The first season of Outer Banks began as a story about gorgeous kids from the wrong side of the tracks (the Pogues) brushing up against the gorgeous rich jerks from the other side (the Kooks). By the end of the season, those kids had discovered millions of dollars worth of gold, a police officer had been shot and killed, and a boy and his overprivileged girlfriend had been lost at sea in the middle of a deadly storm.
Going into narrative warp speed the way the show did was stunning and undeniably enticing. But such aggressive storytelling has its drawbacks too. What truly made Outer Banks so easy to fall for was its brick-by-brick world-building—the idiosyncratic language and terminology, the quirks of the high school class wars, the attention to detail in characters main and minor—but once you get to cop murders and buried treasure, it’s hard to go back to the small stuff. Season 2 of Outer Banks definitely doesn’t try to recover from the events of its predecessor—the first four episodes of the season barely allow you to catch your breath. Slowly but surely, however, the show finds its groove once again and lets more of those winning, tiny details creep into frame. While still remaining completely batshit—this season includes hijackings, fake deaths, mythical shrouds, and even more of Denmark Tanney’s treasure—Outer Banks once again presents a world that is both bewildering and beguiling.
And so, once again, we must document this world, since it is surely not the one the rest of us live in. What follows is a ranking of everything that makes up Outer Banks’ Outer Banks in Season 2. Grab a PBR, find a hammock, watch out for alligators, and dig in.
44. Showering
As pointed out on this very website by Jodi Walker: NO ONE ON THIS SHOW EVER SHOWERS. Sarah Cameron spends two-plus episodes walking around with a gunshot wound that was operated on so poorly that she almost died; John B is legit caked in dirt until about the midway point of the season.
Kiara goes into a sewer that is definitely full of fish guts and human feces, and at most she merely rinses off afterward. All of these beautiful people absolutely reek. All of these beautiful people absolutely have parasites and/or infections that will surely kill them before Ward Cameron ever does.
43. Kiara
Look, I know ranking one of Outer Banks’ main characters second to last—below crooked cops, evil old ladies, and actual murderers—might seem harsh. But Kie is the worst. The way she flaunts her Pogue-ness, or whatever, is completely off-putting; she has this same argument with her mom twice:
And it’s like, OK, bro, your mom doesn’t really care what little nicknames you’ve given yourself—she’s more so concerned that her 16-year-old daughter has been unreachable for multiple days and that she’s hanging out with a guy who’s been charged with first-degree murder. Maybe have a little compassion?
Oh yeah, speaking of compassion: Kiara also has sex with Pope—a guy who’s clearly in love with her—and when he asks “Why me?” she literally says, “Why not you?” Frankly, I’m pretty sure Kie just wanted to bone a Pogue so that she could say she did.
The look on her dad’s face after this, him having just returned from a run to Harris Teeter to find his wife and his daughter having a very aggressive conversation about the latter’s sex life, is one of the most heartbreaking things I witnessed in Season 2.
42. JJ’s Dad
First of all, JJ’s dad’s post-up game is WEAK.
Was he about to call a foul? In prison basketball?
Second of all, this guy is one of the worst humans on Outer Banks (and that’s saying something). I hope he makes it to Panama or wherever he was escaping to and never comes back.
41. Wheezie
Sarah’s little sister, Wheezie, continues to be a mystery. For stretches of Season 2, it almost seems like she’s a ghost? Seriously—no one ever knows where she is, and then once in a while she’ll just pop up out of thin air. If it turns out there’s a Casper situation going on here—and this is Outer Banks, it could happen—you all owe me money.
But if Wheezie isn’t a ghost (big if), then I’m gonna need a little more critical thinking from her. She’s gotta be 13 years old at this point, and yet, after her father returns from seemingly being blown up in a boat explosion (more on this later), and after her brother and stepmom clearly kidnap Sarah, Wheezie’s still like, “Hey big sis, guess what?! We’re going on a vacation!”
Really, Wheezie? You don’t have any questions? You’re not at all concerned about the fact that you saw your dad explode into a million tiny pieces and now he’s just standing in front of you? You’re not worried that your brother is clearly Michael Myers and Patrick Bateman combined? Wake up, Wheezie!
40. Kelce
Here’s what I wrote about Kelce, the only rich Black kid on the island, after Season 1: “Since he’s treated like a pawn by Topper and Rafe throughout the season, you’d assume Kelce would have some sympathy for the Pogues. Yet he is staunchly loyal to his wealthy asshole friends who hardly seem to acknowledge his presence. … His self-loathing is deep, and I’d like to see it explored further in Season 2.”
Well, Kelce is still getting into fights for the friends who don’t care about him and helping Rafe of all people. Wake up, Kelce!
39. Deputy Plumb
Deputy Plumb is a cop with the Kildare County Police Department who seems to have a lot of jobs—she appears to be an investigator, a SWAT team member, and a prison warden all at the same time. (Kildare County is a small place; I guess they need everyone to wear a lot of hats.) But most importantly, she takes money from Ward Cameron to have John B killed in jail. And then after that botched hit, she’s still part of the police department?
Plumb better pay for her sins in Season 3.
38. Buttons
Shirt buttons are still fighting a losing battle on Outer Banks:
I mean, come on, man—at this point what function is this one button even serving? Just go shirtless, John B.
37. Whoever This Guy Is
This guy pops up in Episode 9. There are three things to know about him:
- I guess he’s some kind of neighborhood watch? In which case he’s done a horrible job so far.
- He points a shotgun at a bunch of teens and seems way too eager to pull the trigger.
- He is so horny.
Gross.
36. Captain Terrance
35. Stubbs
These are two of the people who picked John B and Sarah up in open waters and transported them to the Bahamas. But other than that wild act of kindness, they are VERY MEAN. Maybe Stubbs less so—he seems to be a pretty simple dude just following orders—but Terrance chooses violence in nearly every situation. I feel like the heist that goes down in Episode 2 would’ve worked if Terrance wasn’t such an asshole.
34. Surf Slang
These words are fun to say and all, but at the same time: JOHN B, YOU ARE A FUGITIVE! JJ, YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS ARE STRANDED ON A DESERTED ISLAND! MAYBE NOW’S NOT THE TIME TO BE THINKING ABOUT SURFING!
33. Tree Carvings
I don’t know why these kids are risking their lives for treasure all the time—they could make a pretty penny doing woodwork on Etsy.
32. DIY Tattoos
OK, but they definitely shouldn’t open their own tattoo parlor. (I repeat: All of these teenagers are going to die from horrific infections.)
31. Appendicitis
Midway through the season, when John B is in jail awaiting trial, JJ comes up with an idea to bust him out: have him fake appendicitis and then pose as the ambulance driver when he gets discharged to the hospital. Needless to say, this is a terrible plan, especially because JJ’s instructions to John B boil down to “rub some soap on your face so they think you’re sick.”
At least John B actually comes close to showering because of this.
30. Wasps
In Season 1, the Pogues’ enemies were mostly rich people with incredibly murderous tendencies. All those people are still around in Season 2, but Mother Nature is just as threatening. Wasps are only one of the animals that nearly kill a Pogue in the second season. Pope’s just lucky that JJ’s EMT cousin, Ricky, had a pediatric dose of epinephrine (which, counterintuitively, is a huge dose?) sitting around in his house.
29. Family Feud
So yeah, Cousin Ricky keeps Pope from dying from a shitload of wasp stings by jacking him up with a super-EpiPen. And for a second it actually looks like Pope might not make it. But honestly, the only part of the scene I care about is this:
28. Geometry Quizzes
Amid all of the police chases, gunshot wounds, and boat explosions, there is a blissful moment in Season 2 of Outer Banks when everyone pretends like they still actually care about high school. Like, John B just got his MURDER CHARGES dropped, he has zero guardians, and everyone just watched Ward Cameron blow himself up, and yet a geometry quiz is on the top of everyone’s list of priorities?!
A few questions here:
- Do we really think John B is going to graduate high school?
- Is Kildare High really even expecting John B to show up?
- Remind me how old all these kids are? Aren’t they juniors or seniors in high school? Why are they still taking geometry? Isn’t geometry, like, a freshman-year subject? Shouldn’t they at least be on pre-calc by now?
- When did John B have the time to take these notes?
“Eat the Rich (the other other white meat)” is maybe the lamest thing I’ve ever seen. Oh wait, never mind—I just noticed the “Vlad + Val” thing in the middle of the page.
27. Kiara’s Parents
As I hit on above, I really just feel sorry for Kie’s parents. They’re reacting like any parent would if their child was: (1) spending a lot of time with a boy who was accused of killing a police officer, (2) stealing their cars, (3) sneaking out of the house to go to Charleston to meet with mysterious rich white ladies, (4) saying bizarre shit like “Sorry I’m a POGUE, mom!” and (5) refusing to shower.
On shows like Outer Banks, you’re not supposed to side with the parents. But it’s really hard not to side with Kiara’s parents.
26. Doc Marsh
Meet the man responsible for doing surgery on Sarah after she’s shot in the Bahamas:
Doc Marsh isn’t actually a doctor. You see, he—or, you know what? It’s better if he explains it himself:
“I’m not a doctor. Not in the eyes of the law anyway. I’m more like a service provider. … Tell you what, if you find a cure for arthritis in med school, the higher-ups don’t like it very much. You know, the powers that be, they don’t give a damn about curing anything. All they care about is the green stuff, the money, the bottom line.”
This show is so fucking good.
25. Renfield
This is a guy who looks like he’d be on TNT’s Animal Kingdom; a guy who wears wildly baggy cargo pants and a leather jacket despite it being the end of summer in North Carolina; a guy who’s basically an errand boy for Carla Limbrey, the ailing rich white lady who’s in a race with the Pogues to some buried treasure, even though she’s his half sister. (As for his name, for like three episodes I was assuming he was named after the lighthouse in Season 1—then I realized that the lighthouse was called Redfield, not Renfield. Why would they make the names so similar!) At points you feel for Renfield—Limbrey is super mean and bossy to him, and she really holds her pure blood over his head. At other points, he’s extremely hateable—he’s a full-on menace to the Pogues, and despite Limbrey being horrible, there’s really no justifiable reason for pushing a woman who is disabled to the ground.
24. Big John Routledge
HE’S NOT DEAD!!!!!!
He still looks nothing like his son, John B, though. And I also wonder how John B will feel about how Big John, ya know, decided to pretend to be dead and go hang out in Barbados rather than return to take care of his suddenly abandoned child.
23. Rose Cameron
Rose—who looks like Lily Rabe but who is not Lily Rabe—didn’t have much of a role in Season 1. She mostly chilled in the background while her husband Ward was doing all of his killing and stealing. But given a larger share of the screen in Season 2, Rose really does the most with it. She’s basically Kildare County’s Lady Macbeth, constantly in Ward’s ear, pushing him forward anytime his conscience pops up to be like, “Hey bro, maybe you’re in too deep?”
Two more things: She’s (somehow) the only one who always knew that Rafe had behavioral issues …
… and the fact that she says this to Rafe’s face while he’s holding a knife (and extremely strung out on cocaine) makes her the bravest person on the show.
22. Cousin Ricky
Super cool dude. Loves Family Feud and Steve Harvey and watching the show in his boxers. Will save your friend’s life even after you steal his ambulance and try to use it to break someone out of jail.
More people on this show need to be like Cousin Ricky.
21. Pope’s Dad
Last season, the adults on Outer Banks were almost unilaterally disapproving of their kids’ treasure quests. This season, though, some of them are downright enabling? When Pope crashes his dad’s car in Charleston and leaves it there forever, Heyward is upset for all of … three seconds? Then, as Pope begins to tell him about the Limbreys and their connection to Denmark Tanney’s treasure—it takes everyone way too long to realize that Pope is related to Tanney, by the way—Heyward full-on encourages him to go looking for it! Even after Renfield beats the shit out of him, the dad’s like, “Shoot, son, that treasure must be awfully nice. Definitely go risk your life for it.”
At the end of Season 2, there’s a shot of Heyward mourning his missing son. But I don’t know, man—Pope was just following your cool-dad guidance.
20. Charleston
For the OBX noobs in the back (I don’t know if the Pogues have a nickname for noobs, but I assume they are also “chum for the sharks,” as John B would say), Outer Banks is not actually filmed in the Outer Banks. That much is clear to anyone who has ever stepped foot in the Outer Banks. Instead, it’s filmed in Charleston, South Carolina—and this season, the show actually comes up with a reason for the characters to go to Charleston. (Not to attend a bachelorette party, even though that’s the only thing that happens in that city.)
I really respect such narrative finagling. Shooting a show in Charleston, it only makes sense to actually set some scenes there. Plus, the city is full of history (and racism), so it’s a fitting location for a show like Outer Banks. Mostly, though, I’m just happy that the show accurately depicted Charleston’s love for bicycle taxis.
19. Topper
How does one evaluate Sarah Cameron’s ex-boyfriend? In a lot of ways you can kind of empathize with him, but in a lot of other ways he might be one of the most pernicious characters on the show. Let’s do a pros and cons list.
