Warning: The following post contains major spoilers from the season 4 finale of Outer Banks.
Heading into the final episode of Outer Banks season 4, we knew we were in store for an epic finale event as the co-creators of the show touted the finale as being a feature-length episode that they deemed “the best, most powerful episode” in the show’s history.
Well, the second part of season 4 has arrived and we can most certainly confirm the season 4 finale is by far the most powerful and intense episode the show has ever delivered. The finale brought the season’s action to a head in a grand finale which united the season’s key players as the hunt for the Blue Crown came to a close.
The Pogues once again found themselves in a dangerous and precarious situation as Dalia and her mercenaries proved they were willing to stop at nothing to claim the crown for their benefactor. In the epic battle, the Pogues and Dalia’s team faced off in a heated exchange which resulted in several near-death moments for the Pogues as they fought to stay alive and find the Blue Crown.
There were more than a few times throughout the finale in which it looked like the Pogues weren’t going to make it with Cleo sustaining a gunshot wound to the shoulder and John B nearly being choked to death by one mercenary. Surprisingly, the Pogues were able to evade death once again in battling it out with Dalia; however, it seems the bigger threat was one we never quite expected: Groff.
After being left for dead by JJ and the Pogues earlier in the episode following an altercation with Rafe that left him stranded in a well, Groff somehow managed to claw his way out of the well and quickly sought out vengeance. Once free from the well, Groff hitched a ride from some locals and made his way to Agapenta where he gets the jump on Kiara.
As he holds Kiara at knifepoint, JJ arrives and attempts to defuse the situation. Groff makes it clear the only thing he wants is the Blue Crown which JJ hands over in order to save Kiara’s life. With the crown in hand, you would think that’d be enough for Groff; however, he proves just how ruthless he is when he stabs JJ in the stomach as retribution for his decision to leave him in the well.
Does JJ die in Outer Banks season 4?
After Groff stabs JJ and makes off with the crown, it quickly becomes clear that the wound inflicted is serious. JJ quickly begins to bleed out and collapses to the ground, but even in the moment, it’s hard to imagine this actually being the end of JJ’s life as he’s managed to evade death more than a few times during the show’s run. Surely, this is just another close call, right? Wrong.
In a twist that we never saw coming, Outer Banks bid farewell to one of the show’s key characters as JJ died in Kiara’s arms as the result of Groff’s actions. The scene was truly one of the most heartbreaking and emotional moments in the show’s four-season run, one that shocked audiences and left us watching the final minutes with tear-filled eyes.
As JJ came to realize how serious the wound was, he told Kiara that he got all he wished for as he asked her to please take care of the rest of the Pogues for him. He then drew his last breath after telling Kiara he loved her one final time.
If there was any doubt that this was a fake-out death, those doubts were quickly put to bed as we cut to a montage of JJ’s best moments in which John B memorialized his friend. After the dust settled, the group then buried their friend’s body in the sand and the season ended with the Pogues vowing to get justice for their fallen friend.
Without a doubt, JJ’s death is the biggest death in the show’s history and has changed the entire trajectory of where the show is likely to go in its final season. While we once thought the final season would be about one final treasure hunt, it seems the final season will be a season fueled by revenge as the Pogues look to avenge their friend.
It’s going to be a bittersweet arc and it’s hard to imagine the final season without JJ, a character who despite his flaws has been the beating heart of the Pogues since Day 1.