Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Outer Banks’ Season 3 on Netflix, Where the Teens Continue Their High-Stakes Treasure Hunt

The second season of Netflix original Outer Banks wrapped up with a thrilling heist, an escape, and finally, one big shocking twist: that John B’s (Chase Stokes) long-lost, presumed-dead father is very much alive. Season 3, now available to stream on the platform, kicks off with the Pogues far from home, still on the hunt for the treasure and caught in a life-or-death situation.

OUTER BANKS SEASON 3: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot:  John B broods on the beach.

The Gist: The Pogues are living it up in paradise, far away from the mayhem of Sarah’s (Madelyn Cline) terror of a father Ward (Charles Esten) and brother Rafe (Drew Starkey). Try as John B (Chase Stokes) may to keep her and the rest of the crew at ease, she can’t stop looking over her shoulder – or at the horizon – in fear that someone is coming to get them. After weeks of fishing, coconuts, and games of Truth or Dare, someone does – just not who they think. A quirky pilot picks them up and takes them towards civilization, but it isn’t long before the group realizes that his stumbling upon Poguelandia wasn’t an accident. When the plane crash lands in Barbados and Kiara (Madison Bailey) is taken prisoner by the villainous Carlos Singh (Andy McQueen), the gang begins to realize they’re in way over their heads.

While the Pogues try to figure out their next steps, Rafe heads to meet a mysterious buyer in the hopes of selling the cross for a fortune. John B’s presumed-dead-actually-alive father Big John (Charles Halford), meanwhile, is one step behind the Pogues as they try to free their friend, and may hold the key to all of the mysteries these treasure hunters are desperate to crack. With a new big bad in the mix and plenty of danger on the horizon, this new adventure carries no shortage of high stakes, twists, and turns.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Outer Banks will likely speak to fans of other dramatic teen series like Riverdale, Grand Army, Cruel Summer, and Locke & Key.

Our Take: Outer Banks has never been for everyone, but for those who have been with it since the beginning, Season 3 will be a welcome addition to the big adventure. The melodramatic mess of teen insanity and unbelievable plot twists remains undeniably engaging in its third season, fearlessly stomping its way through trope after trope and the introduction of a new, soapy bad guy. If there’s one thing Outer Banks has always done, it’s take big swings, and the series only continues to makes these moves as it gets closer and closer to the El Dorado gold.

Is it soapy, silly, and often straight-up ridiculous? Sure. But it’s also got a big heart and a sense of self, two ingredients missing from many a TV series these days. Carlos Singh is a blah, one-dimensional villain, but with some angsty teens and utterly implausible plot points in the mix, he’s tolerable. Even with Singh’s boring baddie, Season 3 kicks off with a bang and for the most part, commits to this momentum – except for when it separates the Pogues. Outer Banks is always best when it lets its young leads team up to hunt for treasure and take down a bad guy or two, and that’s when the series succeeds. Who cares if they’re truants, break-and-enter regularly, and often fall into Indiana Jones-esque booby traps? This is Outer Banks. Anything is possible. And that’s what makes this wild ride of a show so endlessly enjoyable, even in its third installment.

Sex and Skin: None.

Parting Shot:  Kiara looks at Rafe in fear, denying possession of the diary Singh so desperately wants.

Sleeper Star: Kraig Dane’s goofy turn as Jimmy Portis is basically designed to be a memorable shakeup to the familiar faces, and he definitely gets the job done. Whether he’s rambling about Burning Man or warning our teens to stay clear of some particularly sketchy figures, he’s pretty much the perfect eccentric to help kick off Season 3.

Most Pilot-y Line: That honor goes to JJ this time around thanks to a rousing delivery of “I’m not going back, ever. Look around. We got everything we need right here,” in the episode’s opening.

Our Call: STREAM IT. Outer Banks is as addictive and exciting as ever in its third season, raising the stakes and allowing its starry young cast to shine with each new installment.

Jade Budowski is a freelance writer with a knack for ruining punchlines, hogging the mic at karaoke, and thirst-tweeting. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski.

Stream Outer Banks on Netflix