[This story includes major spoilers from Outer Banks season four, part one.]
Outer Banks by no means fails to ship shocker after shocker for its predominant characters and Half One among season 4 was no totally different.
The ultimate moments of episode 5, “Albatross,” delivered blows to Rudy Pankow‘s JJ, Jonathan Davis’ Pope, Madelyn Cline‘s Sarah, Chase Stokes‘ John B and the remainder of the crew in a single kind or one other.
Half one kicked off with a recap of what the Pogues had been as much as within the 18 months between coming back from their Metropolis of El Dorado discovery in season three to when Wes Genrette (David Jensen) approaches them with Blackbeard’s captain log, probably setting them up for a brand new treasure hunt.
Over the course of the Half One episodes, the Pogues arrange a bait-and-tackle store, with a constitution enterprise for vacationers, in addition to diving and surf classes. However the cash they received from the gold they introduced again from El Dorado solely lasted them so lengthy — thanks, partly, to JJ placing most of it into an public sale to purchase again his household’s dwelling.
And that’s solely the primary of many occasions throughout which JJ’s impulsivity put him and his associates in a precarious place. One other got here within the type of a dust bike race towards the Kooks that put them out of their closing financial savings from their gold earnings.
“I believe he blames quite a lot of issues on himself, which I believe is definitely partially true,” Pankow tells The Hollywood Reporter of why JJ hasn’t appeared to be taught his lesson with regards to performing with out pondering. “There’s quite a lot of issues which might be his fault. Now, does he address that accurately? No, he doesn’t cope, and he tries to right it, and I believe he overcorrects it.”
Regardless of his poor choices at occasions, Madison Bailey‘s Kiara by no means fails to be on his aspect as his now-girlfriend and greatest buddy.
“She sees him in a method that perhaps he doesn’t even notice that she sees him. I believe he’s nonetheless perhaps a little bit like, partitions constructed up, and Kiara is rather like, ‘You don’t have partitions for me,’” she tells THR. “I simply suppose she has a comfortable spot for him. I believe she understands what he’s been via and doesn’t maintain it towards him, as a result of it will be unfair to carry it towards him. I believe she simply, on the finish of the day, actually loves him.”
Rudy Pankow as JJ, Madison Bailey as Kiara in season 4.
Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix
In the meantime, John B and Pope try to resolve one other thriller, with regards to Blackbeard’s mysterious blue crown, one of many hidden treasures of the British pirate. However nothing can ever be simple for the Outer Banks crew.
They’re not the one ones in search of the treasure — as a result of, in fact, they’re not.
Early in Half One, the Pogues received a go to from an ominous determine, who followers later got here to know as Lightner (Rigo Sanchez), a mercenary additionally in search of Blackbeard’s treasure. The buddies have a number of run-ins with him, one in all which nearly received Kiara and JJ killed, and later, Cleo as nicely.
Episode 5 then noticed many of the group head to Charleston in hopes of discovering Blackbeard’s treasure. Lightner and his mysterious boss, Dalia (Pollyanna McIntosh), get to the map inside a crypt under an outdated church earlier than the Pogues do. Lightner and Dalia escape, unknowingly leaving Pope and Sarah to drown within the crypt because it begins to refill as a result of rainfall.
Earlier than the mercenaries get away, John B has a shot at Lightner, however is stopped in his tracks when he has a flashback to when Huge John (Charles Halford) shot a few of Singh’s (Andy McQueen) males in season three proper in entrance of his son.
Rigo Sanchez as Lightner.
Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix
“He’s seen his father pull the set off or do the worst-case situation,” Stokes tells THR of why his character is unable to undergo with it. “So, I believe John B has a second of true humanity and acknowledgment of the trail that he began to go down. And I believe this entire first half is de facto about him going from being actually hesitant to get into it to then the dedication, after which realizing that perhaps he’s turning into the individual he advised himself he would by no means be, which is a model of his father.”
