Season 3 of the adventure saga hits Netflix on Thursday.
The Pogues are never far from trouble. Netflix's beloved group of teenage rebels ended Outer Banks season 2 with more enemies than ever before, but still far from finishing their action-packed treasure hunt. Many viewers may be scratching their heads trying to remember everything before Thursday's season 3 premiere.
Season 2 ended with the Pogues settling on the shores of a deserted island, which they affectionately nicknamed Poguelandia. The group arrived on land in the final minutes of the episode, after barely surviving a battle aboard a shipping barge and having to abandon their giant golden cross in the process. But why were they on the ship in the first place, who was attacking them, and what exactly was that big chunk of gold?
Read on for exactly where Outer Banks left off at the end of season 2.
Who's in love with who?
John B (Chase Stokes) and Sarah (Madelyn Cline) escaped to the Bahamas at the beginning of season 2, and were still together by the season finale. Though their relationship hit a rough patch while John B spent time in jail -- and ex-boyfriend Topper (Austin North) cared for Sarah -- they always seem to find a way back to each other. Plus, the couple got married (albeit not legally) while on their way back from the Bahamas.
Fans are especially eager to see John B and Sarah's season 3 relationship after Stokes and Cline called off their real-life romance in 2021. This month, Cline told Cosmopolitan that working with her ex is "not always easy," but that "our job is to leave the show better than we found it, to leave the season better than we found it. And I’m really appreciative of that."
Though Kiara (Madison Bailey) and Pope (Jonathan Daviss) attempted to date in season 2, things didn't go well and they were long broken up by the time the season ended. Kiara appeared to be more in love with JJ (Rudy Pankow), but the couple's relationship remained platonic through the end of season 2. Fans are rooting for sparks to fly in season 3.
What is the treasure that the Pogues found?
The golden Cross of Santo Domingo was a (fictional) gift from New Spain to the Spanish king that was loaded onto the Royal Merchant ship in the 19th century. It was lost when the ship sank off the coast of Bermuda in 1829.
In season 2, Pope learned that he is the descendent of Denmark Tanny, a slave who survived the shipwreck and left clues for his family about how to find the treasure. The Pogues eventually discovered the cross hidden in the beams of a church, but it was stolen from them by Sarah's brother, Rafe, and a new character, Carla, as they tried to maneuver it into the truck.
Who is Carla?
Carla Limbrey (Elizabeth Mitchell) is a rich old woman with a serious illness who believed the cross' magic could cure her. She initially contacted Pope claiming she had evidence that Rafe killed Sheriff Peterkin, a plot point from season 1. Carla offered the information to Pope in exchange for his help finding a mysterious key tied to his family.
With the help of the Pogues, Pope eventually realized the key was connected to the cross that Denmark Tanny left for him, not Carla. The group turned Carla against them when they gave her a fake key, and she partnered with Rafe and her brother, Renfield, instead.
After stealing the cross from the Pogues, Carla realized the object was not magical and shot Renfield in her anger. Rafe then stole the cross and headed to the docks.
Why was everyone on the boat at the end of season 2?
Toward the end of season 2, Sarah's father, Ward (Charles Esten), faked his own death in an effort to escape the ramifications of his violence throughout both seasons of Outer Banks. He arranged for his whole family to leave the country aboard a barge headed for Guadalupe.
At the docks, Rafe loaded the cross onto the ship. Ward's wife, Rose (Caroline Arapoglou), drugged Sarah in order to bring her to the boat. In search of Sarah and the treasure, the Pogues stowed away in a shipping container on the barge.
Cleo, who John B and Sarah initially met in the Bahamas, also happened to be working on the boat.
The season-ending fight ensues, during which Ward almost strangled Sarah before John B saved her life and the Pogues escaped for Poguelandia with Cleo.
Who is Cleo?
Cleo first helped John B and Sarah escape Ward's menace while in the Bahamas. She coordinated their getaway from the island but did not join them.
Later, the group found Cleo working on the barge where Ward brings his family and the Pogues hide away. She helped the group fight off Ward and Rafe and escaped with them to Poguelandia, now an honorary Pogue herself.
What about John B's dad?
Though he's been suspected dead since the beginning of the show, the Outer Banks season 2 finale revealed John B's father, Big John (John Routledge), is alive. The final scene of the season revealed he is living in Barbados, where Carla is mysteriously with him.
"I know where it is," Big John told her, cryptically. "I can help you. But you have to help my son."
Answers about why he is working with Carla, what he's doing in Barbados, and if he'll find his way back to John B all remain top priorities for the show's next installment.
Thus, the treasure hunt continues! Outer Banks season 3 premieres all 10 episodes on Netflix on Thursday, Feb, 23.
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