Top 10 Unscripted Outer Banks Moments That Were Kept in the Show

“Pilot”

JJ is undoubtedly one of the most entertaining characters on the show, and we’ve loved him since day one. It turns out Rudy Pankow, who plays JJ, does not shy away from off-the-cuff acting, as we see right from the pilot episode. When John B and JJ go to the motel to try and learn more about the shipwreck they came across, JJ’s squeaky staff impersonation was not in the original script. It’s a quick little moment, but it not only adds humor to the scene, it also gives us insight into his character’s quirky and fun personality.

“Secret of the Gnomon”

Cleo is a welcome addition to the Pogues, and watching her spark with Pope turn into a flame has been so fun. We had to wait until the end of the third season to finally see them get together, but thanks to some improvisation from Jonathan Daviss and Carlacia Grant, we got to see a real kiss from them. According to the two actors, the kiss shared between them was not supposed to be as intimate as it ended up being, with the script stating that they should share a kiss on the cheek. But, luckily for their loyal fanbase, the couple decided to go off-script and went for it, and we think they definitely made the right call.

“The Coastal Venture”

The rivalry between John B and Ward Cameron leads to plenty of tense moments, but the one that really had us on the edge of our seats was in the season two finale. When John B and his friends sneak onto the Coastal Venture, all the simmering dynamics between the pogues and kooks come to a boil. After John B tells Ward that he blames him for his father’s supposed death, the emotion in his voice is palpable. As he was told to do by Ward actor Charles Esten, Chase Stokes made that scene his own. He speaks from the heart, doesn’t stick to the script, and executes the scene absolutely perfectly.

“Dead Calm”

While we’re talking about John B’s rivals, let’s pivot to Topper. In this scene, things are yet again getting heated between John B and Topper after the former involves Sarah in a robbery. Topper talks about how he is the one who cares about Sarah, and when John B warns him to back off, he improvises this condescending line. Calling Topper “sweetheart” solidifies the fact that John B is not scared of him despite their violent history. John B is clearly not afraid to show his disdain for the kooks at any time, and in this scene, it’s just as hilarious as it is satisfying.

“Parcel 9”

The sixth episode of the first season has no shortage of spooky moments as the pogues inspect the Crain house where they think the gold may be stashed. Before Sarah and Kiara go inside, John B very sincerely tells Sarah to be safe, and Pope and JJ take this opportunity to make fun of him. This is pretty much exactly how we’d expect teenage boys to act. It makes this moment so funny and perfect, and learning that the actors ad libbed this part makes it even better.

“The Coastal Venture”

One of the most famous storylines in “Outer Banks” would've been totally different if Rudy Pankow as JJ wasn’t given as much freedom to be creative as he is. After the pogues get stranded on an island when they abandon the Coastal Venture and the gold cross, JJ makes a proclamation. He names the island “Poguelandia” in an off-the-cuff moment, and describes a flag that would eventually come to fruition. This name was reportedly an off-the-cuff idea of Pankow’s in real life as well. Meanwhile, the flag he describes of the chicken with crocs smoking a joint is seen in the following season, where we also see an actual episode called “Poguelandia.”

“Midsummers”

If you couldn’t tell by now, let us say it one more time – Rudy Pankow loves to improvise. In this episode, it’s not a random line or action that is ad libbed, but several scenes. When John B and JJ show up at the kooks’ midsummer's party, JJ goes on an undercover mission as a waiter. While doing so, he calls a group at the party the Powerpuff girls and makes a connection with Rose’s ensemble as well, just to name a few. Much of this was apparently just Panko doing whatever he wanted as the show co-creator and episode’s director Jonas Pate told him to “Do you, Rudy” - and we have to say, it’s probably better than whatever could’ve been written for these scenes.

“Dead Calm”

The relationship between JJ and his father is a tumultuous part of the first season, with a lot of emotional scenes shared between the two. In this episode, JJ and Luke get into a physical altercation over money that sees the son get the upper hand on his dad after having been beaten by his father figure for years. Later, Ki and Pope find him in a hot tub he impulsively bought. In one of the most gut-wrenching scenes of the show so far, JJ’s friends see the bruises he’s received from his dad, and he gets emotional talking about how they’re his real family. A lot of this speech is unscripted, and it shows how impressive these actors are when they’re free to improvise.

Various

This was reportedly ad-libbed by Barry actor Nicholas Cirillo and has been around for several seasons so far, and it’s perfect for both the character who says it and the character it’s addressed to. Barry gets to know Rafe when they get involved in some low brow activities together, and he frequently calls him by an unscripted nickname. Not only is it fitting for Rafe, but it also highlights how significant the class differences are in the Outer Banks. Even though there’s an intense rivalry amongst kooks and pogues, they all interact with each other in ways that indicate they’re not so different, as we see with Barry and Rafe’s relationship.

“Spy Games”

The episode in which John B and Sarah, AKA Vlad and Val, get together is one of the most iconic ones to date. This is due in large part to their PDA in the pouring rain. When they were filming this, the crew expected to stop the scene during the downpour, but the actors and Pate saw it as an opportunity to do things “Notebook” style in wet weather. It’s the first smooch shared between the two on the show and it even went on to win Best Kiss at the MTV Movie & TV Awards, so we think they made the right decision not to take a rain check.


Which OBX moment were you shocked to find out was not in the script? Let us know in the comments!