Hey, Kooks and Pogues. The warm rays in Knoxville – give or take a few rainy days – have everyone in the mood for summer. Ironically, Netflix’s hit original, beachy series “Outer Banks” has the same effect, and a new season just dropped with more intensified suspense and drama than before. OBX season three hit Netflix on Feb. 23, 2023 at 3 a.m. EST. As expected, it did not take long for “Outer Banks” to rank number one on Netflix’s “Top 10 TV shows in the U.S. Today.”
“Outer Banks” took the world of streaming by storm in April 2020 and has maintained high rankings ever since. The young adult series is set in North Carolina and follows the storyline of mysterious island treasure and unconditional friendship of John B Rutledge (Chase Stokes), Sarah Cameron (Madelyn Cline), Kiara Carerra (Madison Bailey), JJ Maybank (Rudy Pankow) and Pope Heyward (Jonathan Daviss). The season two finale left its viewers hanging for 19 months, and now it’s finally time to tie up some loose ends and continue the treasure hunt.
The second season of Outer Banks left off with the Pogues trying to escape trouble on The Coastal Venture – the ship Ward Cameron attained to flee the Outer Banks with his family. The group finessed their way onto the ship to save Kook turned Pogue member Sarah and steal back the Cross of Santo Domingo. The Pogues had no option but to jump overboard to save themselves. The finale hints that John B’s dad, Big John, may not actually be dead as the series led its characters and viewers to believe. All of this uncertainty created an aura of anticipation to prepare fans for a third season.
Season three consists of 10 new episodes following the glorified treasure hunt of these fictional teens. Each episode runs about 45-50 minutes long, excluding the 10th episode, which has a run time of an hour and 20 minutes. And let me tell you – these 45 minutes will be the most dramatic minutes of your life. Don’t worry, I won’t spoil anything – I’ll let you watch it for yourself.
Season three picks up about a month after the crew jumped overboard and escaped on a speedboat. The season kicks off with a 52-minute episode titled “Poguelandia.” The Pogues end up shipwrecked on a deserted island they so cleverly name “Poguelandia.” After being rescued and then captured again, they embark on a new journey: the Conquest of El Dorado. It’s a bigger treasure – a city of gold if you will. Emotions and stakes are high during this quest. Fans will discover the mysterious disappearance of Big John Rutledge. Sarah and John B’s relationship will progress and regress and progress again. You’re guaranteed whiplash or your money back. New romantic pairings will spark and, of course, it wouldn’t be considered a drama without at least one or two love triangles.
The new season brings back all the characters you know and love – or hate – with the addition of some new faces. One honorable addition to the Pogues is returning character Cleo played by Carlacia Grant. Cleo was first seen at the beginning of season two as a crew member of the boat that transported Sarah and John B to Nassau and then attempted to turn in the fugitives for a $50,000 reward. A new super villain, Carlos Singh, is introduced to stir the plot – I mean pot.
A common theme in this series is dead doesn’t always mean dead. This theme has been constantly utilized throughout the series. First, when all of Kildare Island thought John B and Sarah died while they were roughing it in Nassau. Then again when Ward faked his death to save his son and escape a death penalty. Now we are seeing it in the third season with the reappearance of Big John.
To add more dramatic flair, everyone’s favorite couple – John B. and Sarah – is in for a rollercoaster ride of emotions. I’m not going to give too much away, but there may be a little trouble in paradise for these Pogues in love. It’s not realistic to believe they will have a perfectly smooth relationship amidst all the trials and tribulations in this series.
Although the show keeps your interest, some aspects of the third season don’t make a ton of sense. For instance, the Pogues are stranded on a deserted island for about a month, and yet, other than a little bit of dirt on their faces, they still look runway ready wearing pieces from Free People and Urban Outfitters. How is this realistic without shaving, showering or having a bed for beauty sleep? All of the characters are still in great health while stranded. I guess that’s the beauty of a fictional TV series. By no means does it take away from the wow factor of the show, but it definitely raises some eyebrows.
The finale of season three foreshadows a new and exciting plot for a fourth season. What makes this new journey unique is that the Pogues are hired by a client to dive into the mystery of Blackbeard’s buried treasure. Tying Blackbeard into the series seems fitting since the cast is basically a band of pirates now. The show was officially renewed for a fourth season on Feb. 23, 2023, although the release date is still unconfirmed. Only time and continuing seasons will determine the fate for our beloved Pogues.
