Expectations were high when season three of “Outer Banks” was released on Netflix on February 23, 2023. However, the season lacked a complex plot, or any form of character development, and just was not as good as previous seasons.

Season one of “Outer Banks” first aired during the Covid-19 epidemic in April 2020. The show followed a group of teenagers from the wrong side of the tracks called “Pogues,” (minus Kiara, a “Kook”, who was crushed on by the other members) and their adrenaline-inducing adventure to find a long-lost treasure. The first season was a big success among fans of every demographic and had around 35.1 million hours of viewing on its own. 

The wait for season two was long but worth it. It followed the Pogues and their new member, Sarah Cameron, as they attempted to steal back a gold cross that belonged to Pope Howard’s family. The season had mixed reviews and was ultimately less successful than season one.

However, when the third season dropped in February of this year, it had fans going crazy over some interesting plot points, like the possibility of Kiara and JJ (Jiara) getting together, and John B reuniting with his presumed-dead father, Big John.

The latest was not very interesting, nor exciting. The season was seriously lacking important elements, like character development, and a well-thought-out end, so it is no surprise the season had the lowest reviews compared to the other two. This review has yet to mention the forced dialogue and slow episodes.

At the start of season three of “Outer Banks”, fans were very excited to see John B interact with Big John. Unfortunately, the characters had made it seem like Big John was a great father and character, but in actuality,  he was a badly-written narcissist who had no interest in being a father to his son.

The Big John/John B part of the plot was bogus. There was no chemistry between the two, and their scenes were rather hard to watch because of how boring the storyline was. The worst part about this relationship was when John Sr. hesitated to save his own son’s life simply because his treasure was on the line.

Please. Get real.

As much of a hit as JJ and Kiara were as a duo, the romance between them felt very rushed. They were “shipped” together by fans which was exciting for the cast and writers because it was not their original idea. It’s rumored that JJ meant to get together with Cleo, a fearless and loving character that was introduced in the second season.

Ever since the writers realized what a hit “Jiara” was, they decided to seriously incorporate it. Since the slow burn and tension in the first two seasons was an accident, it felt very forced and unnatural in the third. Kiara began to use the nickname “Jayj” on him, which was cute at first, but quickly became overused and annoying. Then the other characters began to refer to him as “Jayj” as well, so it was no longer special.

Something else that ruined the season was Sarah cheating on John B with Topper. In three seasons, Sarah had absolutely no character development. She cheated in season one, and now continues to do so in season three. This plot point was uncalled for and unnecessary, especially because “Jarah” stayed together anyways. At this point, it is starting to feel like the writers want people to hate Sarah. 

All in all, the season was awful. There was too much forced dialogue and tension, no character development for Sarah, and boring plots were too much to handle. 

If season 4 does not serve what viewers need, “OBX” should get canceled.