When we are young, we always look for adventure, but often, it is just a bit of fun. What if you stumbled upon a real treasure hunt? Would you go for it?
Outerbanks is set on a remote island where there is a severe class divide. A group of four teens (referred to as Pogues) form a strong friendship where they mostly just enjoy being young together. You've got John B, Kiara, Pope, and JJ. John B's dad goes missing at sea on the hunt for treasure but still holds onto the hope he may return.
On one of their excursions, they find a boat wreck and decide to go exploring. That exploration leads them down a path that you wouldn't expect. Clues are presented throughout the series and we join them on their journey to find answers (and hopefully some treasure).
I loved this series. Honestly, I can't sing its praises enough. I found it one day when scrolling through Netflix and decided to give it a go. Where they live is worlds away from my surroundings so I didn't think it'd be relatable. As time goes on though, you start to see that society forms similarly wherever you may be. The class divide is a big issue but more so among teenagers rather than adults. On one hand, you have the rich, entitled people who believe that those who live on the Cut, are there to serve them. Then you have the Pogues, who hate having to wait on the rich, so take advantage where and when they can.
It's also so interesting to see how hunting for treasure is approached from both angles. You've got the greedy adults, prepared to kill in order to get their hands on the money. Then you've got the teenagers who just view it as an exciting adventure, not really considering the danger or the repercussions.
The characters are portrayed perfectly and the actors do a phenomenal job. We can see how John B is desperate to stay connected to his father through this treasure hunt. John B's friends stick by him and one another no matter how hard it may be. As adults, I think we often lose that sense of loyalty. When you're young, your friends are everything to you but when you go through betrayal, we lose the ability to trust wholeheartedly. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's just beautiful to see such sincere friendships.
There are also romantic relationships that evolve, almost like Romeo and Juliet. John B falls for a girl on the other side (Sarah) and she falls in love with him. They have a beautiful day together, but then have to go back to reality. Can they overcome the social divide.
Each character is explored in depth so that we can understand their struggles and motives behind their actions. It's paced perfectly and as a viewer, you don't feel force-fed. Bits are revealed at a time, but we are always focused on the main goal. That bit is never abandoned so it doesn't seem there's any fill time just to make the show longer.
Most importantly to me, it feels real. There are troubles with police, FBI, drug use, breaking and entering, etc. Even though we see it from the Pogues perspective, we see how it plays out in the real world and how actually, most of it doesn't go to plan.
I honestly don't have anything bad to say about it. It doesn't provoke any deep thoughts, but it's wonderful to watch. The story is interesting and the characters are perfectly written. Perhaps my only negative is one of the characters (Sarah's brother, Rafe) who is just a little too extreme. It's hard to imagine someone being that unhinged, especially having led a sheltered life. Nevertheless, the show covers it as best as they can and people in the real world can lose their minds, so why not here?
I'd highly recommend checking it out when you can. Catch it on Netflix. I can't wait for Outer Banks Season 2. The ending isn't a cliffhanger (which is a rarity in itself) but there's plenty of questions left to answer and to continue their story.
My Rating - 8/10
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