Besides Tiger King, Outer Banks was the show that got many teens through the quarantine period of 2020. The mixture of teen drama, a treasure hunt, and a tropical beach town was in all of our dreams. Now with its third season just premiering, it’s all anyone can talk about. 

This show follows a group of teens searching for the ancient gold of Denmark Tanny, a slave who left the fortune to his family. However, the characters soon found out that many powerful and dangerous people are also after the treasure. 

This new season looked promising from the trailer, but what we got was honestly underwhelming. The best way I can describe it is the saying “I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed.” It fell victim to the same storyline used in the previous seasons. A priceless treasure is found to be hidden somewhere seemingly impossible to find, and the bad guy is always one step ahead. 

Now, yes this can work but only to an extent. At this point it feels reused and shows sloppy writing. The viewers want something new, or at least something less predictable. I’m not saying change the show’s core theme, but add to it in a compelling and meaningful way. 

Though I sound harsh this season was not all bad. It had great action, some unexpected twists and a good ending. The last episode easily saved this season, and has a great setup for what’s next to come. 

We also get to see more romance from the main cast. A long awaited couple, JJ and Kierra, finally get some screen time. This long awaited couple seemed like they would never get together especially after her short lived relationship with Pope. It did feel a little forced, but with the demand for this duo I think it was necessary. 

One of the biggest things we get out of this season is an internal crisis for John B. With the return of his father and problems with Sara, we get to see him come close to a breaking point. This insight into his character is very interesting to watch, but he and Sara have become boring at this point. Their problems are the same as past seasons and again feel overused. Honestly, it would have been better if they just went deeper into his issues with his father and left him and Sara alone. 

All in all it was a mediocre season. With recycled material it was hard to keep attention on the screen at all times. It worked and had some good elements but I’m left feeling underwhelmed. I’m hoping for more thought and better writing going into season 4, which was just renewed.