After being an essential part of four straight seasons, fans are wondering why Rudy Pankow‘s JJ Maybank is leaving Outer Banks. Introduced in 2020, he has been a vital part of the Pogue teenagers team, situated at The Cut. However, the ongoing premise in Season 4 has put a tragic end to his epic story. Here’s the reason why Pankow’s character was placed on the chopping block after the Season 4 finale.
Why Is Rudy Pankow Leaving Outer Banks after the Season 4 finale?
The creators had pre-planned JJ’s death in Season 4’s finale, ultimately leading to Pankow’s departure from the show.
Creators Josh Pate, Jonas Pate, and Shannon Burke sat down with Tudum to discuss the fate of JJ Maybank’s character in the Netflix series. They revealed that it was a “hard decision” to chop his character, as he is a great talent on the roster. However, his demise was important to set a tone for an ultimate finale.
They further added, “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 actor and creators mutually agreed to put an end to JJ Maybank’s story. Pankow “embraced” his character’s end and even planned how he would perform his character’s last moments leading to death. Nevertheless, the scene panned out to be quite “emotional” as everyone on the sound team was sobbing. They explained, “It was emotional, but I think deep down, everyone was on the same page… ‘Let’s make an impact.’ And I think we did that.”
The season 4 finale sees JJ and Kiara’s emotional hug as he frees her from Groff’s clutches. However, a dramatic conclusion sees Groff stabbing JJ brutally, giving viewers an emotional end to their beloved character’s story.