Warning: SPOILERS for Outer Banks Season 3.The love story between John B. Routledge and Sarah Cameron has been a pillar of Outer Banks since the first season dropped on Netflix in 2020. Although they come from different backgrounds, their relationship continues to demonstrate that a person is defined by their choices rather than the life they're born into. John B. and Sarah stood by each other for better or for worse, even making the decision to unofficially marry at sea after escaping the Bahamas. However, since the couple's heartfelt ceremony, Sarah has been drawn back to her ex-boyfriend, Topper, on more than one occasion.
Sarah and John B. experience a rough patch in the latter half of Outer Banks Season 2, prompting Sarah to turn to Topper for support. She and John B do manage to work out their issues, but their relationship is once again put to the test when Big John returns from the dead. Aware that John B. and his father are purposefully keeping her in the dark, Sarah finds herself hooking up with Topper on the beach in Season 3 Episode 6, "The Dark Forest." In an interview with Screen Rant, actress Madelyn Cline was asked if Sarah still had feelings for her old flame. Here's what Cline had to say:
Madelyn Cline: For me, what it ultimately boiled down to was that Sarah's whole arc follows her finding a new family with the Pogues and her relationship with John B. She's sacrificed everything, and she's lost so much in the process and in this new life that she's chosen. And so when she feels like she's been kicked out of it, like a lot of people do, they go back to what feels familiar; what feels comfortable. And she does that. There's probably still a part of her that is maybe mourning the loss of her old friends, her old life, when things were comfortable. So, for me, that's what it was.
Could Sarah And Topper Reconnect In Outer Banks Season 4?
As long as Sarah's attraction to Topper is based solely on a longing for familiarity, it's safe to say that they will never be able to have a genuine romantic relationship. Even if there was hope for Sarah to return his feelings, Topper ventured down a path he couldn't come back from when he lit John B.'s house on fire with Sarah and the Pogues still inside. Thankfully, everyone managed to make it out in one piece, but it doesn't lessen the severity of Topper's actions and likely squashes any chance for the exes to reconcile.
Whether John B. should've forgiven Sarah for her infidelity is up for the audience to decide. Alternatively, the same could be said for John B.'s violent outburst towards Topper after learning what happened between them. But given everything the couple has managed to come back from, it would be surprising if this was what brought their relationship to a permanent end.
With John B. and Sarah's romance seemingly solidified, Season 4 may put more of an emphasis on fan-favorite pairing JJ and Kiara, who confessed their feelings for each other in "Welcome to Kitty Hawk." Sparks also flew between Pope and Cleo when they decided to abandon the "No Love Club" and lock lips in the finale. However, with the last few minutes of the season taking place after an eighteen-month time jump, the couples' futures remain ambiguous. Netflix has already renewed Outer Banks for a fourth season, assuring that viewers will receive a sense of clarity when the show returns.