Outer Banks is a series with high stakes and soapy drama in the middle of multiple treasure hunts. With all of the dramatic storylines, there is a lot of room for emotions to run high, making for some great line deliveries and very memorable quotes from the cast of characters.
While Kiara is often one of the most level-headed members of the group, she’s also not opposed to jumping into situations and following her heart. That means some of her best lines come at moments of high emotion moments, and some reflect her being the most logical person in the room.
Kiara And Her Parents Never See Eye To Eye
“I’m a Pogue, mom! Sorry!”
One of the main threads running through Kiara’s storylines is her conflict with her parents. Though her family is wealthy, and Kiara would technically be a Kook instead of a Pogue, she doesn’t claim that lifestyle. Instead, she’d rather live the Pogue life with her friends.
It’s a point of contention — especially with her mother, who doesn’t want Kiara to struggle in her life, and constantly reprimands her for even the potential of getting into trouble. Kiara opting to run away from home will only lead to further difficulties between them.
Kiara Understands The Reality Of Privilege in Outer Banks
“Of course you think the system works. Because it was made to protect people like you.”
When John B is wrongfully accused of Sheriff Peterkin’s murder, Kiara knows the deck is stacked against her friend. He doesn’t have parents to fight for him, doesn’t have the money for a lawyer, and would rather be dead than end up in jail. She doesn’t understand how so many of the adults in town can believe that he would have shot the sheriff because one man says so.
It leads to plenty of confrontations between Kiara and community members. As she’s not afraid to point out, the wealthy people who think John B is guilty have a safety net in the legal system that he doesn’t.
Kiara Doesn’t Understand Pope’s Comfort
“Maybe don’t compare my feelings to secretions?”
In the first season, Kiara is so upset by the idea of Sarah joining the Pogues on their treasure hunt that Pope catches her crying. His attempt at comforting her involves explaining that corpses secret fluid from their eyes just like tears.
Kiara is more weirded out by the exchange than comforted, which might explain why the two never seem to fit when they attempt a relationship in season 2. For all their feelings of mutual caring, Pope and Kiara don’t really understand one another.
Kiara Admits What She Did To Sarah
“I’m not sorry I called the cops.”
Before the events of the series, Kiara and Sarah were the best of friends. Sarah suddenly froze Kiara out with no explanation, which she later admits is something she does when people get too close. Sarah snubs Kiara by not inviting her to a big party, and the police are called, getting Sarah and her friends into trouble.
Sarah suspects that Kiara called them in revenge, but Kiara denies it until the two are stranded on a boat overnight together. While Sarah could continue to be mad about it, at this point, they are both too amused to be mad at one another anymore. Kiara’s admission is the first true mending of their friendship.
Kiara Shows How Much She Cares For JJ
“Do you have any idea how special your son is?”
Every member of the Pogues has issues with their parents, which is part of the reason their friends become their family. While there’s tension between Kiara and her parents, they don’t physically abuse her, unlike JJ’s father. Kiara has seen what his father does to him, so she doesn’t have the patience for the way he treats his son when she and JJ end up helping him escape the police.
Kiara, in a moment of pure anger, asks him if he even really knows how special JJ is. While JJ and Kiara bicker constantly, they also become a formidable unit in their conflicts, so the exchange is gratifying for fans who know how much they care about each other.
Kiara And Sarah Present A United Front
“Don’t give them the satisfaction of thinking this worked.”
When John B first invites Sarah to join in the Pogues’ treasure hunt, Kiara is livid. John B, JJ, and Pope decide to strand the two girls on a boat in the middle of the marsh overnight so that they’re forced to talk. The plan works, which really gets on Kiara’s nerves.
She doesn’t want to admit that the boys were right about her and Sarah just needing to talk things out. THe girls agree to attempt to pretend to still be angry when they pick them up, but it doesn’t last long. From their first attempt at pretending together, though, they’re a united front in the Pogues, creating one of the best friendships in the show.
Kiara Is An Environmentalist
“We only have one Earth. We should be giving it one hundred percent, minimum.”
Kiara lectures her friends a lot on the unfairness of the legal system, wage disparity, and more. The one thing that that she never gives up on, however, is reminding people how important the environment is. It makes sense considering how much time the Pogues spend in and around the water that the environment and the state of the planet would be at the top of her list of problems to be fixed.
It even comes up in surprising moments, like when she’s in a sewer drain to retrieve a gun for JJ and Pope and sees just how much garbage is draining out to sea.
Every Member Of The Pogues Is The Glue
“Can’t you guys do anything without me?”
It’s pretty clear that if one person is missing from the Pogues, they don’t function well. Each member of the group contributes to their plans, fun, and attempts at bringing Ward Cameron to justice. They are all the glue that holds the group together. While a lot of fans think of Pope as the most intelligent of the friends, Kiara brings a much-needed level head to their plans, but also a willingness to do the things the boys won’t.
Kiara is the one who jumps into a sewer when Pope and JJ are too afraid to do it, though they won’t admit it. She’s also the one willing to steal her parents’ car when she’s on bad terms with them. Without her, the group would have a difficult time.
Kiara And The Pogues Are Friends First
“No Pogue-on-Pogue macking.”
If there’s one thing made clear to the audience early on, it’s that the Pogues are friends first. It doesn’t matter what romantic relationships might blossom between Pogues; they have to maintain their friendships. Kiara makes that clear in season 1 as JJ encourages John B to pursue her. Even after Kiara and Pope attempt a romantic relationship, Kiara reiterates their friendship is more important when it doesn’t work out.
It’s interesting that this is Kiara’s motto for the group as fans still want to see her pursue a relationship with JJ as well. Sarah enters the group as John B’s girlfriend too, so the rule of “no macking” is never concrete — but they always make sure to remind one another that they’re friends first.
Kiara Isn’t Afraid Of Ward Cameron
“It’s not a coincidence your daughter’s sitting with us.”
Kiara’s friends are terrified of the consequences of making Ward Cameron angry. They don’t want him to come after them or put anyone else in danger. Kiara doesn’t have that same fear as her sense of justice motivates her.
When John B is on trial, Sarah shows her support for him by making sure she sits with Kiara, JJ, and Pope in the courtroom. Even when Ward tries to talk to her, the Pogues do their best to keep Sarah away from him, but it’s Kiara who is willing to confront him. She makes it clear that she knows the truth, and so does Sarah. While it’s a sign of how hot-headed Kiara can be when she cares, it’s also a nice way to show how close she and Sarah are again, as Kiara puts herself on the line for someone she hadn’t talked to for months.
