John B is the lead character on Outer Banks. As a sixteen-year-old orphan on the run from the cops and the island's wealthier, more powerful population, he hasn't got a lot going for him - except for his hunt for $400 million worth of gold.
He spends his days with his three best friends and girlfriend, either surfing, boating, treasure hunting, or evading the Department of Child Services. John B can be very calm and in control, but other times he acts a bit rashly.
SMARTEST: Giving A Statement To Police
When John B is framed for the murder of Sheriff Peterkin, nobody will even attempt to listen to him explain himself. The police are after him despite lacking evidence to prove his guilt. There's even a $25,000 reward for anyone who catches John B.
It's not long before John B is tired of being on the run and decides to go to the police station and give an official statement. If he'd been successful, he could have saved himself and his friends a lot of trouble and grief. As it is, he gets freaked out when the police point their guns at him.
DUMBEST: Running Away From Pretty Much Everyone
John B tries to outrun authorities from the very first scene. The first part of the season revolves around his evasion of Child Services but quickly escalates to include the Outer Banks police force. He's also on the run from Ward Cameron, who's trying to kill him, then frames him for murder. Underlying all of these more pressing issues, he has a few enemies in Rafe, Topper, and Kelce - and most other Kooks.
In the second half of the series, John B is running from the cops when he doesn't need to be. His running only makes him seem guilty when he isn't. If John B had only told the truth, he could've avoided the whole elaborate escape plan which leads to his and Sarah's loss at sea.
SMARTEST: Following His Instincts About The Treasure
When John B tells his friends that he thinks his dad has left a message for him, they're skeptical. Big John has been missing for nine months and was presumed dead after three. John B refuses to believe that he's dead, and his friends gently prod him to consider whether he's deluding himself.
However, John B's instincts prove to be right: his father really is trying to lead him to a pot of gold, and this gold really does exist. If the Pogues didn't run into so much trouble along the way, they could've made themselves Kook-rich.
DUMBEST: Diving Without Experience
The first time John B decides to go under, he has nothing but an anchor to drag him down. He's wearing no equipment and ignores Kiara's protests. The second time he decides to dive is after he poaches Ward Cameron's scuba gear.
None of the Pogues know how to use the equipment properly, and Kiara even raises her concern that someone could die. But John B decides to do it anyway, with help from Pope and his estimates on how much oxygen to consume. John B's time is almost up when Deputy Shoupe arrives to tell the kids the marshes are closed. John B's recklessness almost gets him killed before the treasure hunt even begins.
SMARTEST: Giving Topper A Second Chance
Topper has been jealous of John B from the first time audiences see them together onscreen. Where John B is cool and collected, Topper reveals his insecurities and desire for control and power. When Sarah falls in love with John B, Topper becomes even more jealous and angry. But he also feels like he's lost something, and he's desperate to prove himself.
When Sarah and John B are stuck at the top of the bell tower with cops and Kooks below, Topper asks them if he can prove that he really does love Sarah. Even though Topper is the one who almost drowned him in episode 1, pushed him from a tower after Midsummers, and ratted him out to the cops, John B allows him to help. He and Topper swap clothes so that Topper can deter the cops while Sarah and the real John B escape.
DUMBEST: Engaging Topper In A Fight
Although John B makes the right call in deciding to give Topper another chance, he shouldn't have engaged him in a fistfight at the beginning of the season in the first place. If John B had controlled his emotions and resisted the desire to show off his ego, he would've avoided a whole lot of trouble.
JJ would never have pulled a gun on Topper, and Topper would never have wanted his revenge, thus provoking Rafe to beat up Pope, which leads Pope to sink Topper's boat, and so on.
SMARTEST: Not Trusting Ward
Though Ward seems like an understanding boss to John B and saves him from DCS, John B is still reluctant to trust him. Whether it's his instincts or his general mistrust of adults and Kooks is unclear.
Whatever the case is, any time Ward asks a question, John B never gives a straight answer - especially if that question pertains to shipwrecks or gold. John B's judgment proves to be prudent when Ward tries to kill John B on their fishing trip.
DUMBEST: Stealing
John B is the leader of the Pogues' missions. He calls the shots and decides where they're going next. He's also the one who encourages stealing if it's for the purpose of finding the gold. He begins with poaching Ward's scuba gear, which ends up getting him fired.
The Pogues also steal gold from Parcel 9, which places all of the Kooks and Sarah in danger. Perhaps stealing is a quicker solution than the legal process of staking a claim, but it's definitely not the smartest or safest.
SMARTEST: Exposing Ward Cameron
John B and Sarah are stranded on a tiny boat in the middle of a stormy sea, seemingly with no way out. Back on shore, Ward attempts to talk them down over a radio.
John B either knows or suspects that the cops are listening in, and he uses the opportunity to finally tell the truth. He reveals that Ward framed him for the murder of Sheriff Peterkin. Hopefully, season 2 will see him pay for his crimes.
DUMBEST: Surfing The Surge
Though this decision doesn't have any long-term consequences, it's a perfect example of John B's general irresponsibility and recklessness. In the first episode, he drags Pope out for a surf in the middle of a hurricane. Pope tries to talk him out of it, saying the waves aren't surfable, but he doesn't listen.
This is a precursor to every rash decision John B makes for the rest of the season. The decision to search for the gold could be considered "dumb", but it isn't his choice alone - the Pogues agree, which proves their loyalty to one another. Perhaps the way they go about obtaining the gold isn't the smartest, but if they'd succeeded in their quest, they could've made a better life for themselves.