Pros:
- He did save Sarah when Rafe was trying to drown her.
- He seems a little suspicious of Ward, at least a lot more than all of the other Kooks.
- He makes a mean brunch, which he serves like he’s running a goddamn bed & breakfast.
- He’s really good at drawing pictures of bonfires on cute little notecards.
- He shoots John B this look one time when hugging Sarah, which is absolutely hilarious:
- For a hot minute, it seems like he’s constantly in the right place at the right time. Like, as if he has a Superman-esque ability to show up when he’s needed.
Cons:
- There’s one shot where he appears to be drinking at the country club with an old man? That’s strange.
- He drinks canned mai tais.
- The fact still remains that he almost drowned John B, and in Season 2 he really doesn’t seem apologetic about that at all.
- He’s still very much invested in the Kook-Pogue binary. For example, this bonkers blanket statement:
- We later find out that he’s not like Superman at all—the only reason he kept showing up in places was because he was tracking Sarah with the phone he gave her.
That’s, uh, extremely creepy. I’m still out on Topper for now, but I believe he has the capacity to change.
18. Carla Limbrey
Carla Limbrey is a descendant of the captain of the Royal Merchant, the ship carrying a literal boatload of gold that sank off the shores of the Outer Banks. She lives in Charleston and has a degenerative disease that forces her to use antique-looking crutches (modern ones would almost surely be more effective, but would have admittedly less mystique). We’re never told what Carla is suffering from, but there’s a vague implication that RICH-PERSON INBREEDING is the source of whatever it is.
Carla wants the Cross of Santo Domingo, the same treasure the Pogues are after, because apparently inside of it is a mythical shroud that has the power to heal anyone who touches its hem. Carla is basically Emily Blunt in Jungle Cruise.
But one more question: Why couldn’t Carla Limbrey just be, like, chill? She doesn’t even want the wealth from the cross, so why doesn’t she team up with the Pogues instead of trying to kill them at every turn? Sure, maybe there’s some deep-seated beef because her ancestor hanged Pope’s ancestor, but I can’t help but feel that she went about everything the wrong way. Just be less creepy, lady!
17. My Druthers Too
Ward Cameron’s second boat, which he keeps in the Bahamas; also the boat John B and Sarah use to get back to the United States. It’s a pretty trustworthy, fuel-efficient boat: the ride from Nassau to Charleston is approximately 489 nautical miles:
This sort of thing can vary, but on average, a boat like the My Druthers Too burns about 1 to 4 gallons per mile, with a gas tank that can hold about 80 gallons of fuel. A little math tells us that a boat like the My Druthers Too would’ve crapped out before John B and Sarah even got past the Bahamas’ northernmost islands. But that’s not what happened—what happened is they made it all the way to Charleston. Which means the My Druthers Too is the best fucking boat on the planet.
16. My Druthers
Pour one out for the original My Druthers, the best place to store scuba gear that you use to then fake your death after you blow up the My Druthers.
Still a great name for a boat.
15. The Bonfire
“The bonfire,” John B says in voice-over, “an Outer Banks tradition. It was the same weekend every year. Everyone went, and I mean everyone.”
When characters first started talking about this bonfire, I thought it was gonna be like a school-sanctioned pep rally kind of thing. But it turns out that this is more like one of those underground racing parties you see in a Fast & Furious movie. I’m not sure you ever even see a bonfire—it’s just a bunch of teens drinking and fighting around things that are on fire. There are people on dirt bikes zooming through crowds of people; there are seemingly 50-year-old men encouraging teens to kill each other:
The bonfire is complete anarchy!
14. Cocaine
If Season 1 of Outer Banks was the ’70s part of the movie Boogie Nights, Season 2 is the ’80s part, after William H. Macy shoots himself in the head. People are still ripping a disconcerting amount of lines this go-around … but it’s a lot sadder now.
13. Disgusting Bandanna Engagement Rings
Early in the season, almost definitely spurred on by blood loss, Sarah decides that she and John B should get married. Sure, they’re both only about 16 or 17 years old, but you grow up quick after almost dying in a storm/hijacking your dad’s gold/getting shot by your maniacal brother. However, there is one problem with this foolproof plan: They don’t have rings. That’s when John B gets the idea to rip shreds of his father’s old bandanna—the one he’s been wearing around his neck for the entire series, while, reminder, never showering—as a token of his love.
I know without a doubt that those “rings” smell terrible.
