“Outer Banks” Season 4 feels just as good as the first, which is quite an unexpected feat.
There’s a new hunt for treasure, romance brewing, family secrets, new villains and of course near-death experiences.
Part 1 of the season has it all.
One of its only downfalls may come from the fact that the show — which is known for its summer fun — is now airing in the fall, making it lose some of that playful charm. There also might be one too many romances for my taste.
Nonetheless, it’s still quite enjoyable and reminiscent of “The Goonies.”
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
Nothing is ever quite smooth sailing for the Pogues and as John B. (Chase Stokes) says, they’re “back in the G game.”
What is ‘Outer Banks’ Season 4 about?
“Outer Banks” Season 4 Part 1 takes place after the Pogues found the gold in El Dorado. (P.S. Maybe catch up on Seasons 1-3 before reading this review.) They return to North Carolina and the Cut, finally having won.
To make the best use of their money, they decide to buy back JJ’s (Rudy Pankow) house and create Poguelandia 2.0 — a home for all of them and a bait, tackle and chartered-tour shop.
Things finally seem to be settling down for the group as they are surfing, working and having fun. That doesn’t last long, as some silly choices leave them without the $13,000 they need for their property tax payment.
About 18 months after finding over a million dollars in gold, they’re left penniless.
This is when they are approached by Wes Genrette (David Jensen), a direct ancestor of Francis Genrette — a British officer who caught and killed Blackbeard and his wife Elizabeth.
He is willing to offer the friends money if they’re willing to help him on another treasure hunt. Of course, they think it will be a simple task, but fans know that nothing ever comes easy for the Pogues.
Sofia deserves her flowers
Viewers are introduced to Sofia (Fiona Paloma) in Season 3 of “Outer Banks” as a brief fling for Rafe Cameron (Drew Starkey). However, she is brought back in Season 4 as a more prominent character, and thank goodness for that.
Although you’d automatically think that anyone hanging out with Rafe has to be crazy, Sofia is sweet and seems to bring him back to Earth on several occasions. She is the only form of family Rafe has left, because Sarah (Madelyn Cline) won’t talk to him, Ward is dead and Rose and Wheezie seem to be far away from Figure 8.
The best part about Sofia is that she’s not a Kook, meaning that her family doesn’t come from money and instead, she works catering and bartending jobs.
She seems to be all in on being there for Rafe, till he puts his foot in his mouth and says that she’s not his girlfriend despite sleeping together. This leads Sofia to make a rash decision and honestly, you can’t even blame her for it because this is Rafe Cameron we’re talking about.
I appreciate that she encourages him to talk to Sarah and doesn’t stand for the way the Pogues are treated by the Kooks.
Overall, I think Sofia is pretty badass and a great addition to the show.
One too many romances?
I know everyone has been rooting for JJ and Kiara (Madison Bailey) to get together since Season 1 of “Outer Banks,” and I was probably one of those people.
But now that it’s happened, I can’t say I’m jumping for joy.
I fear that the whole will-they-won’t-they drama was better than the passive love story they have now.
The group of Pogues are all coupled up with Sarah and John B. “married,” JJ and Kiara dating and Pope (Jonathan Daviss) and Cleo (Carlacia Grant) with their whole thing.
Although it’s nice to see the teens all have someone by their side, I wish there was at least one less romance.
I mean, can guys and girls not just be friends anymore? Does everyone have to be dating each other?
On the other hand, I think what might be lacking from Season 4 of “Outer Banks” is the tension. There’s no one to root for anymore because everyone’s together and just happy. It’s kind of boring. I mean where’s the passion?
I need some fresh air.
Villains, villains and more villains
The new adventure that the Pogues are going on is amusing with an air of spookiness.
The show incorporates the tales of the notorious pirate Blackbeard while fictionalizing them to fit the plot. And, of course, new villains are introduced, as the Pogues are never the only ones searching for riches.
Lightner (Rigo Sanchez) is a dangerous and calculating stranger who is out for blood. He reports to Dalia (Pollyanna McIntosh), a tough and strong-headed leader who seems to be following someone’s instructions.
The Pogues also deal with Chandler Groff (J. Anthony Crane), Wes's son-in-law who may not be who he says he is. They face Kooks like Ruthie (Mia Challis) and Topper (Austin North) — who prove to just be an annoyance — and Shoupe as he keeps a watch over the teens.
Rafe seems to be in his own mess too, as realtor Hollis Robinson (Brianna Brown) has her eyes set on him.
All the new villains are interesting and don’t make things easy for the ragtag group of teens.
In the world of “Outer Banks” you can’t really trust anyone except for your friends.
From 'Outer Banks' to 'MaXXXine':Here's what's new on Netflix, Max, Hulu and Prime in October
Where to watch 'Outer Banks' Season 4?
You can watch "Outer Banks" Season 4 Part 1 on Netflix and catch up on previous episodes of the series on the platform.
The standard with adsplan costs$6.99 per month, the standard without ads costs $15.49 per month and the premium plan is $22.99 per month. Extra member slots can be added for $7.99 per month.
What time does 'Outer Banks' come out?
"Outer Banks" Season 4 Part 1 comes out at midnight PT/MT and 3 a.m. ET on Thursday, Oct. 10.
Reach the reporter atdina.kaur@arizonarepublic.com. Follow@dina_kauron X, formerly known as Twitter.
Support local journalism.Subscribe to azcentral.com today.