Outer Banks stars warn the Pogues are 'in over their heads' in season 3's hunt for El Dorado

On the first seasons of Outer Banks the Pogues thought the Royal Merchant gold and Cross of Santo Domingo were worth risking their lives — but they haven't seen anything yet.

Once John B (Chase Stokes), Sarah (Madelyn Cline), Kiara (Madison Bailey), JJ (Rudy Pankow), Pope (Jonathan Daviss), and Cleo (Carlacia Grant) find a way off the deserted island they were stranded on at the end of season 2, they're going to set out on a brand new treasure hunt in season 3 that is bigger, more important, and riskier than anything they've faced before. "This treasure hunt feels like it's never ending, but these kids are so determined and they've outlasted everyone that they've gone up against," Cline tells EW. "This season, the stakes are higher and the treasure hunt is at an all-time high."

Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

According to Daviss, a big part of season 3 is how the Pogues learn that the treasure hunts they've been on already were only a small part of the ultimate prize: El Dorado, the mythical lost city of gold. "This season, things become more clear about what's so important about the gold and why Big John went missing for it," Daviss adds. "All those questions start to be answered, and you realize how way in over their heads these kids were this whole time. Our Pogues are small fish in a big pond and they have to adapt to not to get eaten by the sharks around them."

Bailey reveals that this season's treasure hunt sets the show on a whole new path. "Season 1 was a very classic treasure hunt — there was gold, X marks the spot — and season 2 was the Cross meaning something very deep to Pope's family," she says. "Season 3 is about where did the gold and where did the Cross come from? It came from somewhere. There's more people in on this treasure hunt. It's so much bigger than us. We're a little in over our heads, but we are going to fight the fight regardless."

But all that glitters is not gold. Grant warns that as the life or death stakes get higher, it'll cause the Pogues to re-examine if this whole treasure hunt is even worth all they're risking for it. "The big theme this season is: Why do we want the gold?" Grant says. "We've just been chasing after it because it's been a goal. But this season, each one of us is figuring out the why. What are we willing to give up? And is it worth losing whatever we're willing to give up for this gold, or is it something that we should just let go?"

Showrunner Josh Pate reveals season 3's entire El Dorado treasure hunt storyline actually came from their real experiences filming the Netflix series. "Shooting in Barbados in season 2 really opened up some ideas from people that we met and stories that we heard, and then it dovetailed into the mythology that we had for the adventure story this season," he says. "It explores an earlier pocket of history than the Antebellum stuff that was tied to the mythology of the Royal Merchant Gold, and it ties back into different cultures from South America. It was inspired by us being in Barbados and learning about the culture there and the lower Caribbean and the West Indies. The new bad guy and the culture that we explore are in that part of the world and it's a little older part of history that we're synthesizing."

Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

As for that "new bad guy," prepare to meet a villain even more terrifying that Ward (Charles Esten) or Limbrey (Elizabeth Mitchell): Carlos Singh (Andy McQueen). "He's definitely the most formidable villain we've ever faced, and everyone's in for a ride with him," Cline teases.

The stars can't reveal too much about who Singh is or how they end up in his orbit, but they all warn that the Pogues have no idea what they're up against with him. "I don't think Singh has a good bone in his body," Grant says. "He wants what he wants and he's going to do whatever it takes. Our other villain, Ward, has something that brings him to his knees, something that stops him, which is his love for Sarah. But for Singh, he doesn't have anything. There's no moral compass in him."

"He's so evil," Bailey agrees, adding, "He is vastly different from any other villain because there's no connection from him to us other than a mutual goal."

Casting the man behind the villain, Pate reveals that McQueen actually ended up influencing the role. "He changed the storyline because of his family history — he's of Indian descent but his family came to the Caribbean, and he told me all these family stories that opened up little pockets of research that we did and it became part of the show," the showrunner explains. "We were originally inspired by V.S. Naipaul, a writer who's of Indian descent but grew up in Trinidad, and then we met Andy. He had all these family stories from literally where the legend El Dorado's supposed to be. It was just crazy and really super helpful."

Pankow loves how each season introduces a new villain who is worse than the one before, because it keeps raising the stakes. "It's like a comic book where the villains always get harder and scarier," he says. "And this season, the villain is more than just entitled to the treasure. It's not even like he needs it, he just wants it."

For more on Outer Banks season 3 (premiering Feb. 23 on Netflix), check out EW's exclusive preview with the co-creators and stars.

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

Related content:

• Fool's gold: How Outer Banks season 3 goes 'off the rails' with romance, action and drama

• Outer Banks stars Chase Stokes and Madelyn Cline talk working together post-breakup for season 3

• Outer Banks season 3 finally goes there with JJ and Kiara, Rudy Pankow and Madison Bailey say

• Watch John B reunite with his dad in Outer Banks season 3 trailer

• Outer Banks season 3 first look photos reveal hope for JJ and Kiara

• Outer Banks heads to Poguelandia in first season 3 teaser