sarah for expressing that.
Both of these young people are going to have doubts about what’s to come. And there especially will be fear. But that’s real. Sometimes it isn’t an instant celebration, especially when women’s rights in this country are holding on by a thread. There is fear. And I really want to commend Madelyn Cline and Chase Stokes. Because when Sarah told him, instantly the room narrowed down to this quiet, intimate, and vulnerable moment between them. And I think that both of them handled it with immense grace.
MORE: Need a reminder of what happened in Outer Banks Season 4, Episode 7 Review: ‘Mothers and Fathers’?
There’s also a small detail in the writing that I wanted to point out. John B saying that “we’re pregnant.” A lot of time pregnancy is told from the perspective of the mother, as if she’s the only one carrying this load or preparing for a new life. Women aren’t alone even if they are the ones creating life in their bodies. Or they shouldn’t be alone. Because when we create life, it isn’t immaculate conception. It’s a creation of two. And Sarah knows that this is her partner. That’s why she tells him she’s scared. She can lay down her defenses in the same way he can and they come out in this episode and season as one of the healthiest relationships in Outer Banks.
JJ Meeting His Mom
I am disgusted that the first time JJ gets to see his mom, outside of being a baby, she’s a corpse. A part of this cruelty I lay on the Outer Banks writers. They chose this in a season that has shown JJ unleash his rage at the card that life has dealt him. The show could’ve kept it so he only knew her by her painting. Instead they chose this cruelty. And in a way it tracks. Ever parent on Outer Banks has inflicted cruelty on their children. I just thought there was a line. For Outer Banks they crossed it with having the first time JJ will remember seeing his mother or touching her, she’s in her tomb.
Within the show’s universe, the real cruelty falls on Groff. He doesn’t care that JJ is his blood. He will lie and manipulate anyone that has a pulse. And him making JJ get the necklace was a power play instead of a husband grieving his wife. Even closing him up in the tomb was cruelty at its finest. And it simply was because Groff could. This is what makes him the worst parent on Outer Banks. Even worse than Luke. And that’s saying a lot because he JJ. But at least Luke looked remorseful (or ashamed) in ‘The Town Council.’
Outer Banks season 4 episode 8 also sets up something dangerous for JJ. Because Groff knows the Pogue experience. And instead of using that to help those like him, he steps on them and tries to rise higher. He’s stepping on JJ. His own blood. It’s literally a microcosm of the human experience and how blood doesn’t mean much for people. It’s about the bonds you build with people that define whether you’ll go to bat for them. And unfortunately for the Pogues, and those reflected in our real world experiences like in the United States, plenty of people are ok stepping on others to get ahead.
Groff Underestimated JJ
Groff’s biggest mistake in Outer Banks season 4 episode 8 is that he thinks he’s the baddest b*tch around. After all, he did get away with killing his wife, got out of jail, tricked mercenaries, and has manipulated every situation to his advantage. But the reality of the human condition is that there will always be someone better, faster, and stronger. It’s exactly what Groff deserves that that person is his very own blood.
MORE: How did JJ and the gang end up on this adventure? Read our review for Outer Banks Season 4, Episode 1 Review: ‘The Enduro’.
Like JJ, I don’t trust kindness. I want it; crave it because I’m human. But I do not trust it because it has always been used to lure me into a false sense of security before I was struck down, often physically. And like JJ I have my found family. Those who chose me as much as I choose them. Years down the line, though, I’m still vigilant. I still flinch at love and attention even though I try. This is why I understand JJ and why I knew he would catch Groff.
JJ was just betrayed by the man he thought was his father. Then he found out he had a kook dad and a dead mom. In all of that turmoil, JJ still had some hope. But he protected himself and caught on to how weird everything was with Groff. Sure, that ended him stabbed and in the middle of the ocean. But he survived and surpassed his blood faster. And all of that goes to show you that even though JJ sometimes makes us shake our heads in exasperation, he’s one of the most complex characters on TV who deserves more screentime where he lands on top.
And if we don’t get it on Outer Banks, we’ll get it in fanfiction. They fortunately come through.
What did you think of Outer Banks ‘Family Plot’? Let us know 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’
