Chase Stokes, the star of Netflix's hit series Outer Banks, has candidly shared that the show's cast is prepared for the adventure to conclude as the streaming giant gears up for the series finale.
A Deliberate End to the Treasure Hunt
The 33-year-old actor, who has portrayed John B. Routledge since the show's premiere in 2020, told People that the ensemble is "thankful for the run, and we're ready for it to be done." Stokes emphasised a desire to end the story on a high note, rather than letting it drag on unnecessarily. "We want the story to end on the right note versus [turning] four seasons into season nine and we're going after aliens or something," he explained. "We want to cut the cord before we lose the plot."
The fifth and final season of the teen drama, which follows two groups of North Carolina teens on a high-stakes treasure hunt, recently completed filming in locations including Dubrovnik, Croatia, and South Carolina. It is scheduled for release in 2026. Stokes hinted that the finale will be satisfying, teasing on Instagram that it is "exactly how I was told when I started the show."
A Pandemic-Era Phenomenon
Outer Banks quickly became one of Netflix's most-watched original series after its debut in April 2020, a month after the UK's initial Covid-19 lockdown began. The show, created by Josh Pate, Jonas Pate, and Shannon Burke, provided escapist entertainment that resonated globally during a difficult period.
Stokes's co-star, Drew Starkey (32), reflected on this unique launch last year, telling The Independent that the pandemic actually helped the cast adjust to sudden fame. "Weirdly Covid helped ease me into attention a lot softer than it could have been otherwise," Starkey said. "We had this safety cushion."
Gratitude and Future Horizons
For Stokes, the end of the series is a moment filled with profound gratitude. "There's just so much gratitude because I was a kid who had a dream and no access to an industry," he shared. "I've checked so many boxes that I thought it would span the course of the next 40 years of my career."
The core cast, including Madelyn Cline, Jonathan Daviss, Madison Bailey, Rudy Pankow, Carlacia Grant, and Austin North, have been with the series since its inception. As production wraps, the focus is now on delivering a final chapter that does justice to the loyal fanbase while allowing the actors to pursue new projects.
With its final season on the horizon, Outer Banks is set to conclude its six-year run as a definitive streaming success story, bowing out on its own terms.
