The legendary Pogues of Kildare Island returned for a fourth season of Outer Banks filled with more edge-of-your-seat moments than ever before. The action-mystery series released the first five episodes of season four on Oct. 10, with the last five coming out nearly a month later on Nov. 7.
To say the lives of the North Carolina teens are wildly unpredictable would be an understatement. They are practically magnets to adventure and have ended up in treasure hunt after treasure hunt, but through it all learned about loyalty, courage and the true meaning of friendship. John B., JJ, Pope, Kiara, Sarah and Cleo go through major highs and deafening lows in season four, so stick around to find out more about it.
This season’s main focus was centered around – you guessed it – another treasure hunt. Season three left off with the Pogues just discovering El Dorado, a lost “city of gold” that made them rich. They bought a house on the water and even set up a bait and tackle shop, naming their property “Poguelandia” after the deserted island they lived on for 18 months in season two. Yeah, it’s been a wild ride.
The Pogues then get a strange request from an old man named Wes Genrette who believes he is haunted by the ghost of his ancestor and well-known pirate Blackbeard’s wife who died at sea. Knowing about their keen scavenger-hunting skills, he asks the group to find the amulet she had in order to break the curse.
After Wes dies under mysterious circumstances, his son-in-law Chandler Groff requests for the group to continue the search for the amulet and offers $50,000 if they can.
Being the Pogues, they said yes and from there it all began. Along the way, they found out more about the history of Blackbeard and the Genrettes. They eventually learn about the “Blue Crown”, a priceless artifact related to Blackbeard, and dive deeper into the amulet search, because it may be a step in finding the Blue Crown.
A few close calls with death, a discovery about Sarah’s and John B.’s “Poguelet” and a crazy realization about JJ’s biological parents later, they end up in Morocco, the location of the hidden Blue Crown. But wait, who’s also there? Chandler Groff and a group of North-African nationalists who also want the treasure. How convenient.
Possibly the single most controversial moment in Outer Banks happens just after the Pogues finish fighting off the nationalists and finally get their hands on the crown. Chandler Groff (the man who was – shockingly – revealed to be JJ’s biological father earlier in the season) ends the family reunion and his son’s life as he steals the Blue Crown from the Pogues.
If you’ve been here since season one, you would know the impact JJ had on the group and the show itself. While he was irrational and had an unmatched passion for revenge at times, he was an integral aspect of Outer Banks with such devotion and love for his fellow Pogues, not to mention his hilarious season four dance scene that had viewers smiling from ear to ear. Many fans, myself included, are rightfully devastated to hear this news.
These 10 episodes truly conveyed a storyline that came with lots of unpredictable moments, which is on-brand for the show. Like seasons one through three, the plot started rather slow and conservative (with the Pogues trying to refrain themselves from trouble) but inevitably quite the opposite occurs.
Some people don’t like the pattern followed in each season, but I find it comforting. It is like going on the same roller coaster at a different amusement park. You know what it will loosely consist of, but there will be a large element of surprise within.
I thoroughly enjoyed how each character got to be equally a part of the mission to find the treasure. Besides a few arguments between the Pogues, they managed to get along just as they had in previous seasons, which also paid tribute to their unbreakable bond.
Looking at the visual aspects, the camera work didn’t disappoint. Every scene was filled with multiple unique angles that made the show that more intriguing. For example, boat scenes included overhead views of the water and high-speed camera work was used during action scenes. Certain scenes were very long and detailed, while others were short and sweet. Sometimes a 30-second clip with just a few words exchanged spoke louder than one that may have been minutes long, and the filmmakers recognized that.
All in all, I give Outer Banks 4.5 out of 5 stars. I really appreciated the attention to detail through the most insane combination of events. The show may be over for now, but season five is expected to be released sometime in 2026 and that will conclude the Outer Banks series.
