‘Outer Banks’ on Netflix: I’m Obsessed with Madison Bailey’s Kiara, and You Should Be, Too

Netflix’s Outer Banks is my new favorite YA obsession. From the golden-tinged natural beauty of the background to the insanely kinetic chemistry of its cast, Outer Banks is an emphatically charming show. Even though I’ve fallen hard for each and every one of the Pogues, there is one Pogue I love the most: Madison Bailey‘s beautifully spunky hippie tomboy Kiara.

Outer Banks is set, as you might assume, on North Carolina’s famed Outer Banks. There we meet a quartet of tightly knit friends who call themselves the Pogues. There’s the de facto ringleader John B (Chase Stokes), the irrepressible mischief maker JJ (Rudy Pankow), smart straight arrow Pope (Jonathan Daviss), and the lone she-wolf of the group, the effervescent and caring Kiara, nicknamed Kie. While most “Pogues” live on the wrong side of the island, in a dilapidated ghost town called “The Cut,” Kie’s father is a successful restauranteur catering to the wealthy residents of the area. This technically makes her what the Pogues call a “Kook,” but Kie is absolutely 100% committed to her fellow Pogues.

Early on in Outer Banks, it’s suggested that Kie, beautiful as she is — and every single person in the cast of Outer Banks is beautiful in a way that feels reserved for Mount Olympus — should hook up with John B. After all, she makes a point of fretting over the handsome boy’s safety and lovingly kissing him on the cheek before he literally dives into danger. John B reluctantly attempts to test out their connection by kissing Kiara, and her reaction is one of fire. Although John B is obviously a dish, Kie rejects his romantic advances, citing the rule that Pogues can’t mack on other Pogues. Pogues are platonic, Pogues are loyal, and Pogues come first.

I love Kiara because of how much she loves the idea of the Pogues. They are more than friends, they are a tribe, a cult, even. Because no matter what the stakes are, Pogues put their fellow Pogues first. It’s this literal “ride or die” energy that gives the quartet’s friendship an almost Shakespearean level of profound beauty, and it’s what makes Outer Banks so wonderfully watchable. I mean, sure, it’s fun watching teenagers surf during a hurricane, sneak into an axe murderer’s house in search of treasure, and even do battle with a private plane with nothing more than a beat up van with an “Eat the Rich” bumper sticker. However, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Outer Banks because I loved the Pogues so much, and Kiara is the one who arguably did the most to sell me on their friendship.

There’s an earthiness to Kiara that goes beyond her devotion to sea turtles or the environment. She is utterly real, and Madison Bailey plays her like the most honest person on earth. So when she emphatically stands by her Pogues no matter what — even at the disgust of her doting parents — she makes me feel like the Pogues really are the most important thing on earth. Their bond isn’t just a fiction created by writers in a low-ceilinged office for a Netflix show: the Pogues are the realest thing on earth.

I’m essentially obsessed with Kiara because she’s the character who sells me on the Pogues, and therefore sells me on the reality of Outer Banks. From there, I can lose myself in the unfettered passion of John B and Sarah Cameron (Madelyn Cline), I can weep over the injustice in Pope and JJ’s lives, and find myself utterly horrified by the villainy of…well, if you haven’t gotten all the way through Outer Banks, I won’t spoil who the big bad guys are.

On its surface, Outer Banks is rip-roaring adventure story about some teens hunting for treasure, but what the show really is about is the holy power of friendship. The Pogues are somehow more than friends, more than family. They are spiritually knit together, and Kiara is the thread that binds them.

Watch Outer Banks on Netflix