Outer Banks Stars Madelyn Cline, Chase Stokes And More Reveal When They Would Have Tapped Out Of The Treasure Hunt

With each passing season of Outer Banks, the stakes get higher and our band of Pogues seem to find themselves in precarious situation after precarious situation. So, now that the third season of OBX is set to debut on the 2023 TV schedule, it felt fitting to ask the stars of the hit Netflix series if they, themselves, would have tapped out of the treasure hunt by now. Madelyn Cline, Chase Stokes and Drew Starkey weighed in on when they’d back out, and let’s just say it would have been well before the third season. 

We’ll start with Madelyn Cline, who plays Sarah Cameron. Ever since she started dating John B. she has found herself in many death-defying situations, but especially in Season 2. The actress told CinemaBlend that if she were in Sarah’s shoes, there’s no way she would have survived a near-fatal moment her character went through in the show's second installment. When asked if she’d tap out, without hesitation, she said:

One hundred percent. Me personally, I probably would not have survived being shot. So that might have, just been like a natural tap out for me. But also, I like showers. I like smelling good. I like you know, I don't know containerships might be like a big [no.] Yeah, I don't know. I don't know for me personally, but it would have been sometime in there. I also don't think I would have survived the deserted island. No, couldn't be me. I don't think no, no.

I'm with her. Being shot, along with the lack of showers would be a big no for me too. However, while Cline said she would have been done by now, she would have made it pretty far, considering Sarah gets shot in Season 2. 

As for Chase Stokes, he seemed to be fully aware that John B. almost dies in every episode (I’d know, I counted), and pointed to a big moment from Season 1 where he would have backed away.

Probably like Season 1 episode eight I would have been in the fetal position at the Chateau in that bathroom like [mimics fetal position]. I’d be like I’ll get it together, I’ll go to DCS.

The episode Stokes is referencing involves Sarah’s dad Ward literally trying to murder him. His character ends up zooming away on a jet ski, but rather than stopping there, the treasure hunt continues. Stokes’ co-star Jonathan Daviss chimed in on that scene too, humorously saying:  

After getting beat up by like a 40-year-old on a boat, you’d think they would have known.

Stokes rounded out his answer saying that since his character is an orphan, he would have given up there, and just gone into child services. Noting the gold is not worth being murdered over. 

I would have come back from that and I would have immediately called Sheryl at DCS and been like ‘Hey, can you please take me in. So, I think yeah, like the first eight episodes would have been a good time to clock out.

Considering John B. has almost died 20 times in the first two seasons of Outer Banks, and knowing Season 3 is even more action-packed based on the trailer, I think our lead Pogue should have acted the way the actor who plays him would have. 

While both Stokes and Cline made it sound like they’d at least give the adventure a good college try, Drew Starkey, who plays the show’s antagonist Rafe Cameron, said he wouldn't even make it past day two. The actor explained: 

I think like day two I would have tapped out. It’s too much work, too much brainpower. I would be awful at it. It’s the resilience, I would just get bored.

Starkey’s co-star Austin North then noted that the payout is $500 million, but the actor behind Rafe wasn’t having it. He said:

It’s 500 mill but like in my in my brain I go ‘like it's not possible, it’s not gonna happen. Yeah, I'd be a lost cause.

I’m with Starkey, I’d also be a lost cause. It seems like the other actors would too, because none of them would have even made it to the part of the show where the Pogues get stranded on a deserted island

Madelyn Cline noted that Season 3 shows how the Pogues have “outlasted everyone,” to EW. And lucky for us, we’ll get to see what trouble they get into next and how they survive it very soon as Season 3 premieres on February 23, and all you need is a Netflix subscription

However, let it be known that the cast themselves, would not have made it this long. 

Riley Utley
Weekend Editor

Riley Utley is the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. She has written for national publications as well as daily and alt-weekly newspapers in Spokane, Washington, Syracuse, New York and Charleston, South Carolina. She graduated with her master’s degree in arts journalism and communications from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Since joining the CB team she has covered numerous TV shows and movies -- including her personal favorite shows Ted Lasso and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She also has followed and consistently written about everything from Taylor Swift to Fire Country, and she's enjoyed every second of it.