Outer Banks Season 2 Plot Synopsis
Outer banks season 2 picks up right where we left off. Last season, John B and Sarah found themselves on the run. Having hitched a ride on a freighter bound for the Bahamas, John B and Sarah are now fugitives and wanted by the authorities.
They’re inevitably found out by their ship’s captain and forced to flee. So across the Bahamas they go, evading authorities and random bystanders alike. All the while, JJ, Kiara and Pope try to make sense of what’s happening.
Two members short, they engage in their own treasure hunt and try to piece together Denmark Tanny’s history. This eventually converges into one story late on in the show before a game-changing finale.
Is Ward Cameron really dead? How did he survive?
After blowing himself up earlier in the season, the end of Outer Banks drops a bombshell reveal that Ward Cameron is actually still alive. It’s his freighter the kids find themselves on during the final two episodes, and it’s here where big secrets are revealed.
Ward actually planned the whole gig, faking his own death and timing the explosion to perfection. In reality, he actually had scuba gear all set up and ready to go. He got changed on the boat and swum underwater to avoid detection while the boat blew up.
Ward’s video confession allowed Rafe to go free from custody. With Ward confessing to everything and presumed to be dead, Shoupe and the other officers stop pursuing and investigating the Cameron family.
This allows Ward to set this whole charade up, with an island off Guadaloupe waiting for them. It turns out Ward Cameron has the gold and the Cross of Santo Domingo in the cargo hold.
What happens to Sarah and Ward?
After finding out about her Father, Sarah makes her choice and tries to help her friends instead. In doing so, Ward realizes that he’s lost his daughter and believes she’ll never be part of their family again.
As Sarah tries to escape, Cameron actually tries to kill his own daughter, believing her heart is with the Pogues. Just before strangling her, John B jumps in and knocks Ward down.
There’s a pretty poetic moment here between John B and Ward Cameron, with the latter in a similar position to John B’s father before his death. However, unlike Big John’s fate, John B decides to take the heroic option. He chooses against killing Ward and keeps him alive.
What happens to the Cross of Santo Domingo?
After Pope uses a crane to move the Cross out the cargo hold, gunshots ricochet across the crane. This forces Pope to abandon his post. Just before he does though, he looks set to dump the Cross into the ocean.
Rafe is unwilling to see this happen though and scrambles to grab the rope. This buys enough time for the rest of the crew to jump in and help pull the Cross back aboard. The last we see of the Cameron family they have the Gold and the Cross safely aboard.
Why can’t the kids head back home?
After escaping the cargo hold and the various other goons aboard the ship, John B, Sarah, Pope, JJ and Kie all get away and ride off to a deserted island – which they call “Poguelandia”.
With them stuck on this unknown island, back home missing posters are put up for all the teens. Rafe appears to be the only person aboard Ward’s ship that sees the kids escape but it’s clear the others will know soon enough. He’ll undoubtedly tell his Father but for now, it’s just Rafe who knows.
Given Rafe has no allegiances back home, it’s unlikely he’ll be ringing Topper or any of the parents to let them know. For now, we’re left to assume there’s a manhunt underway to find the kids.
What happened to John B’s Father? Who is Limbrey working with?
In the final reveal of the season, Limbrey arrives at a house in Barbados with a letter addressed to her. On the back of the envelope is an insignia with the wheat symbol.
Inside the house are numerous maps and diagrams strewn across tables and up on the wall. There, she’s greeted by Big John Routledge who’s actually still alive!
It seems after Ward threw him overboard he was rescued and brought to Barbados to recover. It seems like he may even be working with Limbrey, especially if the agreement they come to at the end is anything to go by.
As the episode closes out, Big John confirms he knows where the garment is that she’s looking for but in return wants her help to look for John B.
How does this affect Outer Banks Season 3?
If the show is renewed (at the time of writing it hasn’t been confirmed) then it means Big John and Limbrey working together would be a pretty formidable match for Ward Cameron. This could also coincide with the Pogues planning to get the treasure back. Could it be that all of this moves the action across to Ward’s island off Guadaloupe? It could even set up another treasure hunt to follow too.
It’s safe to assume season 3 would look further into how Big John survived his ordeal and how that affects the treasure from The Royal Merchant. This sets up an interesting dynamic with the kids, especially given Big John and John B’s tantalizing reunion.
Either way, the season ends with a lot of promise and plenty of question marks over the direction this is likely to take next.
Read More: Outer Banks Season 2 Review
Thanks for reading our Ending Explained article! So what did you think of the ending? Were you shocked by the Big John reveal? Let us know in the comments below!