‘Outer Banks’: A Netflix TV series that will make you crave a sandy beach day on the Outer Banks

After wrapping up my “New Girl” binge with my sister, it was time to start searching for our next Netflix endeavor. Before I could even begin to mindlessly flip through endless selections, a show in the “Top 10 Today” category was calling my name — “Outer Banks.”

I visited the actual Outer Banks last summer and, hoping to be reminded of its nationally ranked beaches and historic lighthouses, I clicked play on the show. After rallying my sister to the couch once again and plowing through the 10-episode series during our “three-day weekend,” I was thrown off guard. Checkmate, Netflix — you actually produced a good show. 

“Outer Banks” follows four best friends — JJ, Pope, Kiara and the main character, John B — as they navigate a treasure hunt that John B believes was left for him by his father, who went missing nine months prior. 

The first episode opens with John B narrating — an element that tragically leaves after the first episode — and he introduces his friends to the audience. Quite frankly, I found them to be very one-dimensional personality wise — the bad boy: JJ, the brains: Pope and the save-the-turtles activist: Kiara. 

At this point, my sister and I were ready to kick this show to the curb and find something else — we couldn’t even get through the first 30 minutes of the 50-minute episode.

But with reconsideration and our desperation for something, literally anything to kill time with, we buckled down to finish the pilot and second episode. And then the heat picked up. 

As a girl whose bedtime stories were detective books, spent more time strategizing during the board game “Clue” than doing homework and is down to watch “National Treasure” any day, it’s safe to say I love mysteries. Especially when there’s treasure and a spicy love triangle.

“Outer Banks” is plot twist after plot twist, but in a climactic way so it doesn’t get tiring. And other than the time John B “yeets over a chain” — Yeet? Seriously? — Netflix has fully exterminated all cringe-worthy phrases and moments to make it somewhat decent. 

I have to commend the show’s writers and their strong development of each character. New sides were revealed — some were refreshing while others were the opposite of flattering. Nonetheless, all changes made the show that much more interesting. And these characters, ones I thought I was the polar opposite of, dealt with real-world problems like paying for college and the struggle of being vulnerable. 

Sure, they vape, drink, do drugs and toy around with guns — have I mentioned they’re 17 yet? — but the show matures by using this to demonstrate progression and add more dimension to the characters. A concept that took me back to my seventh grade English class read: “The Outsiders.”

One of the most notorious elements of “The Outsiders” was community divide in social groups: the “greasers” — the lower class who slide by on the rules — and the “socs” — the rich kids who put themselves on a pedestal. “Outer Banks” adopts this element with their greasers being called “pogues” and the socs going by “kooks.” 

The “Outer Banks’” approach was more enjoyable than that of “The Outsiders” when developing social classes and illustrating their conflicts. After building a void between the two parties, a ripple of circumstances cause characters to get a glimpse of the others’ lives, only to unmask how they weren’t that different in terms of what they wanted out of life.  

The show is able to illustrate a raw sense of community and friendship, something that makes this series a must-binge — even if it forces you to step outside the comfort of your JoCo bubble and into the Outer Banks. 

*featured image photo from imdb.com