Now that Outer Banks has been renewed for a fifth and final season, fans have questions about when it will be released and how the Pogues' story will end.
Unlike Seasons 1-3, Season 4 of Netflix's teen action drama found the Pogues enjoying their hard-earned success before taking on a new treasure hunt and then losing one of their own.
In November 2024, Netflix greenlit Outer Banks Season 5 with showrunners promising one last adventure before bringing the Pogues home for good.
Has Outer Banks Season 5 Begun Filming?
The Outer Banks Season 5 has not yet started filming. Netflix has not confirmed an official start date for Season 5. However, fans have an idea of when cameras will begin rolling.
Back in November 2024, Deadline reported the final season is currently being written with the goal of production beginning this spring.
When Will Outer Banks Season 5 Release?
If filming for Season 5 begins in Spring 2025, it is unlikely to hit Netflix until 2026.
For reference, Outer Banks Season 2's filming schedule spanned August 2020 to April 2021 with new episodes premiering in late July 2021. Season 3 took even longer as a full year separated the show's February 2022 start date and its February 2023 debut.
While Season 4 took 16 months between its filming start and Netflix drop, part of that was due to the 2023 writers' and actors' strikes. Based on previous production schedules for the series, a potential Spring 2026 release for Outer Banks Season 5 seems like a proper estimation at this time.
How Many Episodes Is Outer Banks Season 5?
While Netflix has yet to release Season 5's schedule, Outer Banks' final season is expected to keep with its tradition of 10-episode seasons.
That is not to say audiences will be able to binge all 10 episodes at once though.
Season 4 broke the mold with its somewhat confusing two-part release schedule with Episodes 1-5 dropping on October 10, 2024, and Episodes 6-10 premiering on November 7, 2024.
Since other Netflix shows like Stranger Things and Bridgerton have adopted this model, it's expected that Season 5 will do the same.
Who Is Returning for Outer Banks Season 5?
Most of the main cast of Outer Banks are confirmed to return for Season 5 except for Rudy Pankow's JJ Maybank.
Even though Chandler Groff killed JJ at the end of Season 4, fans have questioned whether JJ will return in a twist, flashback, or some other means. Find out what Chandler Groff's J. Anthony Crane said about a JJ comeback here!
Speaking of which, Crane's Season 4 villain, Chandler Groff, is also confirmed for the final episodes as he is currently in possession of Blackbeard's Blue Crown.
As for other Outer Banks stars to expect, Drew Starkey's Rafe is also confirmed for Season 5, as is his former fiance Sofia, played by Fiona Paloma, and Pollyanna McIntosh's ruthless Dalia.
Interestingly enough, Season 1-3 regular and Sarah and Rafe's stepmother, Caroline Arapoglou's Rose, is expected to appear after her Season 4 absence, as is Sarah and Rafe's younger sister Wheezie, played by Julia Antonelli.
What Will Outer Banks Season 5 Be About?
Season 4 ended in a cliffhanger with John B. and the Pogues reeling from JJ's death in Morocco and Chandler Groff in possession of Blackbeard's Blue Crown.
When asked whether revenge is Season 5's theme, co-creator Jonas Pate teased (via Deadline) that's "where we start but I think it will go through different iterations."
While the loss of JJ and Season 4's treasure is expected to drive Season 5's narrative, there are several other storylines that need to be tied up before the final episode, such as Sarah's pregnancy, Rafe and Sofia's broken relationship, Pope's future (did he go to jail?), and Kiara's troubled history with her parents.
In addition, the Outer Banks showrunner team teased more of Chandler Groff's history will be revealed in Season 5, something Groff's J. Anthony Crane also discussed with The Direct.
According to Shannon Burke, "...some of the work of Season 5 is going to be going out and understanding why he did it:"
“...some of the work of Season 5 is going to be going back and understanding why he did it. The story’s not over, we’re part way through. It’s all potential [for Season 5] but I’m pretty sure that’s going to be developed, about why he had to do it.”
Even so, the final season is likely to focus on three of the show's main stars, particularly series lead John B. (Chase Stokes) as he faces fatherhood, Sarah Cameron (Madelyn Cline), as she deals with her complicated family and motherhood, and Kiara as she wrestles with JJ's death and her future.
Find out what seven burning questions Outer Banks Season 5 needs to answer here!
Seasons 1-4 of Outer Banks is streaming on Netflix.
