Outer Banks‘ fifth and final season is off to a rocky start after the controversial decision to kill fan-favorite character JJ Maybank.

The hit Netflix series, which debuted in 2020, follows the conflict between two groups of teenagers in a coastal North Carolina town. The social divide is introduced through the Kooks a.k.a the wealthy residents and the working class, who are also known as the Pogues. The search for a lost treasure causes the groups to be even more at odds while a found family forms between the friend group at the center of the show.

It was confirmed in November 2024 that Outer Banks would wrap up John B (Chase Stokes), Sarah (Madelyn Cline), Kiara (Madison Bailey), Pope (Jonathan Daviss), JJ (Rudy Pankow) and Cleo’s (Carlacia Grant) individual arcs in season 5. While fans were initially excited for one final journey with the Pogues, things took a turn when the season 4 finale ended with JJ’s shocking death.

While some viewers criticized the show’she decision to get rid of one of the main characters — seemingly kept out of left field — executive producer Jonas Pater, claimed JJ’s death was always the plan.

Related: Us Explains ‘Outer Banks’ Offscreen Backlash After JJ’s Controversial Death

“It’s been kind of lurking in his DNA from the beginning. He’s really a tragic figure, and the idea of mortality, and you only have a finite window — it’s also a theme of the show,” Pate told The Hollywood Reporter in November 2024. “It’s something John B has talked about from the first season. So believe it or not, this is something that was always sort of baked in the cake, and we just wanted to tell the story as elegantly and interestingly as possible.”

Pankow weighed in on the surprising narrative decision as well, telling Netflix’s Tudum that same month, “When I first found out JJ was gonna risk it all and not make it, I understood it. And the risks got bigger and bigger, and the stakes got higher and higher. His death really does set up the future of OBX with the question, what is worth it? And when someone that close to you is gone, how do you navigate that?”

The final season explores Kiara’s plans for revenge after her boyfriend’s death. Outer Banks will also reveal whether the Pogues can complete their final treasure hunt successfully while trying to build a permanent future for themselves.

Keep scrolling for everything we know so far about season 5 of Outer Banks:

When Will Netflix Release ‘Outer Banks’ Season 5?

Executive producers Jonas, Josh Pate and Shannon Burke confirmed in November 2024 that they were writing the scripts for the final season. There is a tentative production start date set for spring 2025, which would mean season 5 will likely premiere in 2026.

Who Is Coming Back — And Who Is Joining — The Final Season?

(L to R) Rudy Pankow as JJ, Chase Stokes as John B, Madelyn Cline as Sarah Cameron, Carlacia Grant as Cleo, Jonathan Daviss as Pope, Madison Bailey as Kiara. Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix
Stokes, Cline, Bailey, Daviss, Grant, Drew Starkey and Austin North are expected to return. The executive producers also confirmed that Dalia’s mission (Pollyanna McIntosh) isn’t over yet as she tries to get the crown from Chandler Groff (J. Anthony Crane).

Season 5 will offer an update on Sarah and Rafe’s stepmother, Rose (Caroline Arapoglou), and their sister, Wheezie (Julia Antonelli), after both were nowhere to be found after Ward’s (Charles Esten) death. The status of Rafe (Starkey) and Sofia’s (Fiona Palomo) engagement will get addressed as well after she double crossed him.

Where Does the Story Pick Up?

The fourth season ended with the Pogues — and Rafe — burying JJ in Morocco after his biological father, Chandler, stabbed him. Chandler ran off with the blue crown, which meant that treasure was still up for grabs. But the main motivation driving Kiara and the others is getting revenge on Chandler for killing JJ.

Outer Banks also revealed that Sarah is expecting a baby with John B. Pope, meanwhile, ran away from home after promising to sign up for the military and Rafe was swindled out of a large sum of money by Chandler.

Will More Pogues Die?

(L to R) Drew Starkey as Rafe, Rudy Pankow as JJ, Madison Bailey as Kiara, Carlacia Grant as Cleo, Chase Stokes as John B, Jonathan Daviss as Pope, Madelyn Cline as Sarah Cameron. Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

During an interview with Deadline in November 2024, the show’s creators explained the decision to kill off a Pogue.

“The overarching plan was to begin with just some kids who wanted to have a good time all the time, and take them on a whole journey,” Burke noted. “One of them was going to end up dying, and pretty early on, we knew that was going to be JJ, he’s the most reckless. He is also the most beloved and, in one way, the most sacrificing and the most risk-taking. And this was going to be JJ’s year.”

He continued: “The kids, they’re getting older. We wanted to begin in a place of innocence and then go to a place that at least one point to go is really dark for them, and then have them come out of it. That’s the overarching plan for the show. It was always JJ that was going to be, we just weren’t sure how we were going to play it.”

