Is John B's Dad Actually Alive in 'Outer Banks'? Another Big Twist May Be Coming

Warning: this article contains spoilers for Season 1 and 2 of Outer Banks.

If you're one of the millions of Netflix subscribers who raced through season 2 of Outer Banks in a day or two, then you know about that wild twist at the end. It turns out, John B's dad, Big John, is actually alive (insert shocked Pikachu meme). In the final Season 2 scene, Carla Limbrey, the rich socialite on the hunt for the cross of Santo Domingo, visits a very much alive Big John.

In the scene, Carla visits Big John at someone's home in Barbados. The owner of the home tells her Big John isn't doing well. Carla then goes to Big John out on a porch. He says he'll help her find what she wants if she helps John B. At face value, some fans might take this to mean Big John is alive and he wants Carla to help John B and his friends (who wash up on a desert island in the Season 2 finale).

But in a theory posted on Reddit, one fan wrote that the entire scene between Carla and Big John could be a flashback. It might be a scene from before the events of Season 2, back when Big John was revealed to have died after he was thrown off a boat by Ward.

According to the theory, Big John might tell Carla to help John B because this takes place at a time when John B is still trying to clear his name for murder.

At the start of Season 2, John B is wanted for murder. Carla eventually tracks down Pope and offers to give him evidence to exonerate John B in exchange for information about the cross of Santo Domingo. If this theory is correct, then Big John's meeting with Carla could have happened some time before Season 2 began.

If the theory is accurate, Big John is dead — either after spending months on an island where Ward deserted him or after barely hanging on in Barbados. And the scene at the end of Season 2 is a red herring meant to mess with viewers and show the strong connection between Carla and Big John.

It's a long shot for sure. But so is the idea that a character believed to be dead just came back to life.

Elizabeth Mitchell, who plays Carla on Outer Banks, spoke to HollywoodLife about that massive Season 2 cliffhanger. While she didn't confirm or deny her character's relationship with Big John, she did seem to skirt around questions about Big John.

When asked if Big John can trust Carla, Elizabeth said, "I don't think anyone should trust Carla."

Then, when there was a question about Big John being a threat, she said, "That's a great question. Is he someone that she can trust? Is he someone that is a threat? I think those are very much, forgive me, I know that it's so hard for actors to be so cagey, but I do feel that that is up in the air."

Her vague answers certainly lend something to this theory about John B's dad still being dead.

Watch Outer Banks on Netflix.