‘Outer Banks’ Season 3 Ending Explained: Who Dies? And What Could Happen in Season 4?

Our favorite treasure hunters are back, and the stakes have never been higher. Netflix has finally dropped Outer Banks Season 3. So far, we’ve watched John B (Chase Stokes), Sarah Cameron (Madelyn Cline), and the rest of the Pogues uncover the Royal Merchant and the Cross of Santo Domingo. Now they have to figure out a treasure of mythical proportions — the city of El Dorado.

Whether you want to know what happens before you press play or you’re looking for a guide to what you just watched, we have you covered. Here’s everything you need to know about the ending of Outer Banks Season 3, including who dies in Outer Banks Season 3.

Outer Banks Season 3 plot summary:

When John B imagined Big John (Charles Halford) returning from the dead, he probably thought his life would be filled with love and fatherly support. That’s not what happened. The return of Big John pulled John B away from his girlfriend Sarah, largely because Big John refused to trust any Cameron. Considering that Sarah’s father Ward (Charles Esten) was responsible for Big John’s disappearance, his skepticism was understandable even though we know that Sarah is a Pogue at heart.

Unfortunately, that mistrust led to Sarah being abandoned at the worst possible time. Remember how she betrayed her insane family to be with John B? Yeah, they didn’t love that. When Sarah returned from Poguelandia, she was left without a family, a home, or a supportive boyfriend. That led her into the arms of her ex, Topper (Austin North). John B and Sarah eventually repaired their relationship, but it took some work.

That’s not the only major change Big John inspired. With him back in the picture, John B and his friends embarked on their most perilous treasure hunting expedition to date — El Dorado, the lost city of gold. That’s where “Secret of the Gnomon” picked up. After Big John was captured and taken to the Orinoco Basin, John B and the rest of the Pogues boarded Ward’s plane and followed suit. They managed to break out Big John using some strategic fireworks, and that was when the real fun began.

As Big John, Ward, John B, and Sarah went after El Dorado, our newest couples — JJ (Rudy Pankow) and Kie (Madison Bailey) as well as Pope (Jonathan Daviss) and Cleo (Carlacia Grant) — were forced to split up. We’ll get back to this half of the gang in a minute. For now, we only care about our treasure hunting crew. Once they docked near the believed entrance to El Dorado, Ward stayed behind with the boat, claiming that he was too weak to make the rest of the journey. Big John, John B, and Sarah went on, even though Big John still didn’t trust his son’s girlfriend. Using the light of the moon, they were able to translate the final pieces of the puzzle. But that victory didn’t last for long.

It’s a rule of Outer Banks — Ward always sucks. Instead of staying behind with the boat like he said he would, Ward made a deal with Carlos Singh (Andy McQueen), the leader of a group that’s been pursuing our heroes and one of the bad guys who wants El Dorado all to himself. Singh promised to let Sarah live if Big John told him how to get to the city of gold. What he didn’t count on was that Big John doesn’t trust anyone. Instead of telling John B and Sarah those moonlit instructions, he kept the final pieces of the puzzle to himself. In the ensuing shootout, Sarah pulled a gun on her dad, and Big John was grazed by a bullet. Yet somehow everyone made it out alive.

Big John, John B, and Sarah eventually made it to the cave that served as the entrance to El Dorado, but by this point Big John was too weak to continue. That left John B and Sarah Cameron to take the plunge — literally. They had to swim through underwater caves, jump a terrifying crevasse, and solve riddles in the pitch black darkness, but they did it. These teenagers managed to find the lost city of gold, and it did not disappoint. All of this exploring only left them with a single flare, so they pocketed as much gold as possible and returned to the cave’s entrance. Unfortunately, Singh was already there waiting for them.

Singh threatened to kill John B, and in turn Big John threatened to kill them all with a stick of dynamite. But Singh called his bluff. He knew that Big John would rather watch his son die than pass up the opportunity to see El Dorado. But Big John surprised everyone and actually threw the stick, endangering the entrance to the lost city of gold and giving them a chance to escape. Singh died in the explosion, but our trio made it out alive. Unfortunately, that was only the beginning of their problems.

Outer Banks Season 3 ending explained:

Once Big John, John B, and Sarah escaped, they were met by Ward and his trusty gun. That’s when the rest of the Pogues showed up. After vowing “P4L,” JJ, Kie, Pope, and Cleo rushed Ward. But it was Sarah who ultimately stood up to her father and took his gun away from him.

That’s a shame because he kinda of needed that. Right after Ward lowered his gun, Ryan (Lou Ferrigno Jr.) — another El Dorado seeker — appeared and threatened to kill Big John. That’s when Ward was heroic for once in his life. Ward ran at Ryan, pushing him off a cliff. And that’s a series wrap on Ward Cameron.

Sadly, he wasn’t the only dad who died in the finale. Despite their best efforts to carry Big John to safety, he didn’t make it. But before he passed, he told John B to hold onto Sarah and that “You were the best son any man could hope for.” Our poor treasure-loving baby.

During the funeral for these two problematic dads, John B delivered one final off-camera monologue. “When my father came back, I thought it was a dream come true. But the thing that I found is life doesn’t give you oceans without waves,” John B says. “My dad wanted to make a great quest of his life. He wanted adventure. He wanted to find treasure. You know what I realize? I am my father’s son.”

Outer Banks Season 3 ended with a ceremony in honor of John B, Sarah, JJ, Kie, Pope, and Cleo for finding El Dorado. Yep, the rejected Pogues became local heroes. John B casually revealed that they all moved on with their lives. Pope went to school, Kie started saving turtles, and JJ bought a charter boat. As for John B, he’s now running a surf shop. But this adventure isn’t over just yet.

Does Ward die in Outer Banks Season 3?

He certainly does. In an uncharacteristic moment of bravery, Ward attacked a man who cornered Sarah and her friends, pushing him off a cliff. Though we don’t see his body, we’re fairly confident that Ward is no more.

Does Big John die in Outer Banks Season 3?

That’s also a yes. Big John was shot while looking for El Dorado with John B and Sarah. He hung on for as long as possible, but in the end his injuries were too great. He died in the boat while John B and his friends were trying to take him to safety.

What could happen in Outer Banks Season 4?

In the final moments of this season, the Pogues are approached by a mysterious man. He praises them for finding El Dorado before offering them a new artifact to inspect — the log book of Edward Teach. Yep, we’re getting a Blackbeard season, people.