Netflix original series Outer Banks first premiered in April of 2020. Outer Banks has been renewed for a fourth season while season three came out on February 23 and has reached the top ten shows on Netflix.  

Fans have been waiting years for a new season of adventure and romance, over the course of the first two seasons fans have seen love blossom between John B and Sarah. The couple who have been together since season one, where they met, fell in love, eventually got married and escaped danger together. However, one question many fans are asking is, will they stay together? Baza Lemma, Sophmore, felt that Sarah and John B where bound to break up eventually. 

“Sarah and John B were really off this season, I think mainly because they didn’t interact at all. Which is what I also think caused Sarah to get with Topper, because she relied on him a lot more, which I don’t think was fair for John B. I wasn’t really surprised when they broke up, honestly I was rooting for John B to beat up Topper,” said Lemma 

A new addition fans have noticed would be Pope and Cleo as their connection has grown throughout the new season. Cleo made her first appearance in season two and when she met Pope and fans could sense something other than a friendship brewing. Delilah Rajphomy, sophomore, felt that Cleo is the best person for Pope.

“I really felt that they were meant to be together, Cleo actually brought out the best in Pope. I think she really made him a lot more happier and supported him in finding the treasure,” said Rajphomy. 

Julieta De la Torre, Sophmore, likes Cleo and Popes relationship and doesn’t understand the hate the couple is getting. 

“I don’t get why people hate on Pope and Cleo when they are so cute together. Pope deserves someone who actually cares and likes him. Cleo just compliments him as a person,” says De la Torre.  

When it comes to season three romance, the most anticipated one yet was JJ and Kiara. They first started as friends earlier in the show and as season one and two progresses fans see John B and Pope both start to fall for her. But Kiara shuts them both saying they are better off as friends. Mariam Anifowuonshe took note on JJ and Kiaras relationship develop in season one. 

“When I watched season one, I immediately noticed JJ and Kiaras relationship as more than just friends. I liked how the writers wrote JJ and Kiaras slow burn relationship, because you can see in season one where JJ gets jealous when John B and Pope start to hit on Kie. I felt that she liked JJ and just didn’t know it at the time. Especially when she hugged him in the hot tub scene, because it was a very intimate moment,” said Anifowuonshe.

Many fans on Tik Tok have made videos of how they think that Kiara is a ‘homie hopper’. Lemma disagress with the statements about Kiara getting with every guy in the friend group. 

“I have also seen tik tok saying how Kiara is a homie hopper and I don’t think that, because both John B and Pope went after her and she didn’t go after them. She turned John B down, and with Pope she thought she liked him and when she realized she didn’t they broke up,” said Lemma

The slow burn of JJ and Kiaras relationship from friends to lovers is what most fans were waiting for when watching season three. Through the end of season two, Kiara starts to see JJ in a more romantic viewpoint after almost getting killed. Into the new season JJ and Kiara share many special moments like a passionate hug after her return from the caribbean, when JJ pushed Kiara away after he felt he wasn’t the best for her, and stopping at nothing to save Kiara when she is taken to a camp where they share their first kiss. Lemma enjoyed seeing JJ and Kiaras relationship especially durring the last couple of episodes. 

“There is a lot of chemistry between them. It also doesn’t seem forced, because they both want similar things in the future. Season three was my favorite Jiara season because we see that they both really like each other, especially in the ninth episode where JJ goes and rescues her when she is taken and they share their first kiss. I just loved it all,” said Lemma.

In the show there are three main treasures, the royal merchant, the cross of Santo Domingo and the city of gold. All the three gold treasures are connected to one person, Denmark Tanny. In season one the main treasure is the Royal Merchant, which was the ship that Tanny survived the crash on. He used the gold on the ship to buy the freedom of all the slaves from Kildare and buried the rest of the gold. In the second season it is discovered that Pope is actually a descendant of Denamark Tanny family and is on a mission to find a huge jewel encrusted gold cross called the Cross of Santo Domingo, that Tanny hid in his peoples church. Rajphomy, felt that it was Pope being connected to the cross added another layer into Popes character. 

“I think Pope being connected to Denmark Tanny is pretty cool, he found something new about his past and family. I think also him being like Denmark Tannys great great grandson also motivated him as a character to keep looking for the cross,” said Rajphomy. 

The third season adds a something new into Tannys history, it turns out that the gold on the ship and the cross were just a little bit of the treasure that the group of friends were seeking to find. There was a mythical lost city of gold, El Dorado. The main characters then learn that John B’s dad, who went missing looking for the gold on the ship in season one, was actually searching for El Dorado all along, not just the bit of gold Tanny buried. Tania Barnes, Sophomore, thought that adding a new treasure made the show more interesting.

“The show adding a new treasure hunt or a new type of gold to find is actually really good. Because I feel like if they didn’t add something new to keep it going, what would they even do? Because that’s what the whole show is about, looking for treasure and getting rich,” said Barnes

There have been controversial opinions from fans about the treasure hunt whether on not looking for El Dorado and the City of Gold was even relevant to the story plot. Anifowuonshe, doesn’t think that the pouges looking for a new treasure was necessary. 

“I think that in season three adding El Dorado treasure hunt was unnecessary because even if it adds more drama to the whole looking for the gold type of thing, which is what the show is about. I think it would have been better if there was no City of gold and the story just continued looking for the cross and trying to get it back,” said Anifowuonshe.

In the last episode in season two it is discovered that Big John, who was presumed dead for almost a year, was alive looking for the gold. In the third season Big John and John B reunite, father and son. The two spend most of the season together looking for the lost city of gold. Many fans on tik tok complained that they thought Big John got too much screen time, compared to other characters in the show. Barnes, disliked how Big John acted as a father figure. 

“Big John in my opinion got way to much screen time, he is an awful dad. And him and John B relationship was kind of toxic. Because I felt that he cared more about the gold than his own son,” said Barnes.

There is a controversy amongst the fans saying that Ward Cameron is actually a good father. Initially Ward Cameron is a nice guy in the beginning of season one, but things take a turn for the worst. It is revealed that he is a psychopath manipulator and killer. He is very protective of his daughter, Sarah but viewers take notice how he doesn’t seem to care about his other children, Rafe and Wheezie. Anifowuonshe, disregard hate about Ward Cameron and thinks he is a better father than other parents.

“Ward is a better father in my opinion, compared to Big John. At least Ward genuinely cared about his daughter and always wanted what was best for her, like he even faked his death for his family. I think he has a good idea but the wrong mindset, he wants to do something right but he does it the wrong way” said Anifowuonshe.

Seeing realistic parenting in movies and TV might be rare, in the show there are three different parents depicted in the show, The Camerons, Heyward and The Carreras. Each parents have their way of educating the child on the show. Marisa Bonner, family consumer science teacher, 

“For the most part in movies and TV shows, shows pretty realistic parenting. But every now and then there are parents who are completely out of touch, who don’t really have a connection with their kids. There is such TV parenting that show the parents are letting the kids call the shots and run all,” said Bonner.