Warning: This article contains spoilers for Outer Banks Season 2Outer Banks season 2 left viewers with quite the unexpected revelation. Big John (Charles Halford) is alive, but not so well, which begs the question of whether he’ll stay that way.

The final scene of the season followed the terminally ill and ruthless socialite Carla Limbrey (Elizabeth Mitchell) as she visited an undisclosed home in Barbados. Greeted at the door by an unknown man who explained that “he’s been half-dead for a long time,” Limbrey encountered none other than John B’s (Chase Stokes) father, Big John. Prior to this, Big John was presumed dead after he was pushed over the side of a boat by Ward Cameron (Charles Esten) following a dispute involving their search for the infamous gold.

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At some point after, or possibly before, the incident on the boat, Big John sent Limbrey a letter via snail mail in the hopes she might help his son in exchange for the location of the shroud, which she believes will cure her ailments. This is the same shroud missing from the cross of Santo Domingo Limbrey managed to find and lose in a matter of minutes at the end of the season. The scene then cuts to black before Big John explains any further, and viewers are left with nothing more than questions.

Thankfully, with the filming of season 3 finally wrapped, viewers can expect the show to premiere sometime in early 2023, which should provide some answers. However, according to Web News Observer, there has yet to be an official release date announced by Netflix.

Why Would Big John Trust Carla Limbrey?

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Big John and Limbrey clearly have some sort of past relationship, which seems to be a personal one given her seemingly genuine interest in his health. The softness in her voice when she speaks to him is extremely uncharacteristic, as is her concern for his wellbeing. Fans will recall that she threatened Pope (Jonathan Daviss) and the rest of the Pogues after elusively luring Pope to her home. She also killed her own half-brother, Renfield (Jesse C. Boyd), after forcing him to be her lackey and talking down to him the entire season. Granted, he did try to steal the cross of Santo Domingo from her, but nonetheless, she’s not to be trusted.

So, why does Big John trust her to help John B? Is there more to their relationship, or is he simply betting on her desperation to find the shroud? Is Big John really willing to risk a quid pro quo with Limbrey when it involves his son? A personal relationship between Big John and Limbrey would surely complicate things for John B and the rest of the Pogues, given that both parties are searching for the same thing for very different reasons.

Was the Final Scene a Flashback?

The last time viewers saw Big John, he was thrown over the side of a boat after hitting the back of his head. So, what happened? As the end of season 2 would lead viewers to believe, he’s alive somewhere in Barbados and knows his son needs help. Is he aware that John B and the rest of the gang are stranded on an island somewhere in the ocean? If so, how? And why enlist Limbrey to help when he could simply contact the authorities?

Some theorize the final scene is another twist meant to fool viewers, which wouldn’t be a complete surprise given the show’s history. According to Distractify, it’s possible the scene is a flashback to when John B was still wanted for murder, which might explain why Big John hasn’t contacted authorities. Rather, he might have contacted Limbrey to clear his son’s name. Such a theory could explain Limbrey’s quid pro quo offer to Pope for information about the cross of Santo Domingo in exchange for information exonerating John B, but why would Big John risk such a thing if he knows anything about Limbrey at all, which he seemingly does?

In all likelihood, Big John knew the shroud was removed from inside the cross of Santo Domingo and had exclusive information he knew Limbrey couldn’t find on her own. Why write to her and involve John B if that wasn’t the case? Hopefully, viewers will see Big John reunited with John B in the tear-inducing moment John B deserves because he’s been through enough already.

Will the Pogues Stay on Poguelandia Long?

While Big John’s status and encounter with Limbrey are unbeknownst to John B and the rest of the Pogues, at the end of the season, the crew make do on a seemingly deserted island after successfully evading injury and capture while jumping ship in the middle of the ocean. Now officially missing, according to everyone back home in Charleston, South Carolina, the Pogues are safe and sound on their newly dubbed island of Poguelandia.

Although, it’s highly unlikely they’ll be there for long, seeing as Pope is determined to retrieve the cross of Santo Domingo. Given its ties to Pope’s newly discovered family history, audiences can expect the gang to follow him as he hunts down the cross now in the possession of the Camerons. Such an adventure will likely set up round four between Pope and Rafe Cameron (Drew Starkey).

However, Rafe might have bigger problems to worry about after leaving Limbrey at the airfield and stealing the cross for himself after watching Renfield die and stuffing his body in the back of the truck. It’s possible he’ll meet the same fate, but only season 3 will tell as fans impatiently await the return of Outer Banks until next year.

In the meantime, the first two seasons of the binge-worthy show are currently on Netflix.