Warning: This post contains MAJOR spoilers for the Outer Banks Season 4 finale.External Banks Season 4, Part 2 ends with an explosive finale that sees the death of an important and beloved character. Netflix’s popular YA mystery was first released in 2020 and focused on the conflict between local teens and out-of-towners in coastal North Carolina, and their search for long-lost treasure. To date, the show has had four seasons, with the most recent episodes arriving on Netflix on November 7th. External Banks The Season 4 Part 2 finale saw the death of fan favorite JJ Maybank, which sent the fandom into meltdown.
External Banks Season 4, part 2 reveals that Chandler Groff, JJ’s biological father, murdered Larissa and then lied to get away with it. Tragically, he was also the one who killed JJ. The revelation of JJ’s death was very unexpected and many fans took to social media to express their feelings about the event. See several fan reactions below:
@bellysinfinite posted a collage of JJ, with the caption: “Sorry, but there is literally NO Outer Banks without JJ Maybank.”
@supercvrp posted a video clip of JJ with the rest of the gang and swore not to watch season 5.
@jiarafes tweeted that JJ’s death was the biggest TV disaster of all time and compared it unfavorably to the deaths of major characters on other shows, such as that of Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones.
@literalmentejiara tweeted two close-ups of JJ’s face during his death scene, asking: “HOW IS THIS HAPPENING?“
@yanawrites tweeted a video that showed a montage of JJ with his friends and wrote that “If anyone deserved a happy ending, it was JJ Maybank.”
@booksandquills2 tweeted a GIF of Matthew Macfadyen flipping a table on the show Successionwhile also lamenting that the character who went through the most trauma and deserved a happy ending was the one who was murdered.
What JJ’s death means for Outer Banks
Groff put his own interests first
As shocking as JJ’s murder was, having Groff be responsible for it was fitting for his character as a selfish narcissist. He went after JJ and Kiara to try to get the Blue Crown, a piece of Blackbeard’s treasure that the group is looking for. After Groff threatens Kiara with a knife, JJ hands over the treasure but Groff stabs himand he dies in the arms of the woman he loves. Groff is then left to escape with the treasure and will no doubt play a prominent role in season 5 of the series.
Given that Groff murdered Larissa to protect Genrette’s ancestral home, JJ got in the way of that as Larissa’s biological son. With JJ out of the way, Groff will inherit a fortuneand there’s also a piece of Blackbeard’s treasure, for good measure. It was a tragic ending for a tragic character, and as many fan comments suggest, it will be an ending that many won’t be able to get over. However, it’s likely that the creators saw this as a necessary turning point for the group to evolve and for the story to reach a satisfying climax.
Our take on the future of Outer Banks
Outer Banks Season 5 could go out with a bang
Although JJ’s death plays a prominent role in the External Banks Season 5, and will influence the group’s decisions, there could be more deaths to follow. Since Season 5 is officially confirmed to be the last, I wouldn’t be surprised if at least one or two of the main characters meet a similar fate to JJ before the series comes to an end. Revenge against Groff will be a key plot point for the Pogues in External Banks Season 5, as well as finding the treasure to raise the money needed to save his home and honor his friend’s memory.
Source: Various (see above)