Outer Banks hot tub scene explained

The hot tub scene with JJ is one of my favorite scenes in any show or movie Ive ever seen, and I want to explain why.

JJ through the whole season to this point has had a major ego issue, where he feels that he always needs to be a tough guy. He pulls guns, throws punches, and anything else that will show everyone around him that he's tough. It's not until we meet his dad that we ever really understand why; his dad is the worst. Now, we get to the scene where Kiara and Pope find JJ sitting in the middle of a hottub that he spent all of the money on. At first it just seems like JJ is a little drunk, but you start to feel really tense, and can tell something is off about him. The characters seem to notice too, and keep asking him about everything. So why did JJ spend all that money on this stuff? He said it himself, he did it for his friends.

We dont know a lot about JJ's dad but what we do know is that he loves money, and talks about it all the time. We see him get extremely upset about losing it, and overjoyed about gaining it. JJ knows that the only time his father seemingly loves him is when he brings him money, or otherwise makes himself useful. This carries over to JJ's friendships. JJ desperately wants to be loved by someone. He puts effort into providing something in his friendships because he cant imagine that someone could love him just for being him. So he spends all this money on the hottub because he wants his friends to love him.

Now when JJ stands up and we can see his bruising, Kiara finally sees whats wrong with him. He didnt spend all the money because hes an idiot, or because hes selfish. He spent all the money because he needed someone to show him love, and that was the only way he knew how to get it. He says "I didnt get a hottub for my friends, I got a huttub for my family" because his friends are the only family he knows that actually care about him at all. Kiara sees that he is starting to break down, but he tries to shoot her down. He doesnt know how to be emotional because the only way hes ever learned how to deal with things to by being a tough, masculine, emotionless, man. So she gives him a hug. One small hug.....thats all it took for him to completely break down. She gives him the love that he hasnt been able to feel from anyone else in his life before, and she does it for free.

What is the episode of Outer Banks when JJ buys a hot tub?

17: JJ's biggest scene is in episode 7 when he has the breakdown in the hot tub. How did you approach that as an actor? RP: Valerie Weiss was the director for that episode, and I remember talking, specifically, about how I want to do it.

Why did JJ get a hot tub?

As we near the end, Kiara and Pope find JJ super drunk and he's spent all his money on a hot tub and luxuries. He stands up in his hot tub and says he bought it for his family, referring to his friends.

Why did JJ have bruises Outer Banks?

Kie and Pope find him and confront their friend over his reckless move and just what he's doing. As JJ stands up and confronts them, he shows off numerous bruises and cuts on his body at the hands of his Father, prompting Kie and Pope to hug him tightly in a really emotional moment.