Since 2020, Outer Banks has given fans a handful of beloved characters to follow, but as the show has now come to an end, audiences say goodbye to the Pogues. Throughout the five seasons, the Pogues have overcome countless obstacles in their pursuit of treasure.
Each character has demonstrated a valuable skill or rose to an occasion, but there's one character who consistently stands out. Among the Pogues, Outer Banks' most important character is also the one talked about least. It's time to give some attention to the most underrated character in Outer Banks.
Finding hidden treasure is a team effort. All of the Pogues bring their own charm and abilities, allowing them to work well together. While all of the characters serve their purpose and display their importance to the show, there is one who often goes unnoticed. While she was introduced in the second season, Cleo Anderson (Carlacia Grant) has proven herself to be the most important character in Outer Banks.
Cleo was not a part of the show's original cast in season 1, having later been added to the show in its sophomore season. Since her introduction, Cleo has been a consistent character and was officially admitted to the Pogues' friend group at the end of season 2. Her addition to the group gave the Pogues another loyal friend and devoted treasure hunter.
Cleo is the most capable Pogue
Since her introduction in season 2, Cleo has consistently shown her quick thinking and proclivity for getting out of trouble. Having grown up as a crew member on a smuggling ship, Cleo was exposed to a variety of skills that served her and the Pogues. From pickpocketing to melee combat, Cleo is well rounded in ways the other characters aren't. When the Pogues get into a scrap, Cleo will likely be the one to help them get out of it.
It goes without a doubt that the Pogues would not have gotten as far without Cleo. There have been countless times where Cleo has come to the rescue. With her street-smarts, the former smuggler has been able to adapt to new surroundings, haggle for resources, and guide the other characters towards success. Her bravery and loyalty to the group have made her an invaluable member of the Pogues and one who deserves more attention from audiences.
Alongside her adventerous spirit, Cleo is also emotionally wise. She quickly connected with Pope Heyward (Jonathon Daviss) and helped him through his complicated feelings about his ex-girlfriend and fellow Pogue, Kiara (Madison Bailey). Cleo has proven herself to be a loyal friend to all of the Pogues and has seamlessly integrated herself into their friend group. Her relationship with Pope has helped shape him into a more confident person and has given them both someone to turn to.
Fans should give more praise to Cleo
In an ensemble show like Outer Banks, audiences can have a pool of characters to choose from. Some fans adhere to Sarah Cameron (Madelyn Cline) or JJ Maybank (Rudy Pankow). Each fan takes away something different from their viewing experience, including who their attention goes to. But even though she's been a series regular since season 2, Cleo often finds herself low on the fan-favorites list.
It's likely that because she wasn't introduced with the show's first season, audiences gravitated to the original characters. Characters like Kiara and Rafe (Drew Starkey) had already found large audiences, and often viewers would gravitate towards more popular characters than others. Unfortunately for Cleo, it's left some characters to fade into the background. That's not to say that Cleo doesn't have any fans—far from it. But when compared to other Outer Banks characters, Cleo's efforts in the plot go largely unnoticed.
As Outer Banks has now concluded, hopefully when audiences look back on the show, Cleo will stand out more to them. Without her, the Pogues would have had a much harder time defeating their enemies and finding the treasure. Cleo has proven herself to be an irreplaceable member of the team and deserves the credit for all she's given to the show.
Outer Banks is available for streaming on Netflix.
Add us as a preferred source on Google