After five seasons, Outer Banks has come to an end, and the Pogues’s story has come full-circle. Since the series premiered in 2020, fans have watched John B., Sarah, Kiara, Pope, JJ, and Cleo navigate treasure hunts, betrayals, romance, and more near-death experiences than any group of teenagers probably should. Now that their final chapter has come to a close, let’s take a look back at where it all started with some Season 5 callbacks.
From the Royal Merchant gold that fueled the Pogues’s treasure-hunting days to meaningful character moments, the series finale had no shortage of callbacks to previous seasons. And with five seasons of history to pull from, Outer Banks made sure to go heavy on the nostalgia in its final season. Some callbacks are obvious, while others are subtle details that you may have missed in the chaos of the Pogues’s final adventure. So ICYMI, here are six of the best Outer Banks callbacks to earlier seasons.
- The Pogues Finally Get The Royal Merchant Gold
-
Netflix Bringing us full-circle to the Pogues’s very first treasure hunt, the Royal Merchant gold the Pogues found and had stolen from them in Season 1 is (finally) rightfully theirs. After passing from the Pogues to Ward and Rose and eventually to Groff, the gold makes its way back to the Pogues after a storm that kills Groff and forces Kiara overboard. Using the coordinates they had from rescuing Kiara, the Pogues are able to find the missing gold.
- Hurricanes, Hurricanes, & More Hurricanes
-
Storms have been a major part of the Pogues’s adventures since the very beginning, and Season 5 brings that back in a huge way. From Hurricane Agatha, which launches the treasure hunt in Season 1, to Season 5’s Hurricane Cassandra, which changes Kildare entirely, these disasters represent some of the series’ biggest moments and act as bookends to the series as a whole.
- “Tannyhill Back To A Tanny”
-
Netflix Tannyhill has been a significant location in Outer Banks since its introduction in Season 1, so it’s satisfying that the Kildare landmark gets its own full-circle moment. After being the Cameron family home for the majority of the series, Sarah gives the estate to Pope, a direct descendant of its original owner, Denmark Tanny, and Cleo — making John B.’s narration, “Tannyhill back to a Tanny,” especially fitting.
- “By The Stars, The Sky, And The Sea”
-
The use of “by the stars, the sky, and the sea” at John B. and Sarah’s wedding is another meaningful callback to an earlier season. The phrase was originally in the couple’s unofficial wedding vows back in Season 2, and made a beautiful return in the last episode of Season 5 when John B. and Sarah officially tie the knot.
- John B. & Sarah Name Their Baby “JJ”
-
One of the most emotional callbacks is also during the final episode, when it’s revealed that John B. and Sarah have named their baby girl JJ. The name is, of course, a tribute to their best friend — and while his death was a heartbreaking moment in Season 4 and a major plot point in Season 5, John B. and Sarah naming their baby after him is the perfect way to honor his memory.
- “Bring It On Home, John B.”
-
Netflix Although this exact phrase wasn’t featured in the final season, the reference is definitely there. The iconic phrase was used by John B.’s dad, Big John, along with the ringing of a bell when John B. was a kid. After John B. and Sarah get married, he rings the bell in their backyard and says, “This is how we call you back from the marsh, little JJ.” The moment mirrors the childhood tradition, and reminds viewers just how far the Pogues have come since we first met them.
