The ending of Outer Banks Season 4 provides a chilling storyline for the fifth season. A heartbroken, dissociated and angry Kie looks squarely in the camera and utters the word “revenge.” There’s no nuance here; the audience understands exactly what she needs. Kie wants to kill Groff for murdering JJ.
Kie’s promise for revenge concludes a cinematic chapter; Outer Banks Season 4, Episode 10 pulled out all the stops – there was high-end production as the characters were thrust into the heart of Essaouira, Morocco. The team behind Outer Banks did not hold back, at all.
Here’s my breakdown of the finale of Outer Banks Season 4 that led to JJ’s heartbreaking and shocking death.
Table of Contents
A Difficult Challenge For The Pogues In Morocco
Season 4, Episode 10 presents a challenge for the Pogues as they make it to Essaouira, Morocco after a rough night at sea. Essaouira is a vibrant, bustling and busy location, making it difficult for them to find Groff. Eventually they find the statue for Murat, the Barbary pirate, the one who made the map. However, Sarah, who is pregnant, is nauseous, so the group have to hustle and steal food as they have no money. This causes the group to go on the run as they are caught thieving, and are split up from Rafe.
The start of Episode 10 highlights an environment the Pogues are not accustomed to. Away from islands, beachsides, and a chilled location, they find themselves amongst a dense population.
Groff and Rafe Cross Paths
Rafe decides to go on a mission on his own to find Groff and the Blue Crown. He rings Sofia, and tells her to look at the pen Groff gave him which as an address and hotel name written on it:
“Riyadh, Mimouna, Essaouira, Maroc”
When he arrives at the hotel he knows he’s at the right place as he sees Dali and Lightner there.
In his hotel room, Dalia asks Groff for the scroll, but he denies having it at first (he’s hidden it) but then admits he does not want Finch to have it. He lies again, claiming he burned it and that the copies of the original cannot be fully read as it has an intricate cipher.
Of course, Dalia has the kind of intuition that is calm and casual, and she instructs Lightner to beat him up until he reveals where it is.
Rafe, who was spying on the situation nearby, saves Groff. Groff tells Rafe tha the Blue Crown is worth hundreds of millions.
En route to Agapenta (where the Blue Crown is located), Groff shows Rafe the map, but then reveals to him that they used Sofia to get to him. And then he swipes a blade at him, but Rafe manages to fight him off and throw Groff down a well. Furious and feeling betrayed, Rafe rings Sofia and breaks up with her.
Admittedly, I felt sorry for Sofia here; she was manipulated by Hollins and Groff too and a moment of weakness means she loses Rafe as a partner. Also, at this point in the series, you could argue that Groff is the central villain. He’s the biggest threat, as the finale shows. He’s desperate enough to hurt his own biological son.
The Pogues Make Their Way To Agapenta And JJ Has A Big Decision To Make
The Pogues finally wear the right attire and navigate Essaouira. Eventually they find Terrance’s boat. John B and Sarah find statements for the Finch Group and photos of part of the scroll taken through the lens. The dotted lines point to Agapenta. The Pogues escape danger from Dalia’s men, and head to Agapenta, knowing that’s where the Blue Crown is likely to be.
On the way to Agapenta, they need water, and they find a well, but of course, they come across Groff. JJ takes charge and speaks to his father. Groff explains to JJ what Rafe did to him and how he has the scroll. JJ, knowing full well he cannot trust his father, throws him water and decides to leave him in the well.
JJ did the right thing, however, as we soon learn later in the episode, this leads to dire consequences. Groff is a psychopath, and he took this personally. I bet Kie wishes she could turn back time and do this situation differently.
The Pogues need to navigate Morocco in the finale of ‘Outer Banks’ Season 4 (Credit – Netflix)
Sarah’s Plea To Her Brother Rafe For The Scroll
Rafe makes it to Agapenta, but he’s terrible with treasure hunting. He’s lost with the map, and before he can figure it out, Dalia and her crew arrive and point guns at him. Dalia asks for the map, while the Pogues watch from a distance. Sarah grabs a gun, and shoots a vehicle near Dalia’s crew, and it explodes, offering a distraction for everyone to get away.