12. Barry the Drug Dealer
Barry is the most industrious little dude on the island. Last season we found out that on top of being a coke dealer, he was also running his own pawn shop. This season, we find out that he also used to work for the town’s water and power department. Plus, Barry the drug dealer is cultured:
Barry the drug dealer reading David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest is my favorite moment of the season. MY GUY CONTAINS MULTITUDES!!!
Barry disappears after turning on Rafe in the sixth episode, but I’m dying for him to come back in Season 3. Maybe by then he’ll be on The Pale King.
11. The Twinkie
The Twinkie is John B’s rundown Volkswagen van, which the police give back to him after he gets out of jail even though it is clearly past inspection and, oh yeah, has a windshield that is RIDDLED WITH BULLET HOLES. This van is apparently as unkillable as the Pogues, though. At one point it gets stuck in approximately six feet of water, mud, and sludge, and when they finally get it out, John B merely turns the ignition and, sure enough, it goes back to working perfectly. How?! What alternate universe does this show take place in?!
10. Cleo
Cleo is part of Captain Terrance’s crew when they transport John B and Sarah to the Bahamas. (I do not know if she is named after the famous pay-per-call psychic from the ’90s, but I choose to believe that she is.) You know she’s a badass because at all times she is twirling a knife between her fingers. But at the same time, Cleo is also the only one in the crew who has a conscience—she feels bad when Terrance betrays John B and Sarah, and eventually helps them escape the Bahamas.
Then, like six episodes later—just as you’re starting to think, “Ya know, it’s weird that they spent so much time developing that knife girl at the beginning of the season”—Cleo reappears as an employee working in the engine room on (wait for it) the ship Ward is using to the transport the treasure and flee the United States! This ASTONISHING coincidence goes pretty much untouched—everyone’s all like, “Funny running into you here!” but that’s about it. And once Cleo helps the gang attempt to take over the ship, it’s official: She’s a Pogue now.
To answer your question, Cleo: It mostly means that you drink cheap beer and never take baths.
9. Alligators
In Season 2, alligators are frickin’ everywhere, both as major chaos agents and garbage disposals for human bodies. First, a gator takes a chunk out of John B’s leg, which kicks off the greatest (only?) pop culture gator fight since Happy Gilmore. Later on, Rafe feeds Renfield’s dead body to one—the way he does it, and the way the gator ravenously chomps, you’d think gators were historically famous for eating dead bodies.
You might be surprised to learn that alligators are not that prevalent in the actual Outer Banks. (And you might not be surprised to learn that they are more prevalent in Charleston.) In 2015, The Virginian-Pilot did report that sightings were up in North Carolina, but not on the islands; in 2018, a gator encounter was described as “rare” by a local news station. In the former article, a biologist who was interviewed advised, “Never, ever feed an alligator.” So … looks like Rafe messed up there.
8. Ward Cameron
First of all, can we all just acknowledge that faking your death is a peak rich white guy move? I would expect nothing less of Ward Cameron.
(It is pretty wild that the police found zero remains of Ward and didn’t investigate any further, but as with everything on Outer Banks, I’m deeply comfortable looking the other way.)
The Season 2 version of Ward is basically the Breaking Bad Season 5 version of Walter White—he’s both wildly high on his own supply of justifications that he’s just “protecting his family” and causing people to scream, “He can’t keep getting away with this!” The man has turned into a chaotic ball of stress, killing people left and right while talking about KEEPING THE FAMILY TOGETHER to anybody who’ll listen. At times, he makes Rafe look calm.
It’s like John B’s old man always said: “You can always go lower.” And after killing his treasure-hunting partner, firing a harpoon at that partner’s son, and covering up the killing of a cop in Season 1, Ward Cameron definitely went lower in Season 2. The Knights of the Rhododendron would be appalled if they knew the truth.
7. Sarah Cameron
This season, Sarah survives:
- Being kidnapped. Twice.
- Getting shot
- Surgery performed by a guy who was definitely lying when he said he cured arthritis
- Losing so much blood that she literally stopped breathing for a few minutes
- An alligator attack (it wasn’t attacking her, but she was stabbing it a lot, which seems equally dangerous)
- A drowning attempt by her own brother
- A choking attempt by her own father
- The staph infection she almost certainly caught from John B’s dad’s bandanna
I’m glad they ended up on a deserted island at the end of this season. This girl needs some R&R!
