The hit show, Outer Banks, first debuted in April 2020. During the COVID-19 quarantine, people were stuck at home with nothing to do, so a fresh, new show was just the thing they needed. While this may have brought people in, the characters, drama, and overall storyline kept people watching. The third season was released on February 23.
The main characters are John B. Routledge, Sarah Cameron, JJ Maybank, Kiara Carrera, Pope Heyward, and Cleo, whose last name is unknown. The six of them experience many ups and downs in their personal lives and their hunt for hidden treasure.
At the end of the previous season, the group escaped from a boat full of people wanting to kill them and end up on an abandoned island. The third season begins after an 18-month time jump. This season’s villains were bigger and better than ever before. What was once a hunt for hidden treasure, became a hunt for a lost city of gold, El Dorado. This season had many twists and turns, and unexpected betrayals.
Despite the flashy new villains and new relationships, I feel the third season did not live up to the first two. It continued the storyline well, but it wasn’t anything life-changing. I enjoyed it, but I wasn’t on the edge of my seat. There were parts I liked, but it took me a while to get through it all.
I liked how they developed the romantic relationships this season. While I originally did not agree with some of this season’s pairings, I grew fonder of them. While it was obvious what direction they were going in, it didn’t make it any less fun to watch.
However, the familial relationships were poorly done in my opinion. After two seasons of John B’s father being “dead,” he comes back and is ready to be in his son’s life. However, he does nothing but be a terrible father and it makes his and his son’s storyline unbearable to watch. Sarah and her father had many difficulties throughout the series so far. Their arc fell flat due to how rushed it was.
If you watch for romantic relationships, fun action scenes, or daunting villains then this is the season for you. If you watch primarily for the storyline or the interworkings of the family, then prepare to be disappointed. Overall, this season was generally good but subpar compared to the preceding seasons.
