Ever since the beginning of 2020, Outer Banks has been an escape for anyone who finds themselves longing for a cool beer on a boat on a relaxing summer night, friends that are much more like family, chaos, and fun combined, unhinged experiences, and, well, maybe also a heap of gold to go “full Kook.” The hit Netflix show that follows John B (Chase Stokes) and his crew of Pogues, JJ (Rudy Pankow), Pope (Jonathan Daviss), Kiara (Madison Bailey), and the two new additions, Sarah (Madelyn Cline) and Cleo (Carlacia Grant) as they get wrapped up in wild treasure hunts and the occasional fight for their lives is nothing short of insanity, but in the best sense of the word.
Seeing that each one of the friends comes from a different background and circumstances, they all bring a unique character to the show. This allows fans to find someone they can relate to the most and offers a great foundation to pick their favorite character. Since all the characters are portrayed in a very relatable way, the connection formed between them and fans is incredibly strong. This also leads to not wanting to say goodbye to any of the Pogues, but after three seasons, numerous near-death experiences of the characters, and an upcoming, tumultuous Season 4, many fans have reached the point where they have the feeling that the future holds a heart-breaking character death. “Can’t kill a Pogue, dude.” Or can you? Fans think none other than Rudy Pankow is leaving Outer Banks after Season 4, and here is why.
Viral Social Media Rumor About JJ’s Death in Outer Banks
The viral rumor about Rudy Pankow’s exit was sparked during his interview with Backstage, where he talked about how grateful he is for having been a part of the Outer Banks family for such a long time now. However, he also stated that he is aware that his portrayal of JJ won’t be forever, which has evoked panic in many fans. His words worried his entire fanbase since it led many to believe that Pankow either asked the showrunners to be killed off or that they had decided the time for JJ’s end had come. Attentive fans will know that the former theory would be more likely.
If there is one thing that always, truly always, leads fans to draw even the most unrealistic conclusions, then it is who follows or unfollows who on Instagram. In the case of the Outer Banks family, there is a far-fetched theory, which is unfortunately often used to stir up rumors about Rudy Pankow’s Outer Banks exit even more. Apparently, one of the creators, Jonas Pate, unfollowed Rudy Pankow, which many fans took as a sign that Pankow’s character might get killed off. On top of that, the rumors about bad blood between the actor and the Outer Banks creators are fueled by the belief that Pate fired his assistant and Pankow’s girlfriend, Elaine Siemek. Another widespread assumption is that Madison Bailey unfollowed her co-star on the same day, leading fans of the show to believe that there is a beef between Bailey and Siemek due to the actors’ on-screen love.