"Be careful what you search for."
A tight-knit group of teenagers called The Pogues deal with life as the outcasts in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. When a series of unusual events occur on their island, they follow their leader John B on a mission to find a long-buried treasure that is somehow connected to his father.
In all honesty, I was really scared to start this season of Outer Banks. Last year, John B and his friends were the reason a portion of quarantine wasn't so shitty. There were those few weeks around the time the show came out when it felt like summer, not isolation, and that was all we needed right then. When people talk about films and shows as an escape from reality, Outer Banks is a perfect example. OBX took me and so many other viewers to a place that didn't seem possible a year ago. No matter how cheesy or stupid or cliche it got, I loved every bit of season one. I was worried that this newest season wasn't going to live up to the hype and that maybe it would ruin the show for me entirely. Luckily, none of the above occurred. Dare I say that this season was better than the first? You just have to read to the end to find out:)
I think everyone can agree that starting season two of Outer Banks sorta felt like starting season two of Riverdale. When Riverdale first came out in 2017, the excitement was equivalent to that of Outer banks. I loved watching the show every week because seeing teenagers deal with drama in high school was my favorite genre of television at the time. Yes, it was extremely exaggerated. There is no way that a teenage boy was running an entire biker gang on his own, It was extremely entertaining. For a certain period of time. Then, about two or three episodes into season two, I realized that the show was going downhill. There was so much hype around the show that I think the writers took season two WAYY too far. It was already unrealistic, and then they took it a step further, and it got really annoying. I was worried that this was going to happen to Outer Banks. A show about teenagers dealing with the struggles of being teens but also going on a treasure hunt connected to a dead parent. it sounds insane, but season one worked. Netflix could have very easily ruined the entire show by going just a little overboard, but they didn't. To me, it is a rare thing to find a Netflix show that has more than two seasons. Sometimes, the best show gets canceled after just one. I am grateful that Netflix handles this one with care because I wouldn't be able to handle myself if they didn't.
Let's talk about acting. In my review of season one, I talked about how I thought Netflix was casting actors too old to play teenagers in their content. I still somewhat agree with this statement, but I do have more content to take about now. In my opinion, there are no better actors to be on this show than the cast we have been given. Chase Stokes (John B) STEPPED UP HIS ACTING THIS SEASON! There were multiple points throughout the show where he nearly brought me to tears. (It takes a lot for a TV show to make me cry. I more easily cry at films for some reason) Madelyn Cline (Sarah Cameron) has some of the most genuine and heartbreaking moments this season. The same goes for Madison Bailey (Kiara), Rudy Pankow (JJ), and Jonathan Davis (Pope). The cast has amazed me yet again. There are a few new characters we meet this time around like Limbrey (Elizabeth Mitchell) and Cleo (Carlacia Grant). I won't tell you much about them because that would spoil the treasure hunt, but there is SO MUCH room to grow with these characters in the seasons to come!
There is no question in my mind that Rafe is the best character this season. The main antagonist since the beginning of the show has been Ward, Sarah Cameron's father. It seems like the apple doesn't fall far from the tree because the character we are on the lookout for this season is Rafe, Sarah's brother. After the events of season one, we know, without a doubt, that Rafe is going to have some mental issues. I won't spoil any of the details of Rafe's B-plot this season, but wow did Drew Starkey really hit the nail on the head. There is just the right amount of insanity mixed with calm, and I can't wait to see where Drew takes Rafe next season!
A common theme throughout season two is parenting, the good and the questionable. Of course, we have the reoccurring character of Ward Cameron, but a set of parents we see a lot more this season is Kiara's mother and father. Samantha Soule plays Anna Carrera, Kiara's mother and WOW she brings the heat this season. She is the typical protective mother and definitely takes Kiara sneaking out of the house to help poor teenage boys hunt for lost treasure to heart. I can's say much about another parent that pops into the scene, but let's just say it opens up the doors to a whole other level of treasure hunting and family drama for season three.
A huge part of the overall appeal for the show is the treasure hunting element. The first season was basically the Pogues being chased by Ward and the police around the Outer Banks. This season, the writers add a new treasure hunt and new locations onto the already-in-process hunt for gold in the Bahamas. There is an entire episode on a boat. Even though this is an additional detail that might go unnoticed to someone who isn't analyzing the entire series, it expands the adventure. Yes, the show is called Outer Banks, but that doesn't mean it needs to stay there. The Pogues aren't tied to one spot. It's not in their blood. Nevertheless, there will always be the Outer Banks to fall back on.
In the end, I do think that this season of Outer Banks was better than the last. I think I'm with the majority on that. I honestly wish that Netlfix released one episode a week because even though binging it all in one day is great, I probably have to wait a year for another season. No matter what, I think that Outer Banks deserves a place on my Top 10 TV shows of all time because wow, does it make me feel things that no other show has felt before. If you haven't watched season two yet, please do. It was worth the wait, and I would do it again to go on another treasure hunt with the Pogues.
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