Outer Banks Theory: JJ And Sarah Are Related (& Madelyn Cline Hopes It's True)
Over the years, Netflix has slowly stockpiled a massive collection of teen dramas, with shows like "Wednesday," "Stranger Things," and "Outer Banks" shattering records on the platform. It's safe to say the streaming giant has cemented itself as the hub for teen dramas, making networks like The CW a relic of the past.
"Outer Banks" premiered its third season earlier this week, sucking audiences back into the treasure-hunting teen drama world. When fans last saw the ragtag group of Pogues and Kooks, they were on a deserted island after rescuing Sarah (Madelyn Cline) from her crazy brother Rafe (Drew Starkey). Season 3 picks up here as the gang works to find Rafe and take back the Cross of Santo Domingo. Everyone's back in the newest season of "Outer Banks," including fan favorite John B (Chase Stokes), Kie (Madison Bailey), Pope (Jonathan Daviss), JJ (Rudy Pankow), and Sarah.
Those last two characters are particularly interesting to "Outer Banks" fans. No, no one wants JJ and Sarah's relationship to turn romantic. That would, of course, pull the rug out from underneath the JJ and Kiara romance that fans have waited to see. No, there's actually a popular fan theory that arises whenever "Outer Banks" starts trending: That JJ and Sarah are, in fact, related. However, this time around, Madelyn Cline herself offered her support for the theory.
Could JJ and Sarah be related?
As mentioned, the theory that JJ and Sarah are secret siblings isn't new for "Outer Banks." However, with Season 3's recent premiere, fans are warming up their tinfoil hats as they theorize that there's a "Star Wars"-like reveal coming from the Netflix show.
Many iterations of the theory live online, although they all stem from the idea that neither JJ nor Sarah's mom are significant players in "Outer Banks." On Reddit, u/Summergirl2015 offered their take on the characters' missing moms, theorizing that JJ and Sarah are twins. "Sarah and JJ's mom was married to Ward but was having a secret affair with Luke," they posited, adding that in their theory the affair led to Ward firing Luke. As they explain, after choosing Luke over Ward, the former becomes abusive, prompting the mother to seek Ward's help to leave the country. She leaves Sarah with Ward, but as she returns to get JJ from Luke, he finds out about her plan and kills her. This leaves Sarah with Ward, raising her as his own, and JJ with Luke.
Fans must admit it's a compelling theory, and it even gives a background on Luke's abusive nature towards JJ. One fan that took a particular interest in the sibling theory is Sarah herself, Madelyn Cline. When asked about "Outer Banks" theories during an interview with Cosmopolitan UK, the actress said, "I've said this before, but one of my favorites is the JJ and Sarah [are] siblings because of the missing mom connection." However, Cline said that though she's sent many theories to the show's writers, unfortunately, they "haven't bitten" on them yet.