The Pogues will be back in Outer Banks season 4. The third season recently dropped, but Netflix has already announced that the teen drama will return with more treasure-hunting adventures and romance.
Outer Banks follows a group of teens searching for buried treasure on the North Carolina coast: John B Routledge (Chase Stokes) and pals Kiara (Madison Bailey), Pope (Jonathan Daviss) and JJ (Rudy Pankow) are "Pogues" from working class families. John B ends up falling for Sarah Cameron (Madelyn Cline), a "Kook" with a wealthy father.
The teens become embroiled in a far-reaching conspiracy to find the hoard of gold, with the principal antagonist being Sarah's own dad, Ward (Charles Esten). Other potential treasures are dangled in front of the various hunters, and Outer Banks season 4 may feature the biggest one of them all.
Here's everything we know so far about Outer Banks season 4.
Outer Banks season 4 potential release date
Netflix has not set an Outer Banks season 4 release date yet.
However, it has been given the green light. The cast announced the renewal at Poguelandia, an immersive fan event. Netflix later shared the news on social media:
As far as a potential release date for Outer Banks season 4, we can speculate based on the show's history. The series debuted in April 2020, with season 2 following just 15 months later in July 2021.
However, season 3 took longer to make and was released over a year and a half later.
We'll get a better sense of season 4's arrival when production begins, since around a year elapses between the start of filming and the premiere. With no word of filming happening anytime soon, it likely won't begin until late spring or summer of this year.
Our best guess for the Outer Banks season 4 release date is sometime in summer 2024.
Outer Banks season 4 cast
Outer Banks season 4 cast will have most of the main players from the three previous installments.
The group would be led by Chase Stokes as John B Routledge, the leader of the Pogues, and Madelyn Cline as Sarah Cameron. Also returning are Madison Bailey as Kiara Carrera, Jonathan Daviss as Pope Heyward, Rudy Pankow as JJ Maybank and Carlacia Grant as Cleo.
The Outer Banks season 4 cast is also likely to include:
- Cullen Moss as Deputy Shoupe
- Elizabeth Mitchell as Carla Limbrey, a wealthy treasure seeker
- Austin North as Topper, Sarah's ex-boyfriend and a Kook
- Drew Starkey as Rafe Cameron, Sarah's older brother
- Julia Antonelli as Wheezie Cameron, Sarah's younger sister
- Caroline Arapoglou as Rose, Ward's wife and Sarah's stepmother
- E. Roger Mitchell as Heyward, Pope's father
- Samantha Soule as Anna Carrera, Kie's mother
- Gary Weeks as Luke, JJ's father
Two major cast members who may not be back include Charles Esten as Ward Cameron (Sarah's father) and Charles Halford as Big John (John B's father). Both dads died in the season 3 finale. However, the show has faked deaths before, so ... who knows!
Outer Banks season 4 plot and season 3 ending
In the season 3 finale, the Pogues head off to South American to look for the legendary treasure of El Dorado and rescue John B's dad, Big John. Of course, Sarah's father Ward is also on the scene, though the Pogues manage to get to the location first.
After solving a code, John B. and Sarah enter a cave filled with gold. Unfortunately, they are pursued by Carlos Singh, the villainous foe who struck a deal with Ward to split the treasure. During a confrontation, Big John helps his son and Sarah escape — killing Singh but also sealing the cave in the process.
Meanwhile, Ward has finally caught up to the group and threatens to shoot Big John. Singh's henchman Ryan also arrives, pointing a gun at Sarah. Ward saves her by tackling Ryan; they both plummet over a cliff, presumably to their deaths.
Big John, who's been injured, is losing blood. The Pogues try to get him to a doctor, but it's too late. He says farewell to his son one more time.
Fast forward 18 months. The Pogues are honored for solving the mystery of the El Dorado treasure. John B and Sarah have opened a surf shop, Kie is saving turtles, Pope is going to college, while JJ bought a charter boat.
Then, at a party, a new acquaintance shows them a 1718 captain's log by Edward Teach — none other than the (real) notorious pirate Blackbeard. The Pogues' treasure-hunting days aren't over!
The myth of Blackbeard's hidden/lost stash of gold is still floating around to this day. Treasure hunters have searched for it for centuries. One of the possible locations is off the coast of North Carolina, where the Pogues live.
Outer Banks season 4 will seemingly focus on this new quest for riches, while balancing the adventure with the different romances. John B and Sarah are back together and going strong, while Kiara and JJ have finally hooked up after years of friendship. Pope and Cleo are newly dating.
But the course of teen love never did run smooth, so we expect a lot of turbulence in these relationships.
Is Outer Banks season 4 the final season?
Netflix hasn't made any official statements about when Outer Banks will end. The show's co-creators Josh Pate, Jonas Pate, and Shannon Burke have previously said their plan was to run for four or five seasons. However, they recently hinted to Entertainment Weekly that Outer Banks might go on for some time — as Josh Pate joked, maybe as long as 17 seasons. Jonas Pate added, "In season 17, we'll be on Mars."
More seriously, Josh Pate said, "I don't know if I could put a real number on it right now — how long it takes to get to that ending might expand, but we now know the shape of the end of the story. We're going to take it as long as we can, for sure."
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