Season 3 of Outer Banks is Here

Outer Banks is a Netflix series that is set in a coastal town along the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where there is a social divide between the wealthy and the working classes– the Kooks and the Pogues. The show follows a group of teenagers who are determined to find out what happened to the missing father of the ‘ringleader’, John B.  and then later on, are trying to find hidden treasures that John B’s father left clues to in his research.  

Outer Banks is an action-filled teen drama on Netflix that premiered on Apr. 15, 2020 and it was nominated for several awards including the People’s Choice Award after the premiere of season two. Recently, on Feb. 23, 2023, the third season premiered on Netflix. Season three has ten new episodes and the cast members returning are Chase Stokes as John B, Madison Bailey as Kiara Carrera, Jonathan Daviss as Pope Heyward, Madelyn Cline as Sarah Cameron, Rudy Pankow as JJ Maybank, Austin North as Topper, Charles Esten as Ward Cameron, Drew Starkey as Rafe Cameron and Carlacia Grant as Cleo.

I talked to Outer Banks fan, Hannah Marino (‘25), to get a spoiler-free, inside look at season three and her opinions thus far. I first asked her to give an overview of what she has learned from watching the show. She said, “I think there’s a lot of bravery in the characters. Before watching it I was not very confident or strong, and I felt a lot braver afterwards.” 

From there, I asked Marino what some of her favorite aspects of Outer Banks were, and what specific things she liked about it. She said, “I really like the storyline and the characters (especially JJ). However, the situations that they have are my favorite, [even though] I don’t like how they handle the situations that come up. I also really like the love stories that are mentioned throughout the show, I think they are really cute. There are also a lot of cliffhangers that continue to grab my interest,” Marino responded with enthusiasm.

In Outer Banks, the main characters’ overall goal is to have fun, find treasure, and search for answers to their problems. This often causes them to be thrown into extreme situations. There is also often a lot of drama between the different social groups and individuals that often can turn ugly. For the show, “ugly” refers to gun fights, murder, getting stuck in mud or on a tall building, or getting lost. And yet, this is what typically drives the plot throughout Outer Banks as one bad mistake triggers another danger. 

Marino commented on the violence of the show as something that she doesn’t like, saying, “It might be a good idea for them to take the violence down a notch and handle it a little bit differently in case someone who is watching is younger.” On the other hand, many viewers do not mind this at all, as there is the initial warning of the TV-MA rating, and the 78% Average Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes reflects this. 

Despite her reaction to the violence in the show, Marino still recommends that people watch it, saying,  “I would highly recommend that people consider watching this show. It is so good, and I absolutely love it.”

Outer Banks has a well-developed plot with many twists, and with interesting, definitely not perfect, characters that allow for a great story. Reviews are high and the new season just came out, so if you have been looking for a new show to sink your teeth into, give it a whirl!