Bri Gardner — Staff writer

Spoilers ahead

Right before Spring Break, the hype over the new season of Outer Banks spread like wildfire across Dordt University’s campus. Students were left to decide- “hould I watch just one more episode of the series, or should I start studying for my midterms?”

The third season of Outer Banks follows our favorite Pogues as they embark on yet another treasure hunt. This time, rather than merely searching for a boat or gold cross, the Pogues aim higher: El Dorado, the legendary city of gold. Along the way, they encounter new villains such as Carlos Singh (Andy McQueen) and notorious ones such as Ward (Charles Eston) and Rafe Cameron. (Drew Starkey) The season is chock full of action scenes, romance, and suspense.

While certainly not the show’s worst season, a few inconsistencies likely bothered the attentive viewer. For one, John B’s father’s last words to him before he disappeared are different in the third and first seasons. In the first season, their last conversation can only be described as sentimental, but in the third season, the conversation is filled with rage, with Big John shouting at John B to never come back as John B revs the engine of his RV and speeds away.

In addition, John B’s father upset many viewers. The long-awaited joyous reunion between father and son did not last long, as the raw, authentic side of Big John made an appearance, and he continually chose treasure-hunting above his son. His reappearance in the show itself is also somewhat unrealistic. There is no valid explanation of how he survived his island stay, and fans likely won’t get one, given his death at the end of this season.

Big John’s presence also separated the Pogues, with John B and Sarah spending significant time with him rather than their friends. The whole Pogue group didn’t even end up discovering El Dorado together. Instead, it was just John B and Sarah.

The 18-month shift at the end of the season also frustrated me. What happens to John B after returning to Outer Banks since Topper chose to press charges? How did Rafe do after finding out about his father’s death? What about the relationship dynamic between Kiara and her parents after the decision to send her to Kitty Hawk? Perhaps the show will answer these questions in the confirmed season four.

While the season remained lacking in many ways, there were also several unique parts of the season that both intrigued and excited fans. Sarah did the voiceovers in the season rather than John B, giving fans a glimpse into her mind and side of the story. JJ and Kiara, along with Pope and Cleo, are finally confirmed couples. The Pogues finally won as they were the first to discover and excavate El Dorado.

The season ends with a mysterious old man holding out the captain log of Edward Teach, “Blackbeard” to Pope. He then asks the group to join him in his quest to investigate the log. With this closing out the series, fans are left awaiting another season full of treasure hunting. If you enjoyed the first two seasons of Outer Banks, this one is worth your time. But if you didn’t enjoy the action and drama the show highlights, this season may not be for you.

Contributed photo