Outer Banks season 3 ending explained: How it sets up season 4 Blackbeard mystery

9 October 2024, 09:44

By Katie Louise Smith

Who is Blackbeard? Is Edward Teach a real person? Here's how that final scene of Outer Banks season 3 sets up season 4's storyline.

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Outer Banks season 3? When they said the Pogues would be facing their most intense and most dangerous adventure yet, they meant it.

The third season of the Netflix teen series sees John B (Chase Stokes) and the rest of the Pogues team up with his previously presumed-dead dad to find El Dorado, the city of gold, before a ruthless man named Carlos Singh can get his hands on the treasure.

OBX 3 features some of the most intense action sequences that the show has ever done, and the final episode might be one of the most intense yet. The final scene of Outer Banks season 3, however, wraps up a lot of storylines and features a huge time jump. It also ties directly into the plot of season 4.

Here's your recap of what happened in the Outer Banks season 3 ending, and how the new mystery regarding Edward Teach/Blackbeard sets up Outer Banks season 4.

Read more: Outer Banks season 4 release time: Here's when Part 1 comes out on Netflix

WARNING: Spoilers ahead for Outer Banks season 3's finale episode!

Watch the trailer for Outer Banks season 4

To cut a long story short: The Pogues end up being the ones who are able to translate the symbols on the gnomon thanks to Pope and Cleo who discover an unopened letter from Denmark Tanny to his daughter Clarice (Pope's grandmother) with a fully illustrated list of the symbols and what they mean.

The group manage to catch up with Big John in Venezuela after he escapes the clutches of Carlos Singh. John B, Sarah and Big John then set off, solve the gnomon riddle and find the entrance of El Dorado. (Somehow, Ward Cameron also shows up.)

After an intense chase with Singh, John B and Sarah set off into the caves to find the treasure. They find it, bring some back as proof and then immediately get ambushed by Singh. Singh is then blown up after he attempts to defuse a stick of dynamite thrown by Big John with the intent on destroying the pathway to the gold.

After another ambush, this time by Ward Cameron and then again by Singh's mercenary Ryan, Ward is killed defending Sarah from Ryan's bullets. Ward dies, Ryan dies and then Big John dies after being shot by Singh earlier in the episode.

Read more: Who dies in Outer Banks season 3?

Big John and John B escape the explosion in the cave that kills Carlos Singh. Picture: Netflix

What happened to the El Dorado gold?

The episode ends with an 18-month flash forward. The Pogues have returned home to the OBX and have been heralded as heroes after locating the 500-year-old missing treasures of El Dorado. The gold and the gnomon are then given to the museum.

The Pogues have also settled into their lives back home too. Kiara is saving turtles, Pope has gone away to school and JJ bought the charter boat. John B and Sarah also now own and run the surf shop.

At the celebration, the group are approached by a man who has been impressed with their work. Now, he wants to hire them to help him find another missing treasure. He hands them the captain's log of a ship, dated 1718. The captain in question? Edward Teach, also known as Blackbeard.

Yep, the Pogues are officially treasure hunters now, and season 4 will see them set off on another hunt.

Outer Banks season 3 ending: The Pogues are praised as heroes back home. Picture: Netflix

Was Blackbeard a real person?

Edward Teach/Blackbeard was a notorious English pirate who operated in and around the Caribbean sea. His ship was the Queen Anne's Revenge, which is believed to have sunk off the coast of North Carolina in 1718. Blackbeard reportedly spent a lot of time near the Outer Banks, hiding out in Ocracoke Island when he wasn't at sea.

Blackbeard was said to have hidden his own stolen treasures. However, no substantial treasure has ever been found aside from grains of gold dust in the wreckage.

Explaining the Blackbeard storyline, co-creator Josh Pate told Tudum: "It’s organic to the Outer Banks, 'so OK, we’ll play that.' But it’s not going to be the usual Blackbeard story, put it that way."

Expect several differences to pop up between the real Blackbeard and Outer Banks' version of the story.