There’s nothing quite like crawling into bed, hearing the iconic opening of “Left Hand Free” by alt-J, and knowing that “Outer Banks” would soon become my entire personality. I was hooked after the first season of “Outer Banks,” swept up in the excitement of the “Pogue life.” I expected each season to build on that rush, but as the show progressed, the plot began to stretch thin and eventually lost its way.
Going into the first part of the fresh season, I had high hopes for this new chapter, especially since they finally got rid of Ward Cameron (Charles Esten) and Big John (Charles Halford), and two of my favorite couples connected. Coming out of the first part, I’m not sure I’d bother watching the second one once it’s released. I struggled to even get through the first episode. The plot felt disjointed, and the “search for gold” angle—already overdone in previous seasons—has grown stale. There is no need to keep the show running just for it to become increasingly repetitive.
While “Outer Banks” continues to draw attention and rake in money for Netflix, the transitions, filters, and scriptwriting have become dull. The visual filters this season are honestly cheap-looking, and my friends and I laughed over some of the transitions they made. Considering their budget for the show, you would think Netflix could hire someone with more talent to handle the scene changes, but instead they look like something I could do on my phone. On top of it not being the most visually appealing, the script was not for me. I’ve always thought the writing has been cringe, and the show has had its fair share of moments when I’ve needed to turn it off because it’s so bad. They’ve kept this filter throughout all seasons, and the orangy undertones weren’t attractive seeing it on my TV.
During season one, JJ (Rudy Pankow) and Kiara (Madison Bailey) were my favorite “couple” because their chemistry was unmatched. On and off the screen, Pankow and Bailey had insane chemistry, and you could tell they cared about and loved each other, even if it was only platonic. But now that they’re finally together after three long seasons of pining, it feels different. Through my eyes, their chemistry is lost and rather forced. Their on-screen relationship could be tainted by the fact that Bailey and Pankow aren’t in contact off-screen, but the chemistry isn’t there. Chase Stokes and Madelyn Cline’s relationship off and on-screen slightly mirrors the ones of Pankow and Bailey, with them not being as close as the first couple of seasons, but their on-screen chemistry isn’t lost. Cline and Stokes still are able to make the viewers feel like they mean something to each other and they are still in love, even though it may be tough acting that out with a past relationship. They’re very professional and are able to set aside their own personal issues for the show.
Even though he is toxic and mentally ill, Rafe Cameron (Drew Starkey) has had some character development, and surprisingly, I like his plotline. Sofia (Fiona Palomo), his girlfriend from seasons three and four, makes him a better person. Sofia calms him down when things are stressful and positively influences him. This season, Rafe’s character has been toned down significantly. While it could be seen as natural character development, there’s also the possibility that the writers are responding to the growing fan fascination with his darker, more complicated side.
Despite my hatred for the plotline and the writing of the fourth season, you might find me guiltily watching the second part to see what other troubles the Pogues get themselves into. I found the incorporation of Terrance (Terance Rosemore) back into Cleo’s (Carlacia Grant) life interesting. Bringing back their dynamic was an interesting choice, and I thought it gave this season more depth. Terrance was a father figure in Cleo’s life but also conniving and manipulative. His character development shined through this season because it was a complete flip from what I saw in season three. I thought the dynamic between the two compelled me and drew me more into the show. In the end, Cleo meant a lot to Terrance, and he would do anything to save her.
This season, the biggest surprise to me was the unveiling of JJ’s ancestry. I’m curious to see how JJ will deal with this in the upcoming part and how this will affect him. He has always been very sure about himself, so new groundbreaking information like that must have taken a toll on his mental health and made him question his entire life. This could ultimately lead to problems with Blackbeard’s treasure and the Pogue’s new quest.
Ultimately, do I want to watch the second part? No, not necessarily. Will I watch it to see how everything plays out? Most definitely. Despite not loving this season of “Outer Banks,” you’ll still catch me tuning in Nov. 7 for the second part. I can’t resist, especially with the new first look at part two, seeing that Rafe could work alongside the Pogues. This show has become my new guilty pleasure.
“Outer Banks Season 4: Part 1:” ★★★☆☆
