Season 3 of the highly anticipated Netflix series, Outer Banks, was released on Feb. 23, 2023.

Season 3 Spoilers Ahead

Outer Banks is a teen drama series created by Jonas and Josh Pate that premiered on Netflix in 2020. The show is immensely successful and recently released its third season. This new season of “Outer Banks” takes off right where the second season ended, and it definitely doesn’t disappoint.

The second season ends with the Pogues: John B, Sarah Cameron, Kiara (Kie), JJ, Pope, and Cleo escaping the Bahamas police after John B was wrongfully accused of killing Sheriff Peterkin and fleeing to take back the gold.

This season was filled with twists and turns. The storyline is divided into two story arcs: the hunt for the cross (Pope’s family heirloom) and the hunt to find El Dorado (the city of gold). Both plotlines were executed very well since at the end they tied into each other. This season’s villain, Carlos Singh, made the plot so much better but stressful at the same time since he was fighting against the Pogue’s. The writers did a really good job in creating a storyline that is both thrilling and entertaining.

Besides these Goonie-like adventures, the Pogues also have to deal with internal conflicts, especially between John B and Sarah, who struggle to keep their relationship together as they are unofficially married.

One of the most significant improvements in this season was the character development as well as the deep dive into different characters’ backgrounds. The writer’s showed the viewers into some of the characters’ past and we got to learn more about their motivations and struggles. For example, John B’s childhood was seen more in this season since it was discovered that his dad was alive and also in the search for El Dorado and its gold. The actors also did a really good job in portraying different relationships. Whether that be father and son, (Rafe Cameron with Ward Cameron and John B with Big John B) or relationships with their family like Pope and Kie with their families,the chemistry between castmates was strong.

Another standout feature of the third season is definitely the setting. The show takes place in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, The Bahamas, and Venezuela. For me, cinematography is very important and can sometimes be appreciated even if the movie/show isn’t so good. This isn’t the case for this show though. The plot is very interesting as well as having amazing cinematography and a really good soundtrack. Songs like “Sold out of Love” by The Nude Party really set the scene and made moments more romantic and vulnerable.

There was only one thing in the show that kept me wondering. At the end, there is an 18 month time jump from when they found El Dorado to present day. I’m sure something had to have happened between that time period and I was a bit confused and wished they had shown us at least a little bit from that time jump.

Overall, the third season of Outer Banks is an outstanding addition to the series. It continues to deliver the same level of entertainment and excitement as the previous two seasons, while also raising the stakes and improving on the character development. It is a must-watch for fans of the show, and if you haven’t seen Outer Banks yet, now is the perfect time to start.