Note: This contains spoilers for the most recent season of Outer Banks.
Outer Banks was an extremely popular teen drama on Netflix in 2020. During the peak of the pandemic, while people were stuck indoors and bored, this became a comfort show to many. The aesthetic aligned with the beachy VSCO girl aesthetic on TikTok at the time. The cast exuded the same found family energy that the characters had. The drama that ensued is one that many never saw coming…
The adventurous beachy treasure hunting show about the Pogues, JJ Maybank, Kiara Carrera, Pope Heyward, John B, Sarah Cameron, and Cleo took a dark twist on Nov. 7, 2024, in Part 2 of Season 4. The beloved character JJ Maybank was killed off in a disturbing, illogical way that, in my opinion, went against the nature of the show. There was a clear switch between Part 1 and Part 2 of season 4. Part 1 seemed light for the most part and almost had the same true teen drama vibe that existed in season one, which in my opinion, they clearly lost as the seasons continued, as the quality of writing decreased. In Part 2, it was revealed that Luke, who was known as JJ’s father from seasons 1 though 3 wasn’t his biological father at all. Fans pointed out how this change of parentage made no sense, and they believe it was made just to kill his character off, which I agree with.
After going through this life-changing discovery, there was an apparent character assassination, and none of the Pogues or his family, were there for him. JJ, chaotic and loyal to a fault, had a very hard upbringing, and instead of giving his character a hopeful, happy ending, the writers Josh and Jonas Pate ended it in tragedy. In my opinion, it was a disturbing way to end the story of a character who had already suffered so much. Fans were distraught; the beachy teen drama show that they loved had become a horror story.
While the show did have some more minor character deaths, no one ever thought they would kill off any of the main characters. The show is far from realistic; the Pogues all came close to death multiple times, so why kill him off now? Despite the writer’s damage control in articles pushing the narrative that this was always the plan, sources have suspected that this was a last-minute change due to drama, and in my opinion, it’s evident that this was the case due to all the drama that’s been revealed. So, let’s start at the beginning…
Rudy Pankow (JJ Maybank), Madison Bailey (Kiara Carrera), Madelyn Cline (Sarah Cameron), Jonathan Daviss (Pope), Chase Stokes (John B), Drew Starkey (Rafe Cameron), and Carlacia Grant (Cleo) seemed like a family from seasons 1 through 3. During the pandemic, many of them lived together, and they would often go to various outings and events. Madelyn Cline and Chase Stokes started dating in 2020 and broke up in 2021, and some fans seem to think he cheated, but nothing was ever confirmed. Despite their breakup two still maintained professional, unlike Pankow and Bailey, which fans praise in the comment section of this TikTok.
The true cast messiness lies with Rudy Pankow and Madison Bailey, also known as “Rudison”. The two met on a flight before casting was finalized, and as soon as he saw her, he knew she would be playing Kiara. Fans have shipped their characters, JJ Maybank and Kiara Carrera, from the start of the show. Bailey and Pankow shipped “Jiara” as well. The two were very close and had amazing chemistry, which fans loved. This led to fans shipping them as well, but after the drama that’s been revealed, it is clear there were other factors in their falling out. In the summer of 2020, both were in relationships, and there seemed to be a shift in their relationship. Part of this was from a messy social media presence from Madison Bailey, who let her girlfriend, Mariah Linney, voice her dislike for Rudy on Instagram lives. Bailey had a live, where she “addressed” fans shipping her and Rudy. In 2021, Rudy also addressed fans for hating his girlfriend. Following this and many other events, there became a distinct divide between the two. They wouldn’t interact with each other as much, and as time went on, these interactions would cease to exist.
In season 3, their characters JJ and Kiara, finally became boyfriend and girlfriend after a two-year slow-burn. In season 4, Part 2, fans felt like their chemistry was almost nonexistent, and their unprofessionalism was seeping into the show. The characters only had two kisses, and the romance was lacking due to the two seemingly not being able to act together. After the disaster of the Season 4 finale, the internet went ablaze about the two needing stunt doubles to film a scene on the beach. Celebrity gossip source Deuxmoi also revealed that Rudy’s girlfriend, Elaine, was wreaking havoc on set during the filming of “Jiara” scenes and is the reason for the lack of intimacy. Elaine was also the photographer onset in previous seasons, and it is rumored that she was fired, but nothing has been confirmed. Some believe that is what led to a downfall between Rudy and the writers. Fans noticed that Josh Pate, one of the writers, had unfollowed Rudy after this, along with his girlfriend. In my opinion, they should have never hired her, as it’s a conflict of interest.
It is also believed that at the root of this drama, there was a falling out between Madison and Rudy’s girlfriends at a cast dinner known as “Oystergate” in 2023, but nothing has been confirmed. Fans also believe that JJ’s death was never planned and that Rudy Pankow requested to leave the show during the writers’ strikes between 2023 and 2024 because of the drama between him, Madison and their girlfriends which apparently made it impossible for them to act together.
Rudy’s ex-girlfriend, Teo Marcella, took to TikTok at the peak of this drama in Nov. 2024. Posting a TikTok while applying makeup, implying he cheated, saying, “I’m gonna show you guys one of my favorite lip combos. We’re gonna be using the Charlotte Tilbury lip liner in the shade He Cheated. I mean, Lip Cheat.” The two were together during the filming of season 1 in 2019, and broke up in 2020, shortly before he was seen with Elaine.
The cast’s photos and posts of season four showed that Rudy wasn’t close to the cast anymore. Madelyn Cline unfollowed Rudy Pankow along with his girlfriend in Nov. 2024, and shortly after, in Feb. 2025, Rudy unfollowed both Madelyn and Madison on Instagram. In April of 2025, Madison Bailey and her girlfriend, Mariah Linney, broke up and unfollowed each other on Instagram. This isn’t even a fraction of all the drama; there’s far too much to delve into, but this thread with 22.9 million views on X has it all. So, if you want to know the true rundown, I recommend you get a bowl of popcorn and read about their never-ending drama.
In my opinion, Rudy Pankow and Madison Bailey are the epitome of unprofessionalism, along with the writers Josh and Jonas Pate, who were bystanders in all of this. There are plenty of co-stars who maintained their professionalism despite being shipped, such as Lana Condor and Noah Centineo, from To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, who were shipped by fans. The two were extremely close while filming and would fawn over each other in interviews. During filming, she was in a relationship and is now married to her then-boyfriend, Anthony De La Torre.
The drama with this show seems to be never-ending, as recently Madelyn Cline unfollowed Chase Stokes on Instagram, and Madison Bailey was spotted out with Rudy Pankow’s stunt double. There was also disturbing news in Oct. 2025 that allegedly one of the writers, Jonas Pate, put his hands on a P.A.
This is by far the most drama-filled cast and show that I’ve seen, and it had an immense impact on the show to the point where it’s now unrecognizable. The fifth and final season release date is still unknown, but fans feel like the last time the show was truly Outer Banks was the third season; they consider that finale to be the real ending. The show won’t be remembered for the found family and romance, or the action and adventure, but instead the cast drama and low-quality writing. In my opinion, other shows and writers could learn a lot from this. Keep the drama at home, don’t bring it to set, and focus on the acting and storytelling.