#outer banks s3 spoilers

[where-theres-smoak-2]

OBX Season 3 Review

I just finished watching the third season and honestly I have very few criticisms for this season, I think it was amazing definitely the best season they’ve done yet in my opinion. So just want to put a spoiler warning in here as I am going to be talking about some plot points and big moments that happen so if you haven’t caught up yet and don’t want to be spoiled scroll past this post. I have alot of thoughts so I’ve divided it into sections, if there’s a particular theme or subject that doesn’t really interest you then hopefully that will make it easier for you to get to the ones that do. 

Goodbye Island Paradise

This season was a bit different to the other two seasons in that the pogues were actually separated quite a lot this season, particularly John B who spent alot of the season with his dad. However I surprisingly didn’t mind that as I do think it fit the narrative and made sense within the story and for all the characters involved. I think being on the island, or more accurately, coming home from the island changed the pogues and they all struggled to reacclimate, they were on Poguelandia for a whole month, which is a long time so it makes sense that they would struggle to find their feet again once home. I do think they all struggle differently though. JJ seems to have the hardest time because he really had very little to come home too and then when he does get home its to an eviction notice on his home which really does leave him with pretty much nothing and I think the only reason he left that island was to be with the rest of the pogues, it was clear that he didn’t really want to leave. Kiara is having to deal with her parents and whilst at first they are happy to see her it quickly falls back into the same tensions and disagreements they were having before with her parents not wanting her around the pogues and in particular JJ. Whilst I do think part of her wanted to go home and see her parents I do think she, like JJ, ultimately was happier on the island and part of her also didn’t want to leave. I think Pope and Cleo have the easiest time reacclimating, I think he has a more understanding relationship with his parents and Cleo has really helped him appreciate that he really did have a good thing at home. For Cleo I think going to OBX was like a dream come true, I loved that scene when she is excited about having her own room for the first time. In some ways it was really sad because it highlights how tough a life she had previously but it was also really wholesome seeing how happy she was and I think she does fit in really well with Pope’s family and it seems like his parents really like her and she helped them have more trust in Pope. Sarah I think is very much in the same position as JJ in that she has no family or home to come back to, she did have John B but when his dad comes back he is so wrapped up in what is going on with his father that Sarah gets pushed out. I imagine it was a complicated situation as John B and Sarah had become use to it being just the two of them but for Big John it had always been him and John B against the world so its almost like Sarah and Big John and competing to be that person in John B’s life. Meanwhile you’ve got John B who I think obviously is very happy his father is alive but having spent a year without him is having to get used to having a father in his life again which is causing some issues in his relationship with Sarah. 

Big John’s Return

I do want to talk a bit about Big John and his arc throughout the season as it did take up a big chunk of the season. I do think they wrote his character very realistically. I loved the reunion between him and John B it was very moving. But the wholesome moments don’t last long as Big John is still very much on this treasure hunt and motivated by finding this big treasure. The relationship between John B and Big John does become tense because of this, especially when Big John makes it obvious that he doesn’t fully trust the other pogues and in particular Sarah. Again though I think this mistrust and paranoia makes sense for Big John’s character given everything he has gone through. He trusted Ward only for him to dump Big John’s lifeless body into the sea instead of calling for help, he thought he was being rescued by Singh’s men only for it to turn out he was being held hostage. It’s understandable after a year of fearing for his life that he will be struggling with trusting anyone and I think the only one he really does trust is John B. Obviously though John B is not comfortable with lying to the pogues as he has gone through so much with them and they’ve survived it by trusting each other and being there for each other. This leaves John B feeling really torn because on the one hand he is over the moon that his father is alive like he always believed he was and wants to be there for his dad but at the same time he doesn’t have that same level of mistrust that his dad does. Also it seems like Big John and John B see the gold very differently. Whilst Big John is very much still driven by finding the gold, John B seemed to me to just want to take a breath and spend time with his dad, I honestly think John B would have been good with forgetting the gold altogether and living in the chateau with his dad and Sarah. 

The Gold: An Escape or A Trap? 

