Check out ‘Outer Banks’– Netflix’s new teen mystery drama

Viewers are captivated by the mystery played out in Netflixs new series Outer Banks, which was released on April 15.

photo courtesy of Netflix.com

Viewers are captivated by the mystery played out in Netflix’s new series “Outer Banks,” which was released on April 15.

Ryan Wilson, Staff Reporter

On April 15, Netflix released a brand-new TV-MA series called “Outer Banks,” and many teens and adults have watched it, making it one of Netflix’s Top 10 right now.

The show is about teenagers who live on islands off the East Coast called the Outer Banks and are trying to find a treasure, which is connected to the missing father of one of the main characters.

The first episode introduces the viewers to the main characters: John B (Chase Stokes), Kiara who is also known as Kie (Madison Bailey), JJ (Rudy Pankow) and Pope (Jonathan Daviss). They are known as “Pouges” since they are the lower-class members on the Banks.

On the other hand, the rich upper-class members on the Banks are called the “Kooks,” which include such characters as Topper (Austin North), Rafe Cameron (Drew Starkey) and Sarah Cameron (Madelyn Cline).

“I liked Sarah because her character grew as the show went on. She valued herself more and did what she wanted,” junior Jennifer Lopez said. “John B was the main character of the show, and I like him because he didn’t lose faith.”

While John B is the main character, Sarah Cameron does have a lot of influence throughout the show, and the character development with all of the main characters really makes the show worth it.

Because the show relies on all of these characters, the acting becomes important for the show’s success, then.

“I thought [the acting] was very genuine,” senior Eva Tejeda said. “The actors really lived through their characters and made the show very wholesome and enjoyable to watch.”

Others, however, disagreed because of how old the actors are compared to the characters they play.

“Outer Banks follows a group of sixteen-year-olds played by actors that are 21-27, as is Hollywood tradition.” Paul Tassi stated in an April Forbes article titled “Netflix’s ‘Outer Banks’ is ‘Ozark’ Meets ‘The OC,’ But Worse Than Both.”

On the flip side, what was very good about the show was how it kept watchers on the edge of their seats.

“I honestly don’t know what I expected going into this, but after finishing the show, it had so many twists and turns I was not expecting at all, and I’m still trying to process it all,” junior Rory Kuhn said. “It definitely exceeded any expectations I had going in.”

After watching the show myself in one day, it succeeded in getting me hooked because it does a good job of keeping one guessing and watching at the same time.

While the show is about these teenagers adventuring through the Outer Banks trying to find a treasure, themes involving friendship remain vivid throughout the season.

“I think that deep down the writers really wanted to emphasize the importance of friendship and just the extent of what true friendship does for each other,” Tejeda said.

Some may say that “Outer Banks” is similar to other shows about mystery as well, such as Netflix’s show “On My Block.”

“One of my friends compared the show to the movie ‘Goonies,’ and I thought that was actually spot on, and I loved that movie, so it was cool seeing it a little more modernized with more twists and turns,” Kuhn said. “And it is kind of like ‘On My Block’ because, in both shows, the teens had to grow up too soon.”

Overall, if you are in need of a new show to watch and like mystery, friendship and a hint of romance, or shows that are similar to “On My Block,” this show is right up your alley.