Outer Banks Splashes into its Third Season

Jamie Cochran

After two years of waiting, the highly anticipated third season of “Outer Banks” finally dropped on Feb. 23. The Netflix series continues to follow the “Pogues,” a group of teens off the coast of North Carolina who are hunting for long-lost treasure. 

Theseason kicks off with the same cast members, John B, Sarah, JJ, Kiara, Pope and Cleo stranded on an island in the Caribbean while looking for John B’s father and El Dorado. Their search grew significantly more complicated when outside forces threatened toruin all of their hard work. However, the group is quickly rescued and becomes part of another high-stakes treasure-hunting adventure.

The OBX crew takes Netflix viewers on near-fatal drownings, plane crashes, car chases, animal attacks, explosions and other run-ins with treasure hunters who are looking to cash in on their international prize for the lost treasure.

While the series continues the never-ending feud between the Kooks and the Pogues,a new antagonist named Carlos Singh is also introduced. A Caribbean treasure hunter who believes it is his destiny to complete the quest of El Dorado. However, his motives and lack of personal connection to the characters make him much less interesting than the previous villain, Ward Cameron. 

Ward is one of themost important characters in the series. Although he is already wealthy, he still wants to gain all the power and wealth he can get. Ward carries an evil streak when he secretly plans to steal all the gold from the Pogues.

During the episodes, the plotline leads to a repetitive story that became difficult to follow as the season progressed. Within the series, it was exhausting to watch the Pogues lose the gold time and time again, especially when they were searching for it separately. The close bond of the OBX crew is the show’s greatest strength, and what many fans love most about the series. It was disappointing to see John B split from the rest of the group for the majority of the 10 episodes.

What was disappointing the most was the return of John B’s father, Big John. At the end of season two, it was revealed that he was alive. Considering his death was the reason behind John B’s search for the Royal Merchant in season one, his return was unnecessary. The show focused heavily on the story of the son and father duo as their treasure hunt dragged on.

Luckily, the chemistry and charm between the Pogues continued to shine through the repetitive plot lines. The cast continued through the plots with comedic interactions and rebellious attempts to help their fellow Pogues. I truly didn’t know how the characters were going to get themselves out of certain situations, which kept the stakes of season three higher than ever before. The various twists and turns are what continued to keep Outer Banks entertaining. 

The show has already been confirmed for a fourth season. The ending of season three felt like the start of a new, unrelated saga of more adventures and drama. Hopefully, the new season will come with more character development and fleshed-out storylines. As a die-hard Outer Banks fan, despite my criticism I am excited to see where the rest of the story goes