Warning: Spoilers about Outer Banks’ season four ahead. 

By Reid Campbell

As a fan of Netflix’s teen drama series Outer Banks, I was really excited about the release of season four this fall. The show has always been about thrilling treasure hunts and the drama between the characters. But after watching the new season, I felt as though something was missing. The action was still there, but it didn’t feel as exciting as before. Also, there was apparently some behind-the-scenes drama that was affecting what we watched. Similarly, the title is Outer Banks, yet a significant amount of the plot was nowhere near the actual Outer Banks in North Carolina.

The Outer Banks cast in Morocco.

In season four, the Pogues leave the Outer Banks for the first time and head to Morocco to hunt for a new treasure. It’s a drastic change from the sunny beaches and small-town vibe we’re used to. At first, I was eager to see them in a new place, thinking it would add something fresh to the show. The Morocco scenes (actually filmed on location in Morocco) looked incredible: there are deserts, busy markets, and old ruins, but not in the actual Outer Banks. The new location didn’t have that same feeling that made the Outer Banks so special. 

What’s missing from this season is the actual connection to the treasure. In the past few seasons, the treasure hunt felt important to the Pogues. It was about their future and relationships. However, in season four, it feels like the treasure is just a reason to move from one action scene to the next. The excitement is still there, but the storyline feels so repetitive like the show is just going through the same plot over and over. My sister Kenley Campbell (‘24) also felt the same way: “It really isn’t that good, it just seems like they are doing the same thing over and over.” 

Teddy Revere (‘26’) said, “The show felt a little too forced, but overall I liked it,” adding that it had him “glued to the TV.” Likewise, Owen Lingerfelt (‘26) thought, “it wasn’t bad, but I wasn’t the biggest fan of it taking place in Morocco.” I agree, but the show only has so much to write about, so they can’t stay in the Outer Banks the entire time.

However, the show also added another antagonist this season who plays his past very well. JJ, one of the Pogues played by Rudy Pankow, finds out his dad isn’t truly his dad, but that a new character, Chandler Groff (J. Anthony Crane) is. This addition of a new character leads to JJ trusting his father, which ends badly when Chandler kills JJ.

The characters go through some major changes. As the Pogues leave the Outer Banks, JJ has a tough time dealing with the betrayal from his father figure. This shakes him up and makes him question who he is. It adds some depth to his character, but it’s hard to really focus on that, because the treasure hunt feels less important this season. Instead of having a clear goal, like in past seasons, the plot seems more like a bunch of random adventures, which makes it harder to connect with the characters.

There has been some major backstage drama between actors Madelyn Cline (who plays Sarah Cameron)  and Pankow. Cline unfollowed Pankow on social media pages, leading to drama on set. Reports also say there was tension between Pankow and Madison Bailey (Kiara) due to their personal relationship, which made it hard to film romantic scenes. The producers resorted to having stunt doubles play romantic scenes instead of having the actors film the scenes together. Even at points, the two wouldn’t even be in the frame at the same time, and the crew would have to do close-ups of their faces. This tension may have led to Pankow’s character being killed off in season four.

All images courtesy of Netflix.