Top 10 Most Emotional Outer Banks Moments

The season two finale dropped perhaps the biggest bombshell of the series when it was revealed that Big John Routledge is still alive. We all knew John B’s reunion with his father would be a major selling point for season three, and their meet-up did not disappoint. In a true test of their bond as father and son, Big John calls his son to the top of the island with a signature bell pattern, and John B recognizes it instantly. When the two finally meet face to face in the church, the disbelief is written all over John B’s face. We wouldn’t blame him if he hugged his dad and never let go.

With John B wanted for a murder he didn’t commit, his only option is to flee the country with Sarah during a tropical storm. Knowing the odds of making it are not in their favor, Ward attempts to reason with John B over the radio. Rather than honor the requests of the man he blames for his father’s death, John B uses his limited time to expose Ward’s dirty deeds. Chase Stokes does some of his best acting of the series as John B swears revenge against his enemy and vows to return for what’s rightfully his. With the police and federal agents listening along, it perfectly sets up the just desserts the Cameron family is served the following season.

We all knew Rafe Cameron was capable of cruelty, but this was low even for him. With the Pogues looking to implicate Ward and Rafe in Gavin’s death, their search for evidence leads them to the sewers. As Kie crawls through the drain to look for Rafe’s gun, the search takes a horrifying turn when Rafe discovers them and flushes the pipe. The suspense is through the roof as Kie holds her breath for dear life while JJ and Pope rush to rescue her. It’s just one of many punishing tests of the Pogues’ loyalty to each other, and it reaffirms Rafe as a villain we can’t help but despise. Thankfully, they find what they were looking for, so the good guys win this round.

Ward Cameron was far from the most likable person from the Figure Eight, but his quest for redemption in season three made him the most complex of the series’ primary antagonists. After almost losing himself again to the allure of gold, Ward comes to his senses just as the gang is confronted by Singh’s right hand man, Ryan. The greedy Kook had previously faked us out after cheating death in season two, but there’s no questioning his fate after he defends Sarah by tackling Ryan over a cliff. What makes this scene all the more sad is that Sarah barely has time to mourn her father before the group also bids farewell to Big John, bringing both men’s arcs to a poetic, if bittersweet, close.

In a show chock full of contentious relationships, little compares to the abuse JJ endures at the hands of his dad, Luke. In fact, JJ’s home life is so tumultuous that he jumps at the opportunity to help his dad leave the Outer Banks, as it means he’ll never have to see him again. Rather than let Luke have it in their final moments, however, JJ instead gives him a parting hug and wishes him luck. There’s a lot more love lost than he’s willing to let on, but it’s a testament to how much the younger Maybank has grown as a character. As JJ departs the dock with Kie, it only affirms to us, and to JJ, that the Pogues are his true family.

Several characters hold grudges against Rafe, but Pope’s is arguably the most personal. Of the main cohort of Pogues, Pope does the least to earn Rafe’s ire, making the eldest Cameron sibling’s targeting of him completely unjustified. Luckily, Pope gets some much deserved payback in the season one finale. Ambushed by Rafe and his drug dealer accomplice Barry, the Pogues gain the upper hand in the ensuing fight, and Pope’s pent up rage is on full display as he beats Rafe mercilessly. While it’s easy to sympathize with his motives, he briefly stoops to Rafe’s level, making us all the more grateful that JJ and Kie snap him out of it. His final remark to Rafe ensures that the line has indeed been drawn.

Although the first two seasons had us shipping Kiara and Pope, the “will-they-won’t-they” dynamic between her and JJ became one of the driving forces of season three. Things come to a head after Kie’s parents, skeptical of her relationship with the Pogues, send her away to a behavioral camp. Even with the hunt for El Dorado kicking into gear, JJ chooses to abandon the group and goes to Kitty Hawk to break her out. As the two rekindle and finally admit their love for one another, it’s hard not to see part of ourselves in the other campers who cheer them on and help them escape. It’s one of the show’s most heartwarming and satisfying moments, and it’s worth its emotional weight in gold.

We most definitely shared in the Pogues’ elation when they discovered John B and Sarah were still alive following the events of season one. But even then, it wasn’t enough to make us forget their soul-crushing reactions when the two were presumed dead after sailing into the storm. When Deputy Shoupe breaks the news to the trio, it hits them like a tidal wave, and we can’t blame them for not wanting to believe it. As Pope and Kie’s families comfort them, we’re the ones reaching for the tissues when Heyward offers JJ an embrace. We all knew this wouldn’t be the end for John B and Sarah, but the heartbreak on display here gave us reason to briefly believe it was.

In addition to being the comic relief of the Pogues, JJ is also the most resilient member of the group. So when he finally lets down his guard in the back half of season one, it’s more than a little earned. Giving his dad a taste of his own medicine, JJ takes what little bit of gold the Pogues recovered from the well and spends it on a hot tub. Kiara and Pope chastise his decision, but after revealing his bruises from earlier, JJ tearfully explains that he bought it for them. After collapsing into their arms, JJ’s vulnerability and selflessness likely bonds the Pogues for life, and it just goes to show that every tough guy has a soft side.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

JJ Almost Kills His Dad, “Midsummers”
A Good Kid Is Almost Lost to the Dark Side

Rafe Breaks Down to Ward, “The Bell Tower”
It Doesn’t Justify Literal Murder, But We’ve all Wanted a Parent’s Love Before

John B vs. Ward, “The Coastal Venture”
Revenge Is a Dish Best Served “Pogue”

Kie Is Taken to Kitty Hawk, “Welcome to Kitty Hawk”
Her Parents Clearly Felt Bad, But We Wish They Hadn’t Done it at All

Pope & Cleo Leave the “No Love Club”, “Secret of the Gnomon”
No Turning Back for These Two Now

While some shows spare no expense in dispatching their characters, others revel in playing with audience expectations. “Outer Banks” is most definitely in the latter category, and one of the series’ most stunning fakeouts came after Sarah was shot by Rafe in season two. When an impromptu surgery ends with Sarah flatlining in front of a mortified John B, it seemed as though the show had actually gotten away with killing off one of its main characters. No one, both on screen and off, was prepared to say goodbye to Sarah, and thankfully no one had to, as she miraculously resuscitated minutes later. One thing is for sure, though: when Sarah’s heart stopped, so did ours.