'Outer Banks' Season 4 Part 1 Ends, Explained: JJ's True Identity

John B balances on a rooftop in a white T-shirt and Converse, drinking a can of beer as he stares at the water.

In Outer Banks, the first shot of the pilot and the opening scene of the fourth season show this image – a full-circle moment that encapsulates the latest season's tagline: “Bring it on home.”

Unlike seasons 2 and 3, which followed the Pogues around the world, this season brings “Outer Banks” back to the sandy shores of North Carolina.

“I think the first five is a really nice way to bring us back to the world of Outer Banks and back to the home of these kids,” Chase Stokes, who plays John B, tells TODAY.com.

This season, however, another character steps into the spotlight. While the focus in previous seasons was primarily on John B, in this season best friend JJ (Rudy Pankow) is given a detailed, complex and of course dramatic backstory.

The fourth season premiere on October 10 also marks just over five years since the first season began filming in 2019 — five years in which the core cast, including Stokes, now 32, and Pankow, 26, have played teenagers.

Jonathan Daviss, who stars in the series as the “brains of the operation” Pope, was 19 when the show began. “I definitely identified quite well with what was going on in my life at the time and what was going on with Pope,” he says.

Daviss, 24, says he tries to remember “what it means to be that age” for the sake of his character.

“I think it's just about figuring out how these characters develop through what's happening and all the things that affect them,” he says. “And I just remember that they're young and inexperienced and making crazy decisions based on emotions and hormones and all that, and we're just trying to make sure that we stay true to what it means to be that age .”

Stokes, who has one of the biggest differences in age between his age and that of his 19-year-old character, says that John B.'s decisions are sometimes difficult for him.

“There are some decisions that I think are very justified at this age. But when you're 32, you look at it and go, 'What the hell are you doing?'” he says.

But that's the fun of it.

“It’s so far removed from where I am at this point in my life,” he says.

“These are extreme circumstances that force them to either respond with fight or flight,” he adds. “When you play in a fictional world like this, it's fun to have circumstances and experiences that don't necessarily reflect your own.”

Season 4 is no exception. These “extreme circumstances” include trying to manage over a million dollars, dealing with a corpse, and, oh yeah, finding one of Blackbeard's lost treasures.

Below, the stars reveal all of their characters' twists and what people can expect from Part 2.

🚨🚨Warning: Spoilers for the end of Outer Banks Season 4, Part 1 ahead.

JJ's legacy, explained

To outsiders, JJ, John B's hot-headed and fiercely loyal best friend, appears to live a carefree lifestyle. But over the past three seasons, viewers have seen the complex dynamic JJ has with his abusive father Luke (Gary Weeks).

But the end of Season 4, Part 1 reveals that JJ is not Luke's biological son.

Earlier in the season, the Pogues embarked on a new quest to find Blackbeard's wife Elizabeth's amulet at the behest of a rich old man named Wes Genrette (David Jensen).

Genrette believes that his entire family was haunted to death by the ghost of Elizabeth. The Pogues find the amulet, but before they can collect their reward, Genlette suspiciously dies.

One of the people questioned at his death is his son-in-law, Chandler Groff (J. Anthony Crane). During interrogation with Deputy Shoupe (Cullen Moss), Chandler tearfully reveals that his wife Larissa, his baby, and now his father-in-law have died, leaving the Genrette estate to the state.

But not so quickly.

In Episode 5, JJ receives a letter from Mr. Genrette. written before his death, addressed to “Master JJ Maybank”.

After reading the letter, JJ immediately sets off alone to find Luke, who is now a wanted man, to confront him about the letter. The content instructs JJ to ask his father about the albatross (no, not the Taylor Swift song).

Luke finally tells JJ that the Albatross is the boat that Larissa died on.

As the tension rises, Luke tells JJ that he is not his “blood father” and that the person JJ thought was his mother was Luke's girlfriend at the time.

Finally, Luke reveals this Larissa was JJ's mother. JJ demands to know who his real father is, to which Luke simply replies, “Isn't that obvious?”

