Sad news: just now outer banks had just encountered a great loss again…

The Netflix teen drama Outer Banks is set in a region of North Carolina of the same name, but how accurate is the show really when compared with the real-life Outer Banks? Outer Banks is currently mid-way through its fourth season. Season 4 part 1 was released on October 10, 2024, and part 2 will premiere on Netflix on November 7, 2024. Although the characters of Outer Banks have expanded over time, the show primarily follows the stories of a small group of teenagers led by John Booker Routledge (John B).

The group initially set out on a treasure hunt following the disappearance of John B’s father, although Outer Banks also heavily focuses on the tense class divides in the Outer Banks. Despite the show’s emphasis on the North Carolina setting, however, Outer Banks’ season 4 filming locations suggest the show might not be entirely accurate when it comes to the true Outer Banks culture, environment, and people. Here’s what Outer Banks gets right and wrong about the real Outer Banks in North Carolina.

The “Kooks Vs. Pogues” Feud Isn’t Real In The Outer Banks

The tension between the Kooks and the Pogues is one of the most significant aspects of Outer Banks. Protagonist John B and his group of friends are among the Pogues, the working class group in the Outer Banks who, in John B’s own words, “make a living busing tables, washing yachts, running charters.” The Pogues live on the south side, also referred to as The Cut, and are lower income compared to the Kooks. This is well-represented by the origin of their name, the pogie fish, which is at the bottom of the food chain.

The Kooks, by contrast, are the wealthy elite of Outer Banks. The term ‘kook’ also has another meaning, in this case referencing someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing when it comes to surfer life. The term has become much more universal in the real world, typically meaning someone odd or unusual. The Kooks live on the north side in Outer Banks, referred to as Figure 8, and many Pogues work for the Kooks. Because of these massive divides, there is plenty of animosity between the Pogues and the Kooks.

While the Kooks and Pogues might not be real, the class differences they represent in the Outer Banks are, in certain ways.

In the real Outer Banks, or OBX, there are no such groups, at least not that go by those names. The slang term ‘kook’ may be used, again meaning someone who is ignorant of the surfing lifestyle or, more commonly at this point, that someone is odd, but these groups were invented for Outer Banks. That doesn’t mean that the underlying concepts aren’t somewhat realistic, though. While the Kooks and Pogues might not be real, the class differences they represent in the Outer Banks are, in certain ways.

Outer Banks’ Scenery & Class Separation On The Island Are Fairly Accurate

Like the Kooks and Pogues, The Cut and Figure 8 are not real locations in the OBX. The Cut is entirely fictional, and the name Figure 8 seems to be borrowed from the Wilmington Metropolitan Area of North Carolina, which is quite far from the Outer Banks. Even so, it’s accurate that the Outer Banks has some extreme wealth. It’s also true that there are seasonal workers who come in just for the busy seasons, and plenty of people who live in the OBX do not come from wealth or occupy the multi-million dollar homes in the area.

It’s accurate that the Outer Banks has some extreme wealth.

Despite those different income brackets, the turf wars depicted throughout Outer Banks are not realistic. In the present day especially, there isn’t any indication that the real-life Outer Banks has two clearly defined class groups that despise one another. That isn’t to say there isn’t any tension or resentment; those sentiments, particularly regarding extreme wealth, permeate major United States locations across the country. It’s reasonable to assume that, for some, OBX luxury is off-putting. However, the extent of the divisiveness is fabricated in Outer Banks.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*