The trio didn’t clarify whether any other character from that friend group would be in danger of getting killed off before Outer Banks‘ series finale. 

Who Is the Season 5 Villain?

(L to R) Jonathan Daviss as Pope, Chase Stokes as John B. Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

Outer Banks will continue to focus on newcomer Chandler after he killed his own son.

“You’re right to point out that it seems gratuitous, and some of the work of season 5 is going to be going back and understanding why he did it,” Burke told Deadline. “The story’s not over, we’re part way through. It’s all potential [for season 5] but I’m pretty sure that’s going to be developed, about why he had to do it.”

Will Kiara Get Revenge After JJ’s Death?

Rudy Pankow and Madison Bailey Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

It remains unclear whether season 5 will stick to Kiara’s promise of getting revenge.

“That’s where we start but I think it will go through different iterations,” Jonas hinted to Deadline. “If you look at The Count of Monte Cristo, one of the greatest revenge stories, you start with revenge, but it goes to understanding and forgiveness, so revenge goes on to different iterations of that, but revenge is where we start for sure.”

Season 5 will center around Kiara’s journey, with Josh adding, “Kiara is going to be a big focus but we definitely want to give more time to Cleo too. It’s a question of bandwidth in the show that we have with all these stories, so it’s hard to say, but we definitely want to develop Cleo and honor her character as well.”

Jonas added: “Kiara is going to be the spine of the season the way JJ was this season. But it’s the last season, so hopefully we’ll be able to bring everybody to a conclusion and to get in everything we want. Like Josh said, there’s always bandwidth issues but we have good plans for Cleo, so I think we will be able to tell her story.”

Could Rudy Return?

Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

“That’s a great question — maybe? I wouldn’t put it out of the realm of possibility,” Burke hinted to Entertainment Weekly in November 2024. “I wouldn’t say for sure but I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened.”

Regardless of Pankow’s potential return, JJ’s death will become the driving force for the fifth and final season.

“This is going to be the main story for the rest of season 5 — it’s going to be the emotional spine. It’s not something you get over in a day or an episode,” Burke continued. “It’s something that is going to affect them and it’s going to be the emotional center of the rest of the series. Mourning is just a tiny piece of it, but they all will be dealing with this gap in their friendship and how it affects them.”

What Will Happen to Sarah as She Navigates Pregnancy?

(L to R) Chase Stokes as John B, Madelyn Cline as Sarah Cameron Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

According to Josh, Outer Banks intentionally made Sarah pregnant after she expressed not being ready for motherhood.

“That’s why we gave her one,” he told Cosmopolitan in November 2024 before Jonas added, “There was something organic about it on some level, and it has to do with our larger vision of the series.”

The trio were asked whether there was ever a plan to show Sarah exploring all her options when it came to the pregnancy, to which Jonas replied, “We certainly talked about all the outcomes of that story early on, but at the same time, as Shannon was saying, they are devoted to each other and they’re married — in their own weird way with beer can rings. So it felt real.”

He concluded: “And there was zero larger statement that we were thinking about outside of these two characters. People might read into it one way or the other, but we weren’t thinking about that.”

Will There Be Spinoffs?

“We are excited for season 5, and we’re excited for other stories in this universe down the line,” Jonas, Josh and Burke shared with Deadline about the future of Outer Banks. While they wouldn’t elaborate on their plans for the fictional universe, the outlet reported that no projects are currently in the works but offshoots are being explored.

North subsequently told Us Weekly that he would love for his character to get his own show.

“This show is just so special and I am just so grateful to be a part of it. It’s always fun to see where they take these characters so it would be cool to continue the journey in a spinoff,” he said in November 2024. “I would definitely be open to that. That would be a lot of fun and I could continue to do other projects on the side.”

Could Topper Join the Pogues in Season 5?

Madelyn Cline as Sarah Cameron, Chase Stokes as John B, Jonathan Daviss as Pope, Carlacia Grant as Cleo, Madison Bailey as Kiara, and Rudy Pankow as JJ on ‘Outer Banks.’ Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

“There’s some redemption that could happen [for Topper]. I think deep down he’s a good guy,” North teased to Us. “You see these moments of him being a good person and I could see more of that happening in season 5. Maybe it would be cool to see some moments of him relating to the Pogues more. He could be putting himself in their shoes and realizing that they are from different upbringings — and that’s fine.”

The actor continued: “We can still get along and let’s put the past behind us and maybe get to know each other as people as humans. Without diving too much into it — I don’t know what the plans are [for season 5] — but those are just kind of a few things that I would like to see.”

Despite JJ’s shocking death, North maintained that he wasn’t concerned about where Topper could end up, adding, “At the end of the day, I trust the creative team. I’m there to do my job and show up to film the material they give me. I dive into it 100 percent and try to bring my most to the character. So whatever route they take things, that’s what they do.”