Outer Banks season 4 episode 10 “The Blue Crown” lagged in its storytelling while also killing one of the most compelling characters of the entire series. The show banked on themselves and said it’s a decision we’ve been thinking of for a while. But fans are rightfully angry as this felt like it came out of nowhere.
On top of that, we’ve got some truly bizarre moments with a Rafe actually being helpful and Groff being the pettiest petty to have ever pettied. It’s so wild out there when it comes to theories or critiques of this season 4 finale, that I can’t help but hope that this is all part of some bigger master plan. Because if not, they killed JJ for reasons and left too many loose ends.
JJ Deserved Better
JJ isn’t a perfect character. He’s never had to be because he’s so relatable. For someone who has had so many bad things happen in his life, he put friendship first and did what he could to make sure that those he loves never had to suffer like he did. That’s why his death in Outer Banks is so disappointing. If there’s anyone who deserves a happily ever after, it’s JJ Maybank. If anything, I wanted to see him find that crown, make money, and buy back his home to live with his friends for the rest of his life in peaceful security. Instead, we got his flesh and blood, killing him because he could. Not because JJ was attacking him or an act of threat. Groff killed JJ to be petty.
And I understand that there was a conversation online that Rudy Pankow wanted to leave Outer Banks due to a lot of behind the scenes drama. But that also conflicts with talk that I’ve been hearing of the show itself saying that they had planned this for a while. So which is it? Because if the actor left because tensions were high, that’s fair. He doesn’t have to work somewhere he doesn’t feel comfortable in or with a person he doesn’t feel comfortable with. That’s his prerogative. But if the show knew that JJ’s journey was coming to an end seasons ago, couldn’t they have done it in a way that felt heroic instead of petty?
Admittedly, I didn’t cry until the JJ montage started because I was so baffled and angry. These Pogues have made it out alive time after time. Plus it looked like a tiny little knife and surely Kiara could’ve put pressure on his wound and bought him time. After all, Big John was shot and was still cruising around the jungle like nothing with zero wound care. But JJ died like nothing? The math isn’t mathing. So I’m just sitting here, a fan of Outer Banks for years, trying to make sense of a decision that doesn’t feel earned. If anything, I feel even more insulted by the fact that they put white makeup on JJ to signal he was dead dead to the point where I thought the actors were mourning a prop.
This isn’t a joke or a ruse where they will switch things out and reveal that he’s miraculously alive. JJ is dead. And this young man, who has gone through a vast amount of trauma but found a family worth fighting for and who loved him, he deserved better.
MORE: Where did this season start off? Read our review for Outer Banks season 4 episode 1!
Sarah Being a Bamf
Sarah is the one character that I absolutely loathed in the beginning of this series. And when her and John B started their whole romance, it could have gone the way that stories like this usually do. She could have been with John B for the thrill of the ride and when things got too intense she would have bailed back to her comfortable living. But that’s not Sarah. Ever since she took up with John B, she’s been ride or die. Doesn’t matter if they’re going up against her father, secret militias, or being shot at. Sarah had John B’s back and those he cared about. And it’s gotten to the point where even if her and John H break up, the rest of the Pogues will have her back as well because she’s no longer a Kook. She is one of them. She is a Pogue.
Episode 10 saw Sarah being an absolute BAMF. And she did this all while being pregnant. Too often on TV, being pregnant leads to others acting like the pregnant person is fragile. They are not. And these Pogues know it. So does Sarah. So when she wanted to go on the boat, they were a little hesitant at first but supported her because she knows what she’s doing and they trust her to know her own limits. On the flip side of things, Sarah also trusts them enough to look out for her when she misses the signs that she should back down, like when in those final moments on top of that forgotten city where John B and Sarah go to hide from the sandstorm because JJ and Kiara have got it.
It’s a small but conscious choice from the Outer Banks writer’s room that makes me appreciate Sarah’s journey to where she is now. And I know she’s really scared about being a parent and what comes with that. But she’s not alone. She has John B and they don’t even have to speak words sometimes to get across what they need from each other. Also, she’s not a kid anymore. She’s made the hard decisions, she’s taken the big risks, and she’s come to understand what family truly means. And when that baby is born, I have no doubt that she will teach her kid to be empathetic while also providing the emotional support they need to survive and thrive in this often unforgiving world.
MORE: Need a reminder what happened in the previous episode? Read our review for Outer Banks season 4 episode 9!
Rafe is Actually Helpful?
