‘Outer Banks’ Season 4, Part 1 Ending Explained—Who Is JJ’s Real Dad?

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Outer Banks Season 4, Part 1.

The Pogues are back in the Outer Banks, and Season 4, Part 1 kicks off another wild adventure for the teens, fresh off their last mission (RIP Ward and Big John). Keep reading for a breakdown of the major moments from the first five episodes, including the shocking cliffhanger no one could have saw coming.

In Season 4, the Pogues return home with the gold they discovered in El Dorado. After exchanging it for $1.1 million, they use the money to open a bait, tackle, and charter tour shop on the land they bought, naming it “Poguelandia 2.0.” But in true JJ fashion, he wagers the crew’s last gold nugget on a race against Rafe and Topper, which he ultimately loses.

Luckily for the Pogues, archaeologists excavated El Dorado six months after their discovery, and the teens were honored by the town in a ceremony shown at the end of Season 3. Viewers might recall a man named Wes Genrette (David Jensen) approaching the group, asking for help finding Blackbeard’s treasure. Despite being freaked out about his family’s curses, the Pogues agree to help him to pay off their debts.

However, the Pogues quickly learn that they’re not the only ones looking for the treasure, which includes a priceless amulet and a blue crown. An unknown man starts following them, later revealed to be a mercenary named Lightner, who nearly kills Kiara and JJ and eventually kidnaps Cleo. In a dramatic turn, Cleo’s old friend and father figure, Terrance, sacrifices his life to save hers at the end of Episode 4.

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What Happens In Outer Banks Season 4, Episode 5?

While JJ and Kiara stay behind on Kildare Island, the rest of the crew travels to Charleston to continue their search for the blue crown. But Lighter and his boss, Dalia, are there too, and they get inside a crypt below an old church before the Pogues do.

Pope and Sarah volunteer to go down to the catacombs, but they are trapped underground when they come across Lighter and Dalia. They keep quiet and hide from Lighter, who escapes from the Tomb with a scroll they retrieved from a burial site.

Cleo spots Lightner and Dalia emerging from underground and plans to take her revenge for Terrance’s death, but before she can act, Lightner sneaks up behind her. Dalia intervenes, telling him it’s not worth killing her. Meanwhile, John B follows Lightner, ready to take a shot, but hesitates when he flashes back to Season 3, remembering how his late father, Big John, shot some of Singh’s men right in front of him.

“There’s a lot of hesitation in John B when it comes to pursuing anything treasure-oriented, and it’s because he’s really battling the fact that he didn’t get the time he wanted with his dad,” Stokes told Netflix’s Tudum. “And his memory of his dad is now enshrined in this big giant win of finding El Dorado. But he’s had the realization that his dad was kind of a shitty person. [And] he doesn’t want to go down that path.”

As Pope and Sarah search for an exit, a heavy storm rolls in, flooding the catacombs. They notice barnacles reaching the ceiling, which means that the space will soon be completely underwater—and that’s the last we see of them in part one.

The actors told The Hollywood Reporter that they were freaking out in real life, just as their characters did. “It played exactly how it looks. Maddie was in there. She was not happy. The water, even when you land inside, it’s like dripping, so it’s freezing cold,” Jonathan Daviss said. “It was fun to do because it really felt like I was filming an Indiana Jones [movie] or something like that. I was like, ‘This is like what it’s like to be on like those kind of sets.’”

How Does Outer Banks Season 4, Part One End?

At the end of Outer Banks Season 4, Part 1, JJ is with his father, Luke, who finally reveals a shocking family secret. Before Wes Genrette's death in Episode 2, he left a letter addressed to “Master JJ Maybank” in case something happened, which urged him ask his dad about the meaning of "Albatross."

After some convincing, Luke says to JJ that "Albatross" was the name of the boat Larissa Genrette died on years ago. He then drops another bombshell, telling JJ that he’s not his biological father and that the woman JJ believed to be his mother was just one of Luke's former girlfriends.

Who Is JJ’s Real Dad?

Luke reveals to JJ that Larissa is actually his real mother, making Wes his grandfather and Chandler Groff his biological father—meaning JJ could have Kook blood after all.

“That was the most extreme thing we could think of: That JJ’s actually a Kook,” Outer Banks co-creator Shannon Burke told Netflix’s Tudum.

So, what do we know about JJ’s new father, Groff? Viewers saw him being interrogated by the police about his father-in-law’s death. He also makes an appearance at the end of Episode 5 with Hollis Robinson, the local realtor who’s been scheming all season to get her hands on the Genrette land—even roping in Rafe Cameron to help with the development deal.

Stay tuned to learn more about the Outer Banks, Season 4, part two. The next five episodes of the season will be streaming on November 7.