With its third season, Outer Banks stuck to its tried-and-true method of delivering plenty of coming-of-age drama, a lot of close calls and some serious treasure hunting shenanigans. What the newest season also opted to do, was institute an 18-month time jump in the final moments to set up its fourth season, which just so happened to be confirmed ahead of the third season's release. Time jumps have a questionable history in the world of television. More recently, a show like Riverdale, which echoes some of the same teen drama narratives as Outer Banks, took a risk with its seven-year jump to age up its cast and get them out of school, making its characters almost unrecognizable from the last time viewers had seen them. Other times, a time jump can be the necessary fuel to string together more seasons, like what Desperate Housewives and One Tree Hill utilized. So how will this year-and-a-half jump impact Outer Banks? From what we can gather in that final scene, there’s been some changes with each other characters and perhaps with the surrounding cast, as well.
Where the Leads Find Themselves
Much of what we know is revealed in a conversation between John B (Chase Stokes) and Sarah (Madelyn Cline) during a ceremony in which the six stars are honored for their discovery. With John B stressing how things feel different, or in the case of the life of John B, “so normal.” That's because we learn that he and Sarah own a “killer surf shop” together, though judging by his facial expressions, it's clearly not enough adventure for the young thrill-seeker. As for the others, all that is stated is that JJ (Rudy Pankow) now has his own charter boat, which makes sense considering he grew up around the water and demonstrated his knowledge of them earlier in Season 3 when Kiara finessed her way with her own boat to escape Singh’s men. As for Kiara, she's now “saving turtles,” Pope is “going away to school,” and nothing is said of Cleo (Carlacia Grant) despite her being on stage with them. That's all the show decided to include in its tease for the next season before laying the next big adventure when an older man approaches them with a diary that has information on Blackbeard's ship. This will clearly serve as the unifying moment for all the show’s leads in Season 4, so no matter how far (or near) they get away from the Pogue life, this’ll be what gets the gang back together.
What Else Can be Inferred from the Final Scene?
As with any good series, there are some notable non-spoken moments in this scene that suggest some notable developments as we head for another season. By the end of Season 3, we saw Pope and Cleo develop some serious chemistry, and judging by the way they hold each other’s hands while on stage, it's safe to say they're an item. It also appears John B and Sarah remain together despite Sarah’s back-and-forth this season with Topper (Austin North). The same can't be said of Kie and JJ, as the two don't give off any “we’re dating” vibes as JJ, donning a leather jacket, almost appears slightly distant, or somewhere else, during the ceremony. Perhaps they gave it a try after their kiss in the penultimate episode and things just didn't work out? That's just a theory, but something that I'm sure will be tackled come the fourth season.
With regard to the supporting cast, things must not be as bad at home for Kiara as we last saw them as both Anna (Samantha Soule) and Mike (Marland Burke) are seen cheering in the stands for their daughter and her friends’ achievement. Something must have happened in those 18 months for the parents to get to this place considering the last time we saw them, they were sending her off to Kitty Hawk against her will, Mike was threatening JJ to never come back, and there's no way they were appreciative upon learning he had broken their daughter out of the camp. Topper also is in the crowd, which seems strange considering his last action was burning down John B’s house then almost bragging about it on the tarmac before the gang headed to South America, but he isn't exuding much appreciation in the crowd, so he’s more so just there for the appearance.
Pope’s parents, Heyward (E. Roger Mitchell) and Cara (Tonia Jackson) are also seen cheering in the crowd which makes sense considering they're the most understanding of all that happened in their child’s wild goose chase for treasure. Other familiar faces include Deputy Shupe (Cullen Moss) and Mr. Sunn (Chris Gerard). Notably missing are Rafe (Drew Starkey) and his drug-dealing sidekick Barry (Nicholas Cirillo) but both should play a major role in Season 4, especially Rafe now that his father is no longer alive, and he will be even more determined to make it big since his sister just played a hand in bringing back the treasure from El Dorado.
Not much else is known about Season 4 of Outer Banks, but from what is gathered in that lasting image of Season 3, the quest for Blackbeard’s ship will be the next overarching treasure hunt just as the Royal Merchant, Denmark Tanny’s diary and El Dorado all have served. The reactions from each member after it was revealed that the captain’s log was presented to them by the older man suggest not everyone is on board with running it back. John B, JJ, and Cleo all let out a smirk upon the news while Kiara, Pope, and Sarah each have reserved, mellowed looks. As to when fans can expect the next season, there was a 15-month gap in Seasons 1 and 2 and 20 months between the second and third installments. The early renewal announcement might suggest this fourth season comes closer to one year out than two years.
All three seasons of Outer Banks are now streaming on Netflix.