‘Outer Banks’: 4 Plot Holes and Mistakes in Season 2
Outer Banks Season 2 took the Pogues in a new direction as they searched for the Cross of Santo Domingo. The episodes featured plenty of action and thrill; however, many viewers found themselves distracted by a few unrealistic moments. Suspension of disbelief is always important with teen dramas, but there were inconsistencies that fans couldn’t ignore. Here are some of the head-scratching Outer Banks Season 2 plot holes.
[Spoiler alert: The following story contains spoilers for Outer Banks Season 2.]
Sarah Cameron recovered from her gunshot wound very quickly
The season’s early episodes showed John B. (Chase Stokes) and Sarah Cameron (Madelyn Cline) attempting to find the $400 million gold, which had been stolen by Sarah’s father, Ward (Charles Esten). They planned to rob Ward’s truck in the Bahamas, but the situation turned into a disaster when Rafe Cameron (Drew Starkey) accidentally shot Sarah in the hip.
John B. rushed Sarah to a doctor, who performed surgery on the teen. Doc Marsh (Marshall Bell) managed to save Sarah temporarily, but she later entered cardiac arrest from the blood loss. The doctor pronounced her dead. However, John B. performed CPR and restarted her heart.
Within a few hours, Sarah was on the move again with John B., running from danger in the Bahamas. And hours after that, she hung out in a hot tub with the Pogues. That was too much activity for someone who had just technically died, and she probably would have gotten an infection at some point.
John B. was running hours after his alligator bite
And speaking of quick recoveries, John B. had his own miraculous healing later in the season. John B.’s van, The Twinkie, got stuck in a swamp as the tide came in, trapping the Pogues. Sarah, John B., and Pope (Jonathan Daviss) waited at the sinking van while JJ (Rudy Pankow) and Kiara (Madison Bailey) went to grab supplies to get them out. However, during the wait, an alligator attacked John B., biting his leg.
John B. had a pretty big gash in his leg, which they covered with his trusty bandana. Still, hours later, he was on the move again with no trouble at all.
Some fan theories have suggested that John B.’s bandana was actually the shroud from the cross, which was rumored to have healing powers. That would explain both John B.’s and Sarah’s recoveries. However, if that’s not the case, all the dirt and grime on that cloth probably would have caused an infection, too.
Ward Cameron’s confession erased solid evidence of Rafe Cameron’s crime
More Outer Banks Season 2 plot holes could be found in the case of Sheriff Peterkin’s (Adina Porter) death. Ward went to great lengths to cover the fact that Rafe shot her — he framed John B. and even threatened a witness. Before faking his death, Ward left a video confession admitting that he shot Peterkin.
That closed the case, which would have been realistic, except there was already solid evidence that Rafe committed the crime. The police had already taken Rafe into custody after finding his fingerprints on the gun. Plus, there was an audio recording that said Rafe shot her. Ward also killed the case’s sole witness, but no one ever investigated that crime.
“This was the biggest thing to me. They had his fingerprints on the weapon and bullet casings. They wouldn’t have let him go because of that video,” one frustrated fan wrote in a Reddit thread.
How much does the Cross of Santo Domingo really weigh?
There’s been some confusion among Outer Banks fans regarding the weight of the cross. It was massive — much bigger than the teens — and gold-plated with diamond details. When the five Pogues removed it from the church, they had trouble lifting it as a group. However, in the finale, Rafe managed to hold the cross on the rope all by himself.
Where did Rafe suddenly get super strength? Some viewers have attributed it to adrenaline. Meanwhile, others have pointed out that Rafe had a sort-of pulley system with the ship, which took off some of the cross’s weight.
“What IS unrealistic is that the kids thought the inflatable boat would hold the cross and all the kids,” one Reddit user wrote.
Had the Pogues lowered the cross into the lifeboat, they probably would have sunk before making their getaway. Hopefully, they’ll have a better plan the next time they find the cross.
Outer Banks Seasons 1 and 2 are now streaming on Netflix. Stay tuned to Showbiz Cheat Sheet for updates on season 3.
