Spoiler alert: Spoilers for Season 5 of Outer Banks follow. Outer Banks Season 5 brings the series to a close after six years, wrapping up the story of the Pogues and their wild journey. What started as a group of teenagers searching for the million-dollar Royal Merchant fortune eventually turned into a years-long adventure filled with danger, death, romance, and of course, more treasure. So, where does each Pogue end up at the end of the series?
The finale begins with the aftermath of the intense hurricane that happened on the Outer Banks in the previous episode. Pogue and Kook homes were destroyed across the island, and the Kooks struggle to insure their properties. In the previous episode, right after Kiara killed Groff by pushing him off a boat (which we were all waiting for), Kiara realized that she might go down with him. To make the boat lighter and keep herself afloat, she dumped the Royal Merchant gold (yes, the very same gold the Pogues have been trying to permanently get hold of since Season 1) that Groff almost got away with into the water. She survived, and the Pogues rescued her, but the gold was left in the middle of the ocean.
After the hurricane, John B., Sarah, Kiara, and Pope go back and search for the gold. And, after days of searching, they finally find it. Now millions richer, the Pogues ultimately buy all the Outer Banks land, with money to spare.
After everything they’ve endured together, the end of the Pogues’ story feels bittersweet, marking the beginning of an entirely new chapter for the group. Here’s a look at where every member of the group lands in the series finale.
Pope Heyward and Cleo Anderson
Cleo, a Nassau, Bahamas native, becomes a citizen of the United States thanks to the Pogues pulling strings with their new fortune. Pope finances Heyward’s, his father’s seafood business, which was destroyed in the hurricane. He also proposes to Cleo for a second time, this time with a ring, and no mention of healthcare, housing, and insurance as he did the first time around. And this time, she says yes.
Also, Sarah gives Tannyhill Plantation/the Cameron estate to Pope, who is the descendant of Denmark Tanny, who owned the home long before the Camerons. After surviving the Royal Merchant disaster, Denmark — who was one of many enslaved people aboard — became the sole survivor. He used the fortune on the ship to buy the Tannyhill Plantation and help free the enslaved people on the island, actions of which led to his death. Sarah’s returning of the estate to Pope rewrites history.
As John B. narrates “Tannyhill back to a Tanny,” the scene of Cleo and Pope standing on the balcony signifies a powerful shift of dynamics between the Pogues and the Kooks.
Kiara Carrera
Kiara is finally able to move on from JJ’s death after killing Johnathan Groff. She buys a boat for her parents. She also buys the Maybank property, JJ’s old home that the Pogues turned into Poguelandia 2.0.
Throughout the show, we’ve seen Kiara’s love for animals and nature grow. In fact, the first scene we see this season is a sweet flashback of Kiara and JJ saving a dolphin on the beach. The series ends with Kiara pursuing her passion, with a scene showing her wearing a marine biology internship badge and planting flowers on the Maybank property.
Rafe Cameron and Sofia
Though a Kook, Rafe began to show more loyalty to his sister and the rest of the Pogues in Season 4 around the time he met Sofia, a Pogue. His loyalty only deepened in this season, as he continued to work with the Pogues and protect Sofia (even after Sofia betrayed him) from the police after she became his accomplice.
Wanted for the murder of Sheriff Peterken that occurred all the way back in Season 1, Rafe is forced to flee the Outer Banks. He says a heartfelt goodbye to the Pogues and leaves by boat with Sofia (who he is engaged to), with plans to start a life in Brazil. Fans only hope Rafe finds peace (and maybe more importantly, a therapist).
Sarah Cameron and John B. Routledge
After a whirlwind last adventure, Sarah gives birth to a healthy baby boy. She and John B. get married officially and have a wedding with both Kooks and Pogues in attendance. Sarah’s mom is present, marking a fresh start for their relationship. Sarah, John B., and the Pogues take a family photo together. It’s revealed that John B. and Sarah named their son JJ, in honor of their late friend.
For a group that spent years chasing seemingly impossible odds, the Pogues’ ending is thankfully grounded in what they’ve always wanted: a chance to build lives on their own terms. Kiara, Pope, Cleo, Sarah, John B., and others walk away from their years-long adventure with new purposes, new families, and new futures. The finale provides fans with an ending full of closure that shows just how far the Pogues have come since the beginning, while leaving us with a satisfying glimpse of what’s next for them.
If there’s one thing the Outer Banks series makes clear, it’s that wherever the Pogues go from here, they’ll always be connected by everything they survived.