TV Review: Outer Banks

This was TV Show #12/20 (#17 overall) that I watched for my 20 for 2020 Challenge. This show was released on Netflix on April 15, 2020.

The strongest thing for me about this show was the setting. I thought it was a unique setting. I'm really drawn to island, beachy settings and this had that beachy setting but put a unique twist on it by putting it in North Carolina, with that swampy, southern, east coast vibe (rather than being set in California or Hawaii like most usual beach settings).

I think the show has an interesting and unique premise for a teen show, with the whole treasure hunting aspect, but I don't think it was done very well. It wasn't really done in a way that made me interested in the mystery and adventure. The mystery wasn't complicated enough that it had to be stretched out over so many episodes. But it had to be stretched out so we can see at least two chase scenes in every episode and repeat the same action sequences over and over again.

I think the weakest part for me was the characters. I am a sucker for trashy, teen shows like One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl and Riverdale. These shows are also extremely convoluted and ridiculous and melodramatic but the thing that makes them work is that the characters are utterly loveable and you ship their relationships. The characters in Outer Banks are so unlikeable. Like literally all of them. Even the Pogues which we're supposed to root for. The Pogues have absolutely no personality and have no redeeming qualities. They make incredibly dumb and stupid decisions and it's incredibly frustrating to watch over and over again for ten episodes. The Pogues have no personality other than being poor and exhibiting typical criminal behavior like vandalism, breaking and entering, stealing and doing drugs (Which is all glorified by the way). And there is also absolutely no humor in this show. You need to have a least a few funny characters to cut the tension here and there, but this show takes itself way too seriously. The romantic relationships feel incredibly forced, to rival the epicness of past relationship TV show greats like Ross and Rachel or Chuck and Blair. The show is supposed to be relatively grounded to real life, but the Kooks and other evil characters are laughably over the top. They are complete caricatures embodying pure evil, in this relatively normal southern town. It feels incredibly out of place and ridiculous. These characters are completely one-dimensional and they're like pixies that only have room for one personality trait and emotion. There's no nuance here. The writers underestimate the demographic (teenagers) and think they're not capable of understanding any complexity to the villains (or characters and plot overall). And another thing- I don't want to name any names, but the acting isn't the best in my opinion.

Pretty much nothing works about this show, other than the interesting setting and unique plot. I'll probably continue watching this show for Season 2, even though I didn't really like it. I'd give Outer Banks Season 1 a 3/10. Have you watched this show? I'd love to hear your thoughts down below.