Why is Outer Banks ending with Season 5? Explored in depth

Outer Banks Season 4 ends with the most tragic and unexpected death, leaving the Pogues with unfinished business. The action-adventure mystery teen drama debuted in 2020 and quickly became a popular sun-drenched Netflix series.

Outer Banks Season 4 arrived in two parts this year and concluded in November, with the death of one of the core gang members of the Pogues— JJ Maybank, during his quest to protect Kiara from his father. This incident has set the stage for Season 5, which will serve as the conclusion of the series.

The Pogues' journey in North Carolina began with adventures and treasure hunts, but after the events of Season 4, the gang's quest for the ultimate revenge will take center stage. Interestingly, this was the plan of co-creators Shannon Burke, Josh Pate, and Jonas Pat since the beginning of Outer Banks.

They wanted the show to have no more than five seasons, as the decision to wrap up the story was a carefully thought-out plan and not influenced by external pressure or changing circumstances.

The creators' vision to end Outer Banks after five seasons

JJ gets betrayed by his birth father (Image Source: Netflix)

The conclusion of Outer Banks after Season 5 has many fans speculating the reason behind the decision. Given the series' popularity and intriguing cliffhangers in each season, many didn't expect it to end this soon.

Outer Banks ending with Season 5 is the long-term narrative vision of the creators. This has been confirmed by them in a letter to fans, explaining how they envisioned the journey of the Pogues:

"From this beginning, we imagined a mystery that would lead to a five-season journey of adventure, treasure hunting, and friendship."

Season 4 saw the Pogues on a treasure hunt for the Blue Crown, which also resulted in deep-hidden secrets being exposed. One of the biggest twists in Season 4 Part 1 was about JJ's parentage. It turned out that Chandler Groff, who tried hard to frame the Pogues for multiple crimes is JJ's birth father.

The twist continued in Part 2, as JJ died at the hands of his own father while trying to protect his gang member Kiara, whom Groff threatened with a knife. The Pogues finally got their hands on Blackbeard's hidden treasure, but not for long.

They have faced the biggest loss of their lives as gang members, and as stated by Burke, this "should carry us through all the way to the end". Season 5 will bring a satisfying conclusion as the Pgues will avenge the death of their beloved friend while also hunting for the treasure for the last time.

Also Read: Who is JJ's dad in Outer Banks? Season 4's unanticipated twist that no one saw coming

Why it's good to end Outer Banks after Season 5?

As Outer Banks moves into the fifth season, the cast members' aging will become a noticeable factor. In the series, the actors are portraying teenagers, but in real life, most of them are in their 20s and early 30s.

Stretching the show beyond Season 5 would become challenging and impact the authenticity of the narrative involving teens. In the Netflix series, the Pogues— Sarah, JJ, Pope, Cleo, Kiara, and John B. are all 19-year-old teenagers as of Season 4.

However, in real life Chase Stokes is 31, Madelyn Cline is 26, Madison Bailey and Rudy Pankow are 25, Drew Starkey is 30, Carlacia Grant has turned 33, and Jonathan Daviss is the youngest at 24-year-old among the cast members.

Though it's normal for actors in their 20s and 30s to play younger roles, it becomes less believable over time. Especially for Outer Banks, as it focuses extensively on teenage adventures and friendships.

Additionally, the show's conclusion will allow the actors to take on new opportunities in various projects as they move forward in their careers. Fans are excited to see Madelyn Cline playing a key role in the upcoming I Know What You Did Last Summer reboot, set for a release in 2025.

Also Read: I Know What You Did Last Summer reboot: Everything we know so far about the announced Nicholas Chavez thriller

What to expect from Outer Banks Season 5?

The gang will settle the score after JJ's death (Image Source: Netflix)

Following the events of Season 4 Part 2, the Pogues won't completely shift from the thrilling adventure. While avenging JJ will be the focus of the final chapter, the quest to hunt down the Blue Crown will likely continue.

What's going to be exciting about the conclusion is that the Pogues will return to the Outer Banks in the end, concluding the story from where it began. As for the cast members, the Pogues are definitely coming back, but we won't see JJ until there's a flashback scene in Season 5.