The popular Netflix original series “Outer Banks” is back with its fourth season of classic teenage adventure, but is it time for the treasure hunt to finally end?
Originally released in April 2020, “Outer Banks” has gained popularity among viewers for its nostalgic and carefree feel that takes a step away from the typical lives of modern teens and encourages a lifestyle where teenagers get out into the world and explore with their friends.
This season follows the journey of John B. (Chase Stokes) and his best friends Sarah, Kiara, JJ, Cleo and Pope, as they establish a new life in the home they’ve made for themselves, “Poguelandia 2.0,” with the gold they have left from the El Dorado treasure hunt in Season 3. But soon enough, the crew is back at it and find themselves tied up in a search for Blackbeard’s lost fortune.
Within 10 episodes, the plot takes many twists and turns, and mysteries are revealed one secret at a time. With a captivating plot that includes police chases, rivalries between the Kooks and Pogues, and romance, it is easy to tell why “Outer Banks” was ranked as the second most popular TV show on Netflix when Season 4 premiered on Oct. 10.
That being said, the series may be past its peak. Part of the reason “Outer Banks” was so widely popular at the time of its release was that it showcased wild adventures and exploration while many of the country’s teenagers were trapped indoors due to shelter-in-place orders associated with COVID-19. Teens in 2020 connected with its young characters who simply wanted to venture into the unknown. But now on the other side of the pandemic, the nostalgia of “Outer Banks” isn’t hitting the same.
Jonas Pate, the show’s creator, plans on wrapping up this Netflix series with a fifth and final season, and it’s probably for the best. The storyline can only be dragged on for so long, and John B and JJ can only find so many ancient treasure maps before the show loses its relatively realistic plot. I mean, really, how many lost fortunes are there in North Carolina?
With almost a year and a half passing between the release of Seasons 3 and 4, the writers of “Outer Banks” also make characters less realistic teenagers by being behind in modern teenage slang. Jokes were already being cracked on online forums about Sarah Cameron (Madelyn Cline) asking John B., “Did you just yeet over that chain?” in the first season, but that moment might’ve been topped this season when John B. says, “I don’t believe I am capping right now, Pope.”
It’s already hard enough to have 20-something year-old actors playing teenagers, but it’s even harder for script writers to make these stars speak like modern-day teens when slang is ever-changing. Slip-ups like these just distance viewers from the Pogues, which is unfortunate because the sense of family this group of friends creates is really heart-warming.
The strong bond between John B. and his friends is reason enough to watch the final season of “Outer Banks,” but it’ll be interesting to see how Pate plans on concluding a 50-episode long treasure hunt in a way that isn’t too far-fetched.