Note: The following story contains spoilers from the “Outer Banks” Season 4 finale.
A mission that took the Pogues all the way to Morocco ended tragically as the crew lost not only the Blue Crown but also a member of their chosen family.
The penultimate season of “Outer Banks” concluded with Kiara (Madison Bailey) and the crew cradling JJ (Rudy Pankow) as he took his last breaths after his birth father stabbed him in the stomach.
Though JJ’s loss came as a shock to viewers, the character had a complete arc in Season 4. His world turned upside down when he realized he was born a Kook and his father was not who he said he was. He was framed for murder. He set the city on fire. He found the Blue Crown. And in the end, he sacrificed himself for his friends – his only real family.
The legend of the Blue Crown told that it granted whoever possessed it his greatest wishes. As JJ struggled to stay alive beside his girlfriend Kiara, he revealed that he already got his wish.
“I already got it, everything I wanted,” he said. “Take care of the others. I love you, Ki.”
This is not the first time the Pogues have dealt with death close to their hearts, but this is the first time one of their own is gone for good. There is no confirmation that JJ will appear in Season 5.
Why did Groff kill JJ?
Chandler Groff (J. Anthony Crane) was inexplicably the greatest villain this season. The son-in-law of Wes Genrette, who was revealed to be JJ’s biological father, has several hateful bones in his body. The man cared only about himself and his fortune. He was murderous to his core, killing Hollis Robinson, Wes, and, in the end, his own son.
At the end of episode ten, Groff threatened Kiara with a knife to her neck and asked JJ to hand him the Blue Crown to save her life. JJ agreed, but that was not enough for Groff. He stabbed him in the stomach, saying, “You should have given me the rope.” Earlier in the episode, JJ left Groff at the bottom of the well that Rafe had pushed him into. While JJ did not leave him for dead by handing him a jug of water, he did not help him out (Why would he? The man lied to him, gave him away as a baby and framed him for murder.)
Groff snuck off with the crown and told Rafe that he was on the way to Lisbon to find a buyer. The Pogues have not giving up on avenging JJ’s death.
The path to revenge
To JJ, nothing mattered more than his friends. He would risk his life in a heartbeat to protect the ones who mattered most to him. The Pogues are ready to return the favor.
The last words of the season finale are Kiara’s simply stating, “Revenge.” The Pogues are not going down without a fight. Rafe (Drew Starkey) actually started the conversation, asking the group if they were going to just give up. They all knew better.
What happens with Sarah’s baby?
Another shocking moment of Part 2 was the reveal that Sarah Cameron (Madelyn Cline) is pregnant. The first Pogue baby is on the way. JJ hinted to John B (Chase Stokes) and Sarah that his name would be great for a child, boy or girl. The couple shrugged it off at first, but following the death of their best friend, the name may have more significance now than ever.
It is unclear the timeline of Season 5, but Sarah will likely be with child throughout the end of the series.
Is Rafe a Pogue?
Rafe turned a new leaf in the second half of the series, it seemed. After he realized that Groff had scammed him for $400,000, he, too, was ready to find the crown and take him down. He even found a boat to take the Pogues to Morocco on.
While the Pogues were slow to trust Rafe after his history of outbursts, he served helpful throughout their mission. He and his sister Sarah had a heart-to-heart moment, where she revealed that she did not kill their dad; instead, he sacrificed himself to save her life.
“If he was still around, he’d want us to work together,” Sarah said. “You’re the only family I have left.”
Rafe has not completely healed, though. When Groff told him that his girlfriend Sophia (who he proposed to in episode 9) was paid off in the scam, he called her and told her to get out of his house.
It seems as though Rafe will follow the Pogues to Morocco and finish this mission with them, but it is still unclear where he lands.
All episodes of “Outer Banks” are now streaming on Netflix.