One thing that I thought was interesting this season was them introducing this question of whether the gold was an escape or a trap and I loved how they explored that through the characters and how they see the gold and how they go about hunting for the gold. I think ultimately the answer to this question is that it is both and all comes down to how far you’ll go to get the gold. You have characters like Rafe and Singh, Limbrey and Ward who will risk it all for the gold (although I will say that Rafe and Ward can be anomalies at times in that they occasionally do have a conscience) they’ll kill and betray and even hurt their own family members if it will get them the gold. Limbrey kills her brother, Rafe tries to kill his sister and orders a hit man on Ward, Ward also tries to kill Sarah. For these guys the most important thing to them is the gold and they will do anything to get it, it consumes them in a very unhealthy and toxic way that leads them to do some heinous crimes but what’s interesting is all of them believe it is their destiny to find the gold whether that gold is the merchant gold, the cross or El Dorado itself. So when anybody gets in the way they become angry to the point of becoming unhinged because to them its not just somebody might get to the gold first and I’ll lose out, its somebody is getting in the way of my destiny. In this way the gold/treasure is undoubtedly a trap, its become such an all consuming part of their lives that they can no longer escape it. 

Then you have Big John who I think is kind of in the middle. I think for him the gold is both an escape and a trap. Whereas those I mentioned above mostly want the gold for themselves or because they’ve got some warped idea of destiny in their minds, Big John wants the gold so that he can give his son a better life and I really believe that is his driving force in the search for the gold. One of the most shocking scenes for me in Big John’s story arc was when he shoots and kills those two men from the coastal venture who were then working for Singh. The sudden brutality of it really caught me off guard and obviously its equally shocking to John B. It honestly left me very conflicted because on the one hand as the audience we know that Big John’s instincts were right and those men were going to kill John B but on the other is was upsetting seeing someone who had been painted as this victim of ward or as a hero become a killer. I think the difference between Ward, Rafe and the others mentioned above vs Big John though, is that whilst the others killed to save their own skin or to stop someone else getting the gold, Big John kills to protect his son. I really do believe that he saw that gun pointed at his son and acted on instinct. I think another difference is that whilst the others after killing one person keeps on killing anyone who gets in their way I don’t believe Big John does. I’m pretty sure the only other person he kills is Singh himself and even then its not like he kills him directly he throws the dynamite at the entrance to El Dorado and Singh gets killed trying to get to the stick before it explodes. But whilst I do think Big John has good intentions when it comes to the gold I do still think the trauma he has gone through combined with this desperation to provide a better life for his son has caused the gold to become a trap for him as well. He might not kill just anybody for the gold but he still does some pretty shady things in the name of it. Like for example trying to convince his son to hold up a little old lady to get her key card for the museum and keeping secrets from both the pogues and John B himself. Despite his good intentions he still gets caught in the trap of the gold and lets it consume him to the point where it almost becomes the only thing that matters to him. In his case though I do think that its John B that pulls him back to reality. In the end he chooses his son over the gold. 

Which brings me to the Pogues who I do think are on the opposite side of the spectrum. I would argue that when it comes to the Pogues the gold is more of an escape but one that is in danger of becoming a trap. I think the main difference with the Pogues though is that whilst they care about the gold and they want to find it, there never comes a moment when it becomes more important than each other. On several occasions when it has become a choice between choosing the gold or protecting/saving one of their own they have always chosen each other. When someone is hurt or at risk the gold ceases being important to them. An example is when Sarah gets shot in season 2, John B abandons the gold and takes care of Sarah his priority becomes saving her, when Pope gets stung and has an allergic reaction they abandon the cross in the church and focus on getting Pope medical attention and then in this season when Kiara is taken and they find the painting of the boat which held the merchant gold and the cross JJ says its not important as it doesn’t help them find Kiara. When they steal the fake cross off the train and JJ tries to draw the police away, Sarah and the other pogues make Topper turn around and go back for JJ even though that might risk them losing the cross and/or getting caught by the police themselves.

