Outer Banks – Season 4 Episode 6 Recap & Review

The Town Council

Episode 6 of Outer Banks season 4 starts with JJ reeling over that bombshell reveal of his true parentage. Flashbacks flesh out more of this, as Luke was actually working as a gardener for Chandler Groff at the time. He just wanted to help and with Larissa dead, Groff palmed off his child to Luke to look after.

JJ refuses to believe all of this, given it doesn’t add up to Luke being dad of the year, as he insinuates from his recollection, but for now he runs away from the lighthouse and heads home. JJ regroups with Kiara, recapping the inheritance story and how he’s Groff’s son. JJ is convinced this is just another scam.

Meanwhile, John B and Cleo help Pope and Sarah out of their predicament. They break the coffin lid by kicking over a stone grave next to it, because apparently that’s just a simple thing to do. It’s followed up by a sledgehammer shot or two, and the pair manage to get out.

They’re thrown a rope (despite there being a ladder they could climb right next to them) and the group are free to go.

After this trying ordeal, the gang regroup back home and talk about the blue crown. This is overshadowed by the zoning issue though, given they don’t have a lawyer and need someone to represent them to fight their corner. Kiara brings up that Rafe was sniffing about and left his business card, and Sarah goes to see him.

Rafe refuses to help with the zoning but points out the inheritance that Rose is currently keeping from them. He’s sold that gold cross from before and the money has been stretched thin. He wants to team up with Sarah to get Wheezie back but she disagrees and eventually leaves.

While Sofia gets cold feet about her plan, Groff and Hollis discuss the inheritance and their current plan for Goat Island. They’re obviously working at odds with Lightner and Dalia (the British woman from part 1), who are one step closer to finding the crown. However, they have unfinished business on Kildare.

The town meeting goes ahead and it seems the council have already voted unanimously to rezone the area. They’re not even going to discuss it, but John B does step up futilely to give an impassioned speech about the losses they’ve experienced. All of this means nothing because apparently, there’s an injunction to invalidate their auction sale.

A pre-existing note from the owner was in the process of being finalized when this took place. The bank wasn’t legally allowed to go to auction, but they did. So that means the sale is invalid… and Luke is responsible for part of this. 

A big fight breaks out, orchestrated by JJ, who ends up running from the mob outside, stealing jewellery and smashing up shop windows. When the cops arrive, he bolts.

The police struggle to get things under control as the mob arrive, deciding to loot the shops and follow JJ’s example. JJ is not there though, as he ends up over at Zeasy Realtors. John B and the others follow, as does Shoupe. He calls in “all available units” to get to Zeasy’s, rather than trying to stop the looting and control the rioting, and eventually they end up surrounding the building.

Pope serves as a distraction, tackling an officer and getting arrested for his troubles. This serves as a distraction for JJ, who manages to get out and flee from the scene. He gets a boat and heads over to see Groff at the mansion.

Now, Groff is already there with Rafe, whom he has sign the documents. He promises to come after Groff if he’s screwing him, but of course we know that he is.

The Episode Review

Outer Banks is back and just like the previous seasons, we’re starting to see some plot contrivances sneak into the writing. There’s a lot being juggled in this season, and the decision to split this show in half may work for Netflix’s retention rate, but it’s also surely not helping the momentum for the show itself, which feels a little lost with all the loose plot threads.

The resolution to getting Sarah and Pope out the catacombs is over disappointingly quickly too after such a big cliffhanger. Surely we could have had a more tense sequence there with the water rising and the pair saved at the last second? Instead they push over a stone monument and then use a sledgehammer to break a huge hole in so they can get out. I know this may be nit-picking but this is a bit disappointing as it could have been written in a much more effective and tense way.

However, there’s drama at the courthouse instead as the gang find themselves fighting an uphill battle, and this eventually spills over to looting and rioting in the streets. I’m not quite sure why the police are so adamant in only focusing on JJ, rather than stopping the looting in the streets, but alas, it backfires as JJ ends up heading over to the island to confront his dad.

While still an enjoyable watch, Outer Banks is just starting to show some cracks in the foundational work of this season. Lets hope that doesn’t become a gaping chasm as the series progresses.