External Banks Season 4 ended with the devastating death of JJ Maybank (Rudy Pankow), and that means Season 5 will see everything change for one character. JJ’s tragic death sets External Banks season 5’s most personal quest for Kiara Carrera (Madison Bailey), who has now lost her boyfriend and, for the first time, has a direct participation in the game. Previously, Kiara accompanied the Pogues on their treasure hunts for moral support, but has had little personal involvement until now.
External Banks Season 4’s treasure hunt for Blackbeard’s shipwreck and the legendary Blue Crown had personal interests in JJ after he discovered that his real biological parents are Larissa Genrette (Tommi Rose) and Chandler Groff (J. Anthony Crane). Larissa’s father, Wes Genrette (David Jensen), believed his family was cursed with premature deaths because an ancestor killed the notorious pirate Blackbeard and his wife, and then buried her without her precious amulet. Previously, the search for the Royal Merchant was the life’s work of John B. Routledge’s (Chase Stokes) father, and the Santo Domingo Cross was a family heirloom of Pope Heyward (Jonathan Daviss).
The Pogues Quest For Revenge marks the first Kiara to have a personal interest
Little is known about Kiara’s lineage
Each Pogue’s story was explored in detail except Kiara’s. This includes Sarah Cameron (Madelyn Cline), whose villainous father Ward Cameron (Charles Estes) was involved in the hunt for the Royal Merchant in External Banks season 1, and was revealed to be the reason for the disappearance of John B’s father, Big John (Charles Halford), which was the catalyst for the entire show. Pope’s story is then explored after it is discovered that he is a direct descendant of Denmark Tanny, a formerly enslaved man who became a wealthy activist in the 19th century (based on the real Denmark Vesey).
Nothing has been explored regarding Kiara’s ancestry and local lineageleaving an opening for the 5th season of External Banks to do this. Leaving aside the treasure hunt, the group has already promised to track down Chandler Groff in Portugal and get revenge on him for murdering his own son and his best friend JJ. Because Kiara had a slow-burn romance with JJ that culminated in their relationship, she will likely feel the loss in a deep way, allowing the series to develop her character through her quest for revenge.
Kiara was just there for moral support throughout the show
The Pogues’ latest hunt just got personal for Kiara
External Banks Season 4 delved into JJ’s parentage, revealing that he was never a Maybank and was adopted at birth to unknowingly help his father cover up his mother’s murder. This linked JJ to the Genrette’s history with Blackbeard and the Blue Crown. On the contrary, among all these rich and developed stories for each of the characters is Kiara. All viewers know about Kiara is that her father was once a Pogue and her mother was always a Kook. The family owns a successful restaurant and bar and lives on the wealthy Figure 8 of the fictional Kildare Island, and Kiara is interested in environmental conservation work.
Now that JJ has died, the show has an opportunity to increase Kiara’s personal involvement.
Although most of the Pogues are involved in these extravagant treasure hunts in an effort to lift themselves out of poverty or family members with criminal pasts, Kiara maintained a more stable family life. Although her parents often disagree with her exploits, especially her truancy (which takes her to a desert camp), she has the most upward mobility in life due to her socioeconomic status and new money. This makes his appearances on the group’s treasure hunts purely based on moral support for his friends, without any personal gain. Now that JJ has died, the show has an opportunity to increase Kiara’s personal involvement.
Outer Banks Season 5 Could Allow Room for More Kiara Character Growth
Kiara’s character hasn’t grown as much as some of the other Pogues
Throughout each treasure hunt and John B’s occasional narration, each character has grown and matured in some way throughout the series. Kiara has remained pretty stagnant except for her better relationship with Sarah when the pair reconcile for the first time since high school in season 1. John B learns to use his judgment when the Kooks try to provoke him and aims to follow in his father’s footsteps as a historian, but without his father’s violent tendencies. Sarah has separated herself from her family’s unethical wealth, and Pope has learned new survival skills to match his literary intelligence.
JJ, while still dealing with the pent-up anger surrounding his traumatic life in External Banks season 4, came to terms with everything shortly before his death, and even revealed to Kiara that he already fulfilled his last wish (her, and a simple life with friends). Kiara has long straddled the line between the Pogues and the Kooks, and still makes some of the same rash decisions she did in season one. This incredibly personal loss, along with the season 5 finale, will tie up the loose ends of Kiara’s character in External Banks.