Plot holes are the best part of a television show, and there are plenty in Outer Banks. There’s nothing like a good in-depth plot hole analysis to make people feel they know the show better than the writers. But in all seriousness, finding plot holes are fun and it can even garner the attention of the cast and crew themselves!
The worst that can happen is they see it and address it in the next season. Outer Banks came in with a bang in 2020 and with it, there are always inconsistencies people always look forward to catching. Here are the top ten plot holes we noticed in the first season of Outer Banks.
Why Did Pope Ditch The Scholarship Interview?
Throughout the entire first season, the audience knew Pope’s motivation for why he should and shouldn’t do things: his scholarship interview was just around the corner, and he didn't want to mess it up. He was getting ready for it the entire season but when he finally went in, he just left in the middle of it to help John B.
While his loyalty to his friend is admirable, it just seems out of character for Pope. Why prepare for something his entire life just to throw it away at the last second? Was it worth it?
Who Paid The $25,000?
After JJ took the fall for Pope’s action of sinking the expensive boat, he owed $25,000 to the police. JJ finally got the money after stealing the cash from a drug dealer before giving it to his dad. But because his dad is a deadbeat, JJ took the money and surprisingly spent it all on a hot tub extravaganza.
When all is said and done, the show never got back to if the police got the $25,000. So do the police have it or does JJ still owe them money?
Why Does John B. Have No One to Call?
This plot hole is unique since it was actually caught by both fans and the cast of Outer Banks as well. During the last scene of season one, the captain of the ship that rescued Sarah and John B. asked if they have someone they can call. Surprisingly, John B. says that he has no one to call.
What about Kiara? JJ and Pope? While he doesn’t necessarily have a family to call, he has his friends! That counts as someone, right?
Why Is Kiara So Indecisive?
Kiara is a straight shooter; she knows what she wants and she goes after it. But around the middle of season one, this doesn’t seem so straightforward anymore. She constantly only worries about John B. and then she rejects Pope. But then she kisses Pope!
Her indecisiveness seems out of character. Being a teenager means dealing with different kinds of feelings and thoughts, and this makes her indecisiveness understandable to an extent. But Kiara herself said that she wants to leave the island and not be with someone, so why suddenly decide to be with someone?
What Is Ward's Real Background?
One of the first things Sarah Cameron mentions about her father, Ward, is that he grew up in the Cut like John B. So it’s shocking to find out he went to a prestigious university that each generation of the family has attended.
If he wasn’t wealthy and grew up in the Cut, how was he able to go to such a famed (and presumably expensive) university?
Who Pays The Mortgage?
With a non-present uncle and John Rutledge gone, how does John B. afford the house? Who pays the mortgage?
John B. has a job but Ward Cameron fired him in the early episodes. It would be amazing to live in a house that’s already paid for but with John’s sudden death, it's doubtful the house was paid off. These are the questions fans need answers to!
What Happened To The Two Men?
It’s assumed that the first two guys looking for the gold were also treasure hunters, but who exactly were those guys? It’s easy to assume they were murdered by Ward, since Ward was shown with the hook in various shots. However, it wasn’t directly addressed, leaving things unresolved. That, and it's hard to ignore how Ward picked up the same hook to attack John B. later on!
Why were these two men even murdered to begin with? There has to be a reason they were introduced in the beginning of the season before getting axed just like that.
Why Was Sheriff Peterkin Working with Ward?
In one shot of the show, Sheriff Peterkin is seen talking to a hooded figure inside a museum. Once again, it’s easy to assume it’s Ward but if so, why is she talking to the sheriff? More importantly, why were they in cahoots?
This is something that was never really addressed again and it'd be nice to find out exactly why.
How Did Sarah & John B. Not Drown?
Let’s just say boats and a raging sea during a storm don’t mix well, so it’s hard to believe John B. and Sarah Cameron were rescued unscathed after the boat they were in capsized. In fact, they came to clutching onto the boat in the early morning, dazed but otherwise unharmed. How did they not let go of the boat and drift out to sea during a raging storm? Or, for that matter, how did they not drown?
The storm was a violent one, so it’s hard to believe they were rescued with nothing but sunburns on their faces and shoulders.
How Did John B. Get Down the Well?
The first time the gang went to the well, it took two people to lug John B. down there. So how exactly did he go down there the second time when he suspected Ward took the gold? Did he go alone? Did someone go with him offscreen? What happened?
He must have since he went to the house alone... sigh.