“Sometimes you kinda have to wonder…was the treasure an escape or was it a trap?” says main character, John B. (Chase Stokes). Season three of the praised show “Outer Banks,” was released February 23 and quickly soared through Netflix’s Top 10 list. Season two (2021) concluded with a major cliffhanger that left viewers anticipating what would happen next. The Pogues are back this season, but is their journey truly worth it?

The Pogues are a close group of friends composed of John B., Sarah Cameron (Madelyn Cline), JJ (Rudy Pankow), Pope (Jonathan Daviss), and Kiara (Madison Bailey). Additionally, Cleo (Carlacia Grant) officially joins the Pogues this season, becoming an important asset to the team.

In season two, the Pogues embarked on a quest to retrieve the Cross of Santo Domingo, a priceless family heirloom of Pope’s. However, antagonists Ward (Charles Esten) and Rafe (Drew Starkey) were able to get a hold of the cross instead. Season three begins in a deserted island called “Poguelandia,” which follows the Pogue’s failed attempt of retrieving the cross.

The ruthless Carlos Singh (Andy McQueen) appears as another major antagonist in this season who seeks for something much bigger than the Cross of Santo Domingo. He wants the real jackpot: the golden city of El Dorado… and he will do anything to get it.

A major character returns to John B’s life this season which affects his romantic relationship with Sarah and his honesty with the rest of his friends. The conflicted John B. struggles this season with this character, who makes the audience cringe as well.

Additionally, the highly popular romantic relationship between Kiara and JJ is seen this season going through its ups and downs. The two characters are understandably confused as exploring a relationship beyond friendship could damage their irreplaceable bond. Pope was also with Kiara at one point which causes conflicting feelings. However, he and Cleo also explore their relationship this season, as their chemistry slowly develops.

Throughout the season, it is evident that the connection between the Pogues isn’t what it used to be. The group seems to be splitting with conflicts, arguments, and breakups creating a strong tension between one another. However, the Pogues manage to come together at the end, with each Pogue helping to unravel the mystery of El Dorado against the determined Carlos Singh. But, only two characters actually venture together to find the gold at the last stage of the search for El Dorado which was disappointing.

Ward and Rafe Cameron struggle with their father-son relationship this season, despite their similar personalities. Rafe, wanting to independently expand his father’s business disagrees with Ward, who wants a fresh start. Ward is sorry for his past mistakes with his daughter, Sarah, who has a hard time believing he is genuine. A heart wrenching ending concludes this relationship, making it hard not to shed a few tears.

Overall, this season of Outer Banks had its goods and bads. Many viewers, again, were pleased that the writers included the relationship between Kiara and JJ. The soundtrack and iconic warm tones of summer created an aesthetically pleasing watch, just as previous seasons had done as well.

However, the ending was contradictory. After completing the quest, the scene travels eighteen months later where the Pogues have now somewhat moved on with their lives, with a few changes. The possibility of a new treasure hunt is brought forward, which teases the plot for season four. Though extending the continuous plot of treasure hunts is necessary to keep the show running, this seems a bit repetitive. When we finally see the Pogue’s at peace with the true treasure (one another), it feels unnatural for yet another treasure hunt to be mentioned.

Ardyn McGinley (‘26) says that “[the season] wasn’t as exciting as the others” though “the last episode was much better” than the rest of the episodes.

Additionally, Sania Abdulkader (‘26) shares that “season three didn’t give [her] the feels as the other ones did.”

Season three of “Outer Banks” has maintained its popularity, but the question of whether season three lives up to previous seasons is a matter of opinion.