Are you a fan of the popular series Outer Banks on Netflix? There is a good chance you know the fascinating individual named J.J., portrayed by the outstanding actor Rudy Pankow. He rapidly became a fan favorite due to his defiant personality and complicated history. 

For those who have not yet had the opportunity to watch it, the show focuses on two groups of teens who reside in the Outer Banks. These teenagers are referred to as pogues and kooks, and the show follows all of the mischief and teenage drama they get themselves into, including a hunt for lost gold. John B, Kie, J.J., and Pope are the top teenagers in the group. They are all great buddies. John B. and Sarah Cameron, the girl he is romantically involved with, are the primary protagonists. 

To be more precise, the true star of the play is none other than J.J., who happens to be John B’s closest friend. Even though J.J. Maybank from Outer Banks is known for his quirky ideas and hilarious antics, there is a great deal more to him than that. 

Listed here are some of the most heartbreaking aspects of J.J.:

Abuse In The Family Home  

Outside of the Outer Banks, J.J. is also a pogue who lives there. Being a “pogue” basically indicates that you are not wealthy and that your life is not the best it could be. This is a category that J.J. fits into quite well. His abode is a living hell for him. 

His mother is not present in any way in the show, and based on what we have learned, it appears that she has left. His father is not only incredibly physically abusive (he beat J.J. numerous times over the season to the point where he bled and left marks), but he is also emotionally abusive. 

He tells J.J. regularly that his mother left him because of him and that he would never amount to anything. A father who is abusive and manipulative is J.J.’s only parental figure and the only adult he can look up to. J.J. lives in an extremely toxic home, with his father as his only parental figure.

Despite the fact that J.J. is terrified of his father, he eventually manages to fight back and escape. Since he will have to put up with his father at home, he does not spend much time at home and instead spends most of his time with his best friends. 

Misunderstood To Be Like His Father

Because of the manner in which his father behaves, everyone in the neighborhood looks down on him and anticipates that he will soon follow in his father’s footsteps. As a result, J.J. constantly needs others who are incorrect to demonstrate that he is a nice person who deserves respect. 

When he makes mistakes, which we all do, it affects him much harder than anybody else in the show because he feels that he has failed and is starting to follow in his father’s footsteps.

Unsuccessful Attempts To Establish A Bond With His Father

J.J. loves his father and wants to have a healthy connection with him even though his father is a constant source of bullying and intimidation for him. During the second season, he contributes to his father’s departure from the island and sheds tears when his father embraces him, and they part ways. 

It is abundantly evident that J.J. is not pleased with the fact that his father has left the island, mainly because, with the exception of the Pogues, he does not have anybody else to whom he can turn. There are times when J.J. misses his father even though he is treated as if he is useless by his father. 

The situation is manipulative because J.J.’s father is unable to provide J.J. with the love and stability that he requires because he is too preoccupied with his own issues. J.J.’s father can occasionally be the fun-loving man that J.J. needs, but he is too preoccupied with his own problems.

Being Harassed By The Kooks

According to an urban legend, the Kooks and the Pogues have a long history of harboring animosity toward one another. In contrast to the Pogues, who are working-class members and reside in The Cut, the Kooks are wealthy and possess a lot of cash. 

As a result of the hatred that the Kooks and the Pogues have for one another, they always come after one another anytime they come across each other around the Outer Banks. Furthermore, it is unfortunate that J.J. is continually harassed and persecuted by the Kooks because he is an extroverted person. During the episode “Midsummer,” they harassed him in the locker room, which ultimately led to his termination.

Complicated “Romantic” Relationship With Best Friend Kiara

J and Kiara are members of the same friend group, The Pogues. They are the best of friends. However, despite the fact that they both appear to dislike physical contact with other people, they embrace and touch each other rather frequently. Even though they have a lot of disagreements, J.J. and Kiara are good friends who look out for each other. 

Additionally, they engage in a great deal of flirting with one another, and Kiara has never failed to be there for him, particularly amid the horrible assault that he endured at the hands of his father. Throughout the course of the story, it is shown that J.J. harbors feelings of love for Kiara. He even admits to John B. that he attempted to be more than just friends with her, and he becomes envious while she is trying to date Pope. 

They have been stuck on the island with the other members of  Pogues for more than a month by the time Season 3 rolls around, and during that time, J.J. and Kiara have become even closer to one another. During this time, it is clear that Kiara is experiencing more profound sentiments for him. J.J. tells her he does not wish to leave the island because he has all he requires. 

He is content with his current situation. Towards the end of the season, after Kiara’s parents have decided to send her away to Kitty Hawk, JJ tries all in his power to pursue her personally. At the time of their reunion, he expressed regret for his actions. Kiara glances at him and tells him that she loves him once more. 

However, this time, J.J. tells her he loves her as well, and the two of them kiss in front of the other camp girls, who scream and cheer in response. In an effort to come back together with their companions, they make a joint escape to El Dorado. 

His Emotional Breakdown When John B. “Died” 

John B. and Sarah were being pursued by the police when they stole a boat and set sail. They were attempting to escape the authorities. Nevertheless, everyone assumed they had perished at sea when a severe storm arrived. 

It was especially heartbreaking for the Pogues to learn that their friend John B. had been killed in a senseless manner, especially considering that he was being pursued by the police for a crime that he had not committed. Rafe was the real bad guy and planted the evidence that John B. was responsible for his deadly behavior.

In spite of this, J.J. was deeply affected by John B.’s loss. John B. was his closest buddy for the longest time and was the only person who felt what it was like to grow up without parents who loved them. It was distressing to observe his state of mind.

Final Thoughts

Because so many individuals have experienced living in poverty and living in a toxic and violent home, they can relate to him because of the experiences that he has had. People are familiar with the experience of being spoken to in how J.J.’s father communicates with him. Individuals can empathize with how it feels to have the entire universe conspiring against you and waiting for you to fail. 

There are many of J.J.’s painfully true characteristics; regrettably, many teenagers like him can identify with them. As a result, they find solace in J.J. ‘s character, along with his fight to be a decent person and to triumph over the challenges he faces. 

In spite of everything that he goes through and everything he has to cope with, J.J. is a decent person. He is a good buddy. Even though it seemed as though the entire world was against him, he made an effort to live his life to the fullest. Although he has had a difficult life, he is resilient enough to persevere and remain nice. This, along with a significant number of other factors, is the reason that J.J. possesses a genuine personality and a profound emotional maturity. 

In the Outer Banks, J.J. is not merely another adolescent or a pogue like any other. J.J. is a disturbed young man who struggles with profound emotional issues. He is continually told that he will never amount to anything, and he does not have a trustworthy person to whom he can look up or who will take care of him. He is able to rise above it all and do his best to be a good friend and a decent person despite everything that has happened to him.

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