Outer Banks season 2 ending explained

There’s no question that Outer Banks season 2 was well worth the wait. The hit Netflix original series returned firing on all cylinders and, in true Outer Banks fashion, jam-packed with more twists and turns in a single episode than most shows fit into an entire season.

After the first season’s finale left John B and Sarah’s future up in the air and the Pogues hoping to clear John B’s name, the stakes in the gold game only got higher and higher. Not only did the stakes get higher, but the race became much more complex.

Between fighting an uphill battle for the gold and uncovering a long-hidden secret about another ancient artifact with ties to one of our beloved Pogues, Outer Banks season 2 delivered a non-stop thrill ride, and we’re still wrapping our minds around what happened.

Let’s break down all of the burning questions left behind by the fast-paced and action-packed Outer Banks season 2 finale, including what’s next for the Pogues and that super-shocking cliffhanger no one could have seen coming.

WARNING: Spoilers from Outer Banks ahead!

Is Sarah’s dad dead in Outer Banks season 2?

Perhaps one of the biggest questions surrounding the second season of Outer Banks is that of Ward’s fate. Does Sarah’s dad die? Is Sarah’s dad really dead? Wait, will he make it this time? They’re all valid questions considering Ward faked his death halfway into the season.

While yes, Ward is presumed dead after the My Druthers blows up, it’s all an elaborate scheme to clear Rafe’s name for killing Sheriff Peterkin. Using the scuba gear on the boat, Ward dives off the boat seconds before the explosion, which no one watching (including Sarah) could have known.

However, when Rose drugs Sarah and takes her onto the Coastal Venture, our former Kook princess is none too pleased to be reunited with her alive and kicking father. The Cameron family books it to a private island with the Cross of Santo Domingo in tow.

In a final altercation, during which Ward attempts to choke his own daughter to death, John B knocks Ward down and he hits his head on a blunt edge of the ship. It’s shockingly similar to how Ward killed John B’s father, but this injury does not kill Ward.

Where do the Pogues end up?

Luckily, the Pogues make it onto the Coastal Venture for a rescue mission and wind up receiving the help of John B and Sarah’s friend Cleo from the Bahamas, who’s now a crew member on the ship. Their plan, while chaotic and dangerous, manages to work… kind of.

The Pogues divide and conquer and fight to assume control of the ship. JJ and Kiara trap the crew and passengers, John B handles Rafe’s rage and Cleo helps Pope steal back the Cross. Everything goes according to plan until it all falls apart.

Although the Pogues manage to make it off the Coastal Venture and onto the lifeboat, Rafe and the crew drudge the Cross back out of the water after Pope opted to dump it in the ocean. Alive and together, the gang washes up on a secluded beach quickly dubbed Poguelandia.

What happens to the Cross of Santo Domingo?

Just to break down the status of the Cross even further, the Pogues are no longer in possession of Pope’s newly discovered family heirloom. Ironically, they never really were in possession of the Cross even though they initially found it, but their recovery mission on the Coastal Venture was ultimately unsuccessful.

Pope decided that if the Pogues couldn’t claim control of the Cross, he would sink it to the bottom of the ocean. But in a moment of determined desperation, Rafe grabs the line and, with help from the rest of the crew, they retrieve the giant golden cross from the water. The Pogues watch the valuable treasure return to the wrong hands and vow that it’s not over.

Is John B’s father alive in Outer Banks season 2?

Aside from the gold and the Cross, here’s the million-dollar Outer Banks question. Is John B’s dead alive?! Appears so, folks! In the final moments of the season, Limbrey (Elizabeth Mitchell) knocks on a door in Barbados and shows the man who answers an envelope with her name on the front and the wheat symbol on the back.

Limbrey (who’s revealed to have somehow made it out of where Rafe abandoned her) enters the house and makes her way to the back porch, where none other than Big John sits. He’s said to have been “half dead for a long time,” but he wrote to Limbrey about “the shroud.” Big John knows where it is and offers to help her, as long as she helps John B.

There you have it: John B’s dad is ALIVE. But how? What is his connection to Limbrey, and how will Limbrey uphold her end of the bargain by helping John B? Of course, things just got even more complicated now that Big John’s back in play.

What did you think of the Outer Banks season 2 ending? What are your predictions for Outer Banks season 3? Sound off in the comments!