The highly-anticipated Season 4 of the Netflix hit series Outer Banks has finally arrived! Season 3 marked the end of a treasure-hunting era related to the Royal Merchant, which opened up endless possibilities for the Pogues’ new adventure in the upcoming season, hinted to revolve around the famous Blackbeard treasure.
The last episode of the series included an 18-month time gap, leaving fans wondering what happened between their return from El Dorado and the kick-off of the new season as well as if the missing events will be addressed moving forward.
As a whole, the upcoming season of Outer Banks is a clean slate in terms of plot and new characters, including their development, especially as they move out of high school and into young adulthood, allowing for a wide variety of theories from fans across the world.
Popular Theories:
Topper will become the new main villain.
In terms of the plot line of Season 4, the most widely debated aspect is who the new villain will be. With the deaths of major antagonists from past seasons, including Ward Cameron and Carlos Singh, it leaves open the possibility for completely new characters to enter the scene.
One common theory is that Topper will become the new central villain. I, on the other hand, disagree with this theory. I don’t see how Topper would be related to the new plot line of hunting for the Blackbeard treasure, seeing as how he is a side character with the purpose of stirring teen drama. I personally think that it would make more sense to introduce new characters that are hunting for the treasure as well, similar to past seasons where characters like Ward and Carlos are competing with the Pogues to get to the gold first.
I do believe that there will be further conflict between Topper, Sarah, and John B to continue to drag out the drama of their dynamic, but this should remain a minor subplot to potentially resolve their differences or heighten them further.
Rafe will seek revenge for the death of his father.
Another popular theory is that Rafe Cameron will be out for revenge after the death of his father Ward. In the final episodes of Season 3, Rafe hires his tentative partner-in-crime Barry to kill his father, who instead hires someone else to do it for him. Rafe arrives at Ward’s hiding spot in OBX in the nick of time to save him, just for Ward to sacrifice himself to save his daughter Sarah from getting shot by Carlos’s minion Ryan. Since Rafe is known for his violent tendencies, many fans believe his plot line will consist of him hunting down Ryan for revenge.
While I agree that he will be extremely affected by Ward’s death and feel a lot of personal guilt, I don’t think going after Ryan will be his main character arc. It just feels disconnected from the clean slate Season 4 provides from the past interconnected treasure hunts.
Also, Rafe was very separated from the Pogues in terms of plot of the past season, so I think it would make sense to bring them all back together again. Instead of searching for revenge, maybe Ward’s death will make him want to become a better man and not continue to follow that dark path, potentially joining forces with the Pogues.
Wheezie Cameron and Luke Maybank will return to the show.
Two of the next theories involve the comeback of two different characters from past seasons: Wheezie and JJ’s dad, Luke Maybank.
Wheezie only had one physical appearance in Season 3. The last we heard about her she was still in Guadalupe with Rose. Given that her and Sarah seem to have a pretty stable and positive relationship compared to those of the rest of the Cameron family, it is possible that Sarah could make an attempt to reunite with her sister, or that Rose and Wheezie will return to Outer Banks after hearing news of Ward’s death. It is also plausible that Rose could challenge Rafe for the family company and estate, given that she is extremely greedy herself.
As for Luke, he left OBX with the help of his son JJ back in Season 2. Speculation has it that he either somehow hears about the Pouges’ success with bringing back some of the gold of El Dorado or JJ happens to run into him during their treasure-hunting travels. Since John B and Sarah ‘s dads are both now out of the picture, it isn’t far out there that the creators would bring Luke back to fill in the gap, either to show JJ’s character development or use him as a minor villain or obstacle.
Pope and Cleo are endgame, whereas JJ and Kiara are destined for a break-up.
And finally, everyone is talking about the two major relationship developments at the end of Season 3. Pope and Cleo seem to be a popular pair, whereas JJ and Kiara’s relationship is the most controversial.
Pope and Cleo seem to be the most widely accepted due to the fact that they both have had to overcome difficult pasts and really just need a win overall. With Cleo having an unstable childhood and Pope losing the Cross of Santo Domingo, them becoming a couple is just a little something that could go right for the both of them. Many fans believe that they will be an endgame couple, and I have to agree.
As for JJ and Kiara, I am a massive fan. I have shipped them since day one and think that their personalities and aspirations are a perfect match, although the internet tends to disagree.
It’s a popular theory that the pair will have a major break up. Many believe that they both deserve better than each other, that they have no chemistry, and that it is stereotypical for the creators to throw Kiara into relationships with all the boys in the group. While I agree with the last point, I still think that Kiara and JJ both really need a positive relationship in their lives and I believe that they can be that for each other. Maybe that’s just the hopeless romantic in me talking.
Most Common Questions:
What happened between Topper and John B in terms of the fight over Sarah? What is Sarah and Topper’s relationship going to be like?
At the end of Season 3, Topper waited to press charges once blackmailed by Sarah, but once he realizes that he was tricked, he calls his lawyer saying that he wants to continue to press charges against John B for starting a violent fight. However, in the last episode during the 18-month time jump, John B seems free of said charges. This leads to the theory about Topper becoming the main villain of the new season.
Also, will Topper forgive Sarah or seek revenge? Does he still love her after his confession in the last episode?
Where will John B and Sarah live? Where will JJ live?
Both John B and Sarah’s parents are dead, Rafe has taken over the Cameron estate, and John B’s house has burned down. However, in the Season 4 trailer, it shows a clip of the Pogues building a house and putting up a Poguelandia flag.
Maybe that’s John B and Sarah’s house that they’re building? It’s possible that JJ and Kiara will live there as well since JJ’s house is under eviction and Kiara is supposed to be at Kitty Hawk and potentially still has conflicts with her parents. Perhaps a more general theory is that it will act as more of a clubhouse for all the Pogues.
Did Kiara mend relationships with her parents?
At the end of Season 3, Kiara’s parents seem extremely proud of her daughter at the Pogues’ honorary celebration for finding El Dorado. They can be seen clapping and cheering in the front of the crowd.
What happened between them and Kiara? Did they finally understand her and what she was doing? Were they mad about her breaking out of Kitty Hawk? Have their opinions about JJ changed? Fans are hoping this will be addressed through flashbacks pertaining to the 18-month time gap.
Part 1 of Outer Banks Season 4 releases Oct. 10, and Part 2 will be released Nov. 7. Stream on Netflix to see if any of these theories are correct!