Finding their happily ever after together. Outer Banks fans have seen JJ Maybank (Rudy Pankow) and Kiara Carrera (Madison Bailey) grow from best friends to so much more.
The hit Netflix series, which debuted in 2020, is focused on a group of teenagers who accidentally find themselves at the center of a dangerous treasure hunt. Throughout the show, viewers learned more about the social divide between the wealthy Kooks and the working-class Pogues as well.
When JJ and Kiara’s close bond was introduced during the first two seasons, fans were quick to point out the chemistry between the couple.
At the time, Pankow revealed that he would like to see JJ and Kiara get together. “But I think the end game, the end game of the OBX, I can see JJ and Kiara being like, ‘All right there’s something here,’” he exclusively told Us Weekly in April 2020. “Because it starts out with JJ saying that he had tried getting with Kiara. So, who knows?”
Meanwhile, Bailey gushed about the connection between the duo, telling Us in December 2021, “I’m on the edge of my seat with where the writers are going to take this. I’m honestly so passionate about Outer Banks. I feel like they can’t go wrong with the story line anywhere, and if me and Rudy teamed up as actors, I think [it] will be really sick.”
Ahead of season 3, creator Josh Pate confirmed that JJ and Kiara will be “the big romance” of the season.
“Later on in the season, almost a whole episode is devoted to that relationship. It was a big card we really wanted to play and make it a big thing,” he shared with Entertainment Weekly in February 2023. “We didn’t want to do it too fast, so we thought season 3 would be a good time to explore that, and I’m really pleased with the way that came out. It’s some of my favorite scenes of the whole season.”
The screenwriter noted that “internal struggles” would create issues for the pair. “So it won’t be like a romantic rival [coming between them], at least not for a while, but more like JJ’s demons and how is he going to deal with his traumatized past and settle into something that’s healthy without being self-destructive,” he continued. “That’s going to be great to see.”
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Scroll down to relive JJ and Kiara’s unexpected romance:
