On January 5, 2014, television viewers were introduced to “The Curse of Oak Island” on History. At the time of this writing, the reality show is now a whopping 11 seasons and nearly 200 episodes deep, and through it all, the crew led by the treasure-hunting sibling duo of Rick and Marty Lagina has utilized all kinds of equipment and search techniques and explored previously untouched areas of the island with fame and fortune on their minds.
While this is all well and good, one has to wonder, what exactly is the curse of Oak Island? The alleged curse is fairly straightforward: as individuals travel from far and wide to seek out the island’s treasure, seven people will die before it reveals itself. This claim has only gained traction within the last century or so, and while some estimate that roughly 14 people have died while looking for the treasure, the number that “The Curse of Oak Island” stands by is six.
Seeing as it’s in the show’s title, it’s easy to imagine that the titular curse is at the center of “The Curse of Oak Island.” As fans have pointed out, though, this isn’t at all the case.
The Curse Of Oak Island Doesn’t Dedicate Much Time To The Curse Itself
Overall, the curse in the title of “The Curse of Oak Island” has been a divisive topic among those who appear on the show, as well as those who watch it. The Laginas themselves have discussed their thoughts on the Oak Island curse, admitting that while they don’t fully buy into it, they can’t rule it out either. As for fans, they, too, have gone back and forth on the existence of it, with its role on the show generating plenty of chatter. Surprisingly, the series doesn’t devote much time to exploring the curse, especially as it goes on, and that has left some viewers a bit confused.
“They make this big deal in the opening about the curse and ‘one more needs to die’ and it’s literally in the name of the show but they never talk about it in the show,” wrote a Redditor in a thread on the “Curse of Oak Island” subreddit. They added that sometimes it annoys them, but more often than not, they find the program’s lack of curse talk funny. At any rate, some fans wonder why it’s so rarely mentioned. u/PumpPie73 posited that bringing it up during the hunt could be a serious morale crusher since someone supposedly has to die for the treasure to be revealed. Meanwhile, u/johnnygluebag questioned the origin and validity of the curse, thus indicating that the ambiguity surrounding it could be the reason for its lack of a spotlight.
Even though it hasn’t taken a place of prominence on “The Curse of Oak Island” over the years, it stands to reason the Oak Island curse will remain a hotly debated talking point in fan circles for years to come.