In 2020, Netflix welcomed the Pogues and Kooks into its expansive family of originals with no idea of how successful it would become. With the show expected to be nothing more than a teen drama that takes place in the sunny swamps of the Carolinas, not as much hype was generated for the show as opposed to today. Fast forward four years, Outer Banks is a household name in the Netflix catalog and may go down as one of the best originals the company has ever put out. (Warning now in case you didn’t see the title, this review contains spoilers for the entirety of the Outer Banks show.) The show follows a group of four (would later become 5, then 6) teens who are on a constant search for gold that the main character’s (John B) father went missing searching for. In season three, that adventure comes full circle with the death of both John and his girlfriend Sarah’s father. However, a new chapter unfolds in season 4. Netflix has decided to release the much anticipated season in parts, with part one being released on October 10th, 2024, and part two being released on November 7th. This is my personal opinion and review of the first part of this new season.
First off, allow me to start out by saying that I was not a fan of season three. I found the whole thing to be deviant from what the first two seasons portrayed. Between the constant shooting, Topper burning down John B’s house with 0 repercussions, constant traveling between countries, and just the fact that they went to a whole new treasure instead of concluding the merchant gold storyline was lazy. It just felt so out of hand. The first two seasons in my opinion, were good because while it wasn’t realistic, it wasn’t as wildly unrealistic and extravagant as season three. Nonetheless, OBX 4 skips some time and introduces us to a new storyline. Episode one serves as somewhat of a flashback, going through the events leading up to the initial events of season 4. They win their share of the gold, open a store, build a house and live together. However, after JJ loses all their money betting on himself in a dirt bike race, they are honored at a ceremony where they get hired by a strange man who claims he wants them to find Blackbeard’s lost treasure. I enjoyed this first episode very much. It brought the merchant gold storyline, the driving point for the first three seasons full circle and showed us how the Pouges got their lives together. This episode was the first episode since season 2 that felt like a true Outer Banks episode.
The next episode introduced the main antagonist of the season, Lightner. He is an imposing stranger with a piratical nerve, and a dangerous and calculating outdoorsman who appears to test the Pogues. Lightner and his crew meet the Pogues when they decide to go deep sea diving in the wreck of Blackbeard’s ship. The two forces have an epic fight at the bottom of the ocean where they both come out unscathed. This initial fight gets the ball rolling for the rest of the episodes.
The third and fourth episodes keep up with the clash between Lightener and the Pogues. It all culminates in the part one finale where it is revealed that JJ’s presumed father reveals that his real blood-related father is not him, causing JJ to spiral out of control. Where will the season go next? Part 2 comes out on November 7th.
One of the best aspects of why this season works well is because it takes place only in the Outer Banks. As mentioned before, most of season 3 took place in Mexico and felt out of place. If part 2 can keep up the nostalgic vibes of the first season it will definitely be in the conversation of being the best season yet.
