Who plays Rafe's girlfriend in Outer Banks? Her character and storyline explored

New tension was infused in Outer Banks through Sofia, aka the girlfriend of Rafe Cameron (Drew Starkey). Actress Fiona Palomo plays her. Introduced during Season 3, Sofia is a pragmatic Pogue who gets to know Rafe, the problematic older sibling of the Cameron siblings.

It was "terrifying" to join a series with an ardent fan base, People magazine quoted Palomo on October 26, 2024. She agreed she thought she knew the fans would not like her character ending up with Rafe romantically; she chuckled and continued:

“I’m about to upset a lot of women out there.”

Their relationship starts as flirtatious, but by Season 4, it becomes an intense relationship when Sofia becomes a vital part of Rafe's life while he deals with personal issues that affect his life.

Here, the difference in her character and her skills affects everything and brings out a variation in the dynamic between Rafe, now the Kook with money and anger issues, and Sofia, the Pogue bartender.

Sofia’s background and journey on Outer Banks

Sofia takes the Outer Banks's theme of Kook vs. Pogue to new levels. Sofia comes from a very poor Mexican working class and has to navigate between her life as a bartender at the Pelican Yacht Club with the dreams of something bigger than her current reality. While attending a party at Tannyhill, Rafe's family's estate, she meets Rafe.

That relationship heats up quickly, but Sofia's earthly nature couldn't contrast more with Rafe's wealth and volatile personality. She is also Rafe's indispensable confidante and support system as he gets challenged to "do the right thing" when deciding whether or not to kill his father in Season 3.

It gets complicated because Sofia catches Rafe when he is most vulnerable, and the audience also gets to see the softer side of Rafe as Sofia is confined to the role of being just his friend in Outer Banks.

Rafe and Sofia’s relationship on Outer Banks

The relationship between Sofia and Rafe is more demanding in Season 4. Though Rafe continually holds Sofia at arm's length, referring to her as his "friend" in certain social circles, he also tends to lean on her emotionally. Palomo describes her character as "warm, someone who leans into people and trusts easily."

This warmth is both a strength and weakness as she tries to influence Rafe in a positive light even as he battles inner demons as well as pressures to live up to his family's "standards." Sofia's loyalty is seen at its best when she comforts Rafe after scattering his father's ashes, allowing him a rare emotional connection in the stormy world.

Yet the tension builds with a shocking twist when Sofia discovers she is far more of an outsider among his Kook friends than she ever imagined. Despite that and despite moments of hurt, such as overhearing Rafe's dismissive comments about her background, Sofia ultimately decides to stay, with resilience and depth that fans have found nothing but relatable and endearing.

Fiona Palomo on working with Drew Starkey and joining the cast of Outer Banks

Palomo has dubbed working with Starkey, who plays the conflicted Rafe, a great experience. She calls the Outer Banks actor "so kind" and "welcoming." Though on-screen Rafe often bursts into anger and acts impudently, Palomo said Starkey is the opposite in real life, making him a "beautiful actor to work with."

She remembers a chemistry read on set with Starkey before filming began, where she recognized that he gives a lot of good energy towards delivering real relationships between characters. Their team approach allowed them to develop this amazing backstory that helped Sofia and Rafe's relationship. It's something Palomo cherished as she tried to bring Sofia to life.

Going into Sofia's journey and her interactions with Rafe, Palomo opens new dimensions to Outer Banks while diverting the focus from its adventure components and implying deeper emotions and complexities within social behavior. While Sofia deals with Rafe's world, this perception of class and personal integrity becomes subtle.