Spoilers ahead!
After John B (Chase Stokes) and Sarah (Madelyn Cline) flee on their little boat right into a hurricane, their fate at the end of season one is uncertain. The second season picks up right where we left off, with the resolution of the biggest cliff-hanger of the first season: John B and Sarah are alive and well. They disembark in the Bahamas where Sarah’s father, Ward (Charles Esten), stashed the $400 million in gold, and have to escape a greedy fisherman and the police on the way. Meanwhile, their friends at home – less privileged kids known as “Pogues” – are sick with worry and grief, until John B gets hold of a mobile phone to let them know he’s alive.
Nevertheless, he is still wanted by the police for the murder of Sheriff Peterkin, which Ward and Sarah’s brother Rafe (Drew Starkey) framed him for. John B’s friends Kiara (Madison Bailey), JJ (Rudy Pankow) and Pope (Jonathan Daviss) take it upon themselves to clear his name, so he can return to coastal North Carolina. While their efforts are admirable, their results are poor, as they lose important evidence and repeatedly fail to convince the new Sheriff of the truth about Peterkin’s murder.
Friendship over family-ties
Tensions are high throughout the season, as the Pogues face off against their parents, especially Sarah against criminal mastermind Ward, who increasingly seems to drift into madness on the hunt for gold and a new treasure. Similarly, Rafe turns from confused and drug-addicted to a full-on psychopath, trying to kill a handful of people – among them his sister. Due to his unpredictable nature, Rafe serves as an intriguing villain, trying to get into the good graces of his dad who always preferred golden child Sarah. Kiara, who originally comes from a rich family but considers herself as part of the “poor” Pogues, chooses her friends over her family several times, going as far as stealing her father’s car. 
Picking up pace
There is a rush of events in the second half of season two, just as the audience might have started to relax, with several more crucial plot points and yet another cliff-hanger awaiting in season two. As to not spoil the fun, let me just say this much: there’s a treasure, a love triangle, murder and a few crazy people willing to walk over dead bodies without inhibition.
Overall, this binge-worthy second instalment of Outer Banks provides a few hours of adventurous entertainment and iconic lines like the opening “here’s a fun fact: everyone you know will die”, and gags by the show’s very own jokester, JJ.
4/5 stars