The Curse of Oak Island S05E02

Synopsis

Evidence of a possible pirate presence on Oak Island mounts when a treasure chest from the 1700s is revealed.

What I thought

After the opening bumper episode, it’s back to 40 minutes this week, and also, the original narrator is back! Although I liked hearing the other guy, the “normal” chap really makes things sound more mysterious and dramatic than they may be, although he does bring up a lot of drivel too. I guess History channel is having some fun with us.

This week is all about the Lagina boys first big summer job, and their main focus of this season; the money pit. Or, more precisely, finding the money pit, as they don’t know exactly where it is within this open area of gravel they built up for the heavy machinery. Last year we’re told they spent $2 million on those 3 large holes in this pit! Yikes. I’d want more for my money if I spent that much but it makes you wonder just how much money they have! Anyhow, it’s all about the “geotech” method and those 40 6” holes they are going to drill over a grid to about 200ft in depth in order to find the original money pit. Strangely, Marty says there are 38 holes to drill in their interview segment a few seconds later. lol. Terry, a geologist, is also on hand to look at the cores that will come up from the 40 holes. On the first few holes they find some charcoal, which fuels our narrator into all sorts of conspiracy theories, from if it was the old method used to push smoke up from mining chambers and the air down, or from the original beams of the money pit that was reported, or perhaps some boy scouts that had a camp there in the 1950s and burnt some marshmallows over a campfire. I made that last one up by the way. Suddenly, C1 blows its top like a waterspout as it pours, what they taste is salt water, everywhere. Seems these new holes and C1 could be connected, which given they are only metres apart, isn’t too much to imagine really. It does mean no diver will be going back down C1 anytime soon as they won’t see anything due to the silt being dragged up in the water. Although, to be fair, it’s not like we usually can see much down these holes on a good day, is it? 

There’s a couple of road trips this week, first with Ricky, Marty and Craig Tester heading off to St Mary’s Uni to get that spike tested from the GAL1 spoils that they found last week. The three all put on white scientist like coats as they sit down with an expert and her assistant, whom doesn’t seem to bother with a coat for some reason. After looking under a sophisticated piece of equipment at a section of the spike at magnitudes we couldn’t even imagine or make head or tails out of, the expert gives her opinion; the spike ... is old. Thanks for that!

The second road trip is partaken by the younger generation; well, Alex, Peter and the older Charles plus historian Doug who summoned them to do this trip. He’s been researching Lot 26 on Oak Island from the depths of various archives and come across a descendant of Capt James Anderson (not the English cricket bowler) who sold that plot to Samuel Ball: the former slave who got rich very quickly on the island. The gang head there as if they are expecting the descendant to have met the Captain in person, but he does have some fantastic information for them, not least the captain’s sea-chest! Wowzers! It’s full of old documents and is absolutely delightful. The gang read a couple of parchments which say that the captain was a mason (cue a conspiracy alert by the narrator again) and a less interesting document of the captain buying a boat called ‘Betsy’ which the narrator goes off on one by linking it to the one ship beam they found in the swamp. Yes, it’s a ship, and yes, it was owned by someone who had a plot on the island, but it’s one heck of leap to make tangible proof that it’s the same ship.

Lastly, we’re back to Isaac’s Point with Gary the metal detecting expert who has been warming up for his famed gold dance for several seasons now. He’ll have to wait longer though but at least he always unearths finds when he goes a searching, and he’s at it again as they finally go to the coast portion of this area where most of the winter’s storms have done their damage. His first find is a musket ball (pre-1850s he says), which is a good starter for 10. Next, his oldest find this season, is a quarter of a coin. It’s not been damaged by the random digging by the spade but deliberately back in 1600-1700s as he believes it’s a Spanish Maravedis which used to get chopped up into pieces in an early example of loose change, when people didn’t have the right money. He’s so excited he almost does a jig and calls up Rick and Marty. This could be the earliest coin found on the island, and evidence that people were on the island at least a hundred years before the original money pit was found.

Rating 6/10 – Some significant discoveries this week, and possibly some of the oldest finds, but it’s all spread thinly over a lot of filler.

The boys all dress up in white coats, even though the computer expert nearby doesn't bother.

This is closer that anyone wants to get to a spike.

A fascinating parchet regarding Capt James Anderson (in terms of age) which should be in a museum.

Balls! Musket ball, in fact.

It's not pieces of eight, but it is probably old.

C1 does it's impression of Old Faithful.