‘Outer Banks’ Season 5 Ending, Explained
It’s time to say goodbye to our favorite Pogues aka John B, Kiara, Pope, Sarah, and Cleo in the final season of Outer Banks (2020). At the end of Season 4, Groff had stabbed JJ and killed him. In Season 5 we saw the Pogues try their hand at revenge while also dealing with the fact that they had lost absolutely everything. But how did Outer Banks Season 5 end?
As a longtime fan of Netflix's OBX, I’m going to take you through what happened at the end of Outer Banks Season 5. But that isn’t enough. Because I also want to talk about Groff and his dumb reason for killing JJ. And finally, I want to talk about the prequel. Because we might’ve seen the last of John B, Kiara, Pope, Sarah, and Cleo. But that doesn’t mean it’s the end of Pogues and Kooks. Next up, the prequel!
How Did ‘Outer Banks’ Season 5 End?
Outer Banks Season 5 ended with the Pogues finally getting their happily ever after. Well, minus JJ.
As the hurricane was coming over Kildare Island, Kiara went on the boat after Groff. There they had a fight that led to Groff hanging over the water in the middle of the storm. Kiara cut the rope and he fell into the water, finally getting revenge for JJ. The boat with all the Royal Merchant gold that Groff stole sinks and the Pogues rescue Kiara.
Since the Pogues were the last ones left on the island due to an evacuation, they started searching for the Royal Merchant gold and found it. They used that money to clear whatever hiccups were stopping Cleo from becoming a US citizen. From there the Pogues use the gold to settle their debts, give Pope's dad's shop an upgrade, buy back the Maybank land, and rebuild John B's home but with some upgrades for him and Sarah. Also, Pope gets Tannyhill and Rafe escapes to Brazil with Sofia.
Flash forward a couple months and Sarah has her baby with John B. They name him JJ and get married in their rebuilt home surrounded by their friends. And the show ends with John B ringing the bell that used to tell him it was time to come home as a kid.
Why Did Chandler Groff Kill JJ?
Before Groff stabbed JJ in Outer Banks Season 4, he said, “JJ. It's a shame, you and me.” Then he proceeded to stab him and say, “You should have given me the rope.” And after trying to track him down this season, Kiara finally asks Groff why he killed JJ. Because he had the crown and everything that he wanted. But he still killed JJ. And the answer, well it’s disappointing.
Groff told Kiara, “You have things I’ll never have. That’s what he said. You all do. And I can’t have it.” And it’s a garbage reason no matter how Groff tries to spin it. Groff was an entitled and bitter old fool who hoped that JJ would become like him. And when JJ proved that he wasn’t like Groff and left him in that well, he stabbed JJ as payback and to teach him a lesson. It was malice from start to finish.
What Is the ‘Outer Banks’ Prequel About?
Tentatively titled Kildare, the prequel is something that the creators of Outer Banks have been thinking about exploring for years. And now that the flagship show is ending with Season 5, Josh Pate, Jonas Pate, and Shannon Burke are working on the script and entering formal development at Netflix according to Deadline.
The prequel is set 20 years before the events of Outer Banks. And it’s going to explore the deep divide between the working class locals of Kildare Island, the Pogues, and the wealthy seasonal residents, the Kooks. Show creator Pate said, “It really is the story of how the island split—and it’s particularly relevant in our country right now—how it split into the haves and have-nots, how the Kooks and the Pogues started.”
What I’m interested in as a fan of OBX is that Burke also said that this rift will be “seen through the stories of some of the characters you know and some new characters. But they’re 20 years before, so it’s the parents’ generation.” So that means we’re going to see JJ’s dad, Big John; Kiara’s parents, Anna and Mike; Pope’s parents, Cara and Bobby; and Sarah’s father Ward.
A prequel also means we’re going to see the messy beginnings of JJ’s parents Larissa and Chandler. But also maybe we’ll get to know more about Sarah’s mother Ellie. What I’m not hoping for is any sort of redemption for Luke, JJ’s abusive “father.” It didn’t work on Outer Banks and it’s not going to work on Kildare.
