Outer Banks Season 4 is set to bring back several characters while also continuing the Pogues' adventures.
The hit Netflix show revolved around a group of Pogue teenagers (working-class locals) and wealthy seasonal Kooks residents in search of a lost treasure. Outer Banks Season 1 premiered on Netflix on April 15, 2020.
It is unknown when the Netflix series will end, but its Season 4 renewal suggests that the story is far from over.
When is Outer Banks Season 4 Releasing?
Netflix, via Deadline, announced on February 23, 2022, that Outer Banks was renewed for Season 4. The renewal came days before Season 3's premiere on the streaming service, indicating Netflix's confidence in the series.
The news was revealed during the Poguelandia Fan Event in Huntington Beach, California.
As per a listing from ProductionWeekly, via What's On Netflix, Outer Banks Season 4 was scheduled to begin filming on May 30 with an estimated wrap date of December 15.
However, the show was ultimately affected by the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, pushing the start date to June 2023.
Despite the fact that the writers' strike is ongoing, What's On Netflix revealed on X, formerly known as Twitter, that filming has already begun for Season 4 on June 12, 2023.
This production was ultimately halted once the actors' strike began in July 2023.
According to WSPA in July 2023, Kimmie Stewart Casting, Outer Banks' casting agency, confirmed the news with an official statement:
“Effective now we have suspended filming. We will keep everyone updated as we receive information.”
This meant that Season 4's premiere is expected to be delayed.
To recap, Season 2 wrapped in April 2021 and premiered on July 30, 2021. Season 3 wrapped in September 2022 and premiered early this year on February 23, 2023.
The show's quick turnaround from filming to release is a promising sign for Season 4. If production was delayed last May, then an ideal release timeframe for Season 4 is either spring or summer 2024.
Who’s Cast in Outer Banks Season 4?
Outer Banks Season 4 is expected to bring back many key players from the previous seasons.
Below is a rundown of every cast member who will return in Season 4:
Chase Stokes - John B. Routledge
The Pogues' charismatic ringleader is John B. Routledge, and he is portrayed by Chase Stokes. The character also serves as Sarah Cameron's love interest.
In Season 3's epilogue, it was revealed that John B. and Sarah are running a surf shop. However, the quest to find Blackbeard's treasure is expected to put a halt in their operations, leading to another adventure in Season 4.
Madelyn Cline - Sarah Cameron
After experiencing her fair share of ups and downs in Season 3, Madelyn Cline returns as Sarah Cameron in Season 4.
The character might've resolved her pregnancy issues with John B., but a new challenge involving another dangerous treasure awaits Sarah.
Still, Sarah's smart and enthusiastic personality might be the key to helping the Pogues find the elusive treasure.
Madison Bailey - Kiara Carrera
Returning to the world of Outer Banks is Madison Bailey's Kiara Carrera.
In Season 3, Kiara survived being kidnapped by Carlos while also being romantically involved with JJ. Last season's epilogue showed that Kiara is on a mission to save turtles, but it is expected that she will reunite the Pogues to find Blackbeard's treasure.
Jonathan Daviss - Pope Heyward
Pope Heyward is the Pogues' smartest member, with John B. even describing him as "the brains of the operation." The character is played by Jonathan Daviss.
Although Season 3's epilogue shows that Pope is on his way back to school, his trip will be cut short due to a new mission.
Carlacia Grant - Cleo
As a fearless and confident member of the Pogues, Carlacia Grant's Cleo is expected to play a vital role in the team's new mission in Season 4.
Despite being a new member of the group, Cleo has already proven several times that she is loyal and is willing to help them in any way that she can.
Rudy Pankow - JJ Maybank
Portraying John B.'s best friend is Rudy Pankow as JJ Maybank. While the character is often described as reckless, JJ's loyalty to John B. and the Pogues has proven himself as a reliable ally.
JJ's romantic involvement in Kiara is set to take the spotlight in Season 4.
Austin North - Topper Thornton
Austin North's Topper Thornton's rather possessive feelings toward Sarah have been the consistent cause of conflict between him and John B., and it is expected that this will carry over in Season 4.
After Sarah betrays Topper due to being back together with John. B, it looks like Topper will do anything that he can to prevent the pair's happy ending.
