A prevalent theme of Netflix’s Outer Banks is the class war between the Pogues and the Kooks, which are the residents’ nicknames for the working class and the wealthy citizens, respectively. The people in Outer Banks are divided into these two groups, and their differences are a continual source of conflict. As such, the dynamics between the Kooks and Pogues are vital to the plot and characters of Outer Banks.
Netflix’s teen series follows the lives of John B and his friends in North Carolina’s Outer Banks, who get into a world of trouble when searching for lost treasure on the island. Outer Banks season 1 saw John B reeling from the disappearance of his father, who never returned after attempting to hunt down the shipwrecked Royal Merchant, which was carrying $400 million dollars in gold. John B and his friends pick up where his father left off, but they’re not the only ones searching for sunken treasure. The island’s class warfare, particularly between the Cameron family and John B, complicates the Pogues’ hunt for the Royal Merchant’s gold in season 1, which continues as the stakes get higher in Outer Banks season 2.
In the world of Outer Banks, you belong to one of two groups: the Pogues or the Kooks. As John B describes it, residents of Outer Banks either have two jobs or two houses. John B and his friends belong to the Pogue side of the Netflix show’s island, and their run-ins with the already-wealthy Kooks constantly get in the way of their hunt for gold in season 1 and later the Cross of Santo Domingo in Outer Banks season 2. The conflict between Outer Banks‘ Pogues and the Kooks goes beyond the competition for gold — there’s a long history between to two factions.
Outer Banks: Who Are The Pogues
A Pogue is a nickname for those in the working class of Outer Banks‘ series that stems from pogie fish, which are the lowest members of the fish food chain. As John B, JJ and Pope come from working-class, lower-income families on the island, they are considered Pogues. Kiara and Sarah Cameron have become honorary Pogues, along with Cleo at the end of Outer Banks season 2. Outer Banks‘ Pogues and the Kooks famously hate each other, which is partially rooted in their representations of America’s wealth gaps and prejudices of the rich over the poor. Outer Banks demonstrates this in various ways, such as Kooks jumping Pogues and Pogues sinking Kooks’ ships. However, as Outer Banks season 2 proves with John B and the Camerons, the Pogues are always the ones who face consequences while the Kooks typically get off scot-free. The hatred between Outer Banks‘ Kooks and Pogues has been around long before John B and Sarah, as season 2 reveals that Kiara’s mother was a queen Kook who ran with the “bad boy” Pogues in high school.
Outer Banks: Who Are The Kooks
On the other side of the island are Outer Banks‘ Kooks — those with beautiful clothes and beautiful houses who do not have to lift a finger. In surfer lingo, a Kook refers to someone who has zero understanding of the surfing lifestyle. Pogues typically work for Kooks, such as Pope’s dad being known for providing anything for everyone on the island or John B initially working on Ward Cameron’s boat. Although she hangs out with Pogue boys, Kiara is technically a Kook due to her parents’ wealth, along with Topper and Sarah’s families. The Kooks look down on Outer Banks’ Pogues, so when John B falls in love with the queen of the Kooks, Sarah Cameron, the relationship becomes a Romeo and Juliet, star-crossed lovers situation. A Kook and a Pogue dating in Outer Banks disrupts the island’s entire social structure, which makes John B and Sarah’s relationship extremely controversial.
