Spoilers for Season 4, Part 1 of Outer Banks are ahead. If you aren’t caught up, you can stream the show with a Netflix subscription.

Since day one, Outer Banks’ adventures have been driven by John B. However, that’s not the case in the latest season to premiere on Netflix’s 2024 schedule. Chase Stokes’ character is a bit more apprehensive this time, and in many ways, Rudy Pankow’s JJ is leading the charge. So, with all that in mind, I asked Stokes about his Pouge’s mentality this season.

Throughout the first three seasons of Outer Banks, John B. found himself in numerous near-death situations, but, he was always on the hunt to find the treasure and get closer to his dad. However, at the end of OBX Season 3, he lost his father and got a whole lot of money for finding El Dorado. So, this time around, he’s trying to make sure he doesn’t lose anyone else or the fortune they found.

While speaking with Chase Stokes about his character’s apprehension to go on another treasure hunt during CinemaBlend’s interviews with the Outer Banks cast, the actor told me:

You know, I think all of the trauma and all of the choices that he’s made that have put people in harm’s way has really weighed on him with the time that they’ve had since they’ve found El Dorado in Season 3.

It makes sense that everything John B. went through would hit him like a ton of bricks after he had time to process it all. He lost his dad, he’s been on death’s door a handful of times and all his friends have risked their lives too. The Pogues even got stranded on an island! So, by the time they finally find stability by way of this gold that lets them build a home in the Outer Banks, Stokes’ character doesn’t want to lose it.

He emphasized that point while talking to me too, as he explained:

And so I think for him, you know, experiencing that level of loss…the value of the gold versus the weight of the loss, they don’t really balance each other out. And so with that sitting on his shoulders, I think he’s just really starting to second guess a lot of his choices in a way that in the past, he kind of shares with JJ, that impulsive nature of just pursuance. So now I think it’s more about taking a step back and thinking about things a little more.

I certainly noticed that John B. was playing more defense this time around. While he is into the adventure, he’s notably not taking the same level of risks he took in the early days of the show. He wants to preserve this home he’s built with his friends and the peace they’ve found.

So, for instance, when JJ bets the last bit of their fortune on a race, John B. is genuinely upset and scared. Then, when Rudy Pankow’s character asks Stokes’ to help him by joining the dirt bike race, he’s very anxious about it all (even though he does ultimately say yes).

Also, at the very end of Part 1, we see John B. panicking, he’s not able to shoot the bad guy, and we’re flashed back to his final moments with his father. Overall, his trauma is real and it’s impacting how he sees this new adventure they’re are on.

Ultimately, in Season 4, the Pogues are more grown up, and, as John B. says, they have everything to lose this time. So, yeah, he’s feeling apprehensive about this hunt, and it’s probably going to stay that way as we roll into Season 4, Part 2 – which premieres on the 2024 TV schedule on November 7.