 Another difference is that the pogues have a line that they won’t cross which is killing others. When John B had the chance to kill Ward, a man who at the time he believed had killed his father, who he had just seen trying to kill Sarah, and who had tried to frame him for murder, he doesn’t take it. The same with JJ when he had a gun and was tempted to kill his father who had abused him his whole life he chooses not to. In this season when Pope is angry that Rafe melted the cross down and is tempted to kill Rafe again he chooses not to. Even when it comes to those who would harm or kill them, they will incapacitate but not kill them. For the Pogues the gold is that dream of escaping all their woes. Its breaking free from the system where the rich have everything and are treated with respect no matter what they do and how the poor have nothing but judgements thrown at them and are treated unfairly. The gold will allow them to run away and literally escape all their problems, the gold will offer them security for their futures. But the worry is whether it will become a trap for them, will it become an addiction that they can’t break free from. One thing I did notice, that I thought was interesting, is all those who will do anything for the gold are those who are already rich, who have had the taste of being rich and don’t want to lose that lifestyle and the power that comes with money. The question for season 4 is whether now that they have money will the pogues fall into the same trap as those before them and start to do anything to keep the wealth they’ve gained? 

Jiara 

So now I want to talk about the really good stuff, Jiara. They were amazing this season and so so well written. Like I love their story this season dude. Again I think it also tracked for these characters and there was no point that I thought oh so and so wouldn’t have reacted like that or wouldn’t have done that. As I said above I do think neither JJ nor Kiara really wanted to leave Poguelandia and were both happier there, I loved all their scenes on the island of them fishing together and how they were talking about how being on the island was just like what they were talking about their surf trip being. One of the best scenes acting wise for me was the one in episode 4 when they’ve got home and Kiara comes to talk to JJ after they nearly kiss on the boat. Both actors did amazing jobs this season and this scene was just chef kiss good. I liked that they made the distinction that whilst it was weird for them both it wasn’t bad weird. Like when Kie said it was weird to Pope after they hooked up I think she did mean it was bad weird, she felt awkward and I don’t think she did it for the right reasons really, I think it was more she was confused and knew how Pope felt about her and didn't want to hurt his feelings. But with JJ I think its that things are changing and its different but I don’t hate it kind of weird. The tension in the moment when they are almost about to kiss was amazing and you can see JJ is really struggling to resist her but he is also struggling with all this self doubt and so he backs away and has this whole kind of monologue about how they shouldn’t be doing it and how he’s a loser and how could she care about him before trying to convince himself that she doesn’t care about him. I think this complete freak out makes a lot of sense for JJ’s character, as Kiara says later in the episode, it freaks him out when people get close. He is too used to being told that he’s worthless and no good etc that he believes it to be true and believes he is unworthy of love, JJ is just not someone who is used to having nice things so it makes sense that he would be scared of things changing between him and Kiara and it not working out and that meaning he loses his friendship with her too.

I really hated the scene when Mike starts berating JJ and saying that he ruined Kiara’s life and that she is better off with out him etc and then JJ who actually remained pretty calm throughout all that and only replied that he meant no disrespect then hears Mike saying everyone sees JJ as a thief and no good for nothing and how he’s just like his father. What I hated about this was that everything Mike said is exactly what JJ already thinks of himself and hearing Kiara’s father say the same things only reinforces that in his mind and makes him decide that things between him and Kiara could never work, that he really is no good for her and so he takes the money clip. I do think there is alot more to JJ taking the money clip than just he stole from her dad. Kiara is obviously upset with JJ for doing this but its because she knows him well enough to know why he really did it and it wasn’t because oh if I’m called a thief I might as well get something out of it. It was him deliberately throwing obstacles and roadblocks in the way of their relationship. Its him giving up on the chance of them becoming something more and also making it more difficult for them to even have a friendship. This is really hurtful for Kiara because she is being really honest and open about how she feels and is trying to be understanding of JJ and saying she gets that he is freaked out and is trying to work through those feelings with JJ but he is shutting down and acting like he doesn’t care. It’s almost like he is trying to make her hate him or lose those feelings for him in some misguided attempt to save her from himself. 

