Outer Banks star Chase Stokes, who portrays John B in the hit Netflix adventure drama show, opens up on shooting the final season, and what it will be like filming without former co-star Rudy Pankow. Debuting on Netflix in April 2020, Outer Banks follows a group of friends in North Carolina’s Outer Banks region, who search for legendary lost treasure while navigating conflicts with another group. The show was an instant success and has so far run four seasons and 40 episodes, with Outer Banks season 5 set to be the final season.
In an exclusive interview with ScreenRant, Stokes opens up on the filming of the final season and says goodbye to John B, hinting at a bittersweet conclusion to the show. He discusses his sadness at filming without Pankow, whose fan-favorite character JJ was killed off in the Outer Banks season 4 finale. Stokes discusses how John B is almost his alternate personality at this point, while emphasizing the importance of getting the ending of the show right. He ends by heaping praise on Pankow, and revealing how much he’d be missed. Check out Stokes’ comments below:
I don’t know if I’ll ever. I think when you have a character that you’ve grown with, and you’ve watched your career flourish with, it’s bittersweet because it’s a safety, it’s somebody that I care so deeply about and where he’s like an alternate personality for me at this point, and it started with him being on the page, and now I have the beautiful conversations with our writers and they’re like, “What do you think you would do in this situation?”
So it’s gone from just getting hired to do the job, to now being really involved with the process in a lot of different ways. And I’m grateful for that because I’ve learned so much as an artist and as a filmmaker. But I think it’s not how the plane takes off, it’s how you land it.
And so we’ve seen a lot of shows end in ways that people are not very happy with the ending, and then you have shows [like] Breaking Bad who do it. So I hope that our showrunners and our writers and our writers’ room are really being diligent and mindful and listening to the world around them so that we can land this plane in the ways that I think the world wants us to.
It does [feel weird without Rudy]. Yeah, it is. It’s never an easy thing to see a character go, but that’s part of filmmaking. You got to have those moments. You got to have those experiences that keep the audience on the edge of their seat. And so, I adore him, and he’s been a dear friend for years. An incredible artist. An incredible, incredible artist. So I’m equally as sad to see him go, but I’m equally excited to see where his career goes next.
The Show Will Look To Go Out The Right Way But Must Wrestle With A JJ-Shaped Hole
Outer Banks has always done well with its rich and diverse list of characters, and the engaging storylines, and these will both play a prominent role in the show’s final season and its bid to go out in style. There are a wealth of theories about how Outer Banks season 5 will end, and there are several plot threads that need to be tied up. The group finally uncovering some legendary treasure, and facing off against Chandler Groff to avenge JJ, will surely be two pivotal plot points.
Outer Banks will look to give fans the send-off they want, while paying homage to JJ’s character and using his absence to fuel the narrative and help other characters evolve in the process.
Heading into the final season with no JJ is a big risk for Outer Banks, but many shows have taken the step of killing major characters before the end, and this is sometimes necessary to progress the story. It is entirely possible that the Pogues could suffer another major character death before the series wraps, but dealing with the aftermath of JJ’s death will be important for season 5 to do well, and should act as a driving force for the group for the remainder of the show.
Our Verdict On Whether Outer Banks Season 5 Can Cope Without JJ
Concluding The Show Will Feel Bittersweet, But No JJ Could Work In Its Favor
Wrapping up any successful show can prove difficult, especially after five years, and there are many things that can go wrong. Outer Banks will look to give fans the send-off they want, while paying homage to JJ’s character and using his absence to fuel the narrative and help other characters evolve in the process. There is no question that Pankow will be missed from the cast, and the specter of JJ will loom large over season 5, but moving on without him will be key to giving Outer Banks the conclusion it needs.
Outer Banks
- Release Date
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April 15, 2020
- Showrunner
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Jonas Pate
- Directors
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Jonas Pate
- Writers
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Josh Pate