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Oak Island, it's something I never heard about until not quite one year ago. Being over 50 and growing up in a home where we had all the current event mags like Life, Look, Time, Newsweek, and Reader's Digest I was surprised I never heard of the quest to find hidden riches on Oak Island. I mean everyone loves mysterious stories with possible hidden treasure. My curiosity level went still higher when I realized an old Reader's Digest article introduced Oak Island into popular culture and somehow I'd missed it. Anyway, my late discovery was made when I was doing a search on YouTube for mysteries. In short order I devoured everything on YouTube about Oak Island. Most of it rehashed the same sad story of lives lost and millions squandered while netting only tragedy and still more mystery. Therein lies the vacuum in which the island exists. We went to the moon, but we can't even get closer to answering the enigma which is Oak Island. Oak Island could be an all-time world class mystery and it's right here in North America.
Enter the Lagina brothers, Rick and Marty. Apparently they didn't miss the article in Reader's Digest as kids. In fact, nearing 60 years on they never got it out of their head. The years, apparently, have provided both with some degree of success. The older Rick has achieved retirement while still young and Marty has made more than just a decent living in the energy business allowing him to purchase the controlling interest in Oak Island. So what do you do when dreamed for 60 years of finding buried treasure on an island you now own? You solve the mystery...Or, you create a TV series about attempting to solve the mystery using the latest intel and equipment. Thus we have History Channel's "The Curse of Oak Island". This sounds really interesting to me as initially I was truly engaged in the mystery, but ultimately found as for present day there was so little to add to the countless derivative videos I quickly ran through.
After four episodes of the show I'm both hooked and a bit beat down. This show attempts to stretch every little idea and small find into a single episode while tap-dancing around anything that could be a real game changer. The only major reveal, at least to me, is the telegraphing of the swamp being the site of major interest rather than the money pit. There has been scant little else except for the new find of more coconut fiber which now can be dated. In other words, the show is darn interesting, but if you force yourself to be objective a phrase comes to mind: "much ado about nothing". Still, I can be patient since the show is entertaining even if highly repetitive and largely still more smoke than substance. I am rooting for the Lagina brothers for following a childhood dream and solving a darn, seemingly, elaborate mystery. Recommended for those with curiosity and patience.
UPDATE: As I'm ready to see the first episode of the third season several thoughts come to mind. First after watching the second season I was thinking this is more of a scam than a real hunt for treasure. This is based on how absolutely nothing in the way of progress is drawn out and repeated to fill up each episode. Second, the formula of reality shows too is a real downer, i.e. about a third of the screen time is commercials and after each break we have to endure a nauseating re-cap of events which, as stated, have not a thread of real science or a real find of anything. Enduring endless repetitive nonsense, the insult of the endless commercials just make we think I'm being used and fooled. Third, ever since the brothers brought on the guy who has come to call himself J. Hutton Pulitzer I knew there was something real fishy going on. Research this guy on the net because there's ample evidence that he's a complete fraud so why would the brothers want to associate with him? Well, scam-artists tend to find each other and give it another go until something succeeds or they're finally exposed to the point of no more. I'm going to watch the first episode, but my expectations are now more like let's watch this to see how they spin "nothing to see here, move along".
score 7/10
AudioFileZ 28 January 2014
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2950931/ |
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22-11-2019 10:26:45