Firstly, I have never liked Rafe quite how I liked him in Outer Banks season 4 episode 10. I found myself cheering for him when he threw Groff down into that well. That man deserved to be taken off the board. I also liked Rafe when he had that emotional moment with Sarah where they hugged, the fact that he helped bury JJ, and how he was playing sneak attack with those mercenaries while JJ went to look for the crown during the storm. He’s still unhinged and someone that might try to drown you again. But if there’s anything that this episode made clear, it’s that he’s still looking for validation and a place to belong.
A lot of times, I forget that the Pogues and Kooks at the center of this story are still relatively young. Go back to season 1 and look at Rafe’s hideous haircut. That was a teenager and who he is now is barely a young man. And since we’ve known him, he’s tried to prove himself to his family. Because that’s all he wants. He wants someone to trust him to take care of things and he wants honesty. He thought that he had that with Sophia before the betrayal. But I think that moment with Sarah in the middle of some random house, with Sarah giving him exactly what he’s always wanted, it shifted something in him and made him stick around. It just sucks that it took him this long to realize that everything that he wanted, he could have had for a long time if he wasn’t so self-centered and quite frankly bordering on him being psychotic. But we got here, right?.
I will say though that I think Rafe is a great ally to have because it takes putting a little confidence in him before he’s ride or die. And that’s something that the Pogues need at the moment, especially with how deranged Groff is. You have to match Groff’s freak with an even bigger freak, as the saying goes. And if given time and patience, Rafe can become a more grounded character. Until that happens, Rafe is someone who has the money and the means to get the Pogues where they need to go. He might betray them down the line. But I’ve watched The Originals. There’s always a way to make up with those you have betrayed. So this, this is nothing.
MORE: Rafe has been a mess for a while. But even he didn’t some of what he experienced. Read our review for Outer Banks season 4 episode 2!
Pope Killing for Cleo
Outer Banks season 4 episode 10 gave me a new perspective on Pope. He killed someone for Cleo. And as much as he was shocked that he did it, so are we. He has crossed the line sometimes in this series. But he’s never done so in a way where someone’s life has ended. It’s just been petty little things or getting revenge against Kooks by sinking their boats. But now Pope has taken a life and by the look in his eyes this is going to shape him for what happens in season 5. So much so, it might be hard to see the compassionate, strong-willed, and analytical young man that he is. That’s what pain and grief does to you.
As for the Cleo of it all, I was concerned that she was going to be the one to die. She joined the Pogues later on in the series but quickly became family. As their adventures went on, she bonded even more with Pope. But she always felt like the expendable one of the bunch. With the death of Terrence, and the aftermath with how she shut down, I thought she was going to have the journey where she spiraled, pushed away those she loved, and eventually killed the man who took away the only person she ever thought of as a father figure. That’s why it came so out of left field when JJ was the one who ended up dying.
Together, Cleo and Pope are going to be alright. They just need to make sure that they continue supporting each other how they have done so far. And if the writing permits, we would love to see more moments where these two are vulnerable with each other or even having cute milestones like dates and doing things that the fluff tag over on AO3 would have me kicking and screaming my feet because they’re so cute. But first comes revenge. And they’re going to need each other, Pope especially, to stay grounded and not truly lose themselves in what’s to come.
MORE: This entire season has been chaos. Read our review for Outer Banks season 4 episode 6!
What Comes Next
Even though I think JJ is legitimately dead, I don’t think it’s the end for him. If Outer Banks truly wanted to do something different and stand out from any other TV show out there, they need to make the magic of the Blue Crown real. Because fans right now are really hurt and disappointed with the direction that JJ’s character arc has gone down, especially after all the suffering he’s been through. But in all of that hurt there is hope that, for once, all the legends that they have been following and talking about over this series, that one of them is real. And that one time that it is, it’s used to save an integral member of the Pogues.
I don’t think I’m delusional in thinking that the Blue Crown could bring JJ back if we look at that final scene with Groff. Firstly, they didn’t have to have a scene with him running away. They could have just said he disappeared and spent more time with the Pogues planning their revenge. After all, every minute on TV is essential and accounted for. But Outer Banks took an opportunity to show Groff escaping but also touching the crown with hands covered in JJ’s blood. On top of that, it looked like his face flickered for the first time since he appeared on the show, with actual emotion. Maybe that’s what the crown needs. A strong tie to someone, like that of blood, and the actual crown.
Considering that it’s going to be a while before we get season 5, I’m looking forward to the fanfictions that fans are going to be cooking up as a means of making sense of this disappointing season finale to a beloved show. I’m also looking forward to the discourse that will pop up in the next year or so as the actors go off to do other projects and filming of this show resumes. Those little drops of information that come through official networks, unofficial networks, and just posts from the cast, will be the first glimpses for fans to see what Netflix is doing next and if they will honor fans and the investment they have made with not only these characters but the show itself.
