“Outer Banks” has taken girls’ hearts and inspired guys to dress like surfers. It also happens to be No. 1 on Netflix in the U.S.
The show surpassed all expectations as a typical soap adventure show and has rightfully claimed a spot among my top five TV shows of all time.
Season one of this Netflix original was released at the beginning of the pandemic and season two premiered in July.
To recap, the first season told the story of a group of high schoolers called the “Pogues” and their adventure to find $400 million worth of shipwreck gold. The season ended on a cliffhanger with the main character John B (Chase Stokes) being framed for the murder of the town sheriff and fleeing to the Caribbean with his girlfriend Sarah Cameron (Madelyn Cline).
Season one won the People’s Choice Awards most Bingeworthy Show 2020, so season two had to go big or go home.
To put it into perspective, season one took me a week to finish. Season 2? One day.
The new season starts off with John B and Sarah navigating through the Caribbean, trying to exonerate John B while staying off the radar.
While the main characters nailed their performances again this season, I was impressed by the way the writers developed the minor roles.
Ward Cameron (Charles Esten) used to be your typical wealthy and over-protective father, but became a ruthless antagonist in season two. Ward rising up to this role makes the plot even more intriguing since he’ll be fighting against his very own daughter, Sarah.
As Ward transforms from dad to criminal, the most significant character change is his son, Rafe Cameron (Drew Starkey).
Rafe barely got any screen time the first season, making me forget he was even there. However, this season he evolves into a sick, deranged older brother who would do the most disturbing things to his own family.
Starkey absolutely nailed this role and was the best pure actor this season. I know I’m not alone when I say this because every day when I go on Tiktok, all I see are videos about Rafe and how excellent his acting was.
Starkey’s scene that stood out to me the most was when he impersonated his little sister in order to meet up with Sarah at the docks and let’s just say the ending of that scene isn’t a pleasant one.
Another aspect that surprised me was where the crew filmed the show: Barbados. I was impressed by how they were able to travel and record footage during the pandemic and manage who was on set. With hundreds of extras on set, even Stokes said in a tweet that he felt secure at all times.
The cinematography is also excellent.
The camera crew was able to get footage of the rustic streets of Barbados, the swamps and the abandoned churches in the middle of nowhere.
There are some pretty cool explosions, too.
Yet, “Outer Banks” still suffered from a silly amount of corny plot devices.
There were several instances during the earlier episodes of season two when they could have easily solved the main problem, but cheesy twists were thrown in to elongate the show. Imagine you have video footage to put the bad guy away, but you drop the camera — kinda cheesy.
On a more positive note, the producers nailed making the soundtrack. “Outer Banks” uses songs that are famous on Tiktok, such as “Where’d All the Time Go,” which helps engage the show’s audience.
Watching “Outer Banks” was one of the highlights of my summer. I don’t know how I’m going to wait one whole year for the new season to come out!
— By Rod Azghadi
