*Contains spoilers for Outer Banks*

          The long-awaited third season of Outer Banks has finally been released. Everyone’s favorite Pogues have returned to Netflix, attempting to find the next big treasure: El Dorado. With not much more than a dream, bandana, and the occasional weapon, the group faces more adversity than they ever have before. This season features the largest treasure yet and higher stakes than ever, causing more fighting between the Pogues than seen in previous seasons. What makes this season great is that despite all of the fighting and all of the adversity, in the end, P4L dominates all other forces, keeping the group tighter-knit than ever before.

          At the start of the season, the core six (John B, JJ, Pope, Sarah, Kie, and Cleo) are stranded on what they have named Poguelandia. In the few scenes that we get of the group on the island, they seem to be managing better than expected. While I’m not sure that I believe this group of teenagers could so easily survive on a stranded island, this perfectly encapsulates what P4L means to them. They all work together seamlessly, despite their less-than-ideal circumstances and have created a beautiful way of life for themselves on this deserted island. However, their troubles really begin when they are “rescued” by a pilot named Jimmy Portis.  

          As they enter the plane, Sarah is wary that this is just another ploy by her father, Ward, but John B convinces her otherwise. Instead, the Pogues eventually find out that the pilot was hired by Carlos Singh, a mob boss in Barbados. When Kie is kidnapped by him, the others come together to make a plan to get her out. Meanwhile, Kie is stuck in Singh’s house with Rafe, a longtime enemy of the Pogues and brother of Sarah. In spite of their hatred for each other, the two devise a plan to escape knowing that their only chance out of that place is with the help of the other. After their escape, Rafe agrees to get Kie off the island via his boat with the stipulation that the rest of the Pogues would have to be left. P4L yet again reigns supreme as Kie steals the boat from Rafe and uses it to get the Pogues back to Kildare.

          Their return to the island causes more hardship than they could’ve expected. John B and Sarah begin to fight, as the return of Big John and Topper hurts their relationship. Secrets drive a wedge between John B and the rest of the group because Big John doesn’t trust the other Pogues with new information about El Dorado. JJ and Kiara wrestle with their feelings for each other, resulting in JJ arguing with Kie and going as far as to call her a Kook. When it seems like the Pogues are falling apart, Big John is taken by Singh to the Orinoco Basin to solve the riddle that will show them to El Dorado. In order to save him and find the treasure, the group must ignore their arguments and come together.

          As John B, Sarah, Cleo, and Pope take their flight to the Orinoco Basin, JJ breaks Kie out of the wilderness reeducation camp her parents sent her to. The two finally allow themselves to express their feelings, telling each other that they love each other. This is the first moment JJ allows himself to feel worthy enough to have Kie’s love. It also goes to show that despite all of the arguing they did earlier in the season, being a Pogue means helping each other no matter what.

          When the Pogues all meet up at the basin to find their way to El Dorado, they easily fall back into their roles and work together to save Big John. In the end, it’s clear that it doesn’t matter what harsh words were exchanged or what fists were thrown. P4L is stronger than it all.

Writer: Olivia Madrid

Artist: Olivia Madrid