Outer Banks leans hard into the friends-to-lovers trope and ends up face-planting. Instead of slow-burn charm, we get awkward stares, clunky moments, and zero real spark.
Frankly speaking, it’s less romantic tension and more secondhand embarrassment on loop. The very shift from friendship to romance feels rushed, forced, and way too scripted to land any real emotional punch.
Sure, the show nails the beach vibes and adventure chaos, but when it tries to get cute with love, it fumbles hard. The chemistry falls flat, the buildup lacks bite, and the whole thing feels more cringe than compelling.
Outer Banks forces John B and Sarah’s love story, and it’s just cringeworthy
Netflix’s Outer Banks might serve up tropical sunsets and buried treasure, but when it comes to romance? It’s just not working out. The whole “friends to lovers” angle in this series doesn’t feel sweet, it feels borderline obsessive.
The Pogues may be all about ride-or-die friendship, but the way some characters orbit around their crushes like lovesick satellites is just uncomfortable. This isn’t slow-burn tension, it’s a painfully drawn-out obsession disguised as emotional support. That “friend” who’s always conveniently around? They’re not swooning, they’re scheming.
Take John B. and Sarah. Their relationship took off like a jet ski in Season 1 (tolerate, hate, fall madly in love), all in record time. Sure, fans shipped them hard, but not everyone was here for that emotional whiplash.
As one viewer bluntly put it: “I skipped half of their scenes. Lots of people seem to like it, though, so kudos to the writers.” Ouch.
And yet, Outer Banks keeps doubling down on this formula. Emotional boundaries get blurred, the tension feels forced, and we’re left watching a “romance” that looks more like an unhealthy fixation. Meanwhile, the treasure hunt that made the show feel exciting in Season 1 is often shoved aside for overwrought longing and repetitive drama.
Set in a town divided between the Kooks and Pogues, Outer Banks had all the ingredients for a gritty adventure. Instead, it sometimes feels like a romance novel got stuck in the middle of a pirate movie.
Season 4 wrapped in November 2024, and with a fifth and final season confirmed, fans are hoping the treasure maps stay in focus and the romance rewrites its playbook.
Outer Banks season 5 reportedly starts filming in spring 2025 for a 2026 release
Outer Banks season 5 is gearing up to roll cameras this spring, finally. And yes, we’re talking about the final season. Per The Island Packet, filming kicks off in May 2025 down in Beaufort County, South Carolina. And Netflix already confirmed the release window: 2026.
Creator Jonas Pate had dropped hints in late 2024 that production would begin this spring. Even Madelyn Cline hinted at it, sharing she’s leaving LA till year-end.
Filming is expected to run through the end of 2025, making a 2025 premiere impossible. But hey, a spring or summer 2026 drop feels likely.
Watch Outer Banks on Netflix.
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