“The Curse of Oak Island” follows treasure hunters Rick and Marty Lagina as they attempt to uncover a legendary treasure that is rumored to be hidden somewhere on the shore of Nova Scotia, Canada. Over nine seasons, the brothers have studied the island’s history and attempted to uncover the alleged riches that have eluded so many others before them.
After eight years of being invested in a treasure that may (or may not) exist on an island that may (or may not) be as cursed as it’s said to be, though, it’s becoming clear that some fans are beginning to check out from the show. On the Oak Island franchise’s subreddit, fans have expressed their frustrations with the reality series, and debated how much of their search is dramatized for TV. A recent thread further revealed their concerns with the show, this time taking aim at its title sequence.
The one-minute intro covers the artifacts the brothers and their team have found, and it warns of the legend that says one more person must die before they uncover the ultimate treasure. With that said, there’s a key reason why fans have a problem with “The Curse of Oak Island” intro, and it comes down to the death curse aspect.
Fans find the ‘death curse’ angle troubling
A thread started by u/SDAce18 asked fans how they felt about a major aspect of the show’s intro. “Anyone else wish they would tone down the ‘someone else has to die’ before we find any treasure angle from the intros,” they wrote, adding that most viewers are hoping to see the treasure hunters succeed, and questioning why viewers would be hoping someone gets hurt in order for the treasure to be found — particularly since the hunters on the show are real-life people, not fictional characters. “Are we supposed to root for harm to someone so that can happen?” they asked.
They went on to say that they wish the intro had changed after the passing of team member Dan Blankenship in 2019. Other fans of “The Curse of Oak Island” chimed in to agree, pointing out that “like 4 f—ing people have died since the show started.”
One Redditor said that it was “disrespectful to continue that ridiculous theme” considering the deaths of Blankenship, Drake Tester, and Fred Nolan. Some viewers admitted they wouldn’t mind if the show ditched the curse aspect altogether. “…what would happen if someone died in a tragic accident while doing the shfow?” asked u/pope138. “No way they would be tacky enough to reference the curse when discussing it, but they’ve spent hundreds of episodes stating they’ll find treasure once one of them dies. They’ve painted themselves into a corner.”
However, u/BronzeAgeBaby pointed out that this line is preceded by a disclaimer about the island’s legend. “If you take the full statement into account, and not selectively edit it, there’s no need to tone anything down, since legends aren’t necessarily true,” they said.