As JJ appears to be trying to piece it all together, the camera cuts sharply to the outline of Chandler, implying that he is JJ's biological father, making JJ the rightful heir to the Genrette fortune.

In the last scene of In Episode 5, it is revealed that Chandler is not alone as the camera slowly rotates. At his side is the scheming investigator Hollis Robinson (Brianna Brown), who has been trying to get to the Genrette land all season long.

Part 1 ends with Hollis cryptically saying, “It's going to be lovely,” implying that the couple may have sinister intentions.

Pankow says that when he first took on the role of JJ, he was unaware of the character's true origins. “When I first read it this season, it was definitely a shock,” he says.

But he relied on the same preparation methods as previous seasons to tackle the new character arc.

“Something I always do every season is ask JJ a question that gets answered at the end of the season,” he says.

“I’m not sure I can actually share (the question) accurately,” he adds.

Pope gives chase

Daviss has also been given more room to develop his character in recent seasons. In Season 1, Pope was the one in charge, reluctant to embark on risky missions and prioritizing school over everything else.

While Pope is still the voice of reason, he embarks on the adventure in Season 4.

“I think it's the same thing with all Pogues: They start to understand why they enjoy treasure hunting in the first place, even if they all end up in a trap,” says Daviss.

He says Pope's motivation lies in the problem-solving aspects of treasure hunting.

“For Pope, it's all about solving the puzzle,” he says. “I think he loves the mystery and trying to piece together the clues and piece together the untraceable. I think he likes the challenge. So when it starts, when the ball starts rolling, he just has no choice but to pursue it.”

By the end of season four, Pope may see what happens when the pursuit of adventure goes too far. In search of another treasure called the Blue Crown, some of the Pogues travel to Charleston and explore the catacombs of a church.

In one of the final scenes, Pope and Sarah are stuck underground when a severe storm hits and the narrow space fills with water, leaving their fate uncertain.

Meanwhile, John B remains above ground, spying on rival treasure hunter Lightner (Rigo Sanchez). But the memory of his father stops him, his finger is on the trigger of the gun, allowing Lightner and his gang to get away with the treasure.

John B. processes grief

The first season of Outer Banks began with John B still clinging to hope that his father, lost at sea, would return alive.

Big John famously appeared in the Season 2 cliffhanger and played an important role in the Season 3 storyline until his death in the final.

In Season 4, John B has to deal with the loss of his father and experiences flashbacks of Big John.

Stokes says he found his character's exploration of grief relatable through his actions.

“I have suffered many losses in my personal life that, unfortunately, were very close to my heart,” he says.

Stokes adds that Charles Halford, who played Big John, is “a dear friend.”

“He has become something of a father figure in that sense and we had so much time together last year. “I think it was a combination of those two things that really gave John B direction this season,” Stokes says.

What can fans expect from Part 2?

“I think it's a perfect cliffhanger,” Pankow tells TODAY.com at the end of Part 1. “Something the writers love is that they know how to write a good cliffhanger, and I think it is Of course it’s good to make the second part a little more exciting.”

Pankow says the fifth episode ends with each character able to “go one or two paths very, very easily.”

“I think there's actually a little bit of hope and a little bit of like, 'Okay, this could get a lot darker,'” he says.

For Daviss' character, he and Sarah are stuck in the catacombs. None of the other Pogues are aware of their danger and there is no obvious way out.

“I think it just gets more intense from there,” Daviss says. “We start in a very intense situation at the start of 6, and I think it continues to build until the finale, which is simply the highlight of the entire season.”

Looking ahead to Season 4, Stokes told TODAY, Oct. 3, that the decision about additional seasons for Outer Banks rests with Netflix and viewers.

“I mean, you know, we loved this show, we love it with all our hearts,” he said. “As long as people keep tuning in, I think hopefully we can keep this show going for as long as possible.”

Part 2 of the fourth season of “Outer Banks” will be released on Netflix on November 7th.