There’s a common saying — third time’s the charm — but this isn’t the case for “Outer Banks” season three.
The show that captivated our quarantined, teenage selves launched its third season on Feb. 23.
The Netflix original show returned with 10 episodes that continued storylines and took on new ventures, still featuring our favorite hot — both figuratively and literally — and sweaty teenagers running around beach towns from South Carolina to South America.
This season is worth the watch, especially if you have seen the two previous seasons; however, it felt incomplete.
In a show revolving around treasure hunting and running from bad guys, there’s only so much that can be done to keep the story consistent and compelling, which showed in the most recent 10 episodes.
This season, a majority of the episodes focused on the main character, John B., finding his father, who was believed to be dead after going on an expedition to find long-lost treasure.
His father, Big John, is the star of a large part of the season, leading John B. on a side quest apart from his friend group, the Pogues.
Instead of having a soft spot for a reunited father-son relationship, this storyline deterred me from parts of the show that I enjoy watching the most.
The season begins with the six teens shipwrecked on a deserted island in the finale of the previous season. While it seemed like the Pogues were loving their island life, we only got a glimpse before the group drew the attention of a passing plane and were rescued.
I understand that a show like Outer Banks can’t go for long periods of time without high action; however, I would’ve liked to see more of their life on the island, which they named Pouguelandia.
One aspect of the show that draws in viewers like myself is the ships.
I’m not talking about the abundance of boats that are stolen and used to escape from local villains and international antagonists; I’m talking about the relationships between characters that have built up.
This season we finally see the beginning of a relationship between JJ and Kiara, two of the Pogues who have had chemistry for seasons.
Some of the best parts of this season involved the trials and tribulations of JJ and Kiara’s budding relationship.
“Outer Banks” also gave us a well-deserved love interest for Pope, the smart and loyal character of the group. He sparked a romance with Cleo, the group’s newest member, finding companionship in one her and feeling less outcast.
This season Sarah Cameron, John B’s love interest, and her ex-boyfriend Topper reignited an old flame. While the show wasn’t giving us the John B. scenes that we know and love, we got dramatics from Sarah’s confused emotions.
Although I hate to see a core couple break up, this season needed that twist to spice up the otherwise dull season.
The final episode picked up some of the slack from the other nine episodes, giving us the old-fashioned treasure-hunting scenes, and the reuniting of friendships and relationships that make “Outer Banks” great.
It ended with a happy ending, including the long-overdue death of a character who has caused problems for the Pogues throughout the show. We also saw a successful search for gold, and an allusion to a fourth season about the search for pirate treasure.
Although Outer Banks season three didn’t strike gold or live up to its motto, “paradise on Earth,” it’s a great binge-watch to get in the mood for warm weather and summer adventures.
Outer Banks was recently renewed for a fourth season. Production hasn’t begun and there is no release date, but based on the time between the past three seasons it seems likely the wait may be two years at most.
All three seasons of “Outer Banks” are streaming on Netflix.