Outer Banks

 

Outer Banks is probably one of my favourite shows. I’ve watched it all the way through twice over quarantine and will likely watch it again before season 2 comes out. It's somewhat of a comfort show for me and everyone I know is basically obsessed with it. I love the characters and the location of the series. This show was easily the show of the summer and I can not wait for season 2 to drop hopefully soon, fingers crossed.



Something I really like about this show is that it really looks at social and economic class structures. It showcases a split between the ‘kooks’, the rich who live in luxury housing on the island and the ‘pogues’, the poor or the working class who live in old and run-down housing on the other side of the island. There is a rivalry between the two groups and it really shows the divide between those who have money and those who work to provide for the rich. It is heavily enforced in the show by Sarah and John B being the Romeo and Juliet of the two groups, and Pope working hard to get his scholarship so he can go to a good school and make something of himself. 



At first, I thought this was just a teen drama show kind of like Riverdale, so I was not really interested, but everyone was losing their minds over it so I was like fine I’ll watch it. I was pleasantly surprised. I stayed up till maybe 5 am or something crazy because I couldn’t stop watching it. The opening scene is my favourite in the whole show, it's a fun and well-done sequence. I have the whole intro narration part practically memorized at this point. The show starts in one direction as a teen beach show and then it quickly becomes a completely different show about finding pirate treasure and mysteries of the island. The series is a little bit like goonies but for the most part, I’d say it's pretty unique. I like that it's a teen show that is made for everyone.



The setting is really fun and all of a sudden I want to live in a cute beach town. The show itself is very stylistic and utilizes a lot of natural light which I like as opposed to studio lighting. The group drives around in a classic old Volkswagen van that has become such an iconic image for the show that it is almost its own character. I think everyone wanted that van after the show was released. I want to drive or at least ride in a van like that at least once in my lifetime. 



I love this cast and it is incredible what they were able to do with basically a group of fresh faces in Hollywood. That is something I really like about specifically Netflix shows because they typically use up-and-coming or fresh faces and don’t rely on A-list leads to promote a show. It gives people a chance to really get their foot in the door, people who would normally find it unlikely to be leading a series like this so early in their career. It provides a real opportunity. This cast all portrays their roles really well and the characters all have very different personalities, backgrounds, and motivations. For example, JJ has an abusive dad and we don’t know where his mom is or John B where his dad is missing at sea. Kiara comes from the ‘rich’ part of the island but still hangs out with the working class. Pope is trying to get a scholarship so that he can go to a good school and leave the island. Then you have the kooks like Sara Cameron who comes from this rich lifestyle and her dad... let's just say not who he says he is. The characters all have their own sets of issues, which I find gives them more depth. It also provides something that you can understand or resonate with.


Since the season ended on somewhat of a cliffhanger, I am really excited to see where John B and Sarah end up and how JJ, Pope, and Kiara go about their life given they all think that John B and Sarah are dead. Meanwhile, you still have Ward and Rafe, who have both killed people walking free. I can’t wait for season 2 and to see these characters again. I will always connect this show to the beginning of the pandemic and finding something to distract from all the chaos that was the world. If you haven’t seen the show, definitely go give it a watch and a thumbs up, available only on Netflix.