Within the crypt, issues are trying grim for Pope and Sarah, who’re trapped under floor with seemingly no method out. Davis and Cline recall filming the scene and having comparable reactions to it as their characters did — Pope was calm, cool and picked up for essentially the most half, whereas Sarah was freaking out.
“It performed precisely the way it seems. Maddie was in there. She was not glad. The water, even whenever you land inside, it’s like dripping, so it’s freezing chilly,” the Do Revenge actor says. “It was enjoyable to do as a result of it actually felt like I used to be filming an Indiana Jones [movie] or one thing like that. I used to be like, ‘That is like what it’s prefer to be on like these sort of units.’”
The Glass Onion: A Knives Out Thriller actress, alternatively, was having a foul time.
“I really feel like I’ve made it fairly clear that I get claustrophobic very simply. After which I present as much as set, and I take a look at what we have now to crawl via, and I’m like, ‘Guys, we talked about this,’” she says. “It felt like a social experiment, for certain. … I didn’t go with flying colours. I handed with strolling colours. JD was superior to movie that with. He was the calm, and I used to be the not. And I’m very, very grateful for him.”
Again on Determine Eight, Rafe (Drew Starkey) is maybe contemplating turning over a brand new leaf and making amends together with his sister, Sarah, after years of them being at one another’s throats. However it’s going to be an extended street forward for the Cameron siblings; it’s not simple to maneuver previous the truth that your brother nearly drowned you.
Regardless of Sarah being eager for some form of reconciliation, they’ve quite a lot of historical past and, most of it no less than just lately, has been very darkish and traumatic for each of them.
“I undoubtedly suppose that Rafe blames her for the dying of their dad, and I believe she is aware of that,” Cline says. “I believe she feels quite a lot of guilt as a result of I really feel like she looks like lots of people blame her for his dying. It’s all very heavy and method too heavy for only a single dialog. It’s one thing that has to occur over time.”
In terms of the Kooks’ favourite unhealthy boy, Rafe, followers have seemingly been ready for him to perform a little higher and never be as horrible as he has been previously. Starkey, who performs the character, explains these self-improvements have to return with time and development.
“He’s maturing. I additionally suppose shedding his father is a big motivator,” the Queer star tells THR. “I believe he’s accepting some accountability, and I believe he realizes how alone he’s, and he desires to fix bridges and construct connections once more. So yeah, I don’t suppose he’s ever been capable of absolutely specific [himself], and he’s nonetheless struggling to specific that in a sure method.”
Whereas quite a lot of issues appeared to go downhill for the Pogues within the first half of this season (it’s a drama sequence, in spite of everything), there was one shining mild — love. All six of the youngsters are in relationships and one couple, particularly, stood out: Pope and Cleo.
Jonathan Daviss as Pope, Carlacia Grant as Cleo.
Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix
The 2 laid the groundwork for a relationship over the course of the earlier two seasons and at last made issues official within the closing episode of season three when Cleo tells Pope she quits the “No-Love Membership” they fashioned earlier within the season.
Davis shares that bringing Pope and Cleo’s love story to life in Half One has been “wonderful,” as has working alongside Carlacia Grant, who has grow to be a “actually, actually good buddy.”
“Having the ability to sort of convey ourselves into these characters extra, to discover extra moments with one another, we didn’t get quite a lot of that season three, however I really feel like this season we actually received a great alternative to discover the relationships between these characters and actually flesh it out onscreen,” he says. “So it felt like a pure evolution of the place we left off within the third season. It felt like they had been in a extremely great place. It was a pleasure to have the ability to do this.”
Regardless of becoming a member of Outer Banks in season two, Grant notes that everybody welcomed and supported her, as they helped her make the perfect character attainable.
“This group was only a actually good group, as a result of we’re all actually associates, and that actually, I believe, bleeds onscreen,” she says of the forged’s dynamic in actual life. “And simply to have the assist group of like individuals who I take into account associates, it made it an incredible expertise. And the joys of the experience is enjoyable, nevertheless it’s additionally enjoyable when you’ve your pals with you.”
Outer Banks season 4, Half One is streaming now on Netflix. Half Two drops on Nov. 7.