How Outer Banks Season 4 Can Delve into Edward Teach’s Treasure

This article contains spoilers for Outer Banks season 3.

Outer Banks season 3 scales up, branches out, and brings real-world mythos into its action-adventure drama. What started as a small local mystery in season one expands to an international hunt for a mythical treasure in the show’s latest season. After escaping from the Camerons and losing Denmark Tanny’s golden cross, the Pogues, including newcomer Cleo, wind up stranded on a deserted island they lovingly dubbed Poguelandia. When they’re rescued weeks later, they find themselves in the crosshairs of yet another rich man on the hunt for somebody else’s loot. Carlos Singh (Andy McQueen) is looking for the legendary city of gold, El Dorado, and he thinks the Pogues can lead him to it with Tanny’s diary.

Big John is reunited with John B in Barbados, and Singh is on their trail. They return with the Pogues to the OBX, where they each have to deal with the aftermath of being missing or presumed dead. While Big John and John B secretly collect clues on the whereabouts of the golden city—continuing Big John’s lifelong search—Pope and the rest of the Pogues are determined to get Tanny’s cross back from the Camerons. When Singh catches up with the Routledges and takes Big John captive, John B comes clean to his friends about the hunt, and sends them on yet another dangerous mission somewhere they should not be—this time, South America— to save his dad and find some treasure.

The Pogues, Ward Cameron, and Singh all converge in Venezuela, where they follow guides and clues to the real deal El Dorado. After multiple violent struggles, Big John, Ward Cameron, Singh and his men are all dead, but the Pogues are able to return to the OBX, gold-in-hand.

Outer Banks Season 4 Plot: What To Expect

This season, Outer Banks did not just resolve its mysteries, it solidified several relationships. While John B and Sarah were obviously endgame from day one, their relationship was not without challenges. Topper got in the way a little, and could be a bigger problem in season 4. Kiara and JJ admitted their feelings for one another, after several attempts by Ki’s family to keep her away from the Pogues and JJ specifically. So while her parents may be proud of her for El Dorado, there’s potentially a lot more conflict ahead when it comes to her relationship with JJ. Pope and Cleo connected, and disbanded the “no love club” to get together. But with Pope going away to school, their young romance might be tested.

While it’s not clear how much gold the Pogues kept for themselves, we know they secured enough funds to set up their futures in various ways. Kiara is saving sea turtles, JJ owns a charter boat, Sarah and John B own a surf shop, and Pope is going away to school—presumably, paying out of pocket, since he missed out on scholarship opportunities. The potential for a new great adventure may change the Pogue’s plans, and convince Pope and Kiara to stick around, but the show has given several characters an “out” which means season 4 could shake up the cast—which, for the record, we hope they won’t.

Now, after wrapping up the central mystery surrounding the Royal Merchant and Denmark Tanny, and incorporating real-world treasure lore, Outer Banks has opened the door for another epic adventure. After the Pogues are celebrated for discovering the golden city of El Dorado, 18 months after the adventure, they’re approached by a gentleman who wants the Pogues to aid him in his own treasure hunt. He asks them to look at an old captain’s log belonging to Edward Teach, better known as the infamous pirate Blackbeard. 

Blackbeard: Who is the Real Edward Teach

The real Edward Teach was an English pirate in the early 18th century who operated in and around the Caribbean. He became known as Blackbeard, due to his namesake black beard and overall intimidating physical presence. Blackbeard captained his flagship, Queen Anne’s Revenge, alongside frenemy Stede Bonnet—as chronicled in the ahistorical comedy Our Flag Means Death. In 1718, Teach ran Queen Anne’s Revenge aground near present-day Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina, which puts it right in the Pogues’ backyard in the fictional Kildare.

Outer Banks has always used real history as a jumping off point for its storytelling, even if it ultimately functions as a sort of alt-history for the show’s canon. Denmark Tanny is loosely inspired by Denmark Vesey. A real ship named the Merchant Royal was lost at sea in England in the mid-1600s and was carrying over 1.5 billion in gold and other valuable metal. The golden city of El Dorado is a well-known myth that has spawned books, films, and games. In the show’s history, Teddy Roosevelt’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad trip down the Brazilian Amazon was actually an expedition in search of the golden city; and one that brought Singh’s ancestors to the Americas.

Introducing Blackbeard as a mythological figure to ground the story around gives Outer Banks the opportunity to broaden its scope even further and take the adventure to new and exciting places. Where Denmark Tanny and the Royal Merchant were more local myths, Blackbeard is a renowned pirate who is known worldwide to laypeople and treasure hunters alike. Given the popularity of Blackbeard in general, and fresh attention on undiscovered treasure as a result of the El Dorado discovery, there is almost certain to be a huge uptick in interest in treasure hunting overall, and any rumored treasure belonging to Blackbeard specifically.

Going after Edward Teach’s treasure will be a much grander affair. The Pogues are not anonymous anymore, interested parties will be looking to see what they do next. It won’t go unnoticed if they start galavanting around the Caribbean looking at artifacts or even crossing the Atlantic to study old manuscripts. In season 4, the Pogues are likely to have to face off against career treasure hunters who are more experienced and better resourced, even if a benefactor funds their search. They’ve also made enemies at home in the OBX. The Pogues and Kooks are more divided than ever, and with both Rafe and Topper feeling some type of way, there’s no telling what obstacles the Pogues will face.

With Blackbeard on the table, season 4 of Outer Banks can take the Pogues anywhere. And with Queen Anne’s Revenge as a potential starting point, the Pogues can remain connected to their home in the OBX.