Photo courtesy of Netflix

The promotional photo for “Outer Banks” season three. It features multiple scenes in the new season, including the whole “Pogue” friend group, John B and Sarah’s romance and more.

The highly anticipated Netflix show Outer Banks was released last month and immediately shot to the number one trending show on Netflix, just as it did at the release of its first two seasons. The show centers around two groups in North Carolina’s Outer Banks (OBX): the Pogues and the Kooks, The Pogues live on the poorer side of the island, while The Kooks live in the rich portion.

The main plot point of season three consisted of continuing their search for John B’s father and El Dorado, the lost city of gold. Things, of course, do not go quite as planned for John B and the rest of the Pogues, causing car chases, kidnappings and the occasional shootout, rendering this season an absolute dramatic rollercoaster.

The main Pogue friend group for season three features six people; four of whom have been in the group since the start of the show (John B, JJ, Kiara and Pope). Sarah Cameron, who was first labeled a “Kook princess” in season one, has begun a romantic relationship with John B and joined the gang on their hunt for the gold. She is also competing with her father, Ward Cameron, who serves to be a big villain throughout the show, as he is trying to find the gold, as well. The sixth member, Cleo, was brought in this season as a regular after the others met her in the Bahamas at the start of season two. Cleo traveled back to OBX with the gang, rounding out the squad that dominated the season.

Many students were highly anticipating the release of the third season, but now that it has come, differing opinions have surfaced. Senior Zara Perets is a huge fan of the show and had been binge-watching the first two seasons again in preparation for the release of season three.

“I could go back and forth on whether or not season three lived up to my expectations, but I do think it should have come out in summertime because it match[es] the vibe better. I think people would have been more excited about it,” Perets said.

In addition to its clear summertime vibe, OBX’s third season in particular was extremely thrilling and suspenseful – making it a show that is hard to get bored watching. However, some feel the excessive flashbacks and overuse of violence were a cover-up to shield a less interesting plot line. Junior Jay Wandell binged this season of OBX in under a week but has mixed feelings about it.

“This season was super interesting to watch, but I also feel that they fell off from the original plot and included a lot of violence to create more tension, but sometimes it was overused and unnecessary,” Wandell said.

While many hold mixed feelings about the new season, it is safe to say Outer Banks is still a familiar favorite both kids and adults will always enjoy.