Rudy Pankow’s JJ Dies, Fans React

Warning: Spoilers below.

“Outer Banks” killed off one of its most beloved characters during the season 4 finale.

JJ Maybank (Rudy Pankow) was murdered by his biological father, Chandler Groff (J. Anthony Crane).

Groff went after JJ and Kiara (Madison Bailey) to get the Blue Crown. He held a knife to Kiara’s neck and JJ handed over the Blue Crown to save Kiara.

However, Groff stabbed JJ, who died in Kiara’s arms.

“I already got my wish. Everything I wanted,” JJ said to Kiara in his last breath.

‘Take care of the others. I love you, Kie,” he added.

An emotional montage of JJ’s moments with the other Pogues was then played, with narration from John B (Chase Stokes).

After JJ’s death, Kiara reunited with the rest of the Pogues when they decided to go after Groff and seek “revenge” on JJ.

Pankow, 26, has played JJ since the Netflix show premiered in 2020. The series was renewed for a fifth and final season before the final episodes of season 4 dropped Thursday.

Fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to express their devastation over the death of fan favorite JJ.

“You’re telling me that the character who experienced the most trauma and ultimately deserved a happy ending was killed. Throw it away!” one person tweeted.

“There is no #OuterBanks without JJ Maybank,” someone else said said.

“’I love you’ as the final scene for a death trope is pure evil,” another fan wrote. “Jj maybank come back, it can’t end like this.”

A several angry tweet read: “There are no outer banks without jj. There is no pogue without one of the members, there is no s5 without jj. A huge script hole and all because the actors have personal issues between them. Professionalism sent greetings.”

“I’m still shocked by JJ’s death,” another viewer said known person. “I didn’t expect any of the Pogues to be killed before the series ended. It was a bold move. His last scene with Kiara destroyed me.”

“Take away everyone’s favorite character? Whose decision was this? Horrible ending, it definitely won’t be the same without JJ,” said another fan wrote.

Pankaw addressed his character’s death an interview with Netflix after the final.

“For JJ, he has to assess every moment in his life whether it’s worth it (to take the risk), and I think it’s constant, yeah, that’s it for him,” the actor said. “Even with the pain, suffering and struggle for JJ, it’s worth it for him to go this far. He lives his life to the fullest, and I don’t think he regrets it.”

The show’s creators, brothers Josh and Jonas Pate and Shannon Burke, revealed that they always planned to kill JJ.

“It was a very difficult decision because he is such a great part of the ensemble,” Josh said. “It sets the stage for an epic fifth and final season. We are planning a story of redemption and a season that embodies the friendship that JJ came to represent. JJ’s death was a difficult but necessary part of the architecture of the story, and we plan to honor that as much as possible because we love the character as much as the fans do. And Rudy is a good friend of ours.’

The season 4 finale also revealed that Sarah (Madelyn Cline) is pregnant with John B’s baby.

Sarah found out she was pregnant after taking two pregnancy tests in a pharmacy bathroom. She later told John B, who was blatantly shocked but excited about the news.

‘We’re going to find out. Because we always do,” he told her.

Stokes, 32, and Cline, 26, dated in real life for less than two years until October 2021. Stokes is now dating country singer Kelsea Ballerini.

‘Outer Banks’ follows a group of friends searching for lost treasures in North Carolina. The cast includes Stokes, Cline, Pankow, Bailey, Jonathan Daviss, Drew Starkey and Carlacia Grant.

Netflix announced this week that the series will end with season 5.

“It is with some sadness, but also excitement, that we leave Season 4 behind and move into Season 5, where we hope to bring our beloved Pogues home in the way we envisioned and planned years ago,” the creators said. in a statement.

“Season five will be our final season, and we think it will be our best yet,” she added.

“Outer Banks” is streaming on Netflix.