What happened at the end of Outer Banks season 1?

Outer Banks, the teen crime drama with gold at its heart, is gearing up for a season 2 drop on Netflix come Friday, July 30.

But, it’s been over a year since the first season made its debut on the platform, so we understand if you need a refresher on what happened.

That’s what we’re here for!

Welcome to your Outer Banks season 1 ending recap.

Outer Banks season 1 ending explained

When we were last with the Pogues, the G game was getting more and more dangerous. John B finding out that Sarah’s dad, Ward, killed his father took the young treasure hunter over the deep end. While it was initially an accident, it became a crime when her dad pitched his over the side of his boat which left Big John stranded on a sandbar with no way home.

The last thing Big John ever did was scratch the name Redfield into his compass in the hopes that it would make its way back to his son so he could find the Royal Merchant treasure. Well, John B and the Pogues did find that treasure, but Ward managed to weasel it out from under them before they could get it themselves.

John B. wanted to avenge his father by killing Ward, but that’s not how things shook out. In a desperate attempt to stop Ward from flying the gold out to the Bahamas, John B., Kiara, Pope, and J.J. went to the airstrip to get it back, but they found Ward trying to force Sarah onto the plane with him.

Still very much in love despite the sins of Sarah’s father, John B. took off after the plane setting off a chain of events that would make him a fugitive. Driving his van into the path of the plane forced Ward to break which gave Sheriff Peterkin time to show up and announce that she knew Ward had killed Big John and was there to arrest him.

In a wild turn of events, Rafe shoots the sheriff when she goes to arrest his father and, after Sarah and John B. run away, Ward blames her death on John B.

With the whole island after him, John B. only has his friends and Sarah to turn to though they have their own issues to deal with as well. J.J. has finally broken free of his abusive father, but he has to see him one last time in order to steal his boat the Phantom so John can leave the Outer Banks.

Thankfully, it’s not another violent encounter, but it is an emotional one as it seems the drugs his father took have knocked him into a good mood. In a rare showing of love and gentleness, J.J.’s dad embraces him and tells him he loves him before passing back out on the couch.

J.J. gets the boat, so that parts all set. John B. just has to get back to his friends without anyone in town tracking him down first. He makes a narrow escape after Kelce traps him in his laundry closet. It puts him back in Sarah’s path who had to make her own escape when her dad locked her in her room to hide what he’d done in covering up the sheriff’s murder.

To prove his love for Sarah, Topper takes the heat off them both which allows them to go running, but the pair are once again separated when Sarah comes across some of her dad’s friends. But, they’re reunited just after John B. makes the hard decision to leave without her. Yes, love did win after all in that regard.

The verdict is still out on whether that’ll be the case for Kiara and Pope who had their own moments at the end season 1. Pope had confessed his feelings to Kiara, but she shut him down hard only to change her mind later. It’s unclear if that’s because he started spiraling and acting out because he’d walked out on his scholarship meeting only to losing the gold to Ward.

Though the two might be too busy grieving to really focus on whatever is beginning to bloom between them. John B. and Sarah ended up driving their boat straight into a storm as they fought to escape the authorities. They capsized and are presumed dead due to the severity of the storm.

However, they’re actually the two luckiest people on the planet because not only did they not drown, they were picked up by a ship heading to Nassau, Bahamas aka the exact location Ward flew the gold out to the day Sheriff Peterkin was killed. The Pogues are back in the G game, y’all!

Buckle up, Netflix Lifers, Outer Banks season 2 is sure to be yet another wild ride.

Outer Banks season 2 premieres Friday, July 30 on Netflix.