Nidhi Week 1 - Identity in the Islands

Outer Banks (OBX) is a highly popular Netflix TV show that just released its fifth season. The first time I watched it, I was instantly hooked by the action and vibrant characters. Although each season comes with new mysteries, the main storyline follows a group of teenage friends from the Outer Banks, a chain of islands in North Carolina, who get caught up in various races for lost treasure. Along the way, they have dangerous run-ins with the law, crooks, and a group of kids from the other side of the island. The show is filled with a rich cast of characters, each with a distinctly different identity. However, the one thing that connects the OBX kids is their status: being a Kook or a Pogue.

Kooks are the rich kids; they grew up accustomed to country clubs and trips to the Bahamas. Pogues are the poor kids; many do not have enough money to live an up-and-up lifestyle. The show defines characters by which group they are a part of, and it becomes an integral piece of their identity. For Pogues, the most important aspect of their identity is loyalty. They stick together no matter what and are always ready to help one other. Kooks, on the other hand, are more concerned with legacy. Their identity revolves around privilege and family status. These labels are internalized by the characters and shape how they act and who they hang out with. Kooks and Pogues hate each other on principle, yet many times during the show, we see a character realize that their identity is not set in stone. Sarah Cameron was a perfect Kook: she came from the wealthiest family in the OBX and was even nicknamed the “Kook Princess”. But after meeting John B, the main character, she realized that she didn’t want being a Kook to be her whole personality. She joined the Pogues and revealed her true identity.

As I watched the show, I found it really easy to sympathize with the Pogues in general. They are the protagonists after all, and many times are pitted against the Kooks in unfair situations. However, as I sat down to write this blog, I began thinking about why these labels became such an important part of the characters’ identity. I realized that Kooks and Pogues alike are shaped by the society they grow up in. Kook society values wealth and connections, enabling them to grow their power. To them, being a Kook is something to be proud of and can get you into high up places. In Pogue society, being hunted, whether it be by law enforcement or bored Kooks, is too often a reality. Having a team that sticks with you no matter what is critical, and just calling yourself a Pogue is enough to gain others’ trust. The OBX, in the enduring words of John B, will always be the “place where you either have two jobs or two houses. Two tribes, one island.”

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