Editor’s Note: The following incorporates spoilers for Season 3 of Outer Banks.
Outer Banks is again for a 3rd season and as regular, the Pogues discover themselves in fairly a predicament. This time, they discover themselves caught on a distant island, aptly dubbed Poguelandia, earlier than finally getting again to civilization and proper again into some high-stakes treasure looking. As viewers noticed on the conclusion of the second season, John B (Chase Stokes) is probably not all on his personal in spite of everything as a shot of his believed-to-be-dead father was the ultimate picture from a tumultuous season. Was it actual or was it a misdirect? Well, the third season didn’t waste a lot time diving proper into this storyline as John B’s neverending optimism that his father was nonetheless alive was fairly actually saved by a bell when the 2 reconnected within the appropriately named third episode, “Fathers and Sons.” It was a second that had been teased from the moment we first noticed {the teenager} being pursued by baby protecting companies within the pilot. Yet, as soon as the father-son reunion occurred, there wasn’t sufficient time to let this second breathe or for the 2 to essentially expound on the misplaced time. As a end result, what ought to have been a pivotal turning level for Outer Banks felt a bit out of sync.
Not Lost At Sea
Where the story initially took the absence of Big John (Charles Halford) was that he was presumed lifeless at sea after investigating the Royal Merchant shipwreck the place the treasure was believed to be lacking. When the pilot episode kicked off, he had already been lacking for 9 months and when the Outer Banks journey begins, it reveals John B. refusing to imagine that is the case. There are a number of moments within the first season by which he feels related together with his father, together with discovering a sunken boat in that first episode by which they discover a compass that when belonged to him with the phrases Big John engraved on it. Jumpstarting the Pogues wild pursuit for not simply the treasure but in addition for the reality, Outer Banks’ premise was centered on John B. discovering the reality about his father, so it’s no surprise this Season 3 second carried a lot weight.
Later on, there’s extra discovered about what really occurred to Big John. He wasn’t simply misplaced at sea by his personal doing; he was in a scuffle with Ward Cameron (Charles Esten), the daddy of Sarah (Madelyn Cline), by which he banged his head on the facet of the boat and Ward proceeded to toss his physique over the deck. At some level, he washes ashore in Barbados. There’s one other particular person tied to this entire battle, and that’s Carla Limbrey (Elizabeth Mitchell), who was in on the treasure hunt and is later revealed to be the one who saves him, as seen within the Season 2 finale. Limbrey didn’t get off on the fitting foot with the Pogues, although, as she was in pursuit of the Cross of Santo Domingo, which was believed to have the ability to treatment the sick, and that is the storyline that performs out for a lot of the second season.
An Embrace Nearly a Year within the Making
Attempting to flee the island and from the hazard offered by Carlos Singh (Andy McQueen), who already had captured Kie (Madison Bailey) and Rafe (Drew Starkey) earlier than their eventual escape, the Pogues had lastly discovered a approach out of hurt with entry to a ship. Before getting on, although, John B. couldn’t assist however really feel that one thing significant was behind the fixed bell toll that incessantly occurred for the primary few episodes. Flashbacks present that Big John would name his son again dwelling from the water for dinner with a bell and to John B, this was his father’s doing. As outlandish as a story level as it could appear, he was proper, so he bolted again to the tower whereas his buddies left as Sarah couldn’t wait anymore with Singh’s males approaching, leaving John B on his personal. This is the place the third episode kicks off and John B finds himself simply toes away from his father.
This was the second that had been constructed up for the reason that starting and much more so over the primary two episodes via flashbacks, together with one to kick off the third episode, which had John B narrating how his mom left them when he was 3, and his father turned his greatest pal. But their last trade — earlier than he was misplaced at sea — was not on the perfect of phrases. The present did as nicely of a job because it might in getting up to now, making the viewer perceive this father-son connection extra so than had beforehand been recognized, however as quickly as Big John turns round to see his son and the 2 hug, it’s barely 10 seconds earlier than Singh’s males pull up, bringing a jarring halt to the largest second of this collection. “We gotta vanish” are among the first phrases Big John says to his son after lacking him for practically one 12 months, which simply dampens this should-be heartfelt second. Understandably, the 2 meet below a tense state of affairs as they’re each being tracked, however not even having a couple of minutes the place all is correct of their world does take away from the preliminary payoff.
Big John Is Definitely Not a Perfect Dad
That being mentioned, the 2 find yourself on the run collectively and in consequence, there nonetheless is loads of time for these two to ship some emotional moments, although the makes an attempt to take action are, as per regular, minimize brief on this treasure hunt. The ones that do play out, like when Big John is launched to Sarah, come at factors when his intentions are in query as proper earlier than this assembly by which John B was proud to indicate him his spouse, Big John was engulfed find Denmark’s diary and barely had look after anything. From the second Big John will get on our screens, he rapidly turns into a tricky character to root for as a result of he’s so obsessively centered on discovering this treasure and town of gold that he lacks any empathy. He places his son in peril a number of instances, together with in an tried negotiation whereas boarding a ship by which a gun is pulled on John B.
While he’s in a position to save his son, it simply reveals that he’s prepared to do something to succeed in his objective. His brutality can also be on show on this scene as he holds nothing again in taking pictures these two males regardless of his son urging him to not. It’s comprehensible that he’d be a grizzled and gritty character after what has occurred to him, however there’s simply not sufficient time from the purpose we meet his character in Season 3 to his eventual demise within the season finale, the place he’s in a position to really be a father to his son. In his last moments earlier than dying, Big John does his greatest to revive his character, telling his son to maintain Sarah round and that he was the perfect son he might hope for.
Outer Banks had the robust job of bringing in a personality who many believed to be lifeless and making an attempt to insert him right into a story that was already going at warp velocity. There simply wasn’t sufficient room for Big John to ever show sufficient emotion together with his son for the second to repay, and within the instances when the 2 did take a minute to discover their previous and their emotions for each other, it simply by no means landed because it ought to. Big John could have been a loving determine earlier than his accident at sea, however within the time since, he turned so misplaced in his pursuit of treasure that he merely misplaced who he was and will by no means get previous that within the seven episodes we acquired to see him work together together with his son.
The third season of Outer Banks is accessible to stream on Netflix.