Warning: Major Spoilers Ahead For Outer Banks Season 4, Volume 2!
As a massive Outer Banks fan, I knew Season 4 Volume 2 would be a wild ride when it hit Netflix's premiere schedule after Volume 1 left the Pogues in some of the worst spots they’ve ever been in. I had high hopes for the next five episodes, but sadly saw none of what I wanted to happen. Instead, the Pogues lost one of their own in one of the most tragic deaths in any teen drama series, leaving the friend group promising to seek revenge as the credits started to roll.
Even though I’m still trying to process everything that happened, my mind has already begun theorizing about what is going to happen in the already renewed Season 5.
The Pogues Are Going To Have Second Thoughts About How To Avenge JJ
After losing JJ at the hands of his birth father Groff, the Pogues and Rafe can be seen burying JJ’s body in an unmarked grave in the Moroccan desert. It’s Rafe who speaks first, telling the group that if it was his friend who was just killed, he’d get revenge on the murderer. John B and Pope agree, and the season ends with Kie promising to get revenge on Groff.
In the heat of the moment, this plan makes total sense. The Pogues are devastated by the loss, and the most logical way to get over that grief is to go after the man who caused them this pain. However, as much as they hate Groff, none of them are inherent killers.
Season 4 showed us time and time again that John B. struggles with pulling the trigger because he's apprehensive about becoming his father. And sure, Pope may have killed Lighting in the final episode, but it’s clear in the aftermath that it wasn’t a decision he felt good about, even if it meant everything to Cleo.
Kie also doesn’t have the heart of a killer, and while I think she’ll get close to killing Groff, I don’t think she’ll pull the trigger. In fact, I think JJ’s voice will appear in her head, and he’ll talk her out of it because he never wanted anyone to put their life in danger at his expense.
In the end, I don’t see the Pogues actually murdering Groff because it goes against everything they stand for. However, the same can not be said about Rafe. Given his desire to get the Pogues to trust him and his on-and-off dynamic with Kie, he could be the one to save the day by giving the Pogues what they want without making them stoop to such malevolent levels.
Without The OG Pogues, Life In Kildare Is Going To Get Worse
Tensions between the Kooks and the Pogues reached an all-time high in Kildare as the Kooks sought to rezone The Cut and make it a space for them all to live and hang out. John B and the gang might be young adults, but they’ve always been at the center of defending the Pogues and what’s rightfully theirs. With them gone for who knows how long, there is no one to stand up to the like developers to protect the land.
There’s also clearly tension between the Kooks and the police department headed by Sheriff Shoupe. With Shoupe already on thin ice concerning the town's wealthy residents, It’s likely that he is going to lose his job when they learn that he let the Pogues go instead of arresting them.
With the position open, I can see the town electing the officer who tried to shoot JJ in Episode 6 to get the Sheriff's position since he clearly sides with the Kooks. A corrupt police department and the Kooks with unchecked power sounds like a recipe for disaster.
New Group Dynamics Will Emerge As They Hunt Down Groff
With JJ gone and Sarah pregnant, the Pogues will likely see a shift in their group dynamic. While Sarah spent much of this season risking her life and her babies to get the treasure, I can’t see that trend continuing once she starts showing. John B is going to be torn between wanting to go after Groff and wanting to be there for Sarah. Ultimately, I see the best couple on the show spending much of the final season apart so that John B can seek revenge and Sarah can be safe.
It’s unlikely that the Pogues are going to want to leave Sarah alone wherever they decide it is safe enough for her to be. While Kie stepped up to protect and remind Sarah she was pregnant this season, she’s going to be too full of rage and grief to stay on the sidelines while the boys hunt down Groff. Instead, I see Cleo taking a backseat and staying back with Sarah since she’s also going to recover from a gunshot wound to her arm.
This leaves the three remaining Pogues and Rafe to seek out their revenge. I think John B, Pope, and Kie will stick together for most of the final season; Rafe is going to worm his way into the group by way of Kie since they have the most civil relationship. This will likely cause tensions between the four as they have different approaches to finding Groff and seeking revenge. Not to mention, John B and Pope might feel apprehensive of how close Kie and Rafe could grow given she was in a relationship with JJ when he died.
The Show Will End Happily With A Time Jump Years Into The Future
Whether or not the Pogues manage to track down the Blue Crown and get the wish that is promised in the artifact lore is yet to be seen. Regardless of whether they become monetarily wealthy, I do think Outer Banks will end on a happy note.
Unlike Season 3, which jumped only a few months into the future, I predict Season 5 will end with a time jump that sends us several years into the future. It might be cliche, but I think we’ll get a scene with a grown-up, John B, reading a bedtime story to his child, except he’s not reading from a book but rather telling his child about all the life-and-death adventures he went on with the Pogues. Just like his father did to him, John B. will instill a sense of adventure in his child. Maybe that will be what the rumored OBX spin-off will be about.
It’s unclear if Season 5 will show up on the 2025 TV schedule or later, but hopefully, we won’t have to wait too long to see how the Pogues stories will end. For now, you can rewatch the first four seasons with a Netflix subscription.
