In the third season of Netflix’s teen drama Outer Banks, the Pogues, who had been chasing the gold for the last two seasons, lose it and escape to a picturesque desert island they name ‘Poguelandia.’ The season begins on a positive note after a dramatic season two. However, just 15 minutes in, the group is thrown back into an intense treasure hunt, which is even more challenging than before.
Despite Ward’s survival (yes, he’s still alive), he and Rafe are in close pursuit, while a merciless Caribbean boss is also after the treasure. The coveted Royal Merchant and Cross of Santo Domingo are now obsolete, as everyone is fixated on a grander reward: El Dorado, the fabled lost city of gold. While it was an entertaining journey overall, there is no denying that the series is becoming predictable. With the fourth season already in progress, the show requires a significant overhaul to revitalize its appeal.
As with the preceding two seasons, the third installment of Outer Banks was full of excitement, tension, and a quest for treasure. However, unlike its predecessors, this latest season began to test our endurance. With each season, the stakes are raised by presenting the Pogues with a more valuable prize to seek, but it becomes tedious to witness them nearly attain it repeatedly without any consequences.
The characters in the show are becoming aware that their existence is caught in a never-ending cycle, as evidenced by Pope’s remark, “The streak continues.” Throughout the season, these adolescents encounter extraordinary obstacles while traveling, including transportation difficulties, occasional abductions, physical altercations, and gunfights, which is quite astonishing. Regardless of the challenges that arise, they always manage to find a solution, even if it involves committing numerous criminal acts en route and emerging unscathed and without any legal consequences. However, this pattern becomes tiresome over time, and the sense of danger dissipates, leaving the audience disinterested in the storyline.
It’s not that we desire any harm to come to the Pogues, but if the series continues to prioritize explosive action over character development, the stakes must be elevated to sustain our interest. This approach detracts from the appeal of the initial season, which captivated us with teenage drama and a less intense treasure hunt. Season two may have taken a more outlandish direction, but it redeemed itself by expanding on the characters’ backstories and allowing their narratives to unfold.
Season three was unable to explore any of the characters in-depth due to the incessant introduction of new obstacles. The Pogues and their rapport, which is the series’ most significant strength, were largely neglected. As a result, we are anticipating that the writers will prioritize Pogue drama, which grounded the show and captured our hearts, and relinquish some of the action in the fourth season. Furthermore, it’s high time for the creators to change the formula and stop rehashing storylines and situations. No more abductions, pointless car chases, close calls with treasure, or surprise “not really dead” fathers.
Although Ward eventually met his demise in the season three finale, he managed to cheat death three times before that. Furthermore, we discovered that John B’s father, whom we believed to be dead, is actually alive. The likelihood of Sarah and John B’s fathers fabricating their deaths seems more plausible than one would assume. However, if season four attempts to replicate this storyline with JJ’s father, who was conspicuously absent from the most recent episodes, we worry that the show is beyond repair.
After finally finding El Dorado and living a lavish lifestyle, the Pogues are approached by an elderly man in the season three finale, who tasks them with finding the lost treasure of Blackbeard. With their newfound wealth, this quest could be a new adventure for the Pogues, but only if the repetitive formula used in the last three seasons is abandoned and unnecessary plots are eliminated. Other Netflix shows, like Riverdale, have been overshadowed by weak seasons, so Outer Banks must make significant changes to avoid the same fate.