Why Did They Kill Off JJ In Outer Banks Season 4? Decision Explained

Outer Banks has never shied away from putting its cast in danger, but Season 4 left fans stunned when the Netflix series killed off one of its most popular Pogues.

Episode 10 of Season 4 ended with Chandler Groff stabbing his son, leaving Outer Banks' JJ Maybank (Rudy Pankow) to die in Kiara's arms. The question now is why the hit drama opted for such a shocker ahead of its final season. 

Why Outer Banks Killed JJ in Season 4

After the Pogues evade Dalia's men and have obtained the coveted Blue Crown, the Outer Banks Season 4 finale takes a turn when Chander Groff appears and holds Kiara, JJ's girlfriend, at knifepoint. 

When Groff demands that JJ hand over the Blue Crown, he does so willingly, but Groff stabs his son in the stomach anyway; and after making his escape, JJ dies as he tells Kiara he loves her. 

Leading up to Season 4's debut, there was speculation that Rudy Pankow was leaving Outer Banks, potentially due to drama between him and Kiara star Madison Bailey or their significant others. 

Eagle-eyed fans took notice several months ago when Jonas Pate, one of the co-creators of Outer Banks, allegedly unfollowed Pankow and his girlfriend Eliane Siemek, a series showrunner assistant, on social media. 

Meanwhile, there is additional buzz that Siemek and Madison Bailey's girlfriend, Mariah Linney, reportedly unfollowed each other following a heated cast dinner. 

However, the reasons and facts behind these alleged rumors and drama are unconfirmed. 

Outer Banks Creators Respond to JJ's Death

According to Josh and Jonas Pate, the co-creators of Outer Banks (via Tudum), JJ's death is a motivation for the surviving Pogues (check out Outer Banks full Season 4 cast here) as they "feel a duty to avenge [him]:"

"They feel a duty to avenge JJ. If they don’t go after Groff, they’ll feel like they’ve let the spirit of JJ or their friendship down."

His death is particularly motivating for Kiara and will likely play a huge role in her Season 5 character arc. 

In fact, when discussing JJ's murder, Kiara's Madison Bailey claimed, "This is going to rock my character's world," and Josh Pate referred to Kiara as "the lead dog" on the hunt for Chandler Groff. 

As for Season 5 and Outer Banks continuing this story, Jonas Pate described it as "personal," while also acknowledging that home for the Pogues is "not exactly going to be the same because JJ is gone."

Josh Pate further noted that this time around, JJ's death is a "more powerful motivation" for the cast than wealth from treasure: 

"'We don’t want to be poor' is a great motivator to go after treasure, but JJ’s death is [a] much more powerful motivation from here."

Whether Outer Banks planned to write off JJ all along, or the decision was due to behind-the-scenes disputes, his death will also challenge the remaining characters in terms of their values and the temptation of revenge, two themes that the series has touched on before. 

It may also allow the surviving couples, John B. and Sarah and Pope and Cleo, to finally embrace the responsibilities of adulthood and build their lives, while also charting a new course for Kiara. 

Seasons 1-4 of Outer Banks are streaming now on Netflix.