In the upcoming Season 4 of Netflix’s thrilling adventure series, Outer Banks, the stakes will be higher than ever as the Pogues once again set out for another exhilarating round of treasure hunting. With Season 3 concluding with an 18-month time jump, the next season is set to detail how much the characters have changed since we last saw them. The next chapter will see the skillful team go after Blackbeard’s long-lost haul, and all the chaos they are bound to encounter will put a strain on their respective romantic relationships. In a new update, showrunner Jonas Pate teases that the couple, JJ (Rudy Pankow) and Kiara (Madison Bailey) will have it worse in what he describes as “a time bomb” coming for them.
Of the three major relationships within the Pogues, JJ and Kiaras was unarguably the highlight of Season 3. After a long slow-burn build-up, the couple eventually had their big moment in episode 9 when they finally professed love for each other and shared a kiss. It happened in a rather dramatic fashion right after JJ successfully rescued Kiara from abduction at the hands of Kitty Hawk members. But if you thought this lovable pair was done tugging at our heartstrings, then think again because Season 4 will see their blossoming romance hit a major setback.
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, the show’s trio of showrunners Josh Pate, Jonas Pate, and Shannon Burke revealed that when the new season begins, the team will still be basking in the joy of last season’s victory, but their celebratory mood will last only a short while. “They’re getting older and the dramatic stakes for the relationships are deepening, said Burke. “It’s going to be a winding and rocky road, and there’s going to be a lot of emotional and enigmatic turns for JJ and Kiara.”
While JJ and Kiara’s relationship will take the biggest hit, other relationships, John B (Chase Stokes) and Sarah (Madelyn Cline); and Pope (Jonathan Daviss) and Cleo (Carlacia Grant) are not safe either, as Jonas further elaborated; “Definitely the biggest surprises we’ve ever done are this season. We’re putting pressure on all those relationships and in new ways … that’s not so much about love triangles.” While these pressures will threaten to pull JJ and Kiara apart, for the central couple, John B and Sarah, who’ve been an item for longer, it will serve to deepen their connection, as Josh further added that, the couple is “going to move into a series of new challenges but in a lot of ways they’re closer than they’ve ever been. The challenges are more external.”
‘Outer Banks’ Season 4 Is “JJ’s Year”
Season 4’s central mission, the hunt for Blackbeard’s treasure, is one that holds a personal connection with JJ and will see him more invested than anyone else on the team. “There’s a personal connection, and this is JJ’s year,” Josh said. “It’s our most powerful season yet. The stakes are getting higher.” With JJ the most vested in the hunt, it’s understandable then how this deep commitment might affect his relationship with Kiara. A lot of internal disagreement about how to approach things will be the likely cause of a rift in their relationship, but as fans know, each trek leaves these beloved central characters more refined, and it will be fun to see how it all shapes out for JJ.
Outer Banks Season 4 will air in two parts, with the first half to arrive on Netflix on October 10, followed by Part 2 on November 7. Past Seasons of the show are available to stream on Netflix.
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