Anything is possible on Outer Banks, but Outer Banks Season 2 Episode 9 — the penultimate episode of the season — left my jaw firmly on the floor with that last-minute reveal.
Ward Cameron is alive, confirming that death is never really dead on this show. Maybe Outer Banks Season 2 will conclude with John B’s dad coming back. Who knows?
Rose has been a little too involved in rounding up the kids and getting them on a boat, so it makes sense to bring Ward back to make it make sense.
Logistically speaking, Ward could not have escaped the yacht explosion. Seriously, the force would have blown him up and even severely injured him if he was in the water.
But we’ve already had John B almost being eaten by an alligator, Pogue nearly dying multiple times, and Sarah being shot by her brother and almost drowned.
It’s all part of the fun, but at some point, some of these deaths need to stick to highlight that the show has stakes.
Ward’s miraculous return took the wind out of his daughter, but what is his motive here? Does he want the family to disappear with all of this money and love — god forbid — as a happy family?
That is not going to happen.
The more concerning thing here is that Rafe is still being painted as a part of that family. We now have confirmation he’s been a worrying young man for years, so why was nothing done to stop him from being a danger to society?
Was there nobody the family could turn to or did Ward care too much about what people would think if his son was deemed to have issues?
Ward is enabling Rafe’s behavior at this stage, and I’m unsure why Rose felt the need to keep his father’s survival for him.
It would have probably avoided him trying to kill Sarah a second time. Where is the logic? Maybe we’re supposed to believe that Rafe is that much of a loose cannon that he wouldn’t have been able to function.
Rafe’s visceral reaction to his father’s death was too real for him to be in the know from the get-go.
And then there’s poor Wheezie. That kid just rolling with the punches from her family at this stage, and it’s going to have a severe effect on her growing up.
Speaking of Rafe, I so wanted the cops to stop him, find the body, and arrest him. Wouldn’t it have been a nice dose of karma for Rafe to be sent away for a murder he did not commit?
It would be the perfect ending for the character because he thought he was too invincible ever to face the consequences.
Sarah will want off the boat, but at least she has John B, Kie, Pope, and JJ on board to help bring her nightmare to an almighty conclusion.
Pope is not leaving the boat without the cross, and the others are not leaving without Sarah, so there’s bound to be a wild showdown with all of these different factions coming face-off.
Rose drugging Sarah was terrible. How does she expect Sarah to trust anyone if they all keep manipulating her and torturing her for their own entertainment?
If anything, this realization will push Sarah further away from her family, and even if he does die this time, she’s going to be unable to shed a tear because of everything that has transpired since his faux death.
Kie’s dilemma was harrowing. She’s been warned about not getting into any trouble, or she’s being sent straight to the behavioral retreat.
The issue here is that her parents genuinely don’t understand the true extent of what is going on in her life. It all sounds like made-up fluff, so it’s hard to blame them for being mad at her.
She’s breaking the rules, breaking their belongings, and they don’t think she’s taking responsibility for her actions.
Now that she walked out of the house to help Pope, even after she said it could result in her being sent away, there will probably be a big wedge between the two lovebirds.
However long she’s sent away, she will probably resent Pope, and he will feel a certain type of way for causing it.
Then there’s Limbrey. She was wicked, but I somehow felt sorry for her when she realized bugs had eaten the fabric she needed to heal herself supposedly.
She was visibly defeated, and her brother-in-law trying to ditch her showed how far she would go to be in control of everything.
Her journey seemed over when Rafe stole the cross, but on this show, there’s no telling who’s lurking around the corner to dole out some revenge.
That’s why the season finale is going to be so fun. I have no clue how it will play out, and that’s all part of the fun.
What did you think of Ward Cameron’s return?
Are you shocked or surprised?
Has Pope just cost Kie her freedom, or will he be able to talk her parents out of sending her away?
Hit the comments below.
Stream the series on Netflix.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.