How is Pope related to Denmark Tanny in Outer Banks season 2?

At this point, we should basically call Outer Banks season 2 “Pope’s newfound discovery” because, in this intense season, we find out some important information about Pope’s ancestry. Don’t get us wrong, we love John B and Sarah’s passionate love story, but we also want to know more about the other Pogues. And season 2 of Outer Banks gave us just what we asked for.

Season 2 may start with John B and Sarah waking up on a ship in the Bahamas with a bounty on their heads, but as the season progresses, we learn that there’s a connection between Denmark Tanny and the brains of the group, Pope.

Many fans of the teen hit Netflix original television series came up with theories all throughout season 1 about who Denmark Tanny was and if he had any ties to any of the characters on the show.

Surprisingly but also not surprisingly, some of the fans were right when it came to the theory that Denmark and Pope were related. If you think about it, Pope is one of the only black characters on Outer Banks, so chances were pretty high that he and Denmark would be a part of the same family tree.

Also, making Denmark related to one of the main characters created an interesting plot twist and pushed the story forward. So now that we know that Denmark is related to Pope, what is the relation between the two?

Spoilers ahead from Outer Banks season 2, beware!

We first learn of a connection between Denmark and Pope in episode 6 of season 2. However, prior to that episode, we had an inkling that there was a relation when Carla Limbrey invites Pope to visit her in Charleston and asks him for Denmark’s key.

Why would Limbrey ask a teenage boy about a key that belonged to a free slave in the 1800s? Probably because Pope is related by blood to Denmark.

Later on in episode 6, we find out that Pope is a direct descendant of Denmark from his great-grandmother, Meemaw. However, she doesn’t disclose this secret information immediately when asked because she didn’t want Pope or his father to be harmed and suffer the same fate as Denmark.

After seeing her grandson practically beg her for this information, she reluctantly answers him and says that Denmark Tanny and his wife Cecilia are his “great-grandfolks.”

So there you have it! Pope and Denmark Tanny are kinfolks, which means that Pope and his family have a rightful claim to Tannyhill. Now that Pope is aware of his heritage, this looks like a good set-up for Outer Banks season 3.

Are the Heywards going to try to claim Tannyhill as their own and move in? If so, this definitely is going to change the dynamics between the Pogues and the Kooks. I mean, this is a drama series, so there’s bound to be pushback on Pogues moving into Kook territory. Stay tuned for more Outer Banks news and updates!