The money clip comes up again at the anniversary party when JJ is annoyed when Kiara says she can’t leave right then. JJ kind of throws it in her face because he knows it’ll hurt her. But again Kiara sees right through it and knows its not the money clip that’s the problem its the reason behind why JJ did it that is and that’s what is hurtful to her, so she calls him out on it. When I tell you I legit gasped out loud when she said she loves him, I was not expecting it as soon as we got it, I thought there weren’t going to get any confessions or anything like that until the end of the season but I was really happy that she did. It did kind of break JJ though I think, he seemed to struggle to string a sentence together and his thoughts were all over the place. I just don’t think JJ was in the right head space to be hearing it, again JJ just hasn’t been given much love in the past so his instinct to Kiara telling him she loves him is to wonder why? How? What about him could she possibly love? Honestly its really sad how much damage his parents and others have done to him that he can’t accept it when someone does love him. It also really sucks for Kiara and I felt so sorry for her, especially after JJ says it won’t work and that when he gets back maybe he’ll see her at the break. Its like she is pouring her heart out here and he’s being dismissive of her. Yet she knows him well enough to know why he’s behaving like that and I honestly don’t know if that makes it better or worse for her. 

I also loved JJ’s whole rescue mission when Kiara is taken to Kitty Hawk. Also side note here but what the hell were her parents thinking with this move?! Their daughter had confided in them that she was abducted and she feared she was going to die and they thought the best response was to have her manhandled into the back of a car while she screamed for them to let her go and cart her off somewhere she didn’t want to go, because yeah that’s not going to trigger her at all, that’s not going to add to her trauma. Seriously they made me so mad this season. But anyway I loved how JJ was able to see the cat photo the camp worker had and then manipulate the situation with the whole her cat died story. I also loved how Kiara figured out that is was JJ and goes along with it, also her little smile when she sat on the bed and knew that JJ was coming to get her made my heart so warm. Their reunion in cabin 6 was also such a great moment, the way they looked at each other and hugged. JJ apologising was also a great pay off. Again because he’s not really apologising for the money clip he’s apologising for not giving them a chance and for shutting her out. Them saying I love you to each other was perfect, like with Kiara she was so happy that he was there and it was almost like you’re a goof but I love you. With JJ you could hear the relief in his voice when he said it like finally he had given in and was ready to take a chance on them. It just felt so real. And of course their kiss was epic too, I felt like they did a great job of building up to it throughout the season so it felt very well earned. Also I couldn’t help but laugh at all the girls cheering in the background and JJ trying to get them to hush up. You just know that was the most exciting thing that had happened to those girls since they had got locked up in that camp, you just know that jiara have become a legend at the camp now where every new arrival hears the story about how one of the girls was rescued by her lover and they tore away in the middle of the night like bonnie and clyde. 

There is only one criticism I have when it comes to Jiara and its probably me being greedy but I do wish we had gotten a kiss or something in the finale, they spent a whole season building them up but then there wasn’t really anything in the finale other than some light flirting when they were on the bus and them smiling and making heart eyes at each other in the time jump scene at the end. I’d have liked just one more little kiss or an arm around her shoulders on the bus, something like that. But otherwise Jiara were definitely the highlight of the season for me. 

Cleope  

 The moment Cleo and Pope made that no love club I think we all knew it wasn’t going to last and they’d fall in love with each other. I do think they have great chemistry with each other and I enjoyed their journey this season. I think they had much better chemistry than Pope and Kie and it felt alot more balanced between him and Cleo if that makes sense. I do love how Cleo seemed to ground Pope. I think he was beginning to feel very lost with everything that happened between him and Kie and finding out about Denmark's story and how much injustice his ancestor faced plus losing his scholarship, the gold and the cross. I loved the scene where after finding out Rafe melted the cross down and deciding to take the gun and go after him, Cleo was able to talk Pope down and just give him that hug he really needed. I also loved seeing Cleo blend so easily in with Pope’s family and getting to have nice things for a change. There was a little moment at the table, I think in ep 3, when Pope and Cleo are being a bit flirty and giving each other heart eyes and Pope’s mum and dad just give each other the side eye like hey are you seeing what’s going on here that I thought was really amusing. It was obvious they approved of Cleo and I wouldn’t be surprised if they are already mentally planning their wedding. I did think the way Pope and Cleo fell in love was very natural and it didn’t feel forced at all and I also love how Cleo let Pope know she had feelings for him by quitting the no love club. Their kiss was also really sweet and I am really looking forward to seeing where their relationship goes in season 4. 

