Outer Banks is coming to an end with season 5 and many fans are wondering if Rudy Pankow really won’t be returning after his character, JJ’s, shocking death in the season 4 finale.

Is Rudy Pankow Leaving ‘Outer Banks’?

Sadly, all clues point to Rudy’s exit from the series. JJ was killed at the hands of his biological father, Chandler Groff (J. Anthony Crane), at the end of season 4. He died in his girlfriend, Kiara’s (Madison Bailey), arms. John B (Chase Stokes) gave a eulogy in the form of a voiceover as clips of JJ from throughout the series played, and the Pogues had a burial for him in Morocco.

While many television shows have faked characters’ deaths in the past, Rudy left season 4 with a certain finality. “I want to leave the cast and crew with the biggest thank you,” he told Tudum. “It’s been such a pleasure to come to work. This is by far the biggest thing I’ve ever done in [my] experience and to have this as my start is a start of a lifetime. I’m going to miss it. Thank you for so many fun memories I’ll have the rest of my life.”

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He also reiterated that JJ “doesn’t make it” in the season 4 finale. “When I first found out JJ was gonna risk it all and not make it, I understood it,” Rudy explained. “And the risks got bigger and bigger and the stakes got higher and higher. … His death really does set up the future of OBX with the question: What is worth it And when someone that close to you is gone, how do you navigate that?”

Meanwhile, the creators of Outer Banks said that killing off the beloved JJ had been in the works for a while. “We were pretty sure early on that this was where it was going,” Shannon Burke told Cosmopolitan. “We thought that one of the Pogues would die almost in the very beginning in season 1 and we were pretty sure it was going to be JJ. We just weren’t sure when we were going to play that card. We knew this would be JJ’s season. This is JJ’s story. And we realized pretty early on, like, ‘OK, we’re going to play this card now.’”

Jonas Pate explained why JJ’s death was also necessary to symbolize the heart of the show: loyalty and friendship. “We tried to write a scene where, ultimately, he wants to give up the treasure because he doesn’t care about it in comparison to the things that do matter to him,” Jonas told Tudum. “At some point, this had to happen in order to justify [Pogues for life]. There’s definitely a sense of morality that runs through the show.”

Why Fans Think JJ Could Return for ‘Outer Banks’ Season 5

Despite the writing being on the wall for Rudy’s exit from the show, fans are still holding out hope that JJ could return. Many viewers have theorized that JJ could be resurrected with the help of the blue crown’s power.

Season 4 featured the Pogues on the hunt for the blue crown. According to the legend, the blue crown gives the person in possession of it the ability to have their wishes fulfilled. JJ seized the blue crown but ultimately gave it up to Chandler Groff in exchange for Kiara’s life after Groff took Kiara hostage and was holding her at knifepoint.

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After getting the crown, Groff still killed JJ for not helping him out of the bottom of a well in the middle of the Morocco desert earlier in the episode. Groff then took off to Portugal in hopes of selling the invaluable item to a prospective buyer. Meanwhile, the Pogues began plotting their revenge on the man who killed JJ, setting up their season 5 journey to track Groff down and get back what he stole from them.

Fans have speculated that the Pogues could retrieve the crown and make a wish for JJ to come back to life, which would allow Rudy to return to the show.

However, showrunners are more focused on the revenge storyline for season 5. “It was a really hard decision [to kill JJ] because he’s such a great piece of the ensemble,” Josh Pate said. “It sets the stage for an epic fifth and final season. We’re planning a story of redemption and a season that embodies the friendship that JJ had come to represent. 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.”

Outer Banks’ Rudy Pankow and Madison Bailey’s Rumored Drama

Another widespread fan theory is that Rudy asked to leave the show after season 4 because of rumored drama with Madison. Despite the creators’ insistence that JJ’s death was long-planned, many viewers are convinced that the costars’ feud is what really led to Rudy’s departure. Life & Style reached out to reps for Madison and Rudy about the feud speculation and we have not heard back as of publication.

Rumors of tension between Madison and Rudy began after season 2 of Outer Banks premiered in 2021. Fans noticed that the two seemed to be interacting less on social media and posting less content together than they had when season 1 came out the year before. The stars’ respective girlfriends – Mariah Linney and Elaine Siemek – became targets, with fans accusing them of being the reason for the apparent rift.

The vitriol against Mariah and Elaine became so negative and filled with unfounded accusations that Madison and Rudy had to step in and publicly defend their significant others.

According to the fan lore, things took another turn following a cast dinner in 2023. Afterward, Elaine and Madison unfollowed each other on Instagram and so did Mariah and Rudy, fans claimed. However, Madison and Rudy still follow each other on the social media site.

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Still, when season 4 of Outer Banks premiered in 2024, fans felt like the chemistry between JJ and Kiara was off. They referenced one specific scene that appeared to show the actors using body doubles while cuddling up by the fire. “The camera cuts,” one fan pointed out on X, along with a clip that showed how Kiara and JJ were never seen in the same frame as the romantic scene played out.

Rudy and Madison have not publicly commented on the feud rumors. They both attended various red carpet events for season 4 of Outer Banks, but, as many fans pointed out, they did not stand next to each other in any of the group photos.