In the world of reality television, there’s a lot of similarity from program to program, but there’s nothing quite like “The Curse of Oak Island.” Starring the sibling treasure hunting duo of Rick and Marty Lagina, the series focuses on their pursuit of hidden treasures that supposedly reside on the titular island. As of this writing, the show is currently in the midst of its 9th season and is well on its way to 150 episodes, and given the devoted fanbase behind it, it stands to reason that “Oak Island” should remain on the small screen for years to come.
Much of the appeal of “The Curse of Oak Island” stems from the excavation team’s ultimate goal: uncover the secrets hidden beneath the island’s surface and reap the rewards. Episode after episode, they employ different methods to hopefully get one step closer to their goal, though they don’t always make the headline-grabbing discoveries they’re searching for. This may sound like a dull execution of such an intriguing plot, but despite this sameness, fans from across the globe continue to tune in with their fingers crossed that they’re about to witness history.
At the same time, for as committed as these viewers are to “The Curse of Oak Island,” even they can admit that something has changed about it as of late, and not in the most positive way.
Something’s different about the Laginas these days
Regardless of who else joins the Oak Island team or which entity lends its equipment and cash to the treasure hunting project, two men will always be the heart and soul of it all: Rick and Marty Lagina. They’ve dreamed of exploring Oak Island and landing in the history books as the ones who found its trove since their youth, hence why they’ve devoted so much of their adulthood to doing so. However, in the years since they became television celebrities, their demeanors have drastically shifted.
As Redditor JRoc160 points out, “Marty is the new Rick.” Rick was once the hopeful explorer who’d take the slightest sign of progress and run with it, no matter its validity. Marty served as the inverse, looking at their findings through a skeptical lens instead of an idealized one. In recent years, they’ve switched stances, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it did open the floor for a conversation on how it might be a symptom of much bigger changes.
“Rick truly believed and now that he has come to realize he was wrong, its hard for him to fake the enthusiasm that was once so deep and real,” wrote CandidateForDeletiin, concluding that this has led Rick to become a hardened skeptic. Building onto this point, Reddit user Myscoreforme commented, “it’s about business and TV making now. I think they’ve exhausted their rational options but the rating are still up.”
Additionally, ProfessorMystery posits that the change in Rick specifically could stem from Lyme Disease diagnosis. “I think Rick just feels bad a lot of the time now and that’s reading as disinterest on TV,” they write, mentioning that “Marty is just chipper this season because the pandemic sucks and it must be nice just to be out doing Oak Island stuff.”
At the end of the day, “The Curse of Oak Island” continues to be a TV favorite. Have the Lagina brothers changed a bit since the series began? People seem to think so, but no matter the real reason for it, there’s still plenty to enjoy out of the program all the same.