For some Outer Banks fans, the season 4 finale is something they’d rather forget.

The first five episodes, released on October 10 on Netflix, resulted in a explosive cliffhanger. When the second half of the season was released on November 7, it seemed like nothing could have prepared fans for the ending — and the shocking death of fan favorite JJ Maybank (Rudy Pankow). In the final moments of the nearly 90-minute finale, Maybank is stabbed and killed by his biological father.

The unexpected conclusion does not please some viewers.

Since its beginnings, Outer Banks has been a streaming success. The teen drama, which premiered in April 2020, is set on a fictional island in the Outer Banks of North Carolina and follows John B (Chase Stokes) and his misfit team of best friends known as the Pogues then that they are looking for lost treasure. Season 4, part 1 accumulated 1.19 billion minutes of viewing during the first three days of its premiere and landed at No. 2 on Nielsen’s Streaming Top 10.

NOW Outer Banks fandom is trying to understand why the showrunners would kill off one of its most beloved characters. Some wonder if Pankow wanted to leave the show.

“When a storyline conflicts with fans’ desires or expectations, especially regarding a beloved character, they may feel not only disappointed but also personally affected, often resulting in vocal expressions of grief and anger “, Paul Booth, professor of media and pop culture at DePaul. University, told Yahoo Entertainment. “In many fandoms, these reactions are almost ritualistic: they are part of fan identity and culture.”

As the more impulsive but loyal Pogue, Maybank immediately attracted fans, making his death difficult to process.

“For fan cultures, characters are more than just narrative devices; they often represent complex relationships, reflect real-life analogues, or can be sources of comfort,” Booth explained. “When a central character dies, especially unexpectedly, it can disrupt fan expectations and can feel like a betrayal, especially when fans have spent time and energy engaging with the story.”

“Given the suspicion surrounding the decision to kill JJ, this also speaks to fans who don’t feel in the know,” Effie Sapuridis, a doctoral student in media studies at Western University in Ontario, Canada, and a member of the committee of North America Fan Research Networktold Yahoo. “There is a safety net that fans often rely on when it comes to their favorite characters, especially when they are part of the main cast: They will never be killed or seriously harmed.”

Some fans think the plot might have something to do with an alleged feud between Pankow and his co-star Madison Bailey, who plays his on-screen girlfriend Kiara Carrera. Pankow and Bailey would be keep their distance because their real-life partners aren’t comfortable with fans “shipping” them off-screen.

Although neither Pankow nor Bailey responded to the speculation, Bailey said Entertainment tonight in June 2020, fans should “keep ships on the show” because “Madison and Kiara and Rudy and JJ are two different people.” Pankow, on the other hand, took to social media in 2021 to address hatred his girlfriend Elaine Siemek had received fans of the series.

Rumors about Pankow and Bailey’s alleged breakup came to a head when the second half of season 4 dropped, and viewers began to suspicious these body doubles were used to film romantic scenes between their characters.

As speculation continued to grow, a source told People on November 12, that the two men do not argue.

Netflix did not immediately respond to Yahoo Entertainment’s request for comment.

Fans are also looking to the show’s writers to shift blame for Maybank’s fate. Some have turned to X to argue that the decision seems rash and unwarranted for a character who has endured “constant trauma” and was the the most deserving of a happy ending.

But Maybank’s tragic end was always part of the plan, according to the show’s creators. Showrunner Jonas Pate told The Hollywood Reporter that Maybank’s fate had been “hidden in his DNA from the beginning.”

Co-creator and brother of Jonas, Josh Pate said Tudum from Netflix that they had planned for Maybank’s death during the series.

“It was a really tough decision because he’s such a great part of the package,” Josh said. “This sets the stage for an epic fifth and final season. We anticipate a story of redemption and a season that embodies the friendship that JJ has come to represent. JJ’s death was a difficult but necessary part of the story architecture, and we plan to honor it as much as possible because we love the character as much as the fans do.

Outer Banks isn’t the first series to face the wrath of diehard fans when a plot doesn’t live up to their expectations. Dedicated fandoms have always wanted to influence their favorite TV shows both on and off screen.

Amazon Prime The summer I became pretty is a recent example.

While most “Bonrad” shippers — fans who want Belly Conklin (Lola Tung) and Conrad Fisher (Chris Briney) to end up together — respect the fact that Briney is in a serious relationship with his girlfriend Isabel Machado, there has some who hope he and Tung plan to date in real life. In 2023, Briney received a violent reaction fans for not posting a photo of him and Tung on Instagram while promoting season 2. Members of the TSITP the fandom fears Briney and Tung can move away due to harassment from fans, as Pankow and Bailey are alleged to have done.

In some cases, fan disapproval can be so strong that it destroys ratings and influences the direction of a storyline.

That of JJ Abrams Lostwhich ran from 2004 to 2010, demonstrates how negative fan reception can lead to character writing. Murderers Nikki (Kiele Sanchez) and Paulo (Rodrigo Santoro), for example, were introduced in the show’s third season and killed off after 14 episodes due to a unfavorable response viewers. In the same way, Gossip Girl fans succeeded in season 2, when Aaron Rose (John Patrick Amedori), the artist boyfriend of Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively), boarded a plane to Argentina and never returned . Although Rose had a larger role in the books, creator Josh Schwartz ultimately chose to get rid of him because it failed to resonate with the public. Amedori appeared in only six episodes.

For Pankow, Maybank is a character he will always cherish.

“Thank you to this incredible cast and to the fans for loving it,” Pankow said. Netflix in a video from November 12. “A thank you to JJ. I will always carry a piece of you for the rest of my life. Always remember: Stupid things always turn out well. JJ Maybank, you changed my life forever. I love you forever.

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