Courtesy of Netflix
The Netflix show “Outer Banks” has become number one in the U.S. since its April 15 release. The show follows four friends on a search for treasure as they navigate the socioeconomic inequalities that consume the North Carolina island they call home. Main characters John B (Chase Stokes), Pope (Jonathan Daviss), Kiara/Kie (Madison Bailey) and JJ (Rudy Pankow) drive the plot with their thirst for adventure and determination to create better lives for themselves.
John B, Pope and JJ are part of the blue-collar, working class of the island also known as “the cut,” and are referred to as “Pogues”. Kie, on the other hand, is from the rich side of the island, where people are referred to as “Kooks,” but she finds comfort with these three Pogues. Throughout the show, the two heavily divided groups collide as John B attempts to finish his missing father’s dream of finding the sunken Royal Merchant vessel. He enlists the help of his friends as well as a Kook named Sarah Cameron who falls for John B, making for a modern-day Romeo and Juliet forbidden love story. The underlying theme of divided social classes is just one of the many reasons this show is deserving of its number one title.
John B’s mission to find the sunken vessel with his friends sounds similar to the film “The Goonies.” However, one shouldn’t be deterred in frights that this will ruin the classic film, because the show’s plot is refreshing and absolutely captivating. Stokes, the actor who portrays John B, was hesitant to play this role for this reason but took a chance on the project after much push from his agent and creator Jonas Pate. The show is so unique because it caters to such a large audience. It is cinematically pleasing with coming-of-age energy, a fitting soundtrack and excellent editing such as warm color correction, which livens any quarantine binge.
The mystery within the plot forces you to keep pressing play, even at 3 a.m. Comparison can also be made to the CW show “Riverdale,” but “Outer Banks” did what “Riverdale” couldn’t. “Outer Banks” brought in a talented cast with chemistry founded on a script that included sophisticated character arcs and executed it well.
The characters themselves add so much to this addictive mystery. Despite his father’s disappearance, John B never loses hope, even when everyone around him is telling him to let go. John B’s father is his main motivation to push through a society that seems to be against him. On the other hand, JJ has to deal with an absent and abusive father. His constant search for his father’s approval eventually breaks down when he realizes it may not be achievable. This realization is one of the most moving scenes, because it breaks the stereotype that boys can’t cry and shows a bare vulnerability to his sarcastic character.
It can be argued that Kie’s character is primarily romanticized when her Pogue friends often talk about “macking on her,” but she is the glue that holds the group together. Also, Pope’s value as a character may seem to be reduced to his scholarship, but the scholarship helps to reinforce the themes of friendship and the drive of the “have nots.” JJ takes the fall for Pope’s revenge sinking of Topper’s (Austin North) boat because he knows how important it is to Pope to maintain his reputation.
Rafe Cameron (Drew Starkey) is also an incredibly intricate character. Rafe, like a majority of the characters, has a complicated relationship with his father. He also has a drug addiction and is mentally and emotionally troubled. His instability is fascinating because his siblings are rather normal, but he has lost his way. These are just some of the many striking characters and the themes they reinforce.
Audiences have become so drawn in by the show’s captivating characters and the aesthetic that accompanies them that many fans are beginning to dress like the characters, plan trips to the island and even take up surfing or boating. Such fascination with the show is not surprising, because below the surface, it is a real treasure of contemporary television.
