Netflix’s Outer Banks has made fans want to go on their own gold-hunt expedition while exploring the islands of North Carolina. The Pogues living their best lives and only relying on each other for comfort and support was inspiring for all friend groups watching (unless a friend group considers themselves a Kook). However, not everyone is as obsessed with the series as others.
On Reddit, fans have come together to discuss their unpopular opinions on the show and its characters. As exciting and surprising as the two-season series is, some fans aren’t convinced with some of the storylines, relationships, and lifestyle of the main characters.
Was Pope Poorly Written?
Pope was one of the best characters in the show because his backstory was beautifully fleshed out. Unlike his friends, Pope had dreams of college, enjoyed school, liked following the rules, and fans learned a lot about his family’s history. However, one Redditor was “disappointed with how Pope was written.”
They felt that Pope played into the “’scrawny smart nerd’ trope,” but in actuality, Pope was adding depth to the friend group. His interests in higher education and working contrasted that of his friends. Furthermore, in season 2, fans learn all about Pope’s family history, which made him far more interesting than, say, someone like Kiara. The popular opinion was that Pope’s differences added range to the Pogues.
John B. And Sarah Are Overrated
John B. and Sarah’s relationship went from zero to 100 in just a few episodes. They went from tolerating each other to loathing each other to being in love with each other. Nevertheless, the popular opinion is that fans shipped this relationship and wanted to see more of it throughout the series.
Contrastingly, Fellea felt that the couple was overrated. “My unpopular opinion is that I don’t care for Sarah or her pairing with John B. I skipped half of their scenes,” they wrote. However, their relationship was an important subplot in the show and helped both grow.
The Ward Family Drama Isn’t Interesting
At the start of the series, the Cameron family was seen as some of the best characters. As Kooks, they were a tad out of touch with the rest of society, but Ward Cameron worked for his wealth and wanted to give back. This is why he hired John B. to work on his boat. As the series went on, the skeletons came out of the Camerons’ closet, proving they weren’t what they seemed — this is where the story got interesting.
In a contrasting opinion, Stick7_ didn’t care for the dramas within each family. “I honestly don’t care about the whole Cameron family drama,” they wrote. But without the Cameron family drama (Rafe and Ward being murderers, Rose being aware of the crimes, and Sarah rebelling against her family, etc…), there’s no subplot to the series.
Rafe Shooting Peterkin Was Understandable
Sheriff Peterkin proved herself helpful when she realized it was Ward Cameron who killed John B.’s dad and went to the airport to arrest him before he flew off to the Bahamas.
As Peterkin is attempting to arrest Ward, Rafe Cameron comes out of nowhere and shoots Peterkin dead. Rafe claimed he killed her to save his dad and to prove he was a better child than Sarah. It was one of the best episodes in season 1 as it was the true start of all of the Camerons’ problems. DoggoDynamics, however, understood where Rafe was coming from. “Rafe had every (personal) reason to shoot Peterkin,” they wrote. A majority of fans beg to disagree because no matter how much Rafe wanted his dad to love him, shooting a sheriff was not the way to go.
Topper Isn’t That Bad
Fans were hoping for more of a backstory on the Kooks and the Pogues in season 2, and why they didn’t get along, but it wasn’t fleshed out. Instead, season 2 showed their disapproval of each other even more.
With Topper being Sarah’s on-and-off Kook boyfriend, he’s had his good and bad moments. But the popular opinion is that he’s done some incriminating, sickening things in the name of love. Luke1350a, however, thinks Topper wasn’t “that bad.” But as fans pointed out in the comment section, he tried drowning John B. while bringing up the death of his father. He also pushed John B. off a tower, which should have killed him. Topper was gutted by his love for Sarah but attempting to murder her new boyfriend twice does not make him a good guy.
JJ Is A Bad Influence
JJ was a wildcard for the Pogues. He was dedicated to his friends and was willing to die for them but he also had a horrifying backstory that explained his loyalty and love for his friends. JJ also brought comedic relief and funny quotes to rather dark scenes.
The popular opinion is that fans love JJ because he’s doing the best he can despite having an abusive father and a rough upbringing. He shows persistence and defiance and proves he’s worthy of being loved. But VeganChilli feels like JJ is a “bad influence.” They continued saying, “I know JJ is a fan favorite but he’s stupid and acts really immature. He [is] impulsive and an overall bad influence” for the Pogues.
…And So Is Pogue Life
Redditor VeganChilli continued saying that not only was JJ a bad influence on the group but Pogue life, in general, sent a “terrible message to its audience.” However, with Outer Banks being a show based on mystery and intrigue, it’s not going to be realistic in all areas.
They felt the show “glamorized Pogue life,” with teenagers running all over town solving mysteries. But that theme of the show is what’s popular with viewers. It’s the absurdity of it all — it has endless possibilities and adventure unfolds around every turn.
John B. Is A Boring Character
John B. is the main character and narrator of the show. Outer Banks wouldn’t have a series if it weren’t for John B.’s mission to finish the gold hunt that his father couldn’t finish. John B. didn’t always make the smartest choices, but he was also a teenager who had been through an unimaginable tragedy.
Nevertheless, Honey_Bee99 felt that John B. “wasn’t a good character.” They wrote, “He doesn’t actually have much of a personality besides being nice.” In contrast, John B.’s calm and level-headed personality is what often evened out the Pogue friend group.
JJ & Pope > JJ & John B.
With JJ and John B. growing up in shady homes with parental figures who weren’t really parenting, they leaned on each other for support. As much as they loved Pope and Kiara, Pope and Kiara would never be able to understand what it was like growing up in a broken home. It’s JJ and John B.’s outlaw attitudes that prompted some of the worst Pogue decisions.
However, SevereCartographer26 thinks JJ and Pope have a better “bromance” than JJ and John B. With Pope and JJ being incredibly different, they learned a lot from each other but there was nothing like the brotherly bond between John B. and JJ.
The Show Is Unrealistic
The beauty of drama/action/mystery shows is that they’re thought-provoking and entertaining to watch. The reason why Outer Banks is so popular with fans is that it’s outlandish yet makes fans wish they were a part of it. But not every fan enjoyed Outer Banks’ theatrics.
User DogTron64 wrote that the Pogues were the “villains of the show,” “the characters are unlikeable jerks,” and that there’s no explanation as to how John B. was able to financially live alone for so long. However, all of these dramatics and questions are what made the show entertaining to watch in the first place.