Jarah 

Ok so I have always loved John and Sarah and that romeo and juliet vibe they’ve got going on. This season they are a bit distant with John’s dad coming back and that causing tension between them which ultimately leads to Sarah making a mistake and kissing Topper. Honestly I hated that Sarah cheated on John B especially as she already has this rep in previous seasons of being a cheater with her getting with John B before breaking up with Topper and with Wheezie’s comment about her cheating on every boyfriend she’s had, I was kind of hoping that John B would be different and she wouldn’t cheat on him. That being said I do get how it makes sense within the narrative. Sarah is clearly struggling with the trauma of having both her brother and father try to kill her, she’s home now but John B is being distant with her and I just think she was feeling very lost and had no where to go after her argument with John B. So when she is invited to hang out with Topper and the other Kooks it reminds her of her life before it all went wrong, when her dad was still her hero and her family were all together. She also had been drinking and all of that leads to her making a mistake with Topper. To be fair to her she clearly regrets it in the morning and she does tell John B pretty quick, its not like she tries to hide it for weeks on end. I think she was feeling pretty bad when John B showed up and was really apologetic. It caused some chaos though as John B rightfully was very upset and that lead to him beating Topper and ending things with Sarah. Which then lead to him having charges pressed against him and again this shows that bias towards the kooks because whilst yes it was wrong for John B to beat Topper like that I remember another instance back in season 1 when Topper tried to drown John B and John B didn’t go pressing charges. I think Topper really is as bad as John B when it comes to them getting into fights.   

I do think Sarah shows her loyalty to John B when she does everything she can to get him out after he is arrested. I think she felt it was partly her fault that John B was arrested because it was her cheating that lead John B to attack Topper. I think getting him out but also getting her dad’s plane to get them to south america was all her way of showing him look I am on your side and I am still with you. I also did like their reconciliation scene, you know before it all literally went up in flames. I am also glad that we had a few reminders that they are, or at least they consider themselves as, married. I do wish that we’d get a scene of Sarah admitting or acknowledging that John B is her husband to someone as we’ve only really seen John B referring to Sarah as his wife to others apart from that one scene when Sarah tells Kie. I get the feeling that to John B it was real, like he meant those vows and he really does see Sarah as his wife. But with Sarah there are times where it doesn’t seem as serious to her and is almost like a little funny thing that they did. So I would like in season 4 for Sarah to either refer to him as her husband or for them to make it legit and legal, I mean the 18 month time jump must make them if not already 18 then close to it. 

Topper

There were moments in this season where I did actually feel sorry for Topper. Like he does get messed around a bit by Sarah and its understandable that he is getting mixed signals from her. I did think that whole sequence of him helping the pogues steal the cross because they need his truck was really amusing especially when he tells her that she’s from a good family how can she live like this because like dude two members of her family are killers and rose is such an enabler always telling ward that he did what he had to do and he’s good man really, the only one other than sarah that you could really consider good is wheezie, that’s your idea of a good family Topper really? It was very obvious that Topper is not cut out for the Pogue life that’s for sure, but it still gave us some surreal yet comedic moments. I can also get that Sarah kissing him would have messed with him a bit too, but any sympathy I may have had for him went flying out the window when he decided to set the Chateau on fire with everyone inside. Pretty sure that would count as attempted murder. I do think that Topper has a really unhealthy obsession with Sarah, I didn’t like how after their kiss he just automatically assumed that they were back together without talking with Sarah. I get that he felt like he had been used after he didn’t press charges thinking John B will be gone and Sarah would stay, because lets be real Sarah was manipulating him there, but his reaction to finding out she was with John B being burning down their house was going way too far. 

