The Pogues are going on one last mission in hopes of bringing back the dead. Yes, you read that right. On July 29, Netflix dropped the official trailer for Outer Banks Season 5, which picks up in the aftermath of JJ’s tragic death at the end of last season. The Pogues want revenge, and they’ll do just about anything to get it.
“The legend is that the crown can bring back the dead,” Kiara (Madison Bailey) tells the group. The Pogues don’t need much convincing to go all in on this adventure. They’re at rock bottom, and they can only go up from here. On top of this side quest, they’re all gunning for JJ’s dad, Groff (J. Anthony Crane), who killed his own son.
The streamer renewed the series for a fifth season before Part 2 of Season 4 dropped in 2024, but it will be the final season. This is going to be our last Outer Banks summer, and it’s going to be a memorable one. From the premiere date to the cast details, here’s a rundown of all the latest updates.
Jackson Lee Davis / Netflix
When is Outer Banks Season 5 coming out?
Outer Banks Season 5 has an official premiere date: August 20. Unlike last season, which split the episodes into two parts, the full season will drop all at once. The final season will consist of 10 episodes.
The streamer announced the show’s renewal on November 4, 2024. The fifth season was filmed in and around Charleston, South Carolina, as well as Croatia.
Jackson Lee Davis / Netflix
Jackson Lee Davis / Netflix
Is Season 5 the final season?
Yes, Season 5 will be the final season of Outer Banks. Co-creators and executive producers Jonas Pate, Josh Pate, and Shannon Burke released the following statement:
“Dispatch to all Pogues:
Seven years ago, in the summer of 2017, we came across a photo of teenagers on a beach at dusk during a power outage. That photo sparked an idea for a story of four best friends who only want to have a good time all the time. From this beginning, we imagined a mystery that would lead to a five-season journey of adventure, treasure hunting, and friendship.
Jackson Lee Davis / Netflix
At the time, seven years ago, it seemed impossible that we would really get to tell the whole five season story, but here we are, at the end of our fourth season, still chopping away.
The fourth season was our longest and hardest – but most rewarding – to produce. The season ends with a feature length episode, which we think is our best, most powerful episode. We hope you feel the same way.
Now, with a little sadness, but also excitement, we’re putting Season Four behind us, and are turning to Season Five, in which we hope to bring our beloved Pogues home in the way we imagined and planned years ago. Season Five will be our last season, and we think it will be our best yet. We hope you’ll join us for one more paddle out to the surf break.”
Who will return for Outer Banks Season 5?
The majority of the main cast will return for the fifth and final season. Series regulars include Chase Stokes as John B, Madelyn Cline as Sarah, Madison Bailey as Kiara, Jonathan Daviss as Pope, Carlacia Grant as Cleo, Drew Starkey as Rafe, Fiona Palomo as Sofia, and Austin North as Topper. J. Anthony Crane and Cullen Moss, who play Chandler Groff and Deputy Shoupe, respectively, will also return for Season 5 and have been upped to series regulars.
Sydney Gawlik / Netflix
Given the shocking twist at the end of Season 4, Rudy Pankow will not return as JJ (more on that below). However, he could return in flashbacks!
What happened at the end of Season 4?
Outer Banks Season 4 went full throttle on the bombshells. The Pogues (along with Rafe) headed to Morocco to chase down the blue crown. Sarah found out she was pregnant in the midst of the madness.
However, the biggest twist was JJ’s death. JJ was stabbed by Chandler Goff (J. Anthony Crane), his biological father, after finding the blue crown. Kiara was with him in his final moments as he bled out from his injury. The devastated Pogues buried him in Morocco and vowed to avenge his death and get the blue crown back.
Fans were understandably outraged about JJ’s death, but the creators have stressed that the decision to kill off the beloved character had been building since the show’s start.
“It’s been kind of lurking in his DNA from the beginning. He’s really a tragic figure, and the idea of mortality, and you only have a finite window — it’s also a theme of the show,” Pate told The Hollywood Reporter in November 2024. “It’s something John B. has talked about from the first season. So believe it or not, this is something that was always sort of baked in the cake, and we just wanted to tell the story as elegantly and interestingly as possible.”
Outer Banks, Season 5, August 20, 2026, Netflix