Outer Banks Season 3 Premiere Recap: Still Going for Gold — Plus, Grade It!
By the end of Outer Banks‘ Season 3 premiere, we’ve witnessed a plane crash, met this season’s new villain and experienced at least one healthy dose of Kiara/JJ longing. And really, what more could you want? A chicken in a coconut bra smoking a J and wearing Crocs?! (Psst: Episode 1 has that, too.)
In a moment, we’ll want to know what you thought of the Season 3 opener, “Welcome to Poguelandia.” But first, a quick recap:
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The Pogues are doing pretty well, all things considered, on the island where they washed up at the end of Season 2. It’s been about a month since they arrived, and as promised on that first night, JJ has created Poguelandia’s flag (featuring the Croc-wearing chicken). He’s also taught Kiara how to spear fish; when she’s successful, they hug… but if you’ve been watching for a while, you know it’s a little more than just a friendly embrace.
Cleo, who’s a full-fledged Pogue now, teases Pope about giving up a scholarship in order to chase treasure. And Sarah scans the horizon, paranoid that her father and/or brother are going to track them down.
One morning, a plane flies by the island. Everyone — except, notably, JJ — is excited and runs to flag it down. Pope and Cleo light a signal fire, and the pontoon plane circles back and touches down near the shore.
Sarah is suspicious of the pilot, a weirdo named Jimmy, whom she’s sure is in Ward’s employ. But John B. talks her down… even when the guy is clearly lying about his reasons for flying in their area. The kids rifle through his bag while they’re on their way back to civilization, and the find a book on El Dorado and a photo of the big ship they escaped from at the end of Season 2. When Jimmy realizes what’s going on, he gets mad and tries to stop them. The tussle causes him to lose control of the plane, which crash-lands in the shallow water off of Barbados.
Everyone survives. Some guys on ATVs show up and grab Jimmy and Kiara, who risked her life to pull him out of the plane and who wants to know who’s hired him. All he can do is advise her to do what “they” say, and she probably won’t get hurt. John B. and the rest of the Pogues watch as she and Jimmy are carted away by some strongarmed dudes.
Kiara is brought to a lavish compound guarded by lots of armed guards, locked in a room and told to be ready for dinner at 8. Three slinky, red dresses hang in a wardrobe in her room, accompanied by a note: “Pick your size.” So she does, and comes down to meet her captor… but finds Rafe Cameron there, instead. He’s there to try selling the gold cross to a potential buyer. And that’s when we meet Carlos Singh (played by Andy McQueen, Station Eleven), the man who’s pulling both of their strings.
Singh is on the trail of “the greatest quest in the history of the Western Hemisphere… and you two are going to play a part in that,” he announces. He wants Denmark Tanney’s diary, and he figures either Rafe or the Pogues have it. Once it’s in Singh’s possession, he says, they’ll be free to go. Until then, however, he locks them in a room together. As they stand at a window, trying to discern a way out, they witness Singh kill Jimmy in the yard outside.
Rafe demands that Kiara tell him if she knows where the diary is, and she says no.
Elsewhere, John B. & Co. — who track Jimmy to his house ahead of his untimely demise — use intel they glean there to make their way to Singh’s estate, Vaux Hall. When they arrive, they’re chased by scary dogs.
And file this under Information That Will Probably Prove Important Later: Ward is alive but unconscious, hiding out in Guadaloupe. And Big John and Carla Limbrey are in Barbados, but John B.’s dad holds off on trying to make contact with his kid, in an effort to keep him safe.
Now it’s your turn. What did you think of the episode? Grade it via the poll below, then hit the comments with your thoughts!
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