Rafe

Oh Rafe you sure are a complicated one. I mean there were moments where he does do the right thing this season like helping Kie escape and stopping the hitman on his father but it was mostly him just getting up to his usual antics. I couldn’t believe it when he tried to argue that he was as much a victim as Peterkin, she’s dead dude and you’re still going around killing people to benefit yourself. I mean that poor husband who just wanted to buy jewellery for his girl, dead because Rafe needed his hat and wallet. I also couldn’t believe that he melted down that cross. I have always loved history, I even studied Archaeology at university and went on a few digs before ill health got in the way of me pursuing it any further as a career and so I felt that at a truly personal level like it pained me seeing a one of kind, historical artefact get melted down out of greed, even a fictional one. For that reason alone Rafe is permanently in my bad books. Still I can’t deny that Drew is an amazing actor who really does deliver every time. I am curious to see where they go with Rafe in season 4 and also what happens with his relationship with that girl he was hooking up with, think her name was Sophie, as I do think she could potentially be a good influence on him, it did seem like she was the one to convince him to not kill his dad. Guess we’ll have to wait and see how that all plays out. 

Finding El Dorado 

Most of the finale episode was focused on them finding and getting to El Dorado. I did think it was a good finale. There was plenty of action but there was also that classic OBX humour, like when JJ and Kie arrive on the bus and straight away see Pope and Cleo but then also immediately have to run, I love Kie saying already but we just got here, another funny moment was when Sarah and John B find Big John because they happen to be under the window of the room he is being kept in and hear him shouting. Sometimes I think these Pogues just get wins through pure luck. I liked seeing Big John start the episode being really mistrusting of Sarah to the point of not wanting to tell John B details that might help to actually trusting her and letting her and John B go on ahead without him and kind of passing the baton over to them. I also liked the look they went for with El Dorado itself it looked really beautiful and the kind of riddle you had to solve from the stone artefact and how you could only see the entrance to it in the dark was really fun. I adored the moment John B and Sarah actually found El Dorado. Like when they found the merchant gold or when they found the cross, you could just see the euphoria on their faces and how emotional they got. There is only one thing I would change about this scene and that is I wish the other pogues were there too to celebrate with them. 

 Another thing I liked was that when it came down to protecting his son or leaving the way open to come back for the gold Big John chose his son. I knew the moment that we saw he had been shot that Big John was going to die but I do feel like it was the right move for both Big John and Ward to die and for them to close that chapter of the story. I do think that Ward and Big John’s stories paralleled each other. They both became obsessed with the treasure which lead them down a darker, more violent path, but ultimately they both sacrificed their lives to save their children. However even though I think it was right for the story it was still really sad. 

I will admit that when first Ward then Singh’s top man showed up I was like oh here we go again they’re going to lose the treasure, because of course they can’t have nice things. So I was pleasantly surprised when they did actually manage to keep hold of the gold. Ward’s death I think was a redeeming moment for him as he chooses his daughter and dies to protect her. I also thought it was a good contrast between when he faked his death in season 2 as in that scene John B was really unable to comfort Sarah because of his own feelings about Ward and as Sarah said he looked glad which made it really hard for Sarah. So I am glad that this time John B was there and was comforting her, up until Pope notices that Big John isn’t doing so well that is. 

I did think Big John dying was really emotional, like that must have been really heartbreaking for John B, he spent a whole year believing his father was alive when everyone else was telling him he was dead and now he was having to watch his father die in his arms. I did choke up a bit when Big John takes both John B’s and Sarah’s hands and puts them together telling John B to hold onto this one and that he’s the best son anyone could have, John B putting the gold in his hand and telling him he did it, the whole scene was really heartbreaking but the part that had me full on crying was when Big John said ‘I’ll see you at home kid’ right before passing away and then you hear those damn bells in the background, I had to pause the episode to pull myself together. The memorials they made for both Ward and Big John were also nice tributes to them. 