Eventually, amongst all the chaos and chases, John B and Sarah ask Rafe for the scroll and explain to him that he’s unable to decipher it. But Rafe does not trust them.
Sarah lets out her emotions to her brother in a pivotal moment; she tells Rafe that their father died saving her life, but all he does is blame her. She believes her father would want them working together, as a family. These words must have an effect on Rafe as eventually, he gives up the map.
John B Deciphers The Map And Locates The Blue Crown
The finale of Outer Banks Season 4 finally brings the Pogues to the ultimate treasure; the Blue Crown. But it isn’t without them deciphering a puzzle first.
John B tries to read the map, while Sarah looks at the photos she found so see if she can find a pattern. Words at the back of the photos say:
“At the dawn of the day, touch the earth to reach Heaven.”
John B takes the words literally and holds the map in the sky to the sun and an outline drawing of a statue appears on the map. The statue is behind them. The location of the Blue Crown is found.
JJ Riskily Climbs The Statue And Retrieves The Blue Crown
You’d think the moment JJ climbed the tall building and to the top of the statue would be the moment he died but this was a great moment of bravery instead.
But before that, a sandstorm arrives. Meanwhile, Cleo is hurt as Dalia and her crew follow them as the sandstorm gains strength. Lightner gets closer to them, and Pope has to make a life-changing decision. He shoots Lightner, killing him.
A remarkable moment which will change the course of the character forever.
Rafe knows he’s the only one capable of climbing up to the statue and getting the treasure while John B helps Sarah to safety from the storm. However, John B does end up in a fight with a mercenary, and is nearly choked out, but Sarah saves him.
JJ climbs up the statue building on his own as an anxious Kie watches on. Dalia and the rest of the crew arrive, but Rafe buys JJ time and attacks them.
Eventually, JJ finds the Blue Crown entrenched into the statue. It’s a moment of elation and celebration. With the hard work done to retrieve the Blue Crown amidst a sandstorm, Dalia starts shooting at JJ and Kie as they run away.
Despite the sad ending for JJ, I loved that he had this moment. It was a significant achievement to find a prized treasure that has caused so many conspiracies and is worth hundreds of millions.
JJ Is Killed In Shocking Main Character Death For Outer Banks
But getting the Blue Crown turns deadly. JJ becomes disorientated with the sandstorm and loses Kie, briefly.
Kie is captured by Groff (who managed to escape the well) and he puts a knife to her. He asks JJ for the Blue Crown.
But in a moment of pure love, JJ tells Groff that he has everything (referring to Kie) and does not need the crown. He asks Groff to take the Blue Crown and let Kie go. The exchange was made, and it seemed peaceful, but we were fooled.
In a moment of pure madness, Groff stabs JJ brutally and tells him he should have thrown him a rope in the well, and then walks off. Kie is shocked by the amount of blood – she knows JJ is dying and looks heartbroken,
JJ tells Kie that he already got his wish because he had her in his life. As they tell each other that they love each other, JJ dies.
And JJ is dead. There’s no ambiguity. The narration from John B afterward is a eulogy – “he was the best friend we ever had.”
The Pogues have a future without JJ, and that’s extremely sad.
JJ lies dead as Kie grieves over him in sad ending of ‘Outer Banks’ Season 4
The Ending Of Outer Banks Season 4 Plans A Revenge Plot For Season 5
A gloating Groff runs into the sea with the Blue Crown – he’s happy with himself. It’s sadistic. Years of greed led to this moment and it’s evident it will not end well for him.
Meanwhile, the Pogues are in shock. However, Rafe says that Groff is going to Lisbon, and he suggests they kill him for what he did to JJ.
As Outer Banks Season 4, Episode 10 ends, Kie agrees with Rafe. She tells the group that JJ would kill Groff for them. She then looks into the camera; her heartbroken face for all the audience to see, and she says, “Revenge.”
Holy smokes – if you were not excited for the fifth and final season of Outer Banks, you are now.
Poguelandia Diaries
Here are more points from Outer Banks Season 4, Episode 10 that are noteworthy:
- Sarah reveals to the entire group that she and John B are having a baby.
