Outer Banks season four returned to Netflix on Thursday November 7 – and with it a heartbreaking conclusion for the Pogues.

JJ Maybank, played by Rudy Pankow, was killed off in the season finale at the hands of the man he discovered was his real father, Chandler Goff – who had also killed JJ’s mom.

The heart of the Pogues, JJ had found his true family with his friends after growing up with an abusive adoptive father, and he died the way he lived, protecting those he loved.

Viewers saw the Pogues – including John B (Chase Stokes), Sarah Cameron (Madelyn Cline), Kiara (Madison Bailey), Pope (Jonathan Daviss) – in pursuit of Blackbeard’s treasure, the Blue Crown, and in the final episode, Chandler, who was also after the treasure, was left for dead in the desert.

Rudy Pankow as JJ in episode 406 of Outer Banks

But he shocked the Pogues by returning and taking Kiara, JJ’s girlfriend hostage. To save her, JJ decides to hand over the Crown to Chandler, only for the man to stab JJ in retaliation for leaving him for dead in the desert.

JJ then dies in Kiara’s arms, telling her he loves her one final time.

Madison Bailey as Kiara and Rudy Pankow as JJ

“For JJ, he has to judge every moment in his life, if it’s worth it [to take the risk], and I think it’s constantly, ‘Yeah’, it is for him,” Rudy told Netflix.

“Even throughout the pain and the suffering and the struggles for JJ, it’s worth it for him to go to that length. He lives his life to the utmost fullest, and I don’t think he regrets any part of it.”

“From the get-go, JJ always showed that he would do anything,” he added, “he would put his friends before himself.”

“From the get-go, JJ always showed that he would do anything,” said Rudy, “he would put his friends before himself.”

Outer Banks creators Josh Pate, Jonas Pate, and Shannon Burke also shared that it was always their plan to kill off JJ.

“It was a really hard decision because he’s such a great piece of the ensemble,” said Josh Pate.

“It sets the stage for an epic fifth and final season. We’re planning a story of redemption, and a season that embodies the friendship that JJ had come to represent. JJ’s death was a hard but necessary piece of the architecture for the story, and we plan on honoring that as much as we can because we love the character as much as the fans do. And Rudy’s a great friend of ours.”

The Pogues are in search of Blackbeard’s treasure

“From this beginning, we imagined a mystery that would lead to a five-season journey of adventure, treasure hunting, and friendship,” the showrunners told fans in a statement on November 4, confirming season five would be the last.

“At the time, seven years ago, it seemed impossible that we would really get to tell the whole five season story, but here we are, at the end of our fourth season, still chopping away.”

“We hope to bring our beloved Pogues home in the way we imagined and planned years ago,” they concluded. “We hope you’ll join us for one more paddle out to the surf break.”