What happens when two brothers get cast on a reality show about finding buried treasure? Fans of History Canada's The Curse of Oak Island know Rick and Marty Lagina haven't located the treasure yet on an island in Nova Scotia. And since the series is currently in its 10th season, some might wonder why it continues to air. Sure, the show has a great premise, and the brothers are likable. Still, there's another big question surrounding Rick and Marty? Whether The Curse of Oak Island is real or if everything is made up for the cameras.
There are countless reality shows that are actually fake. And it's always disappointing since viewers hope that they are watching people who are being truthful about their lives. What's the real story about The Curse of Oak Island and the Money Pit that the brothers want to discover?
What Is Real About The Curse Of Oak Island?
It seems like every time a new reality show begins airing, people are quick to wonder how authentic each episode is. This even happened to the Kardashians when they moved to Hulu after Keeping Up With The Kardashians ended in 2021. Rick and Marty Lagina are probably used to hearing from fans who wonder if their show is real.
First, let's start with the story behind the treasure. People have been talking about this Nova Scotia area for decades upon decades. People call it "Hoax Island," according to Macleans, as some people aren't really certain that there is anything there. The publication reported that Daniel McGinnis saw coconut husks on the island in 1795 and people have been looking on the island ever since. Dan Conlin, a teacher at Saint Mary's University, historian, and author of Pirates of the Atlantic, told Macleans, "It’s just the generations of treasure hunters who have created a self-sustaining myth that keeps going and going.”
Rick and Marty Lagina talked about The Curse of Oak Island being a genuine show in an interview with Reality Blurred in 2017. Rick explained that they were looking for the treasure for three years when they were asked if they wanted to star on a reality series. Fans might have thought that they began seeking out the treasure for the sake of the show. But as it turns out, they were already on the hunt.
Learning this behind-the-scenes fact about The Curse of Oak Island makes the show feel more real. It really does feel like the brothers believe in what they are doing and they want to present their journey to audiences. This also makes it easy to believe that The Curse of Oak Island is real. If Rick and Marty had agreed to begin looking for the treasure because they were cast on the show, that would be a different story.
Rick mentioned that it's nice to have a fanbase who likes going to the island. He said, "we welcome the fact that people come to the island. We’ve opened up the island for tourists. It’s gratifying to know that people have bought into this mystery almost as we have." This is an interesting point. Even if some people don't know if the show is real, they have a good time watching it and traveling to the island, and the show has created a nice community.
Marty also told Reality Blurred that The Curse of Oak Island is definitely real and he and his brother were against being on a dramatized series.
Marty said, “Everything about that show is real. There are no scripts. We said early on we would not do a scripted show. We kind of reluctantly agreed to it. We weren’t looking for any sort of fame. We still don’t really like that. They said, Just let us follow you. Well, it’s not quite like that. Things take more time, you have to get mic’d, and all that. So it’s not them just following us, but it is real. We will not do scripts. All the discussions in the war room are what we are discussing.”
Since Marty and Rick Lagina have filmed The Curse of Oak Island for 10 seasons now, they appear to be happy making the show. They want to keep seeking out the treasure that they hope is there, and that makes them likable, as they have a goal that they want to accomplish. There's something relatable about that, even if fans don't really care that much about the treasure.
The Curse of Oak Island also feels real because the show makes sure to hire experts. According to Distractify, that includes Miriam Amirault, an archeologist who appeared on the show briefly.
Do Fans Think The Curse Of Oak Island Is Fake?
Gary Drayton has talked about the editing done on The Curse of Oak Island, and according to TV Shows Ace, he said it was "misleading." The publication noted that it seemed odd that a metal detector discovered pottery, as that is a different material.
According to TV Shows Ace, Drayton said that "metal bits" were located, but that was kept out of the show. Since viewers didn't get this logical explanation, they weren't quite sure what was going on or if they could believe what they were seeing.
How do fans really feel about The Curse Of Oak Island? The consensus seems to be that it's a fun show to watch. And viewers like watching Rick and Marty Lagina. But even though the brothers have said that they were fascinated by Oak Island before they were hired to star on a reality show, fans wonder if they would keep going if they weren't being filmed.
One fan posted on Quora, "I follow the show. I find it fascinating. But like a lot of History Channel shows, it is more entertainment than truth. I don’t doubt that the Lagina brothers and their partners are legitimately searching for treasure. I don’t doubt that people have been searching for treasure on Oak Island for a long time."
They added, "they would have quit a long time ago without the earnings from the show. I’m not sure if that can totally be called a 'fake' treasure hunt, or just one that’s been facilitated by the TV show."