Hot Takes are student-written reviews of relevant books (especially books in the library of the Bible), movies, shows, events, technology, and anything interesting or important to students (13-17 years of age). Usually light-hearted, each piece is all about developing a Biblical worldview, increasing Biblical literacy, and supplementing student ministries.

Calling all Pogues and Kooks!

Lost treasure and new adventures await in Netflix’s third season of Outer Banks!

If you haven’t watched it, the series follows the life of average teen John B. and his friends’ (called the Pogues) dangerous adventures in Outer Banks, North Carolina. Throughout the series, watch mysteries unravel as John B. searches for lost treasure, priceless artifacts, and in this season: legendary City of Gold, El Dorado.

*But you may want to abandon ship! There are spoilers ahead!*

The show picks up where it left off, with the Pogues stranded on an island at sea. The serious matters are washed away by beach vibes when J.J. dubs the island “Poguelandia.” Shortly after, J.J. jumps off an ocean cliff, but at this point, no one is surprised.

The show highlights good times between the characters, but these moments turn toxic faster than Rafe melts down the golden cross. But, before you hunt for gold with the Pogues, you may want to dig for what the Bible says friendship should look like.

Solomon, arguably in the wisest king in human history writes in Proverbs 13:20, “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” While this observation can feel pretty harsh, it’s so true.

Our friends are the people who impact us the most. In Outer Banks, the positives of this can easily be seen. The Pogues always have each others’ backs, and without the their genuine love and concern for each other, the plot of the series wouldn’t exist.

I mean, it’s Pogues for life, right?

Yet, the influence the characters have on each other isn’t always good. They push each other into decisions that land them into even more trouble (everyone’s looking at you J.J.!) Especially with a lot of drug use, negative peer pressure, and even more bad decision-making, Outer Banks really can show us how friendship shouldn’t look.

If you decide to jump into the deep end with John B. and his crew, just remember that good friendships shouldn’t be pushing you to do things you know are wrong, or that are creating toxic situations!

Good friendships are like buried treasure, they might take some time to find, but in the end it’s totally worth it.

In this third season of Outer Banks, get ready to experience paradise on earth.