The Netflix original series Outer Banks has been a popular show since it’s first release in early 2020. Since then, the show has seen major success and has accumulated a large following. Earlier this month, part 1 of the fourth season was released exclusively on Netflix. After watching, I started to question if this season of Outer Banks did justice for the highly esteemed series. Keep in mind, there are major spoilers in this article so if you haven’t watched season 4 yet, be warned!
The season started off a little slow with an entire episode of the Pogues: Sarah, Kiara, John B, Pope, JJ, and Cleo, trading in the gold from the end of season 3. They received over $1 million which came as an exciting surprise for the 6 of them; however, unsurprisingly, by the end of episode 1, they end up penniless and desperate for money.
Fortunately enough, the Pogues are offered a compensated deal from an old man to break a ghostly curse that has been haunting his family for centuries. They accept and begin their expedition. This story line I found to be very cliche and disappointing. The previous seasons involved a lot of historical adventures that included ancient artifacts and old writings, and though this expedition had some historical aspects, it seems to lean more towards the supernatural side of things which I tend to find unrealistic and far-fetched.
The wealthier characters, Rafe and Topper, better known as the Kooks, continue their story lines and character development as well. Rafe in particular has made great improvements and his character is much more relaxed than in the seasons prior. Though he is famous for his explosive anger issues and abusive tendencies, his growth and willingness to change is impressive and in my opinion, a major bonus to the story.
Other than the new story lines, one of the most exciting things about season 4 of Outer Banks was the new relationship introductions. JJ and Kiara’s relationship, for instance, was definitely one that fans were most looking forward to seeing. At first, I was skeptical of how their relationship would play out because of how distant JJ seemed to be from Kiara. He seemed to still treat Kiara as a friend. I had high expectations for them going into the season and was initially pretty disappointed. Although their chemistry improves a bit throughout the season, it still didn’t quite live up to my hopes.
Another relationship debut in season 4, which is my personal favorite, is Rafe and Sophia. Sophia makes a very small appearance in season 3 but thankfully becomes a much bigger character in season 4. She is able to bring out the best in Rafe and it’s so exciting to see him care for someone like that. They certainly have their ups and downs, but I was enlightened to see them stick with each other and put in the work for their relationship.
The other couples, John B and Sarah, and Pope and Cleo, are still going strong as well. Their relationships are cute but definitely less interesting than the others. John B and Sarah’s relationship is inevitable and Pope and Cleo’s relationship is pretty forced. Cleo became a character much later in the series and seems to be there purely so that Pope is not the only one without a relationship. They definitely add some depth to the story, but overall are pretty boring in my opinion.
As part 1 of season 4 comes to a close, there are still many unanswered secrets and unresolved conflicts that will hopefully be concluded in part 2. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the show and I’m excited to watch the rest of the season when it drops on November 7th. Overall, I would give it a solid 8.5/10. Even though there were aspects that didn’t impress me as much, the show was still very much worth watching and I would definitely recommend it to people who haven’t yet seen the series.
All seasons of Outer Banks are available exclusively on Netflix so make sure to go watch the previous seasons and keep your eye out for part 2 of season 4 coming November 7th.
