Outer Banks Season 4 Review – Part 2: A Shocking Goodbye Perfectly Sets Up the Show’s Season 5 Story

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Outer Banks Season 4 – Part 2

No one could have prepared me for what External Banks season 4 was reserved for its final episodes. External Banks Season 4 – Part 1 kicked off the Pogues into the next chapter of their lives. With Eldorado behind them, the group now set their sights on the hidden treasure of Edward Teach, also known as the pirate Blackbeard. The first half of the season ended with the Pogues breaking up. Sarah and Pope were drowned while searching for Teach’s treasure map, and JJ discovered that he was not actually a Maybank, but a Genrette.

Following this configuration, External Banks season 4 – part 2 reunites the group, with John B and Cleo saving Pope and Sarah from drowning, while JJ struggles with his main discovery. The latter is the driving force of the season along with the Pogues’ quest to find the Blue Crown, an artifact that is not only priceless (which could save Poguelandia 2.0), but which supposedly grants one wish to whoever possesses it. A few days before the arrival of the new episodes, it was announced External Banks season 5 would end the series, and now I can see why.

JJ Maybank, by Rudy Pankow, is the main character of season 4

Outer Banks Season 4 – Part 2 ends with a shock

In my review of part 1, I called JJ the true star of External Banks season 4. Now that part 2 is out, I can safely say that statement remains true. JJ has always been one of the most important characters in the series. His reckless attitude caused the Pogues to get in and out of difficult situations. Next to John B, Rudy Pankow’s JJ has been my favorite character to watch over the years. Part 2 gave him a new father, his real father, which I was excited to see happen.

Unfortunately, Chandler Groff ended up being a worse father to JJ than Luke ever was, and that’s saying something. Part 2 shows JJ struggling with the feeling that he never really fit in with Luke and that something was missing. This allows Groff to manipulate him, as the character was never intended to be the father JJ needed. It was hard to see JJ fall for Groff’s schemes so easily, but I understand why he acted the way he did since JJ just wanted to be loved by his father.

This would lead down a very tragic path. Despite his reckless antics throughout the show, JJ was resourceful, which always made me think he would be okay at the end of the day. Well, season 4 had other plans. I was shocked to see Groff stab his own son and kill him, not because it was something I didn’t imagine he could do, but because losing JJ meant losing the heart of the show. And then it dawned on me. Now it makes perfect sense that External Banks is ending in Season 5, as JJ’s death fuels a final mission.

Before his death, JJ continued his destructive arc from the first few episodes of the season. The character literally set Kildare on fire in one of the show’s best scene sequences. He put his life in danger many times. Some of them intended to save their friends, while others didn’t seem to think that he deserved everything that happened to him and had nothing to lose. Although some of JJ’s actions frustrated me, I’m glad he got himself together before the end, realizing he had everything he ever wanted – his friends.

Outer Banks Season 4 – Part 2 sets the ending for the Pogues

The characters are coming for revenge

While JJ is the star of External BanksIn the new batch of episodes, the other Pogues – and Rafe – complete important story arcs or move towards the finish line. After taking a backseat in part 1, Chase Stokes’ John B has more to do this time around. It’s interesting to see how the character has changed since the start of the show. Although John B was the one who made the rest of the group go on the treasure hunt, the character is more mature now, weighing the risks and knowing when to step back.

This change in attitude makes sense. With his father, Big John, dead and Eldorado behind him, John B is moving on. The revelation that he and Sarah will be parents also contributes to this, and I really liked the direction of their story. Sure, they’re young, but the characters’ relationship has been growing since the beginning. External Banks is a show about kids and their parents, and seeing John B, the leader of the Pogues, become one of them is a fitting way to end the series.

As in previous seasons, part 2 continues to surprise with beautiful locations. The Pogues travel the world once again and the busy streets of Morocco provide a nice change of scenery. Rafe and Sarah’s relationship has the best development in seasons, Cleo is getting revenge, and Pope is trying to figure out what future he wants after a major decision. In the final moments of Season 4, Kiara and the Pogues make a promise of revenge. I don’t see how the show can work without JJ, but I’m intrigued by External Banks Season 5 setup to continue watching.

All episodes of External Banks season 4 is now streaming on Netflix.