Living on the Outer Banks of North Carolina was something I didn't fully appreciate for a long time. There are so many aspects of life on the coast that are truly unique from other parts of the country, or even other parts of the state. Every time I watch the sunrise with a latte from my favorite local coffee shop, read with my toes buried in the sand, or leave my shoes in the car to climb Jockey's Ridge (followed by an obligatory ice cream cone from the shopping center across the street), I really feel at peace.
When Netflix dropped its now-hit show Outer Banks in 2020, it became the talk of the town. It premiered a month into the COVID pandemic (meaning everyone was home to watch), and it was the perfect One Tree Hill meets The Outsiders mix of drama, intrigue, and adventure. All of my OBX Facebook groups went wild.
My family and I spent the entirety of season 1 cracking up at (and entirely engrossed in) the fictionalized version of our lives, including John B. and Sarah's trip to UNC-Chapel Hill, my alma mater. A lot of the negative opinions on the series' inaccuracies came from people who are much older than the characters, but it didn't matter — I was hooked.
As a Gen Z'er myself, I actually think there are aspects of the kids' experiences that feel like an authentic part of coming of age in the 2010s and 2020s. Even though there isn't a Pogue versus Kook feud, and you definitely can't take a ferry to Chapel Hill, I think Outer Banks does a fairly good job of translating the good parts of living on the beach. Because in my opinion, what the showrunners get right, they get really right.
The Treasure...Kind Of
While the wreck of the Royal Merchant isn't a part of OBX history, treasure is. The Outer Banks—specifically one of the southern islands called Ocracoke Island—became a location for a variety of pirates like Anne Bonney and Blackbeard. Starting at the end of the 17th Century, Ocracoke was one of the biggest ports in North Carolina. It was also riddled with hiding places where pirates could stash any treasure they had on hand.
I've never found any buried treasure, but never say never ;).
All Day In The Water
When you live on the beach, especially when summer rolls around and it's warm enough to be outside, you really do spend all day in the water. Boating, paddle boarding, swimming, surfing. It's very common to surf before school, after school, and spend all day on Saturday at the beach. And even when I'm not actually in the water, I'm always hanging out on the boardwalk or dining at a restaurant's waterfront seating.
Another one of my favorite moments from the pilot episode that makes me laugh every time is when the characters are cleaning up after the hurricane. JJ (one of the central characters played by Rudy Pankow) mentions to one of the adults that the day after a hurricane is a free day, which is something my sister and I have said for years! When the bridges (and in turn, the schools) are closed, the power is out, and you can't drive anywhere because the roads are flooded, it definitely feels like a free day.
The Clothes
Okay, this one might not seem like a big deal, but as a huge fan of television costuming in general, I will never stop talking about the clothes on this show. Costume designer Emmie Holmes came to the OBX before filming season one to scope out the way that the locals dress, and considers "the kids of the real OBX style icons."
The summer after the show premiered, I worked at a frozen yogurt shop and it was very obvious which young people came in and were visiting the OBX because of the show. You could tell because before 2020, no one had ever come in wearing the signature bandana + unbuttoned shirt + backwards hat combo worn by John B. (the central character of season one, played by Chase Stokes)!
I got to talk to Holmes about her costume design, which you should definitely check out if you're a costume nerd like me, but here's a glimpse into what she has to say about translating the personal character arc for Madelyn Cline's Sarah into her season two costumes. At this point in the story, Sarah has joined the rough-around-the-edges Pogues after uncovering some dark secrets about her family.
"As Sarah readjusts to her Pogue status, we see some Pogue details (like swapping that fan-favorite 'S' necklace with a bottle cap piece and choosing shorts with frayed edges). 'I made sure to harken back to her season one color palette with the whites and creams and pale yellows and soft blues, and it all just created such a vulnerable state for her,' Holmes says. 'All of a sudden it [goes] from "Oh, Sarah Cameron looks cute" to "Oh my gosh, she's not ready for all this."'"
The Complexity...
As a writer and avid reader, I love diving into character analysis, and I admire the way that Outer Banks has more of an interest in making their leads relatable than picture-perfect. Sarah is very kind, but makes continually bad romantic decisions. Madison Bailey's Kiara lashes out in season 2 as she processes her grief. Drew Starkey's Rafe, one of the main antagonists of the show, begins the series as a cocky older brother, but turns into a sociopath who's convinced he's in the right.
The complexity of each character showcases how we can feel the need to box ourselves into one thing: one hobby, one personality type, even one aesthetic. Watching these characters try things that are outside the norm for their archetype, and help each other when they are in difficult situations, makes for some serious food for thought. It also emphasizes the freedom that young people desire to make mistakes.
...And The Camaraderie
Just like with other small towns, the best part about living on the Outer Banks is how much everyone shows up for each other. When our house flooded during Hurricane Michael in 2018, our community rallied around us and came over to help clear out everything that had been ruined by water. When my sister got into a car accident, dozens of friends and neighbors stopped by to make sure she was okay as they drove past.
When tragedy strikes, or when we're all together celebrating events like Surfing For Autism, there is a real sense of community. The ride-or-die relationship between the Pogues feels like an excellent reflection of the way that people on the Outer Banks really care for each other.
Have you ever been to the Outer Banks? Are you excited for the new season of the show? Let us know in the comments!
Featured image via Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix.
