Netflix Has Struck Gold, Literally. (OBX Review)
Hey everyone! Shoutout to the guys at ECA for having me create this piece for you! My name is Alex and I am a 24 year old Marvel Comics & MCU YouTuber. From covering news to theories, it would seem I'm usually only within the comic book space, but I do tend to watch a lot of other media as well. While I much rather watch a visual spectacle on the big screen, there are very few shows that are able to grab my full attention and Outer Banks is one of them.
Outer Banks is a show that encompasses everything that people (at least me) look for in a TV show. It's a spectacular balance of world building, characterization, and a fun, frenetic plot; the keys to keep this generation glued to a screen for hours. So without trying to spoil anything: let me try to convince you to watch it through my thoughts and opinions.
As a kid who has grown up in New Jersey my whole life, you can say I've had my fair share of the ocean and beach lifestyle. Heck, I've even visited down south to the Outer Banks a few times. So from renting houses, to taking daily beach trips, the Outer Banks show appeals to me in that manner. It’s a comfortability factor and that relationship from my life to what I see on screen in this show, is something that most people look for in their entertainment. "How can you attach to the world they are trying to portray? Does it feel like a version of home to you? Are the characters similar to anyone in your life? " Though I did grow up by the beach, my hometown is actually about 25 minutes from the nearest one. A small, quiet, rural town where a mix of the main characters like John B, Kiara, JJ, & Pope could have all lived. Not the richest, but not poor by any means, it is a normal middle class area with neighboring towns that can maybe take the identity of what the show talks about. In the show there is a divide between Kooks (the rich) and the Pogues (from the cut workers), and though not as prevalent as they make it seem in the show at all, some of the Outer Banks population do use these terms in real life. It's funny because it was never serious or about social class in my life, but how it relates to me is simple. We would always beef with the neighboring schools and in the show, being that it's set in their High school years, that comedic aspect and immaturity to it relates to me in a similar way. The pogues do stupid sh*t and it brings me back of going long-boarding with my friends, being in the woods until night, and at the heart of it: a younger kid. The show just does a perfect job of making you believe you are ‘in’ the show by touching all the aspects of a town within the characters and the plot.
The main character, John Booker Routledge (John B), is played by Chase Stokes. A rising actor on the scene, who even spoke about how he was nearly homeless the year before he got the job for this show. Even though it's tragic to hear that, you almost feel a part of Chase's life within his character and it’s so interesting to watch. Humble, down to earth, and a crazy go-getter all at the same time. John B wants what he sent out to get: revenge and the precious gold. I won't get into the plot for many spoiler reasons because let's be honest: I'm writing this to try and convince you to go watch it! There are a lot of twists and turns that make it all the more intriguing and damn, do all these young actors really do a tremendous job with their characters… especially Drew Starkey. Drew plays Rafe Cameron, one of the antagonists in the story. He is the brother of the kook-traitor Sarah Cameron, who ends up having a relationship with John B in the show and the actor Chase Stokes in real life. So it's a given that emotionally, it's about as real as it gets and they play off each other so well. Along with all the other characters, but most importantly the P4L's (pogues for life). Kiara, JJ, & Pope are John B's best friends and although this sounds like a very basic and uninspiring high school show through this explanation, it's not.
There are high stakes and because of how well the actors portray their characters, it doesn't feel like the show revolves around 16-19 year olds, but rather "young adults" in their early 20's. At the heart of it, the plot is a treasure hunt thriller, in search of the 'Royal Merchant' that John B's father once set out to find and John B makes it his job to finish the mission. Along the way, clues are given, cliffhangers at the end of each episode make you keep watching and even though it is a heartfelt story, there is a TON of fun & frenetic action… and also maybe a few other people searching for this gold. So unlike superhero action or comics, it's not all about the “fighting", but rather more car chases, heists, cool stunts, and of course, the discovering adventure of new clues. There's a VERY small amount of CGI, really if any that you would even notice, so it's all practical and filmed on locations that range from Barbados, Charleston SC, & more. Like any show, there's a couple "oh cmon" or "CW" moments (if you know what I mean), but other than that, it's a simply fun watch!
It's hard to really put into words what a good show it is because it would spoil too much. However, it is currently the #1 show on Netflix and has gathered a massively supporting fanbase that is already begging for more seasons. I urge you to consider trying it and reach out to let me know how you like it! Season 1 premiered April 2020 and Season 2 upped the ante on delivering an amazing season. It just released at the end of July and yes, I already finished my binge on season 2. Though a basic explanation, I hope this was able to even get you to think about watching it! Overall, I honestly love this show. It gets a 9/10 for me currently.
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Once again shoutout to ECA and thanks for the opportunity. Go support their podcast on all streaming platforms and if you're interested - check me out on Twitter, Tiktok, & instagram: @anothermarvelg or on Youtube.com/AnotherMarvelGuy for all my more nerdy videos. Other than that, I just wanna say thank you and I'll catch y'all in a blip.