My problem with JJ

This is going to be long so feel free to disagree with me in the comments this is just my opinion.

This has been on my mind for a while and I needed to get it out here because I am so upset about how they ruined JJs character and Jiara. Again this is just my opinion.

First of all I barely recognise JJ from previous seasons. In seasons 1-3 despite all his antics he often acted like a more emotionally intelligent and mature person than John B or even Pope. Up until this point he had been learning to open up more emotionally (season 1) realising that he had a family after all even after being dealt with a bad hand in life (season 2) and finally in season 3 he saw that he actually had a chance in finally being an adult, being in a stable relationship and doing something with his life. But then in season 4 the writers just decided that they would kill him off and they decided to throw away his character development which is why I was so frustrated with his character this season. Like come on all of season 3 we get Kie trying to get him to apologize for stealing the money clip from Mike and then he doesn't even apologize once for losing all the money that John B dad literally died for.

The show keeps telling you that JJ is the type of character that would die for his friends but he didn't even die by doing that he just died by being murdered by his dad but JJ just suddenly turns into this unhinged, emotionally closed off, stubborn and closed off person. At one point he even tells John B for being too responsible and acting like an adult which just felt so out of character. All season JJ is just snapping at his friends for no reason. His character just keeps going around in circles and keeps making the same mistakes. It's like all the growth he had in the previous season has just been thrown out the window.

It's just so frustrating because throughout each of the previous seasons. It felt like the writers really understood JJs character. It seemed like we were building to JJ overcoming his circumstances in life to becoming a strong, happy and healthy person. I mean throughout the past seasons we have seen JJ been told that he will never amount to anything and just end up like Luke. Each season it was nailed into his head a bit more.

The first time it was him being beaten up and told that he was worthless. In season 2 it was him being left by his dad and being told by the cops that he was gonna end up in jail soon and then in season 3 all of his internalized feelings came to the surface with him denying a relationship with Kie at first because he thought he would just end up hurting her like his dad hurt him and also that he wasn't good enough like Kiaras dad kept telling him. Then at the end he finally decided to trust himself and give a relationship with Kie a try.

Then in season 4 I was so ready for JJ to start realising that he was nothing like his dad. In season 4 part 1 I didn't even mind it even if JJ was making stupid decisions. But then part 2 is where it really disappoints.

JJ is at the lowest point in his life because of his new dad. He just feels worthless and awful. I am pretty sure that knowing his dad killed his mom did not help his worries about having a relationship with Kie and then instead of the pogues giving JJ the love and support he needed none of them even seem to care. They just think he should walk it off. Even Kie who was there for him all of last season doesn't do anything to make him feel better. Like his house got taken away from him, is forced to look at his mother's corpse, gets not 1 but 2 shitty father's, is clearly going through an identity crisis and basically none of his friends seem to care. Like he basically becomes Luke and alcoholic who snaps at everyone. No one cared when he was on the verge of suicide.

There is also nothing meaningful or satisfying about this ending. The writers just used his character to put him through the wringer for four seasons using his family history and his complex personality as a source for endless struggling to just give him like 10 minutes of happiness then trap him with his past once again, torture him further and then kill him in the most random and meaningless way possible. His genes and his upbringing are just sealed in his fate forever and we should be happy that he atleast got to have friends and go on exciting adventures. This whole approach just feels cynical and hollow. The writers killing him seems like they are proving what everyone has said about JJ. That's he's too reckless and doesn't deserve a happy ending. Instead of JJ proving them wrong he just ends up dying. Rudy said he hopes JJ can be a beacon of hope for all abuse victims out there that you can get out and make it and your life is not predetermined by abuse and the creators just destroyed this message with this ending

I get that the writers wanted to show JJ at his worst but previous seasons have shown that his friends were able to get through to him eventually. They could have shown this in the end too. Instead they are just telling us that his depression was just magically cured by almost drowing in the ocean to save Sarah because he suddenly feels like his old normal self again. The character growth is not shown through any meaningful dialogue or a reflecton of what happened. He just saves her and that's it.

To make things worse because of Jiara (which in my opinion made sense in seasons 1-3 both in terms of chemistry and character development). The writers basically obliterated Kiara's character as well which is sad because next season is technically meant to be her season. Ok lets be honest Outer banks always struggled with their female characters but it really hit a whole new low this season.

Kiaras role as JJs tough love friend who is constantly challenging him to grow should have naturally evolved into the tough love character that he needed. Instead we got this watered down inconsistent version of her character who is just forced to follow JJ as he goes down this path of self destruction when all of season 3 all she was doing was fighting for him and telling him that he doesn't need to go down this path. Kie has always been a very empathic character and it has been shown multiple times that she understands JJ like no one else. There's basically no meaningful dialogue between them. This characterization basically leads to one of the most ridiculous scenes in the entire season where JJ is drinking on the boat and acting out and Kiara just sits there and does nothing. Not only is it unconvincing for an 18th month long relationship but it also hard to see the Kiara from previous seasons just standing around and letting JJ do this to himself. There's also another scene she tells JJ something like wow Groff is so much worse than Luke and it looks like she doesn't even care. So JJ calls her out on it saying that the alcohol is better than her sympathy