Outer Banks: Teens’ Quest in Search of Gold

The promotion for Outer Banks season 1.

By: Emma Walsh
Rating: 10/10

Would you follow an ancient treasure map in search for gold? Even if it is most likely the reason
that your father has been lost at sea for over a year? Yeah me neither. However, John B and his
group of friends, including JJ, Pope, Ki, and Sarah Cameron, wanted this pile of gold for
themselves, and they would do anything it took to get the gold. The group of five teens, some
from different upbringings than others, must come together in order to solve the mystery. With
each clue solved, comes another dead end that the group must push through. It is a story about
resiliency and strength, in order to achieve their end goal, a real pot of gold.

The cast is a group of close-knit kids, who seem to be real friends outside of the show, which
makes the show much more authentic. Outer Banks was released at the perfect time right in the
midst of the United States quarantine due to Coronavirus. The way that the show is able to
portray real issues of the world helps add to the authenticity of the mystery that the group of
teens try to solve throughout the summer.

Outer Banks draws upon similar plot lines and setting from The Goonies and The O.C.. It
follows the exciting summer of five teenagers in their quest for $400 million worth of gold that
sunk along with the Royal Merchant. On the Outer Banks, there are two categories that you
could be part of, the Kooks or the Pogues. The Kooks are the rich kids on the island, and the
Outer Banks is their families summer home. The Pogues are the kids of the working class, who
live on the island all year round. John B., JJ, and Pope are the Pogues. Ki and Sarah are both
Kooks, but Ki has been friends with the Pogues her whole life, so she is considered a Pogue
amongst the boys. However, Sarah Cameron starts running with the Pogues after she learns that
the Pogues really do have more fun.

The Outer Banks vast shoreline that attracts many tourists.

The Outer Banks in North Carolina is a popular vacation destination for most families on the
East coast, and that is what the writers appealed to. The vast shoreline and the authentic old time
feel in the town square that the show perfectly portrays, makes every single person watching the
show have a sudden urge to book a flight right after watching the opening scene. I know I did.
The creators of Outer Banks, Jonas and Josh Pate, twin brothers, grew up in North Carolina, and
used some of their personal life in the episodes through the scenery and the different plot
elements. No, they did not go on a treasure hunt for $400 million worth of gold, but they did
travel to the Outer Banks often, and knew what it was like there as a teenager.

Through social media, and everyone being on their phones amidst the quarantine, the praise for
Outer Banks skyrocketed. Every teen on Tik Tok chose to either be a Kook or a Pogue, and they
dressed and acted how the Kooks and the Pogues did in the show. It seemed as if each kid who
started dressing and acting as the characters did, were very impressionable, and they wanted to
live a more carefree life, like they saw in the show. Although the Outer Banks is a teenage drama
mystery, there is something that is different than the traditional teenage dramas that are being
released in this generation. It features kids that are experiencing real problems, and it addressed
real problems that are present in the world today.

John B., Ki, Pope, and JJ all relaxing on John B’s boat.

Racism amongst teens, drugs, and being orphaned are just some of the different problems that
the show addresses in these episodes. Pope, a young black kid, is very smart, but in episode three
he is beat up and treated as less than equal by some of the rich white Kooks, which is something
that (unfortunately) is still happening today. The show did a really nice job of articulating the
differences between the Kooks and the Pogues by documenting their different lives and
explaining the different struggles that each person goes through, and how they differ between the
two social classes.

Overall, many people and reviews speak positively on the TV series and are eager to see what
will happen in the upcoming season 2. Recently, it won People’s Choice Award for most
bingeworthy show of 2020. The Outer Banks also hit number one TV show on Netflix in April
after it was released. Critics loved that the show addressed real problems present in the current
world, but also kept things upbeat and fun, with new twists in every episode. Each character was
going through their own struggle, even when it may not have been obvious to the other
characters within the show.
The plot is not a straight cut mystery, conversely it keeps you on your toes and there are always
many different things going on at once, making each episode entirely different and intriguing.
The Outer Banks is not just meant for teens, there is a sense of nostalgia within the episodes
which appeals to the older generations. Being based in North Carolina, it appeals to an audience
that appreciates the other famous shows and movies based in this area, such as The Notebook and
Dawson’s Creek.
 A few members of the Outer Banks cast when they found out they won a People’s Choice Award for most
Bingeworthy show.

Out of the numerous shows and movies I watched over quarantine, The Outer Banks was by far
my favorite. Any way that you can access this show, definitely do it. Use your own Netflix
account, your best friends Netflix account, or your neighbor’s best friend’s cousin’s Netflix
account. The first episode will keep you on the edge of your seat, and it will intrigue you to keep
watching the season. Season 2 is currently being filmed and should be out on Netflix a year after
the first season was released, in April of 2021.
 Links
First OBX image: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10293938/
Outer Banks shoreline image: https://www.pilotonline.com/news/vp-nw-obx-market-20200226-
y7kgjorpwjevrcq7hgfalw2mue-story.html
Popular vacation destination: https://www.sunrealtync.com/top-10-reasons-you-need-an-outer-
banks-nc-vacation#:~:text=The%20OBX%20has%20been%20a,is%20the%20perfect
%20vacation%20destination.
Downtown OBX: https://www.outerbanks.com/manteo.html
Netflix to first episode: https://www.netflix.com/watch/80236528?
trackId=13752289&tctx=0%2C0%2C4c8a62e9f140d6c7fa2c56840f1101e023f39455%3A31b7e
8d983d590750825ee80176e9459c7af32df
%2C4c8a62e9f140d6c7fa2c56840f1101e023f39455%3A31b7e8d983d590750825ee80176e9459
c7af32df%2Cunknown%2C
Netflix to episode 3: https://www.netflix.com/watch/81017208?
trackId=13752289&tctx=0%2C0%2C8764163ff9184695f95730a660f1f9c412869cd1%3Aa18e5
e4a0f594646c33f651dd18c31d4608d5001%2C8764163ff9184695f95730a660f1f9c412869cd1%
3Aa18e5e4a0f594646c33f651dd18c31d4608d5001%2Cunknown%2C
People’s Choice Awards: https://www.postandcourier.com/charleston_scene/netflix-series-
filmed-in-charleston-wins-peoples-choice-award-for-most-binge-worthy-show/article_ea0ebc8c-
2821-11eb-854b-cb51078681d0.html
Reviews:
- https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/04/netflix-outer-banks-series-streaming-
review
- https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/outer-banks-review-1290064
- https://www.indiewire.com/2020/04/outer-banks-netflix-review-teen-drama-1202225125/
The Goonies: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089218/
The O.C.: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0362359/
Interview with Jonas Pate about OBX: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q37BjyOqBwQ
Kook vs. Pogue quiz: https://www.buzzfeed.com/katelynmurakami/are-you-a-pogue-or-kook-
from-outer-banks-4re4qj42aq
People’s Choice Awards Image: https://glittermagrocks.com/connect/2020/11/16/netflix-series-
outer-banks-won-the-e-peoples-choice-award-for-the-bingeworthy-show-of-20201/