Adviser’s Notes: Outer Banks is rated TV-MA and designed for mature audiences. Viewer discretion is advised. The Colt Chronicle Staff and Kinnelon High School do not encourage younger audiences to view mature content.
This article contains spoilers for season 4 and briefly mentions abuse.
Where did we leave off?
The Pogues are back for more treasure and adventure with a fourth season of Outer Banks, streaming now only on Netflix. The last season left off on a big 18-month time jump between the time they were returning from South America, to now. The last scene featured the Pogues getting a standing ovation from the town after finding the lost city of El Dorado. All the Pogues are now coupled up: JJ with Kiara, Pope with Cleo, and of course, the leading couple John B and Sarah. The Pogues often do not win, so it was interesting to see a positive perspective where, for once, the Pogues finally get what they want. “We knew we needed to give them a win, but it ended up being a complicated one. We wanted the audience to feel that they have accomplished something and that it wasn’t all for nothing,” says co-creator and director Josh Pate.
Unfortunately, even though the Pogues got their recognition, there was something to lose. Both John B. and Sarah Cameron lost their fathers–Ward Cameron and Big John Routledge–the day they found the El Dorado gold. At the ceremony, Wes Genrette proposes another treasure-hunting adventure to the Pogues, where they will be searching for Blackbeard’s treasure.
What is this treasure hunt about?
On a more positive note, following the finale of season 3, the Pogues finally get rich and choose to buy out the Maybank property–which belonged to Luke Maybank before he fled Kildare–and build their own surf and bait shop right on the property. Everything is going well, and the Pogues have retired from treasure hunting and instead focus on living a normal life. But, after some financial troubles, the Pouges decided to take up on Genrette’s offer, in exchange for thousands of dollars. Before they know it, they are back in the “G-game”, with dangerous enemies at their heels, racing them to the treasure. As they work together to find this treasure, they have to consider whether there is nothing to lose.
Who are some new characters to expect?
Returning to set, our six Pogues: John B Routledge (Chase Stokes), JJ Maybank (Rudy Pankow), Pope Heyward (Jonathan Davis), Kiara Carrera (Madison Bailey), Sarah Cameron (Madelyn Cline), and Cleo (Carlacia Grant).
But, among our Pogues are some new faces…
- J. Anthony Crane plays Chandler Groff, JJ’s biological father.
- Brianna Brown plays Hollis Robinson, a successful realtor who has her eye on Rafe for a new property.
- Rigo Sanchez plays Lightner, one of the enemies the Pogues come face-to-face with for the new treasure.
- Mia Challis plays Ruthie, a Kook who is currently dating Topper.
What are people saying about this season?
According to RottenTomatos.com, Outer Banks has scored 100% on the Tomatometer and 42% on the Popcornmeter. Most reviews are negative, mostly concerning the death of a fan-favorite and core four Pogue, JJ.
One review says, “Seriously? This is the fate of the JJ storyline? Sure JJ has the love of his friends which is all he really cares about, but after so many years of abuse and neglect he gets no retribution or closure for all he has gone through? Is he just wrapped up in a carpet and buried in the desert of some foreign land? Who cares if his friends get revenge at this point? JJ is dead! He gets nothing out of it.”
Many fans are devastated to find out that JJ died at the end of the season. But what makes it all the more twisted is that he is stabbed by his own father, Chandler Groff. Moreover, many believe that his ending was unjust, and it sends a negative message to those who relate to Maybank and his issues.
“The writers put JJ through the wringer for nearly three seasons, using his family history and complex, unconventional personality as sources of endless struggle, give him a brief respite, ten minutes of happiness, then trap him with his past once again, torture him further, and finally kill him in the most random, meaningless way possible. So many impossible events and weird character interactions had to be crammed in just to make this death inevitable that it doesn’t feel earned at all,” a comment says on RottenTomatoes.com.
On the contrary, some argue that his death was inevitable, and that “it was meant to hurt like h*ll.” Although most JJ fans are upset, some people think the season was amazing apart from the death.
