Well,
the finale was a big “nothing burger.” You could have watched last season’s
finale and gotten the same results. In fact, you could have watched the first
season finale and seen nothing different. Oh, they’ve dug up great portions of
the island, they’ve found evidence that someone was there prior to 1795 when
the boys found the “Money Pit,” but they’ve really done nothing to solve the
mystery.
One
of those mysteries had been the coconut fiber found on the beach in Smith’s
Cove. It was dated to a hundred years or more prior to the beginning of the
great
This
year, they built that coffer dam and dug up the beach, finding evidence of some
sort of port facility or emergency repair station. None of that leads us to a
buried treasure but does provide an excuse for what has been found. If, as Joy
Steele suggested, this was a place to repair the wooden ships, or a safe harbor
for ships that needed it, then the treasure myth is gone and the mystery is
solved. It wasn’t the Lagina boys who solved it.
If
this was such a port facility, then there should be some record of it in the
admiralty records hidden (and by hidden, I merely mean filed away) in Great
Britain. As far as I know, no one has attempted to learn if some sort of naval
facility had been established on Oak Island around 1700. It seems to me that
someone with access to these now nearly ancient records, could find a map, a
note, something to tell us about it. And that would solve the mystery once and
for all.
The
point here, however, is that nothing new was produced during last summer’s
assault on Oak Island. Holes were drilled, geographic surveying was done, ground
penetrating radar was used and metal detectors were deployed. In the end, we
learned nothing and found nothing to suggest a treasure. Everything pulled up
can be explained by more than two centuries of searching for a treasure that
was never there.
If
the ratings hold, if there is enough continued interest, I suppose we’ll be
treated with another season of them digging up the island. The only treasure to
be found is in the continued ratings… and I suspect many people are becoming
bored with the ongoing failure to find treasure. They gave it a shot but there
was no treasure for them to find. They should work at repairing the island now.
In the spirit of the show I am re-posting my earlier comment...because nothing has changed and never will...good entertainment but as you said, nothing there.
ReplyDelete"Despite underpinnings of a “real” treasure hunt (based on a seriously thin legend, likely started by a bunch of kids), and the fact the island could have been a way station to scuttle and repair ships, etc. (my belief), this is a reality show presented in piecemeal fashion (as all do) to encourage viewership for advertisers. The entire “findings” could have been presented in a single season with the same result.
Its a fun show, that is all....there is no treasure, never was, never will be. No amount of outcome-based wishful thinking projection will change that. And I feel for all those who came before spending their lives toiling away for no reason other than a belief...sorta like looking for the Lost Dutchman Gold."
I might just follow this up, plenty of free time and easy access to the admiralty, the war museum, etc.
ReplyDeleteI hope the island is not beyond repair. But what did we learn from this? We learned of the amount of old stuff that can be found on a beach or island and how that stuff can easily have a red and white target drawn around it to indicate a bulls-eye, the old 'Texas Sharpshooter fallacy'. Like a-many fantastical themes, they can teach us so much about natural explanations and realistic views, more than we would have discovered without them. In that way, even I, a hard-core skeptic, can be thankful of the amazing amount of fantastical,magical wank that we are exposed to.
ReplyDeleteAll the best mate,
Woody.
I first heard of the money pit way back in 1978 and there were all sorts of crazy explanations as to what was hidden there. It was all speculation at best. I've watched most of the Oak island series' and have been enthralled. Disappointed but enthralled. Surely it's about the journey and not the destination. Much respect to the Lagina brothers for following their dream. Without exploring the impossible, however implausible, how can you say what is truly possible. Or would you rather still think that the earth is flat? or perhaps Howard Carter should have been consigned to a mere footnote. At least they gave it a damn good effort.
ReplyDelete