Designer: Eliana Myhal
After years of following the Pogues on a new adventure, saying goodbye feels less like finishing a show and more like closing a chapter. Every year, “Outer Banks” brought treasure hunts, chaos and unforgettable characters, but the last ride began on Aug. 20. Spoilers will be contained, so read with caution.
I started the show back when it first came out in 2020 and fell in love with it right away. The day the new season arrived on Netflix, I immediately pressed play. Usually, I binge watch a new season, but I wanted this season to last longer since it is the last, so I only watched one episode a day with my family until it ended.
One of the most difficult scenes for so many fans to watch in season four was the death of JJ Maybank. JJ was an original Pogue and brought comedic relief and good spirits to the show. Many fans were and are speculating on the quality of season five because of JJ’s absence.
I personally missed him on my screen as well as his relationship with Kiera, but I feel like Rafe’s increased screen time made up for it. Rafe’s character development is one of the main impacts of this season and allows for deep growth that I don’t think has been demonstrated on the series before.
Some of my favorite moments from season five came from Rafe and Sophia’s scenes. The actors, Drew Starkey and Fiona Palomo, had unmatched chemistry, and to me their relationship was on the same level as Sarah and John B’s, even though they weren’t together as long.
It was interesting to see different character dynamics without JJ present as well. For example, Rafe and John B had a humorous relationship this season, and Pope and John B also got more screen time for light-hearted moments added amongst the depth from other storylines.
I felt like the writers did a fantastic job of incorporating the idea of grief through Kiera. A big portion of this season was illustrating how each of the characters responded to JJ’s death and how they individually coped with grief. Kiera was a main attribute to this idea, and her actions and emotions greatly represented different stages of the grieving process.
The flashbacks to JJ’s death scene from season four very much added to the suspense and emotional depth of Kiera’s character development. From a viewer’s perspective, I could see a change in Kiera’s personality and her recklessness was also amplified. From watching, I could see that she felt that she had already lost everything in life, and there was no obstacle that could prevent her from getting revenge for JJ.
When I began season five, I wondered how the writers were going to give not only the characters but also the audience closure from JJ’s death. I thought that the compilation of JJ and Kiera moments from when Kiera attempted to use the blue crown was such a sweet way to show the impact that JJ as a character had on the foundation of the show.
Overall, the story had incredible full circle moments that brought back a lot of nostalgia from season one. The show all began from searching for the royal merchant gold after a storm, and it was cool to see the characters end with finding the merchant gold after another hurricane in season five.
The mid-summers party as well was a major arc in season one with John B and Sarah’s relationship beginning. To have the writers show Sarah wearing the same dress from that party in her wedding, allowed for a special full circle moment to the beginning of “Outer Banks”.
This season was a great display of keeping the original roots of the show while also stepping outside of the box with new storylines. There was no predictability, and that is the main reason why people love the show so much because viewers never know what will happen next.
“Outer Banks” will always be one of my favorite comfort shows because of how genuine all the friendships are and the found family that comes from it. Re-watching “Outer Banks” will continue to bring a certain summer nostalgia that I have never found from another show or movie.
Referencing all the previous seasons, I would give season five of “Outer Banks” a nine out of ten. I really enjoyed it, but there were obviously some aspects of the season that weren’t my favorite. Overall, I would definitely recommend anyone who hasn’t seen the show to grab a snack and a friend, and to start watching.
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