Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Outer Banks Season 4 Part 1.

The Big Picture

Season 4 of
Outer Banks
starts slow but ends with shocking twists, taking the Pogues on a new treasure hunt.
Chase Stokes touches on the aftermath of El Dorado while Drew Starkey talks about Rafe’s new romance and his new direction in life.
Rudy Pankow discusses JJ’s relationship with Kiara and the shocking twist at the end of Part 1 about JJ’s parentage.

Outer Banks is finally back, and although it starts off a bit slower than previous seasons, by the end of Season 4 Part 1, we are back to our old ways with the Pogues. After finding the treasure of El Dorado — and barely managing to escape with a small chunk of it before the entry gets blown up — the Pogues are back in the OBX. The season kicks off with a flashback to filling in all the gaps of the 18-month time jump, from the Pogues getting the windfall of money they need from the gold to building their own Poguelandia, to subsequently losing all that money and ending up in a bind again. The season is a roller coaster of events that stems from their meeting with Wes Genrette (David Jensen), who asks them to go on yet another treasure hunt.

This time, they’re going after Blackbeard’s treasure. Well… kind of. Wes is looking for a specific amulet that belonged to Blackbeard’s wife, hoping to break a superstitious curse that’s been on his family, and the Pogues just need the money. But, if there’s treasure, there are also people waiting to take it from the Pogues, and Part 1 ends with more than a few shocking twists.

We spoke with Chase Stokes, Rudy Pankow, and Drew Starkey about some of the highlights of Part 1 for each of their characters. Stokes talked about John B losing his father in the aftermath of their trip to El Dorado and his reluctance to get back into the treasure hunting game. Starkey also spoke about Rafe coping with the loss of his father (parents in this show have a short expiration date) and how his new relationship with Sofia has changed Rafe for the better. Pankow weighed in on JJ’s relationship with Kiara and some of the challenges they might end up facing. He also spoke about his reaction to the plot twist that revealed that Luke (Gary Weeks) isn’t JJ’s biological father and JJ is instead a Genrette and therefore a Kook.

Read the full interview below or watch it in the video above!

Does Drew Starkey Think Sofia Is a Good Influence on Rafe?
“I think that’s the first time in his life he’s really had someone that doesn’t want to gain anything from him.”
Image via Netflix

COLLIDER: I want to talk a little bit about Rafe this season because he gets a romantic partner, or he solidifies his relationship, I guess, with Sofia back. Can you talk about exploring that aspect of Rafe’s story in Season 4 and how that affects his decisions and his outlook towards the Pogues and everybody else?

DREW STARKEY: I think he has someone right now that he deeply cares for and, I think, is a good influence on him, for the most part, and wants the best for him. I think that’s the first time in his life he’s really had that, he’s really had someone that doesn’t want to gain anything from him, just accepts him at where he is. So, I guess it kept it fresh; it kept it feeling new. I was going to explore parts of him that I hadn’t, hadn’t gotten to yet. It was nice. It was lovely.

CHASE STOKES: So cutesy. It was very demure.

STARKEY: I had a lot more calmer moments. It was pretty great.

It’s nice not to see him freaking out and going on manic episodes.

RUDY PANKOW: Trying to drown him, trying to drown your sister.

STOKES: Just relax, dude. You just gotta chill.

Is John B Done With Treasure Hunting?
“[H]e’s thinking about all that has been lost in the process of getting there.”
Image via Netflix 

Chase, talking about John B, he lost his father again in the last season, and now he’s searching for Blackbeard’s treasure with his friends. Do you think he fears he’s becoming like his father when it comes to things like treasure hunting? Because his friends seem almost excited to get back into it, and John B’s like, “We have a moment of peace. This is nice. I don’t want to really do this anymore.”

STOKES: Well, I think that’s just what he’s always wanted. Even if you go back to Season 1, it was never really about the treasure. It was about finding his dad so DCS would stop banging on his door and potentially take him away from his world. In losing his father, he’s lost a sense of normalcy, and now he’s got it with this win in El Dorado. So he’s sort of like, “I don’t need or want to balance losing any more than I already have.” And so, yeah, I think he’s a little more hesitant. I think he’s watching his friends get excited about this huge win, but he’s thinking about all that has been lost in the process of getting there. So, a lot of introspective, sort of like really thinking internally about the future for him.

Yeah, definitely. I like that sort of perspective. He’s definitely a lot more mature than I expected him to be.

STOKES: Thank you. That was my goal.

Are JJ and Kiara Up Against New Challenges as a Couple?
“JJ’s gonna JJ, that’s for sure.”
Image via Netflix

Rudy, speaking about JJ, I feel like one of his most important relationships within the Pogues is with Kiara specifically, and I really like some of the scenes we got to see with them together. It’s kind of nice to see them in an actual relationship instead of sort of dancing around it. Can you talk about what it’s been like growing this relationship from a friendship into something more romantic at this point?