18 Months Later 

You know this season did kind of feel like the last season of a series which really makes me wonder if they thought they weren’t getting another season. I mean it seemed like they wrapped quite a bit up, all the pogues were paired off and in love, Ward and Big John’s deaths, the Pogues finally getting the gold. But this time jump scene left me with soo many questions. Like we get some answers, Kie is saving turtles, JJ has a charter boat (which I like to think is where Kie is saving turtles from) Pope is going to school and Sarah and John B own a surf shop. But what’s going on with Cleo? Is she going to go to school with Pope? Is she going to stay with the Heywards and help them out whilst Pope is gone? Where are they all living? Did John B use some of the gold to rebuild the Chateau or did he and Sarah move into that condo her dad gave her the keys to, did they buy a whole new house or have living quarters above their business? What about JJ? I’m assuming he paid off his restitution and Barracuda Mike, did he also get his home back? What happened with Topper, last we saw of him he was pressing charges against John B so how did John B get out of that? Did he have enough money now to settle out of court or did he just threaten Topper that he knew he burned the Chateau down and if he dropped the charges John B wouldn’t press charges against Topper for what would have been a more serious crime? What happened with Kiara and her parents because honestly it made me so angry that they were there cheering after everything they did to her? Also the world knows that they found El Dorado so did they show the gold to someone and then have an excavation team go out and reopen the entrance to it because it seems unlikely that people are just going to believe a bunch of teens even with the gold? What’s the deal with this whole blackbeard guy? Is he genuine or is he a villain? Just so many questions. It’s going to be a long wait until season 4. 

Anyway that’s all I’ve got for now. As I said I did really enjoy the season. It had great character development and plot twists and I still really love this show.      

[bestfriendsincethe3rdgrade]

The way JJ lost 2 dads and 2 houses/homes in the span of 2 seasons 🥲

[lydiaas]

KIARA CARERRA & JJ MAYBANK in S03E09 WELCOME TO KITTY HAWK

[aimeegbbs]

MULTIFANDOM MEME: 2/15 SHIPS ➤ KIARA & JJ (OUTER BANKS)

[1liv]

[kiekiecarrera]

JJ and Kiara in 3x01

if you could go home to your parents’ house on Figure Eight this instant, would you do it? No chance.

[obxhub]

KIARA & SARAH in OUTER BANKS 3.04: THE DIARY

[peeta-mellark]

JIARA

Outer Banks 3x03 ↳ “Fathers and Sons”

[elainiisms]

god hates me

[singt0me]

listen if kiara has to kiss every single guy in her friend group before she realises she’s a lesbian then i support her.

at the same time if jj has to kiss kiara before he realises he’s in love with her sort of ex then i support him too

[where-theres-smoak-2]

Jiara Season 4 Prediction

I’ve seen a lot of conversation around whether JJ and Kiara are together post time jump and I saw Madison’s interview where she said it was left ambiguous which got me thinking. Personally I do think this is all just to generate engagement and to get fans talking about the show. From what I understand the Jiara fandom is pretty big and so by keeping them ambiguous they can keep the fans speculating and keep the interest in the show up during the wait for season 4. So I don’t think Jiara fans should be too worried about Jiara in season 4 because I don’t think they would have put all that effort into them this season, or setting them up in previous seasons, just to throw it all out the window come season 4. 

