Netflix’s new teen drama series Outer Banks provides an enticing and anticipating story for all

viewers, especially for those who love adventure, mystery, and the beach. This series does a

wonderful job in recreating a nostalgic feel of several other ’80s-inspired movies and TV shows, but with a modern twist.

Set in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, this show follows the adventures of four best friends as they attempt to discover historic treasure believed to be located in the place they call home. However, there is much more to the Outer Banks than it seems — including treasure

hunting, socioeconomic clashes, and illegal activities.

The protagonists of the show are the Pogues, who live on the side of the island where

everyone spends their time working blue-collar jobs and helping their families keep their

businesses afloat. Outer Banks is narrated by the leader of the teen Pogues, John B (Chase Stokes), a sixteen-year-old boy living on his own after the disappearance of his father, a man who is obsessed with discovering the Royal Merchant, a sunken ship containing $400 million in British gold. As John B tries to find the remains of the Royal Merchant — and hopefully his father — he is accompanied and assisted by his best friends, JJ (Rudy Pankow), Pope (Jonathan Daviss), and Kiara (Madison Bailey). The group of friends work together in order to solve the mystery of the Royal Merchant and the disappearance of John B’s father while simultaneously evading the police and the newcomers on the island who are also in search of  the treasure.

As the search for the gold ensues, members of the Kooks become involved in the race to find the Royal Merchant. The Kooks are rich members of the community who typically spend their summers vacationing in the Outer Banks and live in the stereotypical mansions seen on social media during high school beach weeks. The young Kooks and Pogues have a rivalry that is at times playful and other times bitterly vicious. The most notable Kook is Sarah Cameron (Madelyn Cline), Kiara’s former best friend and so-called Kook princess, who attempts to entangle herself with John B and the Pogues on their quest to find the $400 million of gold. Along with Sarah comes her super-preppy and status-oriented boyfriend, Topper (Austin North), who cannot seem to understand Sarah’s newfound interest in the Pogues. 

However, with the interference of the Kooks, the Pogues have to deal with drug dealers, hitmen, and other illegal activities in their fight to find the Royal Merchant and stay alive. Even more exciting about this series is that it features College of William and Mary alumnus Charles Esten ’87, who is known for his roles as Deacon Claybourne in the ABC/CMT drama Nashville, and — most notably to myself as an avid Disney Channel fan — Ross Morgan in the hit Disney Channel sitcom Jessie. In Outer Banks, Esten plays the role of Ward Cameron, Sarah’s father and John B’s employer, who is another important character and a driving force in the show’s narrative. 

If you are a fan of treasure-hunting adventures, mysterious disappearances, and plot twists that

continue to surprise you, then Netflix’s Outer Banks is definitely the show for you. Also, what better way to spend the next few months in possible quarantine than binge-watching this adventurous tale when it’s too cold to actually go to the beach?