“Outer Banks” is one of the biggest shows among teens right now, and with the fourth season  making number one on Netflix’s weekly top ten list at its release along with the other three, it is clear “Outer Banks” is continuing to get bigger. Following their release of season four on Oct. 10, “Outer Banks” managed to stay in the spotlight since its release last month, with 1.2 billion minutes streamed. The show follows the life of a group of four friends, John B, Kiara, JJ, and Pope, also known as “The Pogues,” who embark on a mission to find a lost treasure linked to the disappearance of John B’s father.

The season starts off with “The Pogues” trying to build their dream home with the money acquired from the gold last season. The gold was acquired from the cave at the end of season three, in which John B and Sarah find is filled with gold. For a short moment, they savor their freedom until they find themselves losing all the money because JJ bid too high on a house and the sale was invalid.

After they lost their money to the house, and in an effort to make some more, they take an offer from Wes Genrette, a rich man who claimed his family was haunted by a curse which killed his daughter. Genrette offered them money to find Black Beard’s treasures, a red amulet, knowing about the curse which surrounds it. While diving to find the amulet in the shipwreck, Kiara and JJ encountered another man who was also trying to find the treasure. After almost being killed by the man in the water, they realized how dangerous the mission was, and how much the amulet was worth, which was way more than what they were getting paid.

In part two of the season, they find out their house sale was invalid, and they find themselves without a home and severely in debt again. With the last of their money down the drain, “The Pogues” set out on another quest to find the ancient blue crown worth millions of dollars in Morocco with the help of Rafe Comeron, their friend from previous seasons. 

The plot in this season was easier to follow, with every minute of screen time being packed with plot and nonstop drama. From going to Morocco, to the constant surprises in the hunt for the treasure, this season kept viewers’ attention on the screen and continued to exceed expectations throughout the season.

Starting with the biggest surprise of the season, the last episode ends with the devastating death of the beloved character JJ. Just as “The Pogues” beat Groff, who is revealed to be JJ’s dad,  and the others and finally obtain the crown, Groff brutally stabs JJ in exchange for Kie who had been held captive by them. 

JJ’s death was a tragic moment that fans will mourn in the coming season; however, it also showed his deep love for Kie. While this was a heartfelt and emotional moment for the characters, JJ’s sudden death may cause a lack of viewers next season. He supplied comedic relief and lightheartedness to the show which was one of the reasons fans loved it so much.

This season, the show felt more on the serious end and there were less careless and humorous scenes. The show slowly started to drift away from the ways of the old seasons and started to depend less on the Pogue and Kook rivalry and more on the characters’ problems. With the shift in the show’s nature, there were also a lot more dangerous and intense moments which in some cases were hard to believe. 

Overall, this season of “Outer Banks” was an emotional rollercoaster for the fans watching; despite the sad ending, “Outer Banks” continues to try and satisfy fans even with the loss of JJ.“Outer Banks” has been renewed for a fifth season which will release sometime in 2025, hopefully making the rest of the show worthwhile, with “The Pogues” getting their happy ending.