Episode Recap
Outer Banks season 3 episode 10 begins with John B’s plane heading into the Orinoco Basin. The group reviews its map, determines the next course of action. As for Big John, he is desperately translating, but only has a few hours to prove his worth to an increasingly impatient Carlos Singh. Meanwhile, John B and the others land at the airport, but Sarah refuses to let her father be a part of his big adventure.
John B and Kie are soon several hours outside the landing zone. For now, the focus is on the group who must try to find John B and the river guide Jose. When they start asking around in bars, they hear a noise upstairs that coincides with Big John. How lucky to have Cor, John B and the others right out the window!
As the fireworks are set off inside the house, Big John is distracted enough to jump on his captors. After reuniting, they run through the streets and are forced to escape from Singh and his thugs. Finally, during a break, John the Great looks at the documents the Pope found and realizes they are legitimate; it could be their ticket to unlocking the treasure.
Downriver, the group finally finds Jose… but accidentally, they also find Ward. Tensions are high among all, but given that Singh is on the market and determined to find them, they are forced to think fast. The group all board the ship together and leave before it’s too late.
The group heads to El Tesoro, where they intend to spend the night before pressing on in the morning. John B points out that Sarah is also part of the treasure hunt, but Big John refuses to buy into this idea, stressing that he doesn’t trust anyone named Cameron.
The group has a full day’s hike, and Ward decides to hang out at El Tesoro with a flare gun, given his bad leg. But the day before, he was busy secretly calling someone and turning on the navigation on his phone, so we have to wait and see what his real intentions are.
Sarah, Big John and John B manage to climb to the top of a large hill overlooking the beautiful expanse below. More importantly, there are also four pillars in the distance, which is where they aim to go.
Well, when they get there, they see a pedestal that they need to insert the statue into. They do just that, and if they do it right, they’re right on time because they’re getting ready for a full moon.
What do the glyphs say?
One by one, the glyphs begin to signify, allowing them to decipher a message about the earth’s richness, darkness, the seeker, and patience. All these various glyphs point to the location of El Dorado, but the mystery of the Gnomon will remain for some time.
Big John refuses to reveal what the message says, which may be in consideration of Singh arriving with his thugs. Turns out it was Ward’s doing. He made a deal with Carlos Singh to let himself and Sarah go safely while Singh received the treasure of El Dorado in exchange. Big John refuses to let her go, claiming that he has the treasure on his mind and is not going to give it to this con man.
A shootout inevitably ensues as Sarah turns on her father and refuses to follow him. It’s enough for Big John to start trusting him as he runs off into the woods with him and John B.
Meanwhile, up behind the river and further back, JJ and his group manage to evade a group of soldiers as they close in on John B and the others. This is worth noting, because our heroes find a huge cave. It seems like an impasse, but Big John is sure they’re on to something here. And there is something in the water. Once there and finally alone, Big John reveals what the last part of the message was from the beginning.
Has the treasure of El Dorado been found?
Big John is left behind, considering Sarah and John B are shot as they grab some torches and dive under the water. Big John’s blood trail is enough for Singh to track them down. As he closes in, John B and Sarah find another clue, this time by turning off the torches and watching as a hole opens in the cave.
The pair are next faced with a large cliff to attempt to jump over, and the pair make it almost in one piece. It couldn’t have happened faster as Singh entered the cave. John B and Sarah finally find the treasure of El Dorado and are amazed to see all this gold.
Big John lights a dynamite and decides to blow the treasure sky high, sacrificing the greatest treasure for his son’s love. The explosion causes a cave-in that traps Singh, but miraculously saves Sarah, Big John and John B, who make it out unscathed. Ward suddenly arrives and holds a gun on them.
How does Ward stop?
Deux ex machina strikes again as JJ and his gang surround Ward. Sarah talks to him, but comes out of the woods called Ryan, who works for Singh. Ward sacrifices himself to save the others by flying off a cliff and crashing to the ground, taking Ryan with him and a few bullets in the gut for good measure. Is Vard really dead? I doubt it.
Anyway, the group makes it to safety, but Big John is bleeding out. As he passes out, John tells B that he is the best son a father could ask for. When she dies, John B leaves her a piece of gold and promises to bring her home. They bury the boy and pay their respects, and Sara does the same for Ward…though there’s still time for him to make it to Al. Evil Dead style!
How does Outer Banks season 3 end?
Then 18 months later we started celebrating together as the Pogues and the Kooks closed the chapter and solved the mystery of El Dorado. A suitable man looking at the collection happens to be there and takes them aside. He found a manuscript and needs partners to help him translate it and solve the great mystery. And to whom? Edward Teach aka. Blackbeard.
Episode Review
Now there are a few fakes and while her character doesn’t do much this season, she sacrifices herself in the end to save Sarah and John B.
This extended episode focuses almost exclusively on the treasure hunt, and I feel like if the rest of the season had played out like this, we could have had a really interesting treasure hunt. Instead, Singh’s threat is completely eliminated as he dies in a cave without much haste. Although it was a fitting death for him, he basically took half the season off before it happened.
Where this show excels is in its acting and writing, both of which are sandwiched between oppressed teenage drama and plot contrivances galore.
In the end, the conclusion hints at Season 4’s focus on Blackbeard’s treasure, and knowing the show has already been renewed, thankfully we don’t have an agonizing wait to see if it ends in vain. Despite these gripes, though, there’s enough to enjoy here, capping things off with a decent enough finale, it’s been a pretty impressive season of ups and downs.