(Obviously, Outer Banks spoilers will be found below.)
We’re not in Poguelandia anymore.
The third season of Outer Banks dropped this week and our favorite treasure-hunting crew of misfits didn’t get to enjoy their desert island vacation for long. Adventure was calling and plenty of bad guys with guns were looking for them. Instead of lounging on an isolated beach somewhere, John B. (Chase Stokes), JJ (Rudy Pankow), Kiara (Madison Bailey), Sarah (Madelyn Cline), Pope (Jonathan Daviss), and newcomer Cleo (Carlacia Grant) were roped into yet another gold-finding mission that proved to be the most dangerous one yet.
Here’s what went down in season three.
What Happened In Outer Banks Season 3?
The Pogues seemed to have given up on ever finding (and actually keeping) any gold after their quests for the Royal Merchant, Denmark Tanny’s gold, and the Cross of Santo Domingo all turned out to be busts but no treasure hunter worth their salt can deny the allure of finding El Dorado — the mythical city of gold — so naturally, that carrot gets dangled in front of John B. and friends early in season three. The group gets split up, with Sarah and John B. working with John B.’s father, Big John (Charles Halford) to find the mythical city and the rest of the Pogues battling their own problems before reuniting in the season finale.
After heading to South America on Ward Cameron’s (Charles Esten) private jet — yes, he’s still alive and still untrustworthy AF — Sarah, John B, Pope, and Cleo make it to Tres Rocas where they reunite with Big John to try to decipher the Gnomon of Solana. The only problem? Caribbean kingpin Carlos Singh is hot on their heels with fully-armed mercenaries willing to do anything to get a piece of the treasure. After JJ rescues Kiara from a pretty terrible situation her parents put her in, the pair reunite with the Pogues to make the final trek to El Dorado, one that involves cave diving and clue solving, and all kinds of high-stakes shenanigans.
The Pogues do get to keep some of their hard-earned gold this time, but not everyone makes it out alive.
Who Died In Outer Banks Season 3?
This season of Outer Banks was probably the most deadly yet. Not only did a couple of major villains — including Carlos Singh — die while hunting for El Dorado, but the Pogues also lost a couple of people they really loved. Despite constantly betraying his daughter and trying to get John B. killed, Ward sacrificed himself in the season finale in order to save the group. He had been working with Singh to get his hands on the treasure, but when the crime lord’s bodyguard turned his gun on Sarah, Ward stepped in front of the bullets and threw both of them off a cliff to their death.
He wasn’t the only dad we lost this season though. After escaping a gunfight earlier in the episode and helping Sarah and John B. find the entrance to the city of gold, Big John succumbed to his own injuries. He’d been shot before the group made the hike to El Dorado and by the time they made it back to the boat, he’d lost too much blood to survive. Before he died he made amends with John B., telling him to take care of Sarah despite having not trusted her for most of the season due to her family ties.
Outer Banks Season 3 Ending Explained
The season ended with the Pogues keeping the treasure they swiped from El Dorado before Big John blew the opening of the cave to bits and becoming local heroes thanks to their discovery. An 18-month time jump gave fans a glimpse into how drastically their lives changed thanks to the windfall. Sarah and John B. opened up a surf shop together, JJ bought his own charter boat, Kiara was working to save turtles, and Pope was heading off to college after graduating high school. But before everyone could enjoy their ride off into the sunset a mysterious man with a manuscript teases them with a new adventure, one tied to the most notorious pirate in history: Edward Teach, aka Blackbeard.
Who Is Alexander Jennings In Outer Banks Season 3?
The season finale of Outer Banks gave fans some devastating deaths but a real-life tragedy marked the filming of the show as well. Season three offered up a dedication to Alexander Jennings at the end of episode nine. Jennings was a stunt double for actor Chase Stokes who passed away in July of 2022 at the age of 22 after a double hit-and-run. Jennings was walking down a road near Charleston, South Carolina around 2 a.m. when he was hit by a car that fled the scene. Soon after, he was struck again by a truck that also fled the scene before being stopped in a routine traffic stop.
The cast and crew of the show shared their condolences when the news of Jenning’s death first broke, but the series found a special way to honor his contributions with the tribute in season three.
When Is The Release Date For Outer Banks Season 4?
Despite there being a year-and-a-half break between season two and season three of the show, the quick season four renewal hints that fans won’t have to wait long for more adventures with their beloved group of Pogues. Shortly before season three dropped, Netflix announced the show was coming back for more, and creators Jonas Pate, Josh Pate, and Shannon Burke have already teased the twists and turns they’re mapping out in the next installment. While no official date has been given, expect season four to land sometime next year.
Netflix’s ‘Outer Banks’ is currently streaming Season 3.