Outer Banks Killed Off JJ, Then Gave Us a Predictable Way to Deal With It

Spoilers ahead for Outer Banks Season 5, through the episodes released so far.

I've been following Outer Banks since whenever a new season drops, it's the treasure hunting, the characters, their relationships, all of it just keeps pulling me back to watch. So when Season 5 opened with a genuinely decent action start, right from episode one, Kie and the others going after the Blue Crown while Groff, Finch, and the mercenaries chase the same prize, I jumped right in without hesitation. Having already watched every previous season, that opening was exactly the kind of hook that pulled me back into following it.

Episode one throws you right into Kie and the others going after the Blue Crown with Groff on their tail, while Finch and his mercenaries are chasing the same prize. That's what actually pulled me in and got me following the season, especially having already watched everything that came before it.

Same cast, same setup, one big twist

Season 5 keeps the same cast as Season 4, and honestly, the plotline felt just the same too. It continues the hunt for the Blue Crown, except this time the twist isn't really about getting the treasure. It's about vengeance for JJ Maybank's death, and using the Blue Crown to actually bring him back.

If you've watched the show before, you know that sounds a little off the hook. Outer Banks has always dealt in ancient treasures and history for history's sake, not resurrection magic tied to a character's death. It's a genuinely big swing for the show to take.

Kie carries the weight of it

Everyone in the group is shocked, unable to fully accept JJ's death, but Kie gets hit hardest. She's his girlfriend, and he dies in her arms, and from that point on, the season really isn't about the treasure hunt anymore, it's about her chasing revenge. She spends the season trying to kill Groff for it, but fails or gets interrupted every single time.

Once the group learns the Blue Crown can actually bring the dead back, Kie ends up carrying two missions at once, revenge for JJ, and using the crown for whatever miracle it might actually pull off. Whether it works or not doesn't even get answered until the last two episodes of the season.

Where it lost me

The twist ended up being kind of boring, predictable even, and it just didn't work for me. Even sticking with it through the whole season, that predictability never really let up.

This season leans hard into the characters being nostalgic, working through their trauma, basically dealing with a group mid-life crisis while also finding treasure and losing, more than once, against villains who are just written smarter than them. At some point the Pogue team starts feeling less like clever treasure hunters and more like a genuinely stupid team. Though I guess that's fair, what else can you expect from a bunch of teenagers running around on a vengeance-fueled treasure hunt.

Where I'm at with it

The show still has the nostalgia and the character dynamics that made me a longtime viewer in the first place, but the actual plot this season just isn't holding up its end. A resurrection-driven treasure hunt sounded interesting on paper, but the execution stayed predictable enough all the way through that it was genuinely a letdown compared to how strong the season started.

Still, it feels like the right way to end things

For what it's worth, Season 5 does feel like it's wrapping things up, and honestly, there's no better way to do it. More treasure hunting at this point would just make the show predictable and drain whatever stakes are left for viewers. Taking revenge and trying to bring JJ back is a genuinely fitting way to close it out. The Pogues are already set for life after everything they've been through and the first treasure they lost back in earlier seasons, there's no real reason to send them chasing another one.

How it all wraps up

By the end, the group actually gets settled on the Outer Banks after everything, finding the royal merchant treasure they'd lost back in earlier seasons. John B, Sarah, Pope, Cleo, and Kie are set for life, using the treasure to build their own version of the island instead of just being Pogues anymore. Rafe and Sofia head off to Rio to start over somewhere new, and Pope and Cleo end up next in line after Sarah and John B's wedding. The show actually closes on that marriage, with every other character finally getting their life back too.

As for the Blue Crown itself, it never actually brings JJ back. Instead, it shows the group not what they've lost, but what they had, landing on the idea that when bad things happen, you have to let it go. Honestly, that's a stronger note to end the show on than an actual resurrection would've been.