It’s time for one more trip to North Carolina. The Kooks and Pogues are coming back for season 5 of the Netflix series Outer Banks — and it’ll also be the show’s final season. The YA drama has always been a wild ride thanks to the literal treasure hunt and various explosions the characters somehow find themselves in. But season 4 took and especially dark turn with the unexpected death of JJ (Rudy Pankow). And that makes the stakes even higher for season 5.

A lot of fans think JJ’s on-screen death happened because of an off-screen feud. But according to the creators of Outer Banks, they always had a plan to escalate things to this fatal level. “The overarching plan was to begin with just some kids who wanted to have a good time all the time, and take them on a whole journey,” creator Shannon Burke told Deadline. “One of them was going to end up dying, and pretty early on, we knew that was going to be JJ, he’s the most reckless. He is also the most beloved and, in one way, the most sacrificing and the most risk-taking. And this was going to be JJ’s year.”

So after JJ’s death, where does that leave everyone else? Here’s everything to know about season 5 of Outer Banks.

Outer Banks Season 5

Image Credit: Netflix

What is the plot of Outer Banks season 5?

At the end of Outer Banks season 4 after JJ’s death, Rafe joined the Pogues as they vowed to avenge JJ’s death and continue their treasure hunt. They’re going to continue searching for Blackbeard’s treasure and try to take back the Blue Crown, which Chandler stole from JJ (his son!) before killing him. It looks like season 5 is going to be a major showdown between Chandler and the Pogues.

Who’s in the cast of Outer Banks season 5?

Rudy Pankow, who played JJ, is notably not included in the cast list for Outer Banks season 5, which I guess makes sense since JJ is dead. But, we do have returning cast members Chase Stokes as John B., Madelyn Cline as Sarah, Madison Bailey as Kiara, Jonathan Daviss as Pope, Drew Starkey as Rafe, Carlacia Grant as Cleo, Austin North as Topper, and Fiona Palomo as Sofia.

J. Anthony Crane, who plays Chandler, has been upped to series regular for season 5, which supports the theory that Chandler is going to be play a big role as the major villain for the final season. Another new series regular is Cullen Moss, who plays Sheriff Shoupe, so it looks like he’ll be a bigger part of season 5, t00.

When does Outer Banks season 5 get released?

There’s no set release date yet, but you can expect the Pogues to set sail sometime in early 2026.