Drew Starkey - Rafe Cameron
Drew Starkey's Rafe Cameron serves as one of the villains in Outer Banks. Rafe is Ward Cameron's eldest son and Sarah's older brother.
In Season 3, Rafe went back and forth in killing his father, but he ultimately tried to intercept the murder. However, Ward was stabbed in the leg, leading to his death.
Wade's death could be the focal point of Rafe's story in Season 4.
David Jensen - Wes Genrette
At the end of Season 3, David Jensen's Wes Genrette appears to inform the Pogues that he needs their help to find Blackbeard's treasure. It remains to be seen if he is an ally or an actual villain.
In June 2023, Netflix released a short teaser for Outer Banks Season 4, highlighting its main cast:
Will John B and Sarah Be Together in Outer Banks Season 4?
At the end of Season 3, Chase Stokes' John B. and Madelyn Cline's Sarah got back together after a string of breakups and cheating in past seasons, indicating that the pair will be a couple again in Season 4.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight in February 2023, Chase Stokes discussed the pair's emotional journey throughout three seasons.
While saying that Sarah's "cheating is never warranted," the actor admitted that his character has some flaws as well, such as during the time when he lies to Sarah about the journey he had been on with his dad:
"I’ll say this, cheating is never warranted. John B. does her dirty too. The whole conversation at the chateau, and the way he goes about it... I’m not warranting it but -- two wrongs don’t make a right."
Stokes ended by saying that John B. and Sarah "need to get their sh*t together" in Season 4.
When asked if the pair will end up together (for real, this time), Cline admitted that she thinks they will, noting that it's "kinda been clear since day one:"
"I think that’s kinda been clear since day one, in my opinion. Fairy-tale relationships are wonderful and everyone dreams of that, but they’re also still real relationships that deal with real problems. It’s all about how you make it through it."
What Will Happen in Outer Banks Season 4?
During the Season 3 finale, David Jensen's Wes approached the Pogues to tell them that he needs "partners" to find another treasure. The treasure in question? It looks like it belongs to Edward Teach aka the pirate Blackbeard.
Season 4 is poised to explore the Pogues' quest to find Blackbeard's treasure while also dealing with the fallout of the deaths of John B.'s father and Ward.
It's also possible that the Pogues will split up in Season 4, considering that the epilogue teased that Pope might be going to school once and for all.
Ward's death is significant to Rafe's potential heel turn in Season 4, with him potentially seeking an alliance with Topper that spells bad news for the Pogues.
Other mysteries that Season 4 could explore are Carla Limbrey's mysterious recovery, Denmark Tanny's connection to Blackbeard, and the new owner of the Royal Merchant's gold.
Will There Be a Season 5 of Outer Banks?
In April 2020, Outer Banks creator and showrunner Jonas Pate told Entertainment Weekly that he "always viewed" the series as a "maybe five-season show," indicating that a Season 5 is in the cards:
“Ever since we started, we always viewed it as something that was probably like a four-season, maybe five-season show, but definitely four seasons. We’ve sort of long-arced it out pretty far. I’m just hoping that we get a chance to actually tell those stories.”
In fact, Pate revealed that Netflix already "greenlit" them to "write some [Season 2] scripts:"
“Before [season 1] even came out, Netflix had greenlit us to write some [season 2] scripts, so we’ve been working on that for a few months now.”
In a separate interview with Entertainment Weekly in February 2023, Outer Banks co-creators Josh Pate, Jonas Pate, and Shannon Burke shared that they are no longer adhering to their original plan for the series to run for only four or five seasons.
Instead, Jonas admitted that he doesn't know if he "could put a real number on it right now," though he pointed out that they "know the shape of the end of the story:"
“I don’t know if I could put a real number on it right now — how long it takes to get to that ending might expand, but we now know the shape of the end of the story. We’re going to take it as long as we can, for sure.”
Jonas ended with a joke by saying, “In season 17, we’ll be on Mars.”
Considering Netflix's trust and confidence in Outer Banks, there's a strong chance that Season 5 will end up being announced sooner rather than later.
The first three seasons of Outer Banks are streaming on Netflix.