PANKOW: For JJ, I think he’s taking a leap of faith. He’s like, “I think this is gonna be what’s best for me.” That’s what JJ is thinking in that moment. He’s like, “OK, even though I might not trust myself with knowing how to do this,” he’s taking that leap, and that’s been kind of the progression. And I think in Season 4, I think like they’re finding that new dynamic. I think that’s what shines light through this relationship is that it’s like, “OK, can JJ handle responsibility in a relationship?” And I think that’s kind of as much as I can say about this season is what’s really happening is that JJ is trying to be responsible and make good decisions, but at the end of the day…

STOKES: JJ’s gonna JJ.

PANKOW: JJ’s gonna JJ, that’s for sure.

He made some decisions in this season that definitely made me question things, but I appreciate the effort.

PANKOW: Yeah, he’s trying.

Can Rafe Be Redeemed After Ward’s Death?
“I think he’s motivated by that, wanting to be even better than his father.”
Image via Netflix

Drew, speaking about Rafe and his father’s death, I feel like he’s still affected very much by his father’s death after all these months. Do you think that will sort of affect his potential to be redeemed and to not only be like his father, but also be better than his father?

STARKEY: Yeah, I mean, there’s a deep sense of legacy with him, I think, that’s incredibly important. Of course, he’s still grieving, and he’s jaded, and cows throughout this process of it, and he’s experienced a lot, but I think there’s a deep part of him that wants to pass on the family legacy and grow it. I think he’s motivated by that, wanting to be even better than his father. So yeah, we’ll see. That’s a good question. I didn’t think about that.

PANKOW: Be better.

Related Every Parent In ‘Outer Banks,’ Ranked from Worst to Best Parenting is not a strong suit in the Outer Banks.

Pankow Reacts to ‘Outer Banks’ Season 4 Part 1’s Biggest Twist
“JJ is going through a huge identity crisis…”
Image via Netflix

JJ’s backstory, we get to dig into it a little bit more at the end of this Part 1. What was the most exciting part about looking into that, and then were you shocked by what was happening, or did you get some kind of warning ahead of time that we were gonna take such a sharp plot twist?

PANKOW: No, I was shocked. Talking with Gary about, like, “Holy cow, we’re not, by blood, related.” That took us by surprise and shock. I just said this earlier, that I think it actually played into the scene of when we both did it, of where it’s just like, “Whoa.” We truly felt connected as father and son, and as these characters, and then when we found out, it was a really difficult but fun scene to shoot, where you kind of come to that realization of like, “OK, then what is this new father figure? What is this new dynamic now with Luke? Do I listen to him even at all now?” You didn’t really listen to him at all in the first place, but it definitely was like, there still was love there even though it was really complicated. And now JJ is going through a huge identity crisis, I think, of like, what is this gonna really do to JJ? How does he handle not knowing exactly who he is anymore? Because his whole identity is like, “I am definitely not a kook.” And so, yeah, finding that new thing. Finding it out.

Who Is the Best of These Awful Parents?

This show is full of awful parents. I would just say that literally every parent is bad except for, like, maybe one of them. Who do you think is the worst parent, dead or alive, in Outer Banks? And then which of the Pogues do you think will be the best parent out of the group?

STOKES: The worst parent. I love him as a human, Charlie [Halford] is great, but I think Big John. He just sort of bailed. Basically, ideally, almost for forever. He was just gonna leave his kid with a house and responsibilities. I don’t know Luke’s pretty shitty.

PANKOW: Luke’s pretty bad.

STARKEY: Ward’s great.

STOKES: Ward’s intentions are so—

PANKOW: Charles [Esten] has done a great job of playing him, like, morally still connected to his children.

STOKES: It wasn’t until shit hit the fan. He was the perfect dad until shit hit the fan, and then, even then, he was still trying to do right by his family.

STARKEY: And then who would make the best parent out of the Pogues?

STOKES and PANKOW: Pope.

Outer Banks Season 4 Part 1 is streaming on Netflix. Part 2 drops November 7.

Outer Banks is a drama series following a group of teenagers in North Carolina’s Outer Banks as they uncover long-buried secrets and navigate complex relationships. Led by their charismatic leader John B, the friends pursue a fabled treasure that is intertwined with personal quests and familial mysteries. The show features intense camaraderie, loyalties, and the stark divides of social strata that influence their thrilling adventures.Release Date April 15, 2020 Cast Chase Stokes , Madelyn Cline , Madison Bailey , Jonathan Daviss , Rudy Pankow , Drew Starkey , Charles Esten , Austin North , Caroline Arapoglou , Cullen Moss , Marland Burke , Julia Antonelli , E. Roger Mitchell , Samantha Soule , Carlacia Grant , Charles Halford , Deion Smith , Nicholas Cirillo , Elizabeth Mitchell Main Genre Drama Seasons 4 Expand

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