Starring: Chase Yokes, Madelyn Clyne, Madison Bailey, J.D., Rudy Pankow, Austin North, Charles Esten, Drew Starkey
Created by: Josh Pate, Jonas Pate, Shannon Burke
The Pogues have returned for more trouble. That’s right, Outer Banks is back with a new season, which means John B, Sarah, Pope, Kiara, and JJ are back with another treasure to chase, another mystery to solve, and another teen soap opera to endure.
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Season 2 picks up where season 1 left off and ties up loose ends rather quickly within the first few episodes. After concluding the arc season 1 left on a cliffhanger, the pogues are eventually reunited only to be thrust into another adventure. This season does not stray far away from its formulaic approach used in season one which had a common selection of plot twists, plot points, and of course, drama.
Outer Banks Season 2 grabs you and doesn’t let go
I very much would like to say that Outer Banks season 2 was a “wild rollercoaster ride”, but let’s be real, we’ve all heard that before for every single movie and TV show we can think of. I will however say that watching season 2 feels like being at Disney World with an annoying child who clings to you, wanting to go on every ride.
There’s so much anticipation, and so much time spent building tension, and yet, there’s so little time spent on the plot twists, but the characters and story are so engaging, it feels like you can’t help but endure the show.
The cast is magnetic, they each deliver excellent performances. As there’s more character development here than in season one, we got to see more of what they can do on their own. When they’re together, they complement each other well, the chemistry among them is undeniable.
Teen Drama… What else is new?
Of course, there’s no shortage of love in the air with Outer Banks still being a teen-oriented show regardless of all the treasure hunting, betrayal, and conspiracies going on. This sophomore season had more romance to offer than the freshman season, it was quite pleasant sometimes, other times it was quite nauseating.
Outer Banks falls victim to the “classic” love triangle trope that grows tiresome to watch, especially when it’s made painfully obvious who’s going to end up together.
A Tragic, yet relevant History lesson
Season 2 does a good job of using history as an anchor to explore racism in the United States. Tackling such a matter was necessary given, the show’s fictional history, the real history of The Outer Banks in North Carolina as well as today’s social climate.
While it does not stare you in the face, there are strong undertones that uncover the nation’s history of racism. Season 2 may take place in the present, but there is a particular character who is forced to deal with their ancestor’s horrific history making a life for themselves in the Outer Banks. When they discover the truth of their bloodline, they move Heaven and Earth to do justice for their ancestors and their family’s legacy. Watching that story arc unfold was my favorite part about watching this show.
The Final Verdict
I’d say season 2 of Outer Banks was fun to watch, for the most part, however, it wasn’t great, and there’s still so much room for improvement.
It is better than season 1 as this season was more character-driven, and the cast certainly carried a decent plot over their backs with blood, sweat, and tears. However, Outer Banks season 2 fumbles by not getting out of their own way, it feels like the showrunners religiously followed a rubric for a standard action teen drama and that hampered them more than helped them.
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