What I’m Watching: two vastly different but equally entertaining TV series’.

“Outer Banks”

Toward the beginning of quarantine in April, I couldn’t listen to a podcast or log onto my Instagram, Twitter or Facebook without constantly being bombarded with people talking about a new TV show that came out on Netflix – “Outer Banks.”

I watched the Netflix trailer for “Outer Banks,” and admittedly, I wasn’t sure if it was a show that I could get into. Regular readers of my movie review/opinions will know that I am a Hallmark devotee – I can’t get enough of the silly, simple romance shows that have a smattering of drama but we all know how the show is going to end. I love a good happy ending.

“Outer Banks” seemed like too much for me.

The show, set in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, follows a group of four teenage best friends – John B. (Chase Stokes), Kiara (Madison Bailey), Pope (Jonathan Daviss) and JJ (Rudy Pankow) who live in The Cut, a not-so-nice area. The teenagers refer to themselves as “Pogues,” which is part of their identity, as they rival the “Kooks” which are a group of wealthy kids from the Figure Eight area. Technically Kiara is merely an honorary Pogue, as she actually is the daughter of a successful restaurant owner and she lives in Figure Eight. However, we quickly learn that she rejects the Kook life – she is portrayed as significantly more down to earth, environmentally conscious and aware, thus enjoying the friendship of the Pogues more than the Kooks, who are very focused on money and materialistic items.

As we’re thrust into the show we realize that leader of the Pogues, John B’s father is missing. John B’s dad was a form of treasure hunter, who was in search of the legendary wreckage of the ship The Royal Merchant, which sank with $400 million worth of gold on board.

The show starts off innocently showing John B’s struggle as he runs from the Department of Child Services in an effort to not be put in a foster home, however it takes a drastic turn, as the Pogues find themselves in the middle of the hunt for The Royal Merchant’s treasure – just like John B’s missing dad. They find clues left behind by his father, and as the group searches for this life-changing gold, they find that they aren’t the only group in search of the riches. Not only do the Pogues come up against the law in their search, but they also come up against groups of Kooks who are in search of the gold to get even richer.

While the show has plenty of mystery and action – car chases, boat races – and even deeper plotlines that I didn’t expect – abusive parents, drugs – there was still a healthy smattering of romance. As the search for the gold is underway, John B’s path crosses with Sarah Cameron (Madelyn Cline), daughter of John’s boss Ward Cameron (Charles Esten), a wealthy business owner who lives in Figure Eight. Sarah is often referred to as “the princess of the Kooks” which gives the viewers a pretty good star-crossed-lovers effect as they recognize that John B. is anything but clean cut – both literally, and figuratively.

The attraction between the two is palpable, and we see what this means for John B’s friends – as some of them feel he has betrayed them by becoming involved with a Kook. The Pogues aren’t the only group of people upset with this match, though. Sarah’s boyfriend, Topper (Austin North), could instantly tell there was a connection between Sarah and John B., and as he tried to drive them apart, he ended up pushing the two together.

Though I was hesitant to start “Outer Banks” as it isn’t my typical type of show, I was happy I stepped out of the proverbial box. The ending to the 10-episode Netflix show is one that I didn’t see coming, and I’m itching for new episodes to be released.

“Gilmore Girls”

While the former show I discussed is a 2020 release – let’s take it all the way back to the year 2000. Ah, simpler times, where the internet was fresh and new, social media didn’t exist and cell phones were the size of dinosaurs. Dramatic, yes, but entirely untrue? No.

Each fall I have many traditions. Go pumpkin picking, carve said pumpkins, go apple picking, bake fall cookies, re-watch “Gilmore Girls.”

“Gilmore Girls,” set in the fictional, dream-like town of Stars Hollow, CT, is the most quintessential New England TV show out there – in my opinion, of course. The show follows young single mother Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) and her – in the first season – 16-year-old daughter, also named Lorelai Gilmore – Rory (Alexis Bledel) for short.

The mother daughter duo are quite literally a duo – the two are best friends first, mother and daughter second, and have the type of bond where they can’t help but finish each other's sentences – and each other's coffee.

The show ran from 2000–2007, offering seven seasons for viewers to follow Lorelai through the trials and tribulations that is her love life – many relationships, many failed engagements – as well as her struggle with money being a single mother who runs a local Inn.

When Rory gets into the highly regarded “fancy private school,” Chilton, Lorelai is ecstatic – but quickly realizes she doesn’t have the money to pay for Rory’s tuition. Thus, Lorelai is faced with the tough choice to get involved with her parents – Richard and Emily Gilmore (Edward Hermann and Kelly Bishop). Richard and Emily are wealthy Hartford residents who throw lavish parties and have a stunning mansion. Richard, a successful insurance man and Yale alum, and Emily, a devoted housewife and Smith College alum, ran a strict household for wild Lorelai growing up. When Lorelai became pregnant at 16, she gave birth to Rory and subsequently left Richard and Emily’s home – running away to Stars Hollow and finding solace in the quaint town and its caring residents.

For Rory, over the seven seasons we watch her go from a 16-year-old girl to a 22-year-old woman, seeing her grow up, go to college, have relationships and friendships and navigate successes and heartbreak.

“Gilmore Girls” always gives me such a warm, cozy feeling. It feels like the show is always set in the fall, as the Stars Hollow town green is constantly decorated with colorful leaves, pumpkins, hay bales and more. There’s always some cutesy, small-town festival happening where residents get involved and come together, and of course, everyone knows each other's name as most of the residents grew up together in that very town. I also appreciate all of the local references the show makes – they talk about nearby Mystic and Bridgeport, discuss going to the Cape and Martha’s Vineyard, the local diner has a UMass mug on their ‘mug wall,’ and more.

Though the show ran from 2000-2007, in 2016, Netflix released four (then) present-day episodes titled “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.” We’re shown 32-year-old Rory and 48-year-old Lorelai, and we learn about what they have, or haven’t, been doing for the former several years. We learn Rory isn’t as put together as we would’ve guessed, with a boyfriend she quite literally forgets she has and no steady job, and that Lorelai is still struggling to find a sense of self – so much so that she goes on a backpacking trip in the wilderness to find herself.

Nearly the entire cast of characters that were in the original series many years before all came back for the revival. It was amazing to see characters like Rory’s former boyfriends Jess Mariano (Milo Ventimiglia) and Logan Huntzberger (Matt Czuchry) reprise their roles years later, as the two have found significant success as actors in the post–”Gilmore Girls” days. Ventimiglia has most recently starred in, and is currently starring in hit TV show “This Is Us,” and Czuchry has found success in popular hospital drama “The Resident.”

Success of “Gilmore Girls” characters has not been limited to just the male actors, though. Perhaps the biggest star that came from “Gilmore Girls” is the hilarious Melissa McCarthy, who played Lorelai Gilmore’s best friend and business partner Sookie St. James. It was almost shocking to see McCarthy back as Sookie, because Sookie’s character is in direct contrast to most roles that McCarthy plays today. We’ve seen her star in hilarious yet crude movies such as “Tammy,” “The Heat,” “Identity Thief,” and “Life of the Party.” McCarthy shows off her range as an actor as she returns to “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life,” as she once again portrays the sweet, ditzy and innocent chef Sookie.

If you’re a fan of comedy–drama series with fast talking characters, a small-town feel, romance and a lot of coffee – look no further than “Gilmore Girls.” I must warn you, however, many viewers have been disappointed with the ending and cliffhanger that the 2016 revival leaves viewers on. You’ll just have to see for yourself. The seven original seasons as well as the revival are all available on Netflix.