Season 4 of Outer Banks ends with JJ Maybank being killed by his biological father, Chandler Groff, while the Pogues are in Morocco searching for Blackbeard’s Blue Crown. Groff escapes with the crown, and the devastated group vows to find him and avenge JJ’s death.
JJ’s final moments
The Pogues manage to recover the Blue Crown during a dangerous sandstorm. JJ and Kiara try to escape with it, but Groff catches up and takes Kiara hostage. Groff threatens to kill Kiara unless JJ gives him the crown. JJ hands it over, choosing Kiara’s life over the treasure. He tells Groff that the crown can’t give him what JJ already has: a family and friends who love him. Groff then stabs JJ in the stomach anyway. JJ dies in Kiara’s arms, making his death one of the season’s most tragic moments.
The truth about JJ’s family
Earlier in the season, JJ discovers that Luke isn’t his biological father. His real mother was Larissa Genrette, and Chandler Groff is his biological father, making JJ part of the Genrette family. The revelation explains Groff’s connection to the treasure hunt, but it also makes JJ’s death especially cruel: his own father kills him after JJ refuses to abandon Kiara.
What happens to the Pogues?
The group buries JJ in Morocco and mourns him before returning to their immediate mission. Rafe tells them that Groff plans to sell the Blue Crown in Lisbon, giving the Pogues a new target. The season closes with the remaining friends determined to track down Groff, recover the crown and make him pay for JJ’s murder. John B and Sarah are also expecting a baby, adding a hopeful development to an otherwise heartbreaking ending.