“Outer Banks” is a show that has become highly popular and controversial. The first season came out in April of 2020, and was widely supported by the young audience of high school students. The show captures that summer feeling with the friendships between the characters as well as the hazy golden lighting throughout the picture. However, the show takes a turn from sing-song summery to being filled with mystery, murder, and treasure hunts. 

The second season followed up in July of 2021 and critics began to voice their opinions saying that the show had become more about the look of the characters than the premise of the show. The Hollywood Reporter describes the show as “one-dimensional”, and claims that the characters do the dumbest thing possible when given the opportunity. Fans wondered if the undeniably shallow theme in the first two seasons would carry over into the next, or if the plot would progress and deepen.

The new season of “Outer Banks” came out and the plot did indeed progress. Many things that the audience once thought were lost were found again, and new characters were added to the story line. Yet, the objective of the show remained remarkably similar; split up to find treasure and then find their way back to each other and end up near the treasure. 

However, the show deepened into it’s one main fault: every character is driven by their love interest. Kiara, who was first portrayed as a girl that every pogue is “a little in love with,” was paired with JJ until she was kidnapped and imprisoned with Rafe Cameron, who admitted he had always been into her. During the final episode, Pope and Cleo confess their love for each other out of nowhere, and it is never touched on again. But, without a doubt, the strangest couple is Sarah Cameron and protagonist John B. Once back in the Outer Banks after being on a deserted island, John B leaves and Sarah Cameron cheats on him with Topper. This plot twist is never fully justified and is even brushed aside after Sarah makes a speech asking if they are “all in.” Additionally, many people will note that Rafe and Barry have an incomparable amount of tension.

When the show ends, the pogues leave the audience with a story of rags to riches and beating the odds. As for the future of the show, it wraps up with the proposal of a new mystery possibly entailing a fourth season of the hit show. All in all, the third season was not notable but still provided entertainment.