I know we shouldn’t take anything that happens on Outer Banks seriously, but the series totally jumped the shark on Outer Banks Season 2 Episode 10, and I’m unsure whether there’s a path forward.
The revelation that John B’s dad is still alive came out of nowhere, but after the return of Ward Cameron the episode before, it made it seem even more stupid.
As a season-ending twist, it should have been handled much better. It would have been easier to get on board had we not spent so much time on the night he “died.”
This will change the dynamic of the show considerably, especially if John B learns the truth. How is he expected to handle the fact that he’s essentially raised himself, thinking his father was murdered?
His father obviously had to stay away from Outer Banks, but why couldn’t he let his son know he was proud of him?
Maybe Limbrey could have given John B a hint when she met him. I’m unsure what his father was trying to achieve when he told Limbrey to look after him.
We already know the Pogues will escape from any situation, but the finale would have worked better by revealing this miraculous return earlier.
A much better cliffhanger would have been Rafe opening fire on the lifeboat, leaving the fate of the Pogues up in the air for a year as we wait for the likely third season.
Rafe has been such a problematic character, but what made him not shoot the boat? He’s wanted revenge for so long on Sarah for ditching the family, and he’s wanted to kill John B. Did his conscience shine through, or did he not want all of them to die?
The setup of Rafe and Ward as the villains on Outer Banks Season 3 was pitiful. They should have both been dead or incarcerated by the end of Outer Banks Season 2.
What are they going to do when the Pogues inevitably tell the cops Ward is alive? We know the cops have not been listening to them at all, but it’s about time they do.
These kids may cause some problems, but they haven’t lied to the police at all. Everything they’ve said has checked out, and Shoupe, as the sheriff, should know that.
The pogues being declared missing was compelling because maybe the town will be so worried about them that they will welcome them with open arms when they inevitably return.
Kie’s parents will probably ship her away, but it’s also possible these kids don’t return for a few years until they’re adults. They want to live the Pogue life somewhere safer, and who can blame them?
Pope trying to steal back the cross was predictable but somewhat tedious. Did the teens really expect that they would get the six of them on the lifeboat, plus a gold-plated cross?
It was … something.
It would have been easier to believe if Pope said he was sending it into the depths of the ocean from the start.
Rafe and his goons somehow managing to salvage the cross was another absurd plot point. The crane could barely hold it, so how did a handful of people manage to hold on to a rope to avoid it going into the ocean?
The only positive aspect of this is that it gives Limbrey a reason to come back, and if she’s teaming up with the Pogues this time, it will be more exciting.
Limbrey is unpredictable, but having her on the heroes’ side will make them even more deadly than before. Limbrey is smarter than the teenagers because she knows how far she’s willing to go as a person.
The return of Cleo was a welcome development, but did the show really need to make it such a sloppy endeavor?
What are the chances she would be on that boat? I’m willing to overlook it if she’s a series regular on Outer Banks Season 3, but damn, we need the writers to read through the scripts and weed out all the coincidences.
The series is very enjoyable, but the writing nosedived in these final few episodes.
Sarah’s battle with her father made for good TV, and it confirmed what we expected: Ward was willing to murder his daughter to keep her quiet about his comeback.
There was a visceral reaction in her when John B overpowered and almost killed him. Sarah gave him the go-ahead to murder her father, and that’s quite the contrast to earlier in the season when she was upset about his death.
Sarah is done with her family. Aside from Wheezie, she won’t come looking for them, but I’m starting to wonder whether the show is giving Rafe a redemption arc.
There’s a part of him that is pure evil, but he did let the Pogues away. Does he love the back and forth between him and the group, or was he truly ready to turn over a new leaf?
So many questions and so few answers.
We have a lot to chew on as we await the next season, and hopefully, it will be a better season.
What are your thoughts on that big return?
Should Ward and Rafe have died?
Hit the comments.
Stream Outer Banks on Netflix.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.