Rudy Pankow, Cast React To Season 4 Finale; JJ Shocker

SPOILER ALERT: The story includes details about the Season 4 Part 2 of Netflix‘s Outer Banks.

Season 4 Part 2 of Netflix’s Outer Banks was a tortured hero arc for proud Pogue JJ Maybank. Reeling from the discovery of his Kook ancestry in the final minutes of Part 1 and from the threat against Poguelandia 2.0, he snapped and went on a rampage. He then was betrayed by his biological father Chandler Groff who tossed him overboard to die.

But, after hitting rock bottom and resorting to drinking, he bounced back with a remarkable act of sacrifice, jumping after Sarah when she was swept by a wave during a massive storm as the Pogues’ boat was approaching the Moroccan coast. He attacked a militiaman who was about to shoot Sarah and John B. JJ then climbed a tall statue in the desert during a sandstorm to get the Blue Crown for the Pogues. He quickly gave it up to save Kiara when Chandler had her at knifepoint only to be killed by his Chandler, leaving his friends devastated.

While the development may have shocked fans, it did not come as a surprise to Rudy Pankow, who plays the fearless — and sometimes reckless — JJ.

“When I first found out that JJ was going to risk it all and not make it I understood it because when I read the character breakdown for the audition, it said, loyal to a fault,” he said in an Inside Look video feature about JJ’s death, which you can watch below. “And I think, as the stakes got higher and higher, his whole thing is, he takes the risk and puts his friends before himself.”

JJ has done that numerous times throughout the seasons, including taking the blame when Pope capsized Topper’s boat, getting arrested for it and being badly beaten up by his violent drug addict father Luke as a result.

Pankow is well aware of the profound impact JJ’s death would have on the Pogues and the show.

“He has to judge every moment of his life if it is worth it, and I think he is constantly, yeah, it is,” Pankow said of his character. “Life is really precious and fragile and his death really does set up the future of OBX with the question of what is worth it and when someone that close to you is gone, how do you navigate that.”

JJ and John B had been best friends since childhood — or “brothers for life” as emotional John B called it when JJ and Sarah finally washed ashore in Morocco after the storm, asking JJ to be his and Sarah’s unborn baby’s godfather.

“The beauty of John and JJ, it shows the true definition of what friendship is – it’s not just the high fives, it’s the lows, it’s holding each other accountable,” Chase Stokes (John B) said. “And I’m forever grateful for the experience that I’ve had with Rudy, it’s just been such a fun component of the show to shoot.”

Madelyn Cline (Sarah) called JJ “the heart of Outer Banks.” “He is such a wild card and it was something that we all love,” she said.

Added Carlacia Grant (Cleo), “His character has always represented choosing friendship,” and Jonathan Daviss (Pope), “He is just the embodiment of that Pogue image.”

Over the last two seasons, JJ had found love with one of his Pogue friends, Kiara, whose life he saved in his final minutes, telling his father that he doesn’t need the treasure because “I already have everything I’ve ever wanted.”

“Being a Pogue is a lot about making your own definitions of happiness, joy and community, and I think his character embodies the spirit of never giving up and rebelling against what is expected of you to save what really matters,” Madison Bailey (Kiara) said.

(For Outer Banks co-creators/executive producers Jonas Pate, Josh Pate and Shannon Burke’ take on JJ’s death and what to expect from Season 5, read Deadline’s exclusive interview.)

Alaskan native Pankow had just a few shorts and a couple of small one-off guest starring roles on his resume when he landed the series regular role of JJ on Outer Banks.

“This show is by far the biggest thing I’ve ever done,” he said. “To have this as my start is the start of a lifetime. I’m gonna miss it.”

Pankow, who has been a lead in multiple films since Outer Banks‘ breakout success, also addressed the series’ devoted fans.

“To all the fans that show so much love and support for JJ, I just want to say thank you, it really does mean a lot to me. And P4L. [Pogues for Life]”