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.

When Outer Banks Shipping Becomes Harassment

The rumors and drama involving Madison Bailey and Rudy Pankow go far beyond the common theories regarding following/unfollowing someone on Instagram. Even though it looked like Kiara particularly cared about John B for a second there and hooked up with Pope for about a minute, the majority of Outer Banks fans have always longed for love between Kie and JJ ever since the first season of the show was released. Their shared interests and living a life far away from societal structures offered a great foundation for an on-screen romance, but some fans didn’t leave it at that. While, on a more positive note, Outer Banks brought an entire social media movement to life, in particular, Season 1 and Season 2 brought along a wave of intense character ships involving Kiara and JJ, which were taken off the screen and projected onto the two actors.

Many fans took the undeniable chemistry between Kiara and JJ out of the Outer Banks world and frantically tried to find clues about a real-life romance between the actors. The strong desire to see Kiara and JJ fall in love led to fans shipping Pankow and Bailey despite the fact that both of them are in a relationship. It is safe to say that their friendship was put under a lot of pressure, as any friendly interaction and looks between them were analyzed down to the tiniest details. Pankow and Bailey have had to deal with intense scrutiny, and so have their respective partners. In particular, Elaine Siemek has received hateful comments about being abusive and a horrible partner for Pankow.

It is common that real-life significant others are often at the center of a lot of hate since some fans take it too far and fail to accept the fact that not every on-screen love will play out in real life as well. Pankow and Bailey are professional actors, after all, and it is their job to convey authentic feelings of love and affection for each other. Seeing that the pressure about playing each other’s love interest is constantly growing, especially now that Kiara and JJ have revealed their love for each other, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they had enough of the constant scrutiny.

Near-Death Experiences and High Stakes in Outer Banks

Throughout the past three seasons of Outer Banks, it has become clear that the writer of the popular Netflix show doesn’t shy away from putting the main characters through a really, really, really rough time. There is a reason why it is one of the best Netflix TV shows out there, and not killing off main characters might be one of them. Tensions and suspense are kept alive, as each Pogue has found themselves in one or more situations in which they have come dangerously close to death. Those near-death experiences, whether it was Sarah being shot and being pronounced dead for a few seconds, Kiara almost drowning in a sewer, or Pope having an allergic reaction to bee stings, undoubtedly had viewers up on their feet and begging for them to survive.

The necessary drama, which also moves the storyline along and causes massive bumps in the relationships between certain characters, is still provided by character deaths, but only those of side characters. Spoiler Alert! The eventual deaths of both the obsessed treasure-hunter Big John and rich dad, super-villain Ward Cameron, shook up the fandom but helped to bring a conclusion to a particular chapter while also allowing the characters to navigate through different waters after loss.

There have been complaints regarding the sheer number of near-death experiences in the show since many fans argue that constantly putting the main characters in Outer Banks in extremely dangerous situations and bringing them way too close to death on multiple occasions leads to the conclusion that the stakes are actually not that high. When everyone constantly comes out alive and jumps around after almost dying like nothing happened, credibility might be lost, and the stakes don’t feel high anymore.

The Danger of Killing Off a Fan-Favorite in Outer Banks

Character deaths are certainly not rare in popular TV shows, and they can lead to the spread of many rumors based on worries or theories. A short glimpse inside the world of Outer Banks’ TikTok is enough to know that JJ has taken over the show from the very first season onward. Even though the story fundamentally centers on what John B is going through after the alleged loss of his father, Big John, the Pogues quickly show up as equally important characters, and JJ seems to dance around the top. That being said, killing off someone like JJ, who has become an absolute fan-favorite in the show, would arguably lead Outer Banks to lose an entire fanbase. People often watch shows and movies because of their favorite characters, and the possibility of losing interest to some degree after the character’s death is inevitable.

There is still hope that he will not be, like one of JJ’s best lines in Outer Banks, “straight up like the Spanish. Just, Bon Voyage,” and the Outer Banks cast’s recent interview with Extra has shown just that. When talking to Extra’s Terri Seymour about the newest season of Outer Banks, both Rudy Pankow and Madison Bailey were asked about their on-screen romance and what fans could expect to see. It is revealed that they will face many ups and downs while learning how to navigate through their new relationship.

On top of that, fans will see if JJ will learn what true commitment means and if Kiara is ready to stand by his side through it. Pankow is seemingly passionate about the portrayal of his character, as he states that playing the role of JJ is a blessing for him. Bailey even went as far as to say that she is eager to be a part of the OBX family as long as the showrunners want her to be. Pankow and Bailey’s interviews could prove that they enjoy what they are doing and that the portrayal of their characters means a lot to them.

Considering the constant shipping and overanalyzation of their friendship, it frankly is no wonder that Pankow and Bailey try to keep their friendship out of the spotlight. It also wouldn’t come as a shock if they aren’t as close anymore, considering how much harassment their significant others already had to endure as well. However, their apparent distance in front of cameras doesn’t imply that one or both of them want to leave the OBX behind, and JJ’s death will mark Season 4. Rumors are, after all, just rumors.

Even if it feels like sitting next to Ward Cameron and trying to hide any knowledge about the treasure from him, all that is left to do until both parts of Outer Banks’ Season 4 are released is to “deny, deny, deny” any rumor about JJ’s death, because one thing is for sure: Not a single Outer Banks fan is ready to say goodbye to Papa J. Outer Banks is available to stream on Netflix.