For some Outdoor benches fans, the season 4 finale is something they would rather forget.
The first five episodes, released on Netflix on October 10, culminated in an explosive cliffhanger. When the second half of the season was released on November 7, it seems like nothing could have prepared fans for the ending – and the shocking death of fan favorite JJ Maybank (Rudy Pankow). In the final moments of the nearly 90-minute season finale, Maybank is stabbed and killed by his biological father.
The unexpected conclusion is not well received by some viewers.
Since his debut, Outdoor benches has been a streaming hit. The teen drama, which premiered in April 2020, is set on a fictional island in North Carolina’s Outer Banks and follows John B (Chase Stokes) and his misfit group of best friends known as the Pogues as they go hunting for lost treasures. Season 4, Part 1, racked up 1.19 billion viewing minutes in the first three days after its premiere and landed at No. 2 on Nielsen’s streaming Top 10.
Now Outdoor benches fandom is trying to understand why showrunners would kill off one of its most beloved characters. Some speculate as to whether Pankow wanted to leave the show.
“When a storyline conflicts with fans’ desires or expectations, especially regarding a beloved character, they can feel not only disappointed, but also personally affected – often resulting in vocal expressions of sadness and anger,” says Paul Booth, professor of media and pop culture at DePaul. University, told Yahoo Entertainment. “In many fandoms, these reactions are almost ritualistic – they are part of fans’ identity and culture.”
Rudy Pankow in ‘Outer Banks’. (Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection)
As the most impulsive yet loyal Pogue, Maybank immediately attracted fans, which makes coming to terms with his death difficult.
“For fan cultures, characters are more than just narrative devices; they often represent complex relationships, reflect real-life analogues, or can be a source of comfort,” Booth explains. “When a central character dies, especially unexpectedly, it can disrupt fans’ expectations and feel like a betrayal, especially when fans have spent time and energy immersing themselves in the story.”
“Given the suspicions surrounding the decision to kill JJ, it also speaks to fans who feel unaware,” Effie Sapuridis, a doctoral candidate in media studies at Western University in Ontario, Canada, and committee member of Fan Studies Network North, told me. America, to Yahoo. “There is a safety net that fans often rely on when it comes to their favorite characters, especially if they are part of the main cast – that they will never be killed or seriously injured.”
Enter Rudy Pankow and Madison Bailey Outdoor benches. (Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection)
Some fans believe the plot device has something to do with an alleged feud between Pankow and his co-star Madison Bailey, who plays his on-screen girlfriend Kiara Carrera. Rumor has it that Pankow and Bailey are keeping their distance because their real-life partners don’t feel comfortable with fans “shipping” them off-screen.
Although neither Pankow nor Bailey have commented on the speculation, Bailey told Entertainment Tonight in June 2020 that fans should “keep the ship on the show” because “Madison and Kiara and Rudy and JJ are two different people.” Pankow, on the other hand, took to social media in 2021 to address the hate his girlfriend Elaine Siemek had received from fans of the show.
Rumors of Pankow and Bailey’s alleged rift reached a fever pitch when the second half of season 4 dropped and viewers began to suspect that body doubles were being used to film romantic scenes between their characters.
As speculation continued to mount, a source told People on November 12 that the couple is not feuding.
Netflix did not immediately respond to Yahoo Entertainment’s request for comment.
Fans are also looking to the show’s writers to take the blame for Maybank’s fate. Some have taken to
But Maybank’s tragic end was always part of the plan, according to the show’s creators. Showrunner Jonas Pate told the Hollywood Reporter that Maybank’s fate was “lurking in his DNA from the beginning.”
Co-creator and Jonas’ brother Josh Pate told Netflix’s Tudum that they planned for Maybank to die over the course of the series.
“It was a very difficult decision because he is such a great part of the ensemble,” Josh said. “It sets the stage for an epic fifth and final season. We are planning a story of redemption and a season that embodies the friendship that JJ came to represent. JJ’s death was a difficult but necessary part of the architecture of the story, and we plan to honor that as much as possible because we love the character as much as the fans do.
Outdoor benches isn’t the first show to experience the wrath of diehard fans when a storyline doesn’t meet their expectations. Devoted fandoms have a history of wanting to influence their favorite television shows both on and off screen.
The one from Amazon Prime The summer I became beautiful is a recent example.
While most “Bonrad” shippers — fans who want Belly Conklin (Lola Tung) and Conrad Fisher (Chris Briney) to end up together — respect the fact that Briney is in a serious relationship with girlfriend Isabel Machado, there are some who hope that he and Tung are considering dating in real life. In 2023, Briney received backlash from fans for not posting a photo of him and Tung on Instagram while promoting season 2. TSITP fandom’s fear that Briney and Tung will drift apart due to fan harassment, as Pankow and Bailey supposedly did.
In some cases, fan disapproval can be so strong that it both negatively impacts ratings and affects the direction of a storyline.
JJ Abrams Lostwhich ran from 2004 to 2010, shows how negative fan reception can lead to characters being written out. For example, diamond heist murderers Nikki (Kiele Sanchez) and Paulo (Rodrigo Santoro) were introduced in the show’s third season and were killed off after fourteen episodes due to an overwhelmingly unfavorable response from viewers. In the same way, Gossip girl fans got their wish in season 2, when Aaron Rose (John Patrick Amedori), the artist boyfriend of Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively), boarded a plane to Argentina and never returned. Although Rose played a larger role in the books, creator Josh Schwartz ultimately chose to get rid of him because he didn’t resonate with audiences. Amedori appeared in only six episodes.
For Pankow, Maybank is a character he will always cherish.
“Thank you to this amazing cast and to the fans who love him,” Pankow told Netflix in a Nov. 12 video. “Thank you to JJ. I will always carry a piece of you with me for the rest of my life. Always remember: stupid things always have good results. JJ Maybank, you changed my life forever. I love you forever.”
