One of the reasons fans love Outer Banks so much is because the Pogues put themselves into some of the most ridiculous situations possible. They don't simply go on a treasure hunt. Their treasure hunt leads to the revelation of family betrayals, it leads to breaking into homes, and it even leads to escaping danger by floating out to sea.
So many of their adventures are the direct result of the group making horrible decisions. A lot of the strife they face could be avoided if they thought a little farther ahead, and some of their most innocent decisions are some of their worst ones.
JJ Takes The Gun
JJ has a slight stealing problem. When he and John B sneak into a dead man's hotel room, he's quick to want to take whatever they can get their hands on, even though John B doesn't think it's a good idea. The one thing JJ takes is something that ends up being a problem throughout the show, a gun.
Considering how many times JJ ends up using the gun to defend his friends, it's not the absolute worst thing JJ does in Outer Banks, but it certainly causes a lot of issues. Using the firearm in a fight with Topper sets Rafe on the Pogues for the entire first season. The fact that the gun belonged to someone with a shady past also means the threat of being connected to multiple crimes hangs over their heads.
John B Stays With The Camerons
After Topper pushes him out of a lookout point, John B ends up in the hospital and under the care of Ward Cameron - if he so chooses. John B sees it as a necessity, since his other option is potentially ending up in foster care outside of OBX.
The conflict of the fantastic first season episodes of Outer Banks, however, kicks off as a result of John B accepting Ward's offer to stay with him. It doesn't take long for him to discover that Ward is responsible for his father's disappearance, that Ward wants the Royal Merchant gold, and that Sarah doesn't actually know what a bad guy her dad is. If John B hadn't taken up Ward on his offer, Ward might not have been able to get all the details that allowed him to steal the gold or put John B in danger to begin with.
Kiara Sneaks Out
As John B points out in his narration, Kiara choosing to "slum it" with the Pogues might not make much sense to anyone else, but Kiara is an incredibly loyal friend - as long as said friend doesn't cross her. She makes the decision to help her friends at the risk of her own life and her relationship with her parents several times.
While Kiara's loyalty and desire to do the right thing are admirable, her decision to keep sneaking out isn't. Kiara knows that she's already pushed far beyond the line her parents have drawn in the second season, but she keeps going. If she makes it back home in a potential third season, it's going to land her in boarding school and permanently separated from the people she cares about most.
Pope Rants About The Royal Merchant
While his friends are primarily concerned with finding the gold from the Royal Merchant before anyone else, Pope is in the running for a prestigious scholarship in the first season. Helping his friends tends to take precedence over the preparation for his meeting.
When Pope finally has the chance for the scholarship, he spends most of the meeting ranting about having to help his friends and skips out on the rest. He really should have been more careful about just who he gave information to, since one of the Limbrey family members is on the board. She tries to kidnap him repeatedly in the second season. She's after a different treasure, but it still puts Pope and his friends in the line of fire.
The Pogues Go After The Cross Alone
It's understandable that the Pogues don't trust the adults in their lives. JJ's father is abusive, John B's parents are gone, Kiara's hate her lifestyle, Pope's want him to buckle down, and Sarah's father is an actual murderer. There are not a lot of adults in their lives they can turn to for help, so in season 2 of Outer Banks, they just don't.
The group goes after an artifact - a solid gold cross that's as big as a person - that belonged to Pope's ancestors without any help. While it's brave that this group of teenagers goes on this adventurous treasure hunt, they could have used at least one adult in their corner. The one teacher they've gone to for help in the past could have been a good start.
John B And Sarah Trust Captain Terrance
At the end of the first season of Outer Banks, John B makes a pretty reckless choice to escape the law by boating into a tropical storm. It lands him and Sarah in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and picked up by a boat on its way to the Bahamas.
Sarah and John B put their trust in Captain Terrance, not realizing their fugitive status has been broadcast to nautical workers. With everything that happened to them in their hometown over gold bars, John B and Sarah should be trusting no one at that point. When Terrance is willing to turn them in for a few thousand dollars, Sarah still ups the ante by offering him a cut of the gold.
Kiara Tries To Date Pope
When the rest of the Pogues believe that Sarah and John B die at sea, Kiara decides to pursue a relationship with Pope. He confesses his feelings to her earlier in the first season, but she makes it clear she doesn't feel the same way - until she thinks John B is dead.
Kiara's decision to pursue a relationship with Pope makes things a little awkward between her, Pope, and JJ. That's due in part to the fact that Kiara doesn't really know how she feels, but it's also because she's hot and cold with him. JJ is caught in the middle, trying to be supportive of their relationship, but the entire situation strains the trio's friendship and decision-making abilities while they try to clear John B's name.
Sarah Returns Home After The Bahamas
Sarah doesn't have the best judgment when it comes to her family. Despite knowing her father kills people, and despite her dad actively stealing from her and her friends, she still gets close enough to him for him to overpower her if he wants to. She also talks to her stepmother, who covers for her father on a regular basis, and her brother, who also killed for her father.
After returning from the Bahamas and thinking her dad is gone after Ward Cameron faked his death in season 2, Sarah even returns back to the Cameron house, thinking there's no danger without him there. Considering her brother and Rose both worked with Ward, it doesn't make sense for Sarah to trust them around her. Rafe had even tried to kill her at that point.
The Pogues Leave Wheezie On The Freighter
Though the Pogues never leave one another behind if they can help it, it seems like they don't give another thought to anyone else. Sarah's little sister Wheezie covers for her a lot in the first season, and she is her secret point of contact in the second.
Yet, Sarah and the other Pogues don't even attempt to get Wheezie away from Ward, Rose, and Rafe on the freighter. They just let the young girl stay with the same people who have been trying to steal from them and kill them. That's got to come back to haunt them.
The Pogues Go Down To Their First Sunken Boat
Before Sarah ever joins the Pogues, they find a sunken boat while out on the water after hurricane Agatha. John B dives down to explore the wreck while the others watch.
It's an innocent enough encounter, but the group doesn't call it in, and they keep the hotel key that John B finds to investigate. All of their troubles could have been avoided if John B never dove into that boat and kickstarted their entire adventure.