With everyone stuck inside for what seems like an endless amount of time, many people turn to streaming services to fill their time, and Netflix’s newest show “Outer Banks” aims to quench some of that thirst. The show was released onto the platform on Apr. 15, 2020.

At first glance, the show doesn’t seem like much, simply a group of friends trying to make the most of their summer – by finding a lost ship with riches beyond their comprehension that sank almost 300 years prior. Viewers are introduced to the setting by the show’s main character and narrator, John B., portrayed by Chase Stokes – the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The show does well at keeping certain things hidden from the viewers, but the pilot does an excellent job of preparing them for what they are getting into.

The Outer Banks area, as described by the main characters, is a place of class struggle, where the working class (Pogues) are uniquely separated from the rich, dubbed the Kooks by our main cast. John B., along with his tight-knit group of best friends, JJ (Rudy Pankow), Kiara (Madison Bailey), and Pope (Jonathan Daviss) set out to make the most of the summer before they (at least Pope who is the smart one of the group) go off to college; that is until the storm sinks a boat just off the shore where they typically hang out. While investigating the boat, John B. discovers two things: a key to a motel room as well as a compass that belonged to his father, Big John. At this point, Big John, who had been obsessed with finding the treasure associated with a ship called the Royal Merchant, has been missing a presumed dead for about 9 months. All seems normal until a body washes ashore, and wads of cash along with a gun are found in the apartment.

Mixing in many elements from classic movies such as The Outsiders and The Goonies, John B. slowly becomes more and more obsessed with finding the $400 million in gold associated with the Royal Merchant, at least in the hopes that it helps find out what happened to his dad, and he brings his reluctant friends along for the ride. What ensues is a mixture of class struggle between the rich and poor kids as well as some treasure hunting, with a mixture of romance thrown in there as well.

When it comes to “Outer Banks,” viewers are likely to be hooked by the first episode. The character arcs are engaging and with the different plot lines slowly starting to converge, the show is one that is very easy to binge with its 10 episodes running at about 45 minutes each. The shooting locations in South Carolina do a great job as well at transporting the viewers to a realistic interpretation of the Outer Banks. Without revealing too much of the plot, “Outer Banks” provides a perfect escape from the world we live in. Viewers will become connected to the characters and with a somewhat cliff-hanger ending, there is no doubt the Pogues will return for more adventure and chaos in a second season.