'Outer Banks' Star Reacts to Character's Death, Creators Reveal When They Decided to Kill Him Off

Major spoilers for Outer Banks‘ season 4 finale ahead!

If you’ve seen the ending for season 4, part 2, you’ll know a major character died.

Keep reading to find out more…

Rudy Pankow‘s JJ was stabbed and bled out in the show’s finale, and season five is looking to avenge his passing.

Now, Rudy and the show’s creators are reacting to the news.

“For JJ, he has to judge every moment in his life, if it’s worth it [to take the risk], and I think it’s constantly, yeah, it is for him. Even throughout the pain and the suffering and the struggles for JJ, it’s worth it for him to go to that length. He lives his life to the utmost fullest, and I don’t think he regrets any part of it,” Rudy shared with Netflix’s Tudum.

About his character’s death, he said, “When I first found out JJ was gonna risk it all and not make it, I understood it. And the risks got bigger and bigger, and the stakes got higher and higher.” He added it was a “huge honor to portray a character so beautiful and selfless.”

Outer Banks creators Josh Pate, Jonas Pate, and Shannon Burke told the site it was their plan from the start to had JJ’s journey end this way.

Josh shared, “It was a really hard decision because he’s such a great piece of the ensemble. 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. And Rudy’s a great friend of ours.”