Outer Banks Season 4, Part 1 has just premiered on Netflix, with the fourth season following the Pogues on even more treasure-hunting adventures. And with the new season following the storyline of JJ Maybanks’ real parentage, one of the questions on everyone’s mind has been whether the show might finally resolve this storyline in a way that means Rudy Pankow’s exit from the show.
Pankow has played JJ Maybanks since the show’s premiere, one of the main characters of the teen drama, which also stars Madelyn Cline, Chase Stokes, Madison Bailey, Jonathan Daviss, and Carlacia Grant. In the fourth season of the show, JJ finds out that he is not actually a Pogue – a distinction made according to wealth and status – but a Kook, because his family is actually pretty rich.
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But the show, which is set to release Part 2 on November 7, still hasn’t gotten to the bottom of why JJ didn’t grow up with his family after his mother, Larissa Genrette, died. It also hasn’t allowed JJ a reunion with his birth father, Chandler Groff, who seems to be up to no good with the Genrette’s land. These storylines are set to be explored in the upcoming episodes, but they leave open the door for JJ to potentially exit the show once all is said and done.
That, however, could be said of any of the Pogues – and the show has steadfastly refused to tell a story that doesn’t involve the entire group. So why do people think Rudy Pankow could be leaving Outer Banks?
Is Rudy Pankow leaving Outer Banks?
The answer seems to be no, but with Outer Banks, you never know. The main reason fans have been speculating about a possible exit has to do with an interview Pankow gave to Backstage. In the interview, Pankow said “I’m so thankful to be in this position…to be working on this craft with these characters. But I know that’s not going to last forever. I’m capable of trusting that it’s gonna be OK no matter how busy I am, or how not busy I am.”
It was enough for the fanbase to explode with speculations that Outer Banks Season 4 would be Pankow’s last, and the storyline regarding his parentage in the first part of the season has just made fans worry even further. The actor didn’t help matters with a recent post on his Instagram stories, where he stated “This show has given me so many amazing opportunities to express my craft in so many different ways and it has been an honor playing JJ.”
Fan reaction was swift, with one fan trying to add context to Pankow’s message saying “It’s Thanksgiving here in Canada so maybe he’s just saying what he’s thankful for because of it?” and another adding “i don’t think he’s leaving his just saying a bunch of things he’s thankful for. he also posted he’s thankful for his family, the romeo and juliet play, etc.” But there were the most pessimistic ones, like one fan who said “Looks like we know who’s being killed off.”
But it is important to remember that there are no real storytelling clues that Pankow’s JJ is leaving, and there isn’t much in Season 4, Part 1 to indicate such, either. If anything, the whole Kook storyline for JJ hints at something the show would want to explore in upcoming seasons. So while we don’t know for sure he’s staying, we also don’t know have any real indications Pankow is leaving the show.
Will Outer Banks season 4 be the show’s last?
There has been no official confirmation from Netflix that the show will return for Season 5, but the show has consistently been one of Netflix’s best performers, and Season 4, Part 1 made it to the top of the Netflix Top 10 leaderboard with ease. Considering all of these things, it’s likely the show will get at least one more season and maybe more, depending on what creators Josh Pate, Jonas Pate, and Shannon Burke have planned. Netflix has been quick to cancel shows recently, but it has also been quick to renew proven hits, including The Night Agent and The Diplomat.
Outer Banks appeals to a younger audience than the last two, and it is an audience that Netflix is very much interested in keeping, which means we are likely to get news on a possible Outer Banks Season 5 soon, perhaps right after Part 2 releases. And with a Season 5 all but certain, the question of what’s going to happen to JJ Maybanks becomes even more important. For now, fears of Rudy Pankow leaving are just that, fears. There’s no real evidence Season 4 will be the last we see of JJ Maybanks and storytelling-wise, it seems like there is still a long journey ahead for JJ.