Can you blame the Outer Banks fans for wanting JJ (Rudy Pankow) to come back in Season 5?
After his shocking death at the end of the fourth season, viewers watched and waited impatiently to see if Pankow — an OG cast member of the hit Netflix series — would bring back his fan-favorite character one last time as the show comes to a close.
But once someone is dead in the world of Outer Banks, it’s not exactly easy to come back to life; the hoops one (or a group) would have to jump through would be extensive and perilous. Good thing the Pogues like a little adventure and they love a little danger. So, were they able to do it? Does JJ come back to life in Outer Banks Season 5? We’ve got answers to your biggest questions.
Here’s everything you need to know about JJ’s death in Outer Banks Season 4 and his return in Season 5…
Does JJ Come Back In Outer Banks Season 5?
Sadly for all of the fans out there hoping that JJ would make a return, even momentarily, for the show’s fifth and final season, Pankow does not reprise his character. While the Pogues spend the majority of the season searching for the Blue Crown, an ancient relic with supposed resurrection properties, they learn that not even the crown can bring JJ back to life and that he is officially gone.
Some fans speculated that Pankow would make an appearance in flashback scenes with the Pogues, even creating rumors that Pankow was spotted filming with the cast, which he addressed in recent media appearances. The young actor denied any involvement in the final season but said he is cheering on his former castmates from afar.
“I’m totally going to watch it,” Pankow told Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. “I want to see how they do it. I really want to. And they’re going to crush it. No doubt.”
How Does JJ Come Back In Outer Banks Season 5?
While the show’s OG JJ, i.e. Pankow, does not come back in any physical or tangible way in Season 5, Outer Banks does get cute with it by bringing the spirit of JJ back in the form of a new Pogue. Yes, in the series finale, it is revealed that John B. (Chase Stokes) and Sarah Cameron (Madelyn Cline) welcomed a baby boy, who they named JJ in honor of their deceased friend. Cue the waterworks!
How Did JJ Die In Outer Banks Season 4?
In the Outer Banks Season 4 finale, Chandler Groff (J. Anthony Crane) is holding Kiara (Madison Bailey) at knifepoint, telling JJ to hand over the Blue Crown or Kiara will die. Desperately trying to save Kie, JJ hands over the relic, but Groff stabs him and takes off with the prized item. Why does Groff kill JJ if he got what he wanted out of the hostage situation, you might ask? Well, because Groff was annoyed that JJ had previously refused to throw him a rope when he was stuck in a well and saw the stabbing as payback. Ultimately, JJ died in Kiara’s arms as she cried and begged him to stay alive.
It’s JJ’s murder that ignites Kiara’s drive to find the Blue Crown — which she believes may be able to bring JJ back to life — and to get revenge by killing Groff herself. Spoiler alert: Kiara finally accomplishes her goal in the Season 5 finale as she sends Groff to a watery death by plunging him into the ocean during a hurricane. This came after he drugged her and tried to kill her, so to that, we say good riddance.
Outer Banks is now streaming on Netflix.
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