Diksha Sundriyal
The fourth season of Netflix’s ‘Outer Banks’ raises the stakes for the Pogues, as this time, the enemy is just as dangerous as the reward is higher. After their success of finding El Dorado, among other treasures, becomes public, they are sought out by a rich man named Wes Genrette, who directs them toward the treasure of the infamous pirate Blackbeard. Genrette, who lives in Blackstone, is only interested in an amulet that belonged to Blackbeard’s dead wife, Elizabeth. However, the Pogues soon discover that there is another priceless item in the treasure’s manifesto. Called the Blue Crown, it has already garnered the attention of several people in the show, but for the real-life treasure hunters, it will be a wild goose chase. SPOILERS AHEAD
The Blue Crown is a Fictional Creation in Outer Banks
The mention of the Blue Crown comes in the third episode of the season when Pope overhears Lightner and a yet-unnamed woman talking about the amulet. They mention Blackbeard’s treasure, and this is when the Blue Crown comes into the conversation. Later, John B remembers the mention of a similar thing in his past and finds an old book that speaks of the fabled Blue Crown. It is described as “the most sought artifact in the ancient world” and presents quite a rewarding challenge to anyone who finds it. It, however, remains a fabrication of the show’s writers and does not exist in real life.
According to the book that John B reads from, the crown belonged to Darius the Great of Persia and is about 3000 years old, which confirms its priceless nature for JJ. Apart from riches, the Crown is also supposed to grant favor and invincibility to its possessor as it is supposed to have been blessed by the gods themselves. Sure enough, the Pogues find that all the owners of the Crown were rich and powerful people like Xerxes, Alexander the Great, and Julius Caesar. The last time anyone heard of the Crown was in the 1700s when Blackbeard was believed to have been hunting after it.
It is quite an interesting lore that the show creates for the Blue Crown and certainly captures one’s attention and imagination. Still, there has been no mention of the said crown in real-life accounts related to Blackbeard or any of the other historical figures mentioned in the story about it. According to the show, the Crown is supposed to be with Blackbeard’s treasure or would be hidden by Blackbeard somewhere else. So far, in real-life, no one can tell concretely what exactly Blackbeard’s treasure might contain. While the wreckage of his ship, Queen Anne’s Revenge, has been found, the treasure itself remains elusive. ‘Outer Banks’ uses the fine line between what is known and what remains unknown to concoct a fictional treasure that makes for a compelling plot for a treasure-hunting story.
It is true that Blackbeard’s infamous ship hit a sandbar and was wrecked near North Carolina in 1718. The wreckage has been identified near Beaufort Inlet where excavations have continued over the years, conducted by the authorities. With ‘Outer Banks’ also set in North Carolina and the real-life pirate’s story and his blockade being a part of North Carolina’s history, it wouldn’t have made sense for the writers to completely ignore it. Considering that the show is set around treasure hunting and with Blackbeard’s yet undiscovered treasure that could have a value in hundreds of millions, it is understandable why the pirate and his treasure were chosen as the pivot for the fourth season. The writers of the show have used details from real life and woven them into the fabric of an otherwise fictional tale to make it seem more believable.
Read More: Outer Banks: Is JJ Related to the Genrettes? Who are His Parents?
