History Channel fans have reason to excavate their calendars. The Curse of Oak Island, starring brothers Rick and Marty Lagina, is returning for Season 12 on Tuesday, November 12, at 9/8c. But will the fabled treasured hoard finally be discovered after a decade of hunting and amid some miner concerns from fans?
Season 12 of the long-running treasure-hunting show sees the brothers use new technology and strategies to dig deeper into Oak Island’s mysteries. They’ll explore depths never reached in the Money Pit area, South Shore, and Smith’s Cove. According to the trailer, “Brothers Rick and Marty Lagina return with their boldest plans yet.”
In the trailer, one team member excitedly says, “We’re digging up the first-ever searcher shaft on Oak Island.” The Laginas say, “Shaft 2 is like the Holy Grail,” explaining that they know they’re “14 feet” away from the money pit.
Oak Island in Nova Scotia, Canada, has captivated treasure hunters for centuries. Most recently, the hunt for the elusive Oak Island Treasure has been taken up by the on-air brothers. While they have not found the main treasure hoard, they and other treasure hunters have found many intriguing artifacts over the years including these:
- The Money Pit: Perhaps the biggest breakthrough on Oak Island was the famed Money Pit, which was dug up all the way back in 1795 but never fully excavated, many of the biggest discoveries have been there.
- Garnet Pin: The Laginas discovered the Garnet Pin while metal detecting on Lot 8. The gemstone brooch dates back tothe 16th century and was valuable treasure found by the Lagin as. It was located near where Daniel McGuiness, who discovered The Money Pit, had lived.
- Copper Coin: In Season 1, the Laginas also discovered the 1652 Spanish Maravedi in the swamp. The copper coin from 1652 suggests that there was activity on the island long before the discovery of the Money Pit.
- Granite Stone: Found 90 feet down the Money Pit was a granite stone, one carved with unique symbols that have never been accurately deciphered. The team got the translation: “Forty feet below, two million pounds are buried.”
- Iron Swages: The Laginas found two iron objects in Lot 21, on the western end of the island. These were then specified as swages, a type of blacksmith tool and dated as far back as the 14th century and hinting at early mining operations.
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However, fans recently voiced their concerns that the search has slowed in recent seasons and with the format. Ahead of Season 12, Rick shared a message with fans on Instagram (above) asking, “give us your feedback.” Many of the comments were not complimentary.
“Stop give flash backs every five minutes and explaining things from previous episodes. If the film crew cannot find 42 minutes of fresh material in one week of shooting, then the island won and the dig has gone bust. I like the show, but I’m tired of old material,” one fan wrote.
“Please; the repetitive backstory…consistently…I’ve been watching since the first show, now I sadly watch fast forwarding most of it because it’s the same thing over and over again,” wrote another.
“Been watching since Day 1! These other commenters are spot on, the backstory is beyond excessive,” wrote a third. “It feels like the narrator is stretching for time but the audience would much rather see the actual segments extended instead. Either way I’m very excited for the return, and hope the guys get back into Smith’s Cove, there seemed to be a ton of stuff in there!
A fourth surmised, “Find the f***ing treasure. It’s getting boring.”
“If you want feedback, please read it. EVERYONE wants the narrator gone. He takes over the whole show. Everything is repeated a million times. “Will set my PVR so I can skip the 30 min of commercials and skip the 20 minutes of recaps and watch the actual 10 minutes of new show information,” wrote a fifth.
In a recent Reddit thread, fans theorized the main treasure had even already been found, just not by the Laginas.
“The Lagina Brothers are smart. They must have realized the truth years ago. They are only continuing because they are paid to do so. They get treasure every year from the show producers,” they accused. “But like Pro Wrestling, they know it’s all for show, the Dig is for entertainment purposes alone.”
The Curse of Oak Island, Season 12 Premiere, Tuesday, November 12, 9/8c, History Channel