I’m just gonna come right out and say it: Rafe Cameron with a buzz cut can get it. I know, I know – he’s the ultimate “Outer Banks” villain, and even though he’s still the same hotheaded, power-hungry Kook he was when the series first premiered, his season three hair transformation makes him decidedly harder to root against. Allow me to break down my internal moral dilemma.
Portrayed by Drew Starkey, Rafe has done some pretty messed-up stuff, namely killing Sheriff Peterkin, shooting his sister Sarah, and stealing the Cross of Santo Domingo, to address just the tip of the iceberg. But all of those deeds were zapped from my memory as soon as Buzz Cut Rafe™ came on screen during the season three premiere. I was taken aback by how handsome he looked while talking to his comatose father in Guadeloupe, so much so that I hit the pause button to take in the view. John B, who? Buzz Cut Rafe is my new “Outer Banks” crush.
I’d let Buzz Cut Rafe steal all of my gold with no qualms.
Rafe’s shaved hairstyle is a noticeable departure from his past looks. In season one, his hair is long on top and swept to one side, and the following season, it takes on a middle part with bangs sticking to his forehead like one of your favorite ’90s heartthrobs. The buzz cut was perhaps used to ditch the boyish appearance in favor of a more menacing, militant look, but it’s safe to say that goal didn’t quite land. Hell, I’d let Buzz Cut Rafe steal all of my gold with no qualms. I’d hop on the back of his dirt bike without even asking the destination. I’d dive to the bottom of the sea to help him save a stolen relic.
I’m not the only one harboring newfound attraction to post-haircut Rafe. Ever since the third “Outer Banks” installment hit Netflix on Feb. 23, fans far and wide have expressed similar thoughts on social media. “Man, why’d they have to go and give rafe a buzzcut cause now i’m feeling some type of way about rafe AND I SHOULDN’T BE DAMNNIT,” one viewer tweeted, while another wrote on Twitter, “thought i was gonna hate buzzcut rafe but he is giving!” TikTok creators are also loving the makeover, as evidenced by one buzz-cut-focused compilation that has more than two million views and thousands of supportive comments.
We haven’t the slightest clue what sort of trials the Pogues will encounter on their newest gold-hunting adventures in season four, but one thing’s for damn sure: Rafe’s buzz cut better be in tow, or a riot will ensue. Read ahead to relive every stage of the character’s hair transformation through the years – and to see how differently Starkey styles his hair in real life.
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