This article contains major spoilers for "Outer Banks" season 4.
The Pogues are back with even more guns-blazing, gold-hunting antics for the fourth season of "Outer Banks," which premiered its first action-packed five episodes on October 10. (Like fellow Netflix series "Emily in Paris," "Stranger Things" and "Bridgerton," the newest edition of "OBX" will arrive in two batches this fall, with part two to come on Thursday, November 7.)
But before we dig into exactly how that shocking part 1 finale went down, let's quickly recap the focus of the fourth season. Netflix's official description of season 4 reads: "Following last season’s 18-month flash-forward showing Wes Genrette’s proposal for the Pogues to find Blackbeard’s treasure, Season 4 takes us back in time to the lead-up of that moment. After finding the gold at El Dorado, the Pogues return to the OBX and commit to having a 'normal' life. They’ve built themselves a new safe haven, officially dubbed 'Poguelandia 2.0,' where they live together and run a fairly successful bait, tackle, and charter tour shop."
The synopsis continues: "But after some financial setbacks, John B, Sarah, Kiara, JJ, Pope, and Cleo take Wes up on his offer, drawn back into the 'G' game for a whole new adventure. But before they know it, they're well in over their heads, with dangerous new enemies hot on their heels racing them to the treasure. Meanwhile, their problems are only growing, and they’re forced to question their past, present, and future — who they really are, has it all been worth it, and how much are they willing to risk?"
That search for one's true identity very much powers JJ Maybank's (Rudy Pankow) story into the mid-season finale, which will have lasting effects on his fellow Pogues pals like John B. Routledge (Chase Stokes), Sarah Cameron (Madelyn Cline), Kiara Carrera (Madison Bailey) and Pope Heyward (Jonathan Daviss). Here's what went down at the end of "Outer Banks" season 4 part 1.
How did 'Outer Banks' season 4 part 1 end?
The hunt for Blackbeard's treasure, specifically a priceless amulet and blue crown, takes on even more urgency for the Pogues gang when Cleo (Carlacia Grant) gets kidnapped by rival gold hunters, led by this season's bad guy Lightner (Rigo Sanchez). After Cleo's old friend Terrance (Terence Rosemore) sacrifices his own life for hers, Cleo reunites with the Pope and the Pogues crew.
Though JJ and Kiara end up staying behind on Kildare Island, the rest of the Pogues head to Charleston to continue the search for the blue crown. While exploring the catacombs beneath a church, Pope and Sarah get terrifyingly stuck underground while a heavy storm rages overhead. The last we see of those two, there's water quickly filling up the catacombs and seemingly no way out.
Above ground, John B is grappling with PTSD following his father's death in the season 3 finale. When Lightner and his band of mercenaries catch up with the Pogues in Charleston, John B's grief makes him unable to shoot Lightner, letting the rival treasure hunters get away with some kind of important scroll from the church.
And back home, JJ receives a mysterious letter addressed to "Master JJ Maybank" from Wes Genrette (David Jensen), the wealthy man who tasked the Pogues with hunting down Blackbeard's treasure at the end of "Outer Banks" season 3. Genrette believed that his family was being haunted by the ghost of Blackbeard's wife Elizabeth, but he suspiciously dies before the Pogues complete their mission.
Genrette's letter prompts JJ to track down his father Luke (Gary Weeks), who has been an abusive and tumultuous figure in JJ's life for the past three seasons. Though it's initially believed that Luke has been on the run as a wanted man, he's actually been secretly staying with a friend nearby. When JJ asks him what the contents of the letter mean, specifically about what Albatross is, Luke confesses that Albatross is the boat that Genrette's daughter Larissa died on. Luke also reveals that he is not actually JJ's biological father, and that the woman that JJ believes to be his mother was actually just Luke's girlfriend at the time.
JJ's real mother was Larissa, which means that his biological father is Genrette's son-in-law, Chandler Groff (J. Anthony Crane), who viewers saw earlier in the season getting interrogated by local authorities about his father-in-law's mysterious death. That would mean that JJ, who, like the rest of the Pogues, has been facing financial difficulties all season, is actually the rightful heir to the Genrette fortune.
However, that inheritance will seemingly get more complicated in season 4 part 2, as the final scene of episode 5 sees Chandler joined by Hollis Robinson (Brianna Brown), the local realtor who has been scheming all season long to get the Genrette land for herself and has roped Rafe Cameron (Drew Starkey) in the land development deal.
That major character reveal, coupled with the ongoing treasure hunt and Hollis's nefarious business dealings, means that there will be plenty of drama going into the season's back half. Tom's Guide will keep you posted on all updates surrounding "Outer Banks" season 4, including behind-the-scenes tidbits, character descriptions, casting news, on-set photos and new trailers. In the meantime, you can revisit the first three seasons of the action-adventure teen drama with a Netflix subscription.
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