Outer Banks season 3 takes John B’s season 1 story and completely flips it on its head – in a manner that creates a fair amount of tragedy for the character. Outer Banks season 3 lives up to the version of the franchise set up in the show’s first season, with all the focus on adventures, treasure, and friendship that the series has become known for. However, the season also branches the franchise out in some ways, and add complexities to characters and relationships along the way, creating some interesting new storylines.

This is perhaps best seen in John B’s Outer Banks season 3 story. As the main character of the show – and the unofficial leader of the Pogues – John’s personal story about losing and then finding his father is a key component of the series. However, how this all affects John B is easy to miss in lieu of the search for El Dorado and the other grander aspects of the show.

Outer Banks Season 3 Flips John B’s Season 1 Adventuring Story

Outer Banks season 1 saw John B searching for evidence of both what happened to his father, and what his father was searching for. This was motivated by a mixture of a youthful desire to adventure, and a dose of John’s guilt that the last time he saw Big John Routledge, the pair had an argument. This guilt also appears to turn into John idolizing his dad, and trying to honor his last quest by finding it on his own.

The Outer Banks season 3 reveal that Big John was alive led to a complicated reunion. John B committed entirely to adventuring with his father, only to find himself seemingly unsettled by how blinkered Routledge was when hunting for El Dorado – and how much distance his dad wanted him to keep from his closest friends and girlfriend. As such, Outer Banks season 3 saw John B with his dad, but more jaded in his perception towards him, and distant from his nearest and dearest, in a total flip from the set up in season 1. Tragically, John is never able to discuss all this with his dad before his death.

Why Outer Banks Season 3’s Sad John B Story Needed To Happen

Outer Banks season 3 concluding with the death of John Routledge and John B’s heartbreak over losing him all over again did add another level of tragedy to the generally upbeat series. However, this decision was worth it in the long run. The best Outer Banks show trick is balancing outlandish antics with some real feeling moments throughout, and while finding El Dorado definitely falls into the first category, John B not having time to discuss his relationship with his dad before his demise certainly fits into the second – allowing the series to keep a sense of being grounded even in the series with its wildest plot to date.