The Lucky Compass
Determined to find out what happened to his Father, episode 2 of Outer Banks begins with John B taking back the scuba gear he poached last episode but is confronted by Sarah, who flirts with him a little before telling him to leave. Only, her younger sister happens to be listening, which she subsequently reveals to Topper later in the episode. John B finds Lana sobbing and her house trashed after being interrogated by the two men last episode who were looking for the compass. She’s beside herself though when he reveals it to her, pleading with him not to tell anyone he has it. John B heads into his Father’s office with the gang and they look at the history of the compass, which has been passed down through different people. It turns out the compass has a hidden word inscribed inside, one that reads “Redfield”. Believing it may be an a anagram or a clue, they try to crack the code but are rudely interrupted by the two aforementioned shadowy men arriving, demanding to know where John B is. While the kids hide in the chicken coup, the two men break into the office and find blueprints to the Royal Merchant, which they take along with a couple of boxes of evidence. After a close call, Kie and John B visit the lighthouse together and speak to the man in charge about the Royal Merchant and its history. He believes the ship was on the North end of a previous storm and out at sea, 10 miles in that particular direction. Believing he can trust him, John B shows him the compass and questions the keeper about what it means. Only, it clearly spooks him and his demeanour changes immediately. John B pleads with him for help but instead he calls the police. The duo race off together and manage to get away from the police. but as they do, John B takes the chance to kiss Kie but she reminds him there’s no Pogue-on-Pogue action. Things go from bad to worse for our protagonist, as he’s fired from his job for stealing oxygen and chased by the two shadowy men soon after. Before they can hurt him however, the Sheriff tracks him down and tells John B to hand over the compass before anyone gets hurt. Reluctantly, John B hands the compass over but being unable to let go of the past, he collects the group up and heads back on the road, determined to prove that his Dad is trying to tell him something. Redfield, as it turns out, isn’t a place it’s a person. They get to the graveyard and find the Redfield mausoleum. Kie manages to squeeze in the narrow gap and looks in shock, “Oh my god”, she says as the episode ends. With a deeper mystery this time around and more of a cat and mouse feel, this treasure hunt takes an unexpected turn as John B follows the breadcrumb of clues to the treasure. There’s plenty of intriguing questions being raised now, especially surrounding the police and just who these two men really are. The deeper characterisation and some teasing romance for John B and Kie is a nice touch, and there’s lots of scope for these different characters to progress going forward. Having said that though, the camera work during the chase sequence near the end of this episode is really poor. The handheld cameras wobble all over the place and at times it’s hard to discern exactly what’s happening. Despite that, the intriguing mystery is enough to keep you sticking around to find out what happens next and that cliffhanger ending will almost certainly see you jump straight into the next one.
