At the conclusion of Season 3 of "Outer Banks," the show makes a daring and unexpected 18-month jump into the future. A monologue from John B. (Chase Stokes) reveals that the characters have settled down in different ways, including JJ, who bought a charter boat. Other than the very last scene, it almost feels like the end of "Outer Banks." But, as most fans likely know, Season 4 is absolutely on its way — which makes it the perfect opportunity for JJ to thrive for once.
"Outer Banks" is always going to be filled with dramatic, high stakes moments and character interactions that end in tears or anger. But that doesn't mean that JJ has to remain the butt of every ill-conceived joke that the Pogues can toss at him, nor does it mean that JJ's struggles have to be met with such indifference on the part of his friends. There's a fine line between creating effective character tension in ways that help with their arc and torturing a character for its own sake. For a lot of fans, JJ has sat too firmly on the latter side of that equation for far too long. If the writers are as interested in a fresh start as their Season 3 time jump implies, then Season 4 is the perfect time to change things for the better.
