Like many other viewers, when I first hear those twangy notes of “Left Hand Free,” I know it can only mean one thing: It’s time for a new season of Outer Banks. The hit teen drama returned to Netflix just days ago, premiering its fourth season on Oct. 10. Since then, it has climbed the platform’s rankings up to Top 10.
Now, the show is back and more unhinged than ever. But don’t worry, in case you haven’t had the chance to binge-watch part one yet (Netflix’s two-part release system strikes again), I’ll keep this review spoiler-free so all of you can enjoy it!
Before I get into the review though, here’s a quick recap of where we last left the Pogues. In the third season, we finally saw the end of the treasure hunt for the infamous gold and the gang was presumably getting out of the “g-game.” But of course, we can’t always have nice things! The characters are then immediately approached by a new mysterious villain who wants to hire them to find Blackbeard’s buried treasure—or so we think.
Now, onto the review! First, we have to discuss the timing conflict of this season’s premiere. Although the show usually debuts just in time for summer, production delays due to the SAG AFTRA strike pushed the release back to fall. Admittedly, I was worried that this change would affect the viewing experience of the new season because, to me, Outer Banks is just such a summer show.
It didn’t seem right to watch the Pogues adventure all over beautiful beach locations while on campus, the start of fall is marked by all the mini Uggs being brought out of retirement. But honestly, after watching the first half of the season, I think it’s safe to say that the slightly creepy nature of this year’s mystery is definitely on brand with October’s spookiness.
On another note, Netflix has decided to add Outer Banks to the growing list of series that have two-part releases this year (a list including Bridgerton, Heartstopper, and Nobody Wants This)—which would be fine if this was a 20-episode season. But for 10 episodes? Netflix, I’m begging you to let us binge-watch properly.
Moving on to the plot itself! When we come back in this season, there’s been a time jump of 18 months from the end of the third season. In a rare move for TV shows these days, Outer Banks didn’t leave the audience high and dry wondering how we got here.
There’s a flashback sequence of all the events that unfolded in the time away, which really helps ground the narrative and remind audiences that just because the Pogues had a win at the end of the last season, it doesn’t mean their problems just disappear. The gold might’ve been found but there is still plenty of emotional trauma to be unpacked and financial issues to be dealt with.
As for what specifically happens in that flashback, you’ll just have to watch the new season to find out!
Also, despite the fact that some of the conflicts the show highlights are very serious—JJ and his father, Kiara’s relationship with her parents, and everything that’s going on with Rafe—the show managed to keep that witty banter and humor that has made it endearing for so many viewers. I definitely had been nostalgic for that first-season energy during the third season, while of course, it made sense that the show took on a more grave tone to address the issues that had been building since the debut.
One thing I did not miss, however, was the slightly supernatural turn the show has been taking in the last couple of seasons. I can’t get into too many details without getting into spoiler territory, but for a show as unhinged and outlandish as OBX, I always felt there was some semblance of groundedness and realism lying underneath. So far, I think this season’s been toeing that line very closely. I will say, the characters themselves are skeptical of these supernatural vibes so it kind of balances out, but I still hope that they stray away from that area in the rest of the fourth season.
Finally, the heart and soul of this show has always been the Pogues, their love and loyalty to each other, and the crazy antics they get up to—and this season did not disappoint! There were so many little callbacks to the first season and scenes where the characters were hatching wayward schemes in classic OBX fashion. In general, seeing the whole group and all the couples happy and in love absolutely warmed my heart.
That’s not to say that everything is fine and dandy in the Outer Banks because that would be a bald-faced lie, but where would the show be without the occasional attempted murder, breaking and entering, or lying to the cops?
Overall, even with the looming threats and the characters maturing from dealing with the insane situations they’ve been in in the last few years, the show still managed to return to its more lighthearted roots that made the first season a standout in the first place.
I could hardly fit everything I wanted to say into this review and there is so much more to unpack! For now, that’s it on my thoughts of the first half of Outer Banks’s fourth season. Stay tuned, the rest of the episodes air on Nov. 7!
Happy Watching, Pogues!
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