What did you think of the Outer Banks season 4 finale? 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’
I’m a relative newcomer to the show, and I’ve been enjoying your Outer Banks reviews so much! The characters and their relationships have always been the strongest aspect of this show which, as one commentator pointed out, is somehow ridiculous and amazing at the same time. Or rather has been, up until this season. I’m saying this with an utmost sadness, as a young adult for whom Outer Banks hit this sweet spot between nostalgia for carefree childhood/teenage years and a comforting feeling of watching a fairy tale about a bunch of social outcasts with golden hearts triumphing over adversity at every turn.
As someone trying to understand why I’m so upset about the death of a fictional character (yes, JJ is one of my favourite TV characters, but as a cinephile and an aspiring scriptwriter I’ve had my fair share of tragic endings, and this one definitely seems… different and doesn’t sit well with me), I feel that the criticism and outrage from fans is completely justified. It seems that killing off this character was a part of the creative vision for the show from the very beginning, while many viewers simply misinterpreted a lot of stuff because of all of the gaps in the sloppy writing. In a way, we (me included) have been writing a completely different story of our own all this time. And I would argue that this story is much better than the one that the writers are stubbornly pushing forward.
Breaking this last season down, I realized that it’s the How I Met Your Mother debacle all over again, with writers treating a character as a plot device and completely obliterating his development and growth to amp up the drama and push the plot forward. This character was never meant to grow up, sort of as Peter Pan of Poguelandia who was destined to stay on the island of his dreams forever, his death symbolizing the destruction of childhood innocence for the Pogues and their eventual transition into adulthood. That’s why the writers embraced Jiara only half-heartedly, knowing full well that he was meant to be a symbol from the start, not a full-fledged character we as emotionally intelligent viewers came to love. That’s why his death seems so meaningless and unnecessary.
I don’t know how much of JJ’s arc was actually planned from the very beginning, but obviously writers came up with a lot of stuff along the way, and of course Jiara was a wild card, inspired by the fans. The other unpredictable factor was the pure talent and charisma that Rudy Pankow brought to this series. The writers confessed in interviews how much they enjoyed writing for this actor and his character. My theory is that with this and Jiara thrown their way, they simply got carried away. They accidentally fleshed him out too much, added too much nuance and complexity, which they weren’t actually prepared to deal with or develop further in any shape or form.
My point is that the character that they had in mind in the very beginning was very different from a character they ended up with after season 3. After the whole Jiara development (which, I’d argue, was a great unproblematic friend-to-lovers relationship that one can rarely see on TV) JJ couldn’t be a reckless lone wolf daredevil anymore. In season 3, after he carelessly crashed his bike and almost died he has this emotionally-charged exchange with Kie where she basically chastises him for doing such a reckless thing (btw Madison Bailey and Rudy Pankow acted the hell out of this small scene, hats off to them). From JJ’s reaction to her words it can be seen that it’s something that he has never really seriously considered before – the fact that his life might be valuable after all and not just something to sacrifice for the sake of others again and again. In the hands of better writers, it could have been a great learning moment for the character, or at least a point of departure, starting from which the writers could have explored a possibility of JJ transitioning into a more mature, stable version of himself, channeling the more self-destructive aspects of his character into something more productive and being well-balanced and grounded by Kiara who grew up with an infinitely healthier family model at home (which is one of the reasons why I think that it’s actually a great pairing after all, maybe the most fascinating and psychologically interesting on this show). There are actually scientific studies that show that people with unhealthy attachment styles can grow into better versions of themselves with the help of their healthy attachment style partners. However, it’s pretty obvious now that writers never really seriously considered going down that route. And it shows in the messy characterization of season 4. The problem is that what was unfolding organically as great foundations for further character development, healing and growth (which a lot of fans picked up on) was seen by the writers as mere stepping stones in the big architecture of the story they had had in mind all along.
That’s where two visions of this character’s arc – one cheered on by a lot of viewers who rooted for the underdog and another envisioned by the writers from the start – began to diverge. The writers were already plotting to ruthlessly kill their version of Peter Pan to raise the stakes even higher and set up the finale, while the viewers that are now upset by his death were expecting the natural progression of their beloved character. Like I said before, story-wise, he was never meant to grow up, so the writers suddenly stopped all of his character development in its tracks. Shockingly, in season 4 part 1 we find out that even in the span of time between seasons, being with Kiara and having his friends as a support system, JJ as a character hasn’t learnt a single thing. It’s slightly ridiculous from a writing standpoint, unless your main purpose is to actually stunt his growth so that he would make the same mistakes again and again, which would inevitably lead to his death in the end. Therefore, he’s still mindlessly reckless and is trying too hard to prove that he’s worthy of having such great friends. What’s even more ridiculous is that he basically makes the same mistake twice in the span of a single episode, and his friends are enabling him and encouraging him to continue going down this path instead of actually challenging him, as they would do in the past.