That being said I did wonder if they do decide to go the route of they broke up in the time jump what could have brought that break up about? What I came up with is definitely your typical teen drama cliché but I think it could work if written properly. So here’s my theory, in season 2 Kiara mentions that her parents are afraid that she is going to sleep with a pogue and get pregnant like her mum did with her. It’s one of their biggest fears and part of the reason why they don’t like Kiara hanging around with the pogues. JJ’s biggest fear, meanwhile, is that he is going to turn out just like his dad. We know that they are planning to do flashbacks in season 4 to show what happened during that missing time. Now I don’t think Kiara will get pregnant but I do think its possible that one of those flashbacks will be Jiara having a pregnancy scare. Kiara thinks she might be pregnant and confides in JJ who then freaks out. Facing the prospect of potentially becoming a father makes JJ think of his own and then his self doubt creeps in and he figures there’s no way he could ever possibly be a good father because he had such a crappy example, that he’d end up ruining the life of any child he has and messing that kid up. It would also create some potential drama between Kie and her parents if they find out because you know they would pull the ‘we told you so’ card and blame it all on JJ and it would be another reason why they disapprove of JJ and of Kiara being around the pogues. I think ultimately when they take a test it’ll come back negative, or they’ll get a false positive but it’ll later be confirmed by a doctor that she isn’t, but the whole situation will get JJ thinking about their future and how if things go well between them the natural progression over time would lead to marriage and children. But these things are triggering for JJ due to his parent’s splitting up and the result of that being Luke being a crappy ass father which feeds into JJ’s fears about becoming a crappy father himself. The pregnancy scare just makes things way too real for JJ so he breaks up with Kie figuring it would be better to do it now than to risk them becoming more serious years down the line. Seeing as JJ is such an impulsive and volatile character who is prone to self sabotage and the fact that Kie isn’t the kind to give up on JJ that easily as proven this season, I also wouldn’t be surprised if he tries to cement this break up and try to deliberately turn Kie against him by either deliberately getting caught by Kie with another girl or by telling her he cheated on her when he didn’t. It really depends just how teen drama messy they want to go with it. 

So that’s my theory, I just feel like with how strong they left Jiara at the end of season 3 pre time jump, what with them confessing that they love each other and having worked through JJ’s self doubt issues and fears it has to be something pretty big to cause that break if they do decide to have them break up. Also to me the most logical way of doing it is to stick with the issues that they’ve already established in past seasons such as JJ’s issues with his father and self worth and Kie’s issues with her parents and their fears around her being lead estray by hanging with the pogues. Hopefully though there is no break up and when we come back for season 4 it’ll turn out they were all just trolling us with this ambiguity talk and Jiara are happily in love and all the flashbacks will just be them being cute and adorable in the early stages of their relationship.     

[bestfriendsincethe3rdgrade]

What was the significance in burning the Chateau down? I don't mean from Topper's perspective, that one's obvious.

I mean it was John B's home. The home he grew up in, with it being just him and his dad. The thing he still had well after his dad went missing. It was the designated hangout for the Pogues, a place where they could all be together. It wasn't much but it meant a lot because it was always enough.

But burning it down? It didn't signify an end to the obx being John B's home; he's still there well over a year after. Yeah, his perception of his dad gradually became tainted throughout the season, but in the end they were still on good terms. The Pogues are arguably as strong as ever -- they literally watched it burn to the ground together.

So is it just me or was that just a little out of nowhere? Unnecessary arson to one up Pope for sinking Topper's expensive ass boat by taking away one of the few things John B actually had to call his own?? Idk

[lydiaas]

KIARA CARERRA & JJ MAYBANK in S03E09 WELCOME TO KITTY HAWK Uhh you know that whole entire money clip and Dad situation? Well, um, that wasn’t that cool and I’m kinda beating around the bush a little bit, but, um, I’m...

[rotteneldritchhorror]

hate to say it-- kinda love how this season was shot...

the interviews being shot like that is so incredibly funny, the jj breakdown scene/longshot is literally a cinematic masterpiece, hate to say it but the surrealism of the nighttime scenes being so badly set during "night" is kinda iconic to me, some of the hand-held moments, the zoomes-

this season is kinda fucked up (cough cough. *stares*) but tbh.... its definitely not my least favorite

[reggieslocket]

one thing about me is that i'll never forgive the obx writers for not giving us the jj and pope's best friends to lovers arc AND ruining their friendship with that love triangle thing and like two seconds of screentime as if in season one and two they weren't always attached at the hip

[velvet-pumpkin]

Mr. Carrera Mike.

It’s the respectful “Mr. and Mrs.” when Kie’s parents are insulting him, but he loses any semblance of respect as soon as he finds out they sent her away.