Outer Banks’ minor mistakes outweighed by exhilarating plot

On April 15, 2020, in the middle of quarantine, Netflix released the original show Outer Banks. Although filmed in South Carolina, the show takes place on the island of Outer Banks, North Carolina. The series features ten one-hour episodes with a finale suggesting a second season. 

     Most of the actors were quite unknown, but within a few days, each gained a ton of popularity. Chase Stokes, who plays the main character, went from a couple of thousand followers on Instagram to over a million. The show blew up and has been on Netflix’s Top 10 for over a month.

Although the plot of the show is interesting and people love it, aspects of the show are unnecessary.

     The show starts with an introduction from the main character, John B. Both, whose mother and father disappeared, and his uncle, who is his legal guardian, is out of town. John is a sixteen-year old who lives alone on the island, but he is not really alone. He spends his entire day hanging out with his best friends Kie, JJ, and Pope. With the exception of Kie, none of the group’s families have much money. Their families’ lack of wealth leads them down the path that is the plot of the show. John B.’s father spent his whole life searching for the 400 million dollars worth of gold that went missing when the boat Royal Merchant sank. Early in the show, John B. finds a message from his father and decides to spend his summer looking for the gold.

     Although the plot of the show is interesting and people love it, aspects of the show are unnecessary. For example, whenever people call or mention John, they refer to him as “John B.” There are no other John’s on the show, so it makes no sense to constantly repeat his middle initial. There are parts of the show where “John B.” is said more than five times in a minute. In times of real danger, the other characters feel the need to refer to him as “John B.” instead of hurrying to get him help.

  The plot is also ridden with holes. For some reason, John is pushed off a 30-foot tower, but he only sustains a broken wrist and concussion. Most would end up either dead or with a broken back from that kind of fall, but John miraculously heals in a couple of days. There is also a moment in the show when John needs to climb up and down a well. With the help of JJ and Pope, John can barely go up and down. When he later returns, he easily goes up and down the well with no assistance. There are countless other holes in the plot.

     Despite the show’s negative aspects, it is on Netflix’s Top 10 for a reason. It is very entertaining, and there are multiple surprise changes during the show that hook the viewer’s attention. It is truly worth the watch.