That’s where Jiara makes a ridiculous turn, too. Suddenly, Kie becomes completely blinded by love. It was only logical for a tough love friend who was constantly challenging JJ to do better (we had a whole damn season of her making him apologize for the wallet he stole from her dad after all!) transforming into a tough love partner that he actually needed. Instead, we get an uncharacteristically weak, diluted version of her character who’s constantly forced to meekly follow his antics and catch up with him on his path of self-destruction. This strange and inconsistent characterization leads to one of the most ridiculous and unconvincing scenes of the whole season, when JJ is mindlessly drinking on the boat and behaving like an immature brat, while Kiara pretends that his character doesn’t exist. I can’t possibly imagine not only somebody who has been in an 18 month (!) relationship but actually Kiara from previous seasons to simply stand aside and watch in this situation. There’re countless examples of such weird inconsistences in how the characters interact with each other all throughout this season.
And, of course, let’s not forget the key element – the complete destruction of JJ’s character. Yes, he’s always been a loose canon that constantly does dumb stuff. That’s a given. However, I’d argue that writers basically forced the whole artificial “Luke isn’t JJ’s biological father” storyline on his character in order to completely obliterate his development and growth. Up to this point, he has been learning to open up more emotionally (season 1), he realized that he had a real family after all, even after being dealt a crappy hand of cards in life (season 2), and, finally, after some confusion, he saw that he actually had a chance of growing into an adult, being in a steady relationship and actually doing something with his life (season 3). After coming up with so many dumb plans in the previous seasons, he actually manages to skillfully pull one off to save Kie from a wilderness camp! He’s actually capable of doing that! That’s a real growth right there. Channeling destructive into productive. In season 4, he’s basically throwing all of his lessons away in one impressive swoop. After desperately wanting all throughout season 3 to have a stab at adulting, he suddenly becomes unhinged, emotionally closed off, stubborn and immature. He even states at one point that that that’s the way he is, implying that he will always be that way. He makes another stunt with his bike, as through the scene with Kie I mentioned in season 3 didn’t exist. In the infamous boat episode, while arguing with John B, he actually reproaches his old friend for being too responsible and behaving too much like an adult. Personally I don’t recognize JJ from previous seasons in these interactions. In seasons 1-3 he, despite all of his antics, often behaved like a much more emotionally intelligent and mature person than John B or even Pope (one telling example is how he reacted to John B’s unhinged reaction to Sarah’s “I hooked up with Topper” confession). It seems like his character is going in circles, repeating the same mistakes over and over again and, which is the worst thing out of all, learning that his horrible family history will always be his fate. It’s like a curse that will always be hanging over him, no matter what he does. It’s actually a pretty terrifying message to wrap into a seemingly life-affriming show about the value of true friendship. And I actually think that all of it was unintentional, simply the result of a sloppy writing and treating this character as a plot device rather than an actual human being.
Which brings me to my final verdict. Unless the creators have some storytelling ace up their sleeves (which I highly doubt), JJ’s arc will always serve as a glaring textbook example of character assassination for the sake of moving the plot forward. I assume that for many viewers, me included, his character journey was supposed to represent something completely different – namely, the beautiful idea that we as people are not defined by our upbringing or unfortunate life circumstances. And even if family is our fate up to a certain point, it doesn’t mean that we can’t change that fate, charter a new course for ourselves, and build a beautiful home that we never got to experience as children, with a little help from our loved ones along the way. Sealed fates, like curses and ghosts, don’t exist after all. Now, that could have been such a powerful story to tell. As a writer I can see all of the elements of this story in season 4 part 1 – just to tweak a few things here and there and get rid of over-the-top storytelling, bringing everything closer to season 1 to neatly tie up all loose ends. Instead we get a bunch of artificial plot antics, wild goose chases and cheap drama for the sake of drama. And the sense of this huge disconnect between seasons 1-3 and 4. Now, seeing the direction in which this show is moving (trying hard at being closer to “prestige TV” and failing miserably), I actually would have preferred it to have been cancelled after season 3 to keep all of the good memories intact.