So I finished Season 2 (S2) of Outer Banks (yes, I am a year and a half late) barely in time to avoid spoilers for the newly released season 3 (S3). It has been almost a week and I still have to watch TikToks through my fingers.

For me, the S2 finale completely outclasses the Season 1 finale from the quarantine era. “The Coastal Venture” is just a good episode of television, especially for this genre. Now, it does not strike me as a masterclass in Emmy-award winning content but is thoroughly enjoyable. It kept my eyes glued to the screen when I was not hiding behind my hands at the hand-to-hand combat scenes (do not judge me lol). Moreover, it did what all great finales do - left me eagerly wanting more. 

Let’s do a run-down of my favorite moments of season 2 before diving into my criticisms.

For this 23-year-old viewer, the dialogue in this show really stood out to me. It feels like high schoolers talking more than the other high school shows these days. I will accept the script in Outer Banks over the outplayed Riverdale or the ill-fated Gossip Girl reboot any day. I did some *light* investigation to see how they captured the spirit of highly naive 16-year-olds.

Jonas Pate, one of the show’s creators and primary writers, is no stranger to teenagers. His 18-year-old daughter, Lilah, appeared in the Outer Banks universe, and could be the inspiration behind some of these conversations.

It is a Hollywood trend for actors to play characters much younger than they are. This cast is no exception with most of the actors playing characters around 5-7 years below their age. In terms of accuracy, I feel like they hit the mark enough to be believable but not quite enough for me to immerse myself fully in the story.

On the list of things I loved about the season, the music is at the top of the list. I must admit that the soundtrack is alluring, with a fun alt-rock playlist mixed with the deep siren-esque score. The music ebbs and flows, its booming bass getting deeper as tensions grow high. I love it. The recurring motif is a perfect fifth, which always plays right before (you guessed it), the “least perfect” event happens. The composer, Fil Eisler, did a masterful job.

Next fave: Mrs. Claus. I LOVED seeing Elizabeth Mitchell - aka Principal Newman and Mrs. Clause from The Santa Clause 2 - on screen again. Her character Limbrey was one of my favorite television villains and her acting was captivating and lowkey terrifying. I am excited to watch more of her performance headed into S3.

In prepping to talk about things I did not love about this season, I find it hard to come up with a concise list. These are abstract themes/overarching ideas that I had about season 2 that have more of a negative connotation. There are a few spoilers coming up so if you have not watched the show and/or plan on watching, tread lightly!

First, I did not like the amount of WORK I had to do to suspend disbelief during this season. It was like bending over backward, especially in terms of character injuries. Two prominent ones come to mind - a gunshot wound to the torso and an alligator bite wound on the leg. Now, I can usually suspend my finite medical knowledge and not harp on a quick recovery time. However, for anything that they would need at least one night in the emergency room, I cannot ignore their being up and walking within hours. It just does not work like that. In addition, the brushes with death are becoming common to the point where they do not phase me because I can predict the survival rate (100%).

Another big qualm is a personal one. While I know Drew Starkey’s performance is one of the shining highlights of the season, watching him come unglued truly freaked me out. His character development and resulting downfall are just tragic to see onscreen. Overall, I loved the performance, hated the character. But Rafe’s a villain designed for us to hate. 

Lastly, are they still in school? I am going to be honest, this show is better in the summer. Now taking place in September, the fact that they randomly end up back in the classroom is just wild to me. Treasure discovery notwithstanding, I do not see any of them graduating on time with this many absences. 

I will conclude with a final note: it is worth the hype for its audience. I think if you are someone who takes a “this is a fun adventure show” approach to watching it, you will enjoy it. Outer Banks is not here to be the peak realism, but a fantastical telling of the never-ending, treasure-hunting summer adventure of our dreams. So although it can be hard to suspend the disbelief (like we did when we Nic Cage stole the Declaration of Independence), the story is much more fun when we do.