Outer Banks: John B Is Undoubtedly The Worst Pogue In The Friend Group
It truly is a thankless job, but someone has to be the worst character in a popular series about teen treasure hunters and, for a lot of "Outer Banks" fans at least, that award has been presented to none other than main character John B. Routledge (Chase Stokes). Over on Reddit, many users aired their various grievances with John B and how he treats his fellow Pogues, especially in regard to what he sacrifices for them versus what they give up for him. And, honestly, things aren't looking all that good for him.
"Having watched 2.5 seasons (working my way through season 3 currently), I recently realized something," u/glasseyemaker said. "I feel like John B, out of all the Pogues, is kind of the worst friend. All the other Pogues have shown they'd do anything for their friends. JJ especially is the most loyal. Pope sacrifices his academic career multiple times to help his friends. Kie, who I find annoying at times, also would do anything for her friends. Even Sarah who is a recent addition to the group goes out of her way and risks herself for them constantly."
u/keirapressley found a lot to agree with here. "I completely agree, and I have been saying this forever! They started this hunt for him; they constantly put their lives in danger for him, and every time something happened to one of them, he disregarded it." It's certainly an aspect of the character that's hard to ignore, though one could argue that his selfishness and fallibility make him more relatable. Either way, fans of "Outer Banks" have also noted that John B's behavior makes sense thanks to some revelations in Season 3.
Outer Banks fans note a lot of similarities between John B and his father
On the various threads debating how awful John B is compared to the rest of the Pogues, many users noted that Season 3 of "Outer Banks" actually managed to make some sense of the character's worst tendencies thanks to the inclusion of his father, Big John Routledge (Charles Halford). "He said he didn't care who came after him and his friends as long he finds the treasure – he is a lot like his dad," said u/jaylee-03031. "He was always expects [sic] his friends to constantly put their lives and freedom on the line for him but then gets all whiny when his dad does it to him." Even u/dekdekwho notes how similar he is to his dad, saying, "You'll find out in S3 he gets his traits from Big John, his father."
So while it seems clear that the writers are at least aware of John B's flaws, especially given his interactions with Big John and the upbringing he had with him, it's unclear what they're going to do with it in Season 4 and beyond. The 18-month time jump at the conclusion of Season 3 opens up a lot of doors for character development and new arcs, but here's hoping that comes with the added benefit of John B treating the Pogues a lot better than he has in the past.