With just two days to go until the Season 5 premiere of The Curse of Oak Island, excitement surrounding the series is at an all-time high — and for good reason.
The rumor mill about big discoveries is in full swing, and the season hasn’t even finished filming yet.
As the hours count down to the Season 5 premiere, here’s everything we know so far:
They find a coin
After storms battered the island over the winter, the team