6. The Concept of Time
Over the course of two seasons of Outer Banks, John B has discovered buried treasure, lost said treasure, witnessed a cop murder, been framed for said murder, capsized in a boat in the middle of the ocean, been rescued by another boat and taken to the Bahamas, fled the Bahamas to return to the OBX, gone on a search for different treasure, attempted to hijack a freighter, and ended up on a remote island. And I’m just hitting the big moments here. Considering all that, how much time would you guess the two seasons have spanned? The above list is years of experiences—the travel between each place would account for months alone.
But again: Outer Banks does not exist in our reality, and does not adhere to our laws of space and time. And in the Outer Banks universe, all of this has happened over the course of two weeks or so. Allow me to present evidence item no. 1, when John B and JJ are talking in the sixth episode of the second season:
And now, for evidence item no. 2, when Sarah’s chatting with Wheezie three episodes later:
The first scene takes place the same day Ward blows himself up, the day after which is the last time Sarah sees Wheezie before their interaction above. That means, give or take a few days, everything in this series has happened over 10 to 14 days. Less than two weeks! Honestly, that makes the not-showering stuff a little less gross, but it makes everything else absolutely astonishing. Imagine how exhausted all of these people are!
5. Shotgunning
For a split second, out of nowhere, shotgunning beers becomes the most important thing on earth to every character on this show:
And then just like that, as quickly as it came, the shotgun fad vanishes. (I wouldn’t have it any other way.)
4. JJ
JJ remains the heart of the Pogues—the one to unite everyone when the stress of treasure-hunting overflows; the one who’s always ready to smoke a beer and drink some weed with whoever needs it. Season 2 is less heavy on his story line—the business with helping his dad flee the country is noticeably shoehorned in—but the levity (and acting skill) Rudy Pankow brings to the show are still there. JJ rolling up to the police station on a dirt bike and in a tight white tee is one of the most entertaining sequences in the second season.
The last few episodes seemed to be flirting with the idea of him and Kiara getting together—to which I say, He’s way out of your league, Kie. But I will admit that I’d enjoy seeing him fall in love. I’d honestly enjoy seeing JJ do anything.
3. John B
John B takes a step back in Season 2 for a few reasons. First of all, it’s incredibly maddening that he leaves Sarah on the roof of a hotel to go look at a safe he knows he can’t break into, setting off a chain of events that ends with Sarah getting shot. Second of all, he definitely celebrates a little too hard when Ward fake-dies. Like, I get it—Ward killed his dad, and did a bunch of other terrible shit. But he could have put on his boyfriend hat—sorry, husband hat—in the moment and shown an ounce more compassion. Lastly, and this is the biggest one: When he’s getting arraigned in court, the judge does not call him John B.
This is how it begins: One judge uses his full name and then suddenly people are just calling him … [Gasps.] … John. You really hate to see it.
2. Pope
After being a nerd who talked only about his scholarship in Season 1, Pope might actually be the main character of this season? The treasure belongs to his family, and therefore the back half of the season becomes about his quest to reconnect with his ancestors and take back what rightfully belongs to him. It’s legitimately captivating stuff that adds unexpected layers to Outer Banks.
Also, there’s this one moment when the show seems to be suggesting that Pope is Doctor Strange:
1. Rafe Cameron
It would be impossible to list every iconic Rafe moment from Season 2—witnessing his descent into full-on madness is a truly amazing experience. There’s the time he says he thinks he and his dad should kill all of the Pogues; the time he tells his dad that he shot his sister on purpose (and that he doesn’t care); the time he says, to himself, “I suck”; the time after his dad dies when he puts on his dad’s suit jacket while the xx’s “Intro” plays; the time he snorts enough cocaine to kill an alligator; the time he teaches Wheezie about the values of packing light …
Instead, I’ll just feature the most iconic moment—when Rafe, while cruising through a swamp to evade the police, gives Barry the drug dealer his philosophy on life. “You know, everybody thinks nature’s all chill, right?” he begins. “That’s such bullshit. Everything is trying to kill everything else all the time. And every single thing has to kill to live. … Killing is nature.”
I’m not even joking right now: Drew Starkey should be nominated for an Emmy for his performance as Rafe in Season 2. It is the most enjoyable thing I’ve watched all year; every move he makes as Rafe is fascinating, every word that comes out of his mouth is incredible. I am going to rewatch Outer Banks at least 20 times between now and the debut of Season 3, and at least 18 of those will be because of how much I love Rafe.
Until the next crop of episodes, he is the king of Outer Banks.