TV Review: OUTER BANKS: Season 1, Episodes 1-10 [Netflix]

Outer Banks Season 1 Review

Netflix‘sOuter Banks: Season 1, Episodes 1-10 gives the audience everything from action and adventure to romance and triumph.

Outer Banks is a classic tale regarding the clash of two social classes and the adventure aspect of finding missing treasure. It’s story line is compelling, the characters are in depth, and it’s impossible to stop watching.

Plot

All 10 episodes move swiftly, and get more entertaining along the way. Overall, the plot has no problem hooking the audience in for more. There are multiple conflicts such as John B (Chase Stokes) chasing the gold with his friends while the inner conflicts in the friend group move it along. The audience gets some sort of mysterious feel amidst the treasure hunt, while it also offers action, drama, and romance. As a result, there are parts I didn’t see coming, and the show kept me guessing. At the end of the show, I got the idea that the treasure hunt really wasn’t what the show’s main purpose was. Sure, it was the main conflict, but in my opinion the character bond of the Pogues and how John B and Sarah (Madelyn Cline) find love is my main takeaway. I finished the show with the idea of family and how the Pogues are always there for each other.

John B’s Friends

John B’s crew of friends are important to the story and cannot go unmentioned. JJ, (Rudy Pankow) Pope, (Jonathan Daviss) and Kiara (Madison Bailey) create the perfect depiction of a friend group that is always there for each other despite how different they are. All of them bring something to the table; JJ has that nothing to lose mentality, Pope brings the wit, and Kiara holds the group together.

Kooks and Pogues

The differences between the Kooks and Pogues is what makes this show what it is. The characters are who they are based on which background they come from. We know that the Pogues are from the cut and have to earn everything they want, while the Kooks already have it made for them and live that lavish lifestyle. For me, it made me root for the Pogues and that “Pogue life”, that consisted of living on the edge while trying to move up in the world.

John B/ Sarah Cameron

I figured that there would be some sort of relationship of a Kook and Pogue, which happens to be between John B and Sarah Cameron. Because Sarah took a chance on John B, it shows the whole idea of Kooks and Pogues doesn’t mean anything to her. On top of that, it creates the teen love-story that all audiences die for. Once again, what I got out of the episode where they went off the island searching for treasure clues is not the excitement of the hunt, but the growing relationship between the two. The show does that very well, where the growing character relationships are just as exciting as the actual plot.

Police Search

I think the police pursuit was slightly over done. Although it was very entertaining and added one more little taste of action, I couldn’t understand why John B didn’t simply turn himself in and plead his innocence. I think this instance shows how the Kooks dominate the island; even if John B testified his part he wouldn’t have been believed. However, I think it cuts out some of the realism of the show.

Final Scene

The final scene leaves me with a lot of thoughts. How John B and Sarah are set up to live a “happy ending” is likable. On the other hand, the rest of the Pogues back home think both are dead, leading me to believe there has to be a season 2. The ending isn’t exactly satisfying for the entirety of the show, but more for John B and Sarah’s relationship.

Final Thoughts

In the end, Outer Banks is a classic Netflix production where I found myself unable to put it down. There are parts that were a little over dramatic, but the story offers a perfect summertime vibe with a group of characters that are dynamic and meaningful. I am excited just at the thought of the possibility of a season 2.

Leave your thoughts on this Outer Banks Season 1 review and this season of Outer Banks below in the comments section. Readers seeking to support this type of content can visit our Patreon Page and become one of FilmBook’s patrons. Readers seeking more Outer Banks can visit our Outer Banks Page, our Netflix Page, and our Netflix Twitter Page. Readers seeking more TV show reviews can visit our TV Show Review Page and our TV Show Review Twitter Page. Want up-to-the-minute notification? FilmBook staff members publish articles by Email, Twitter,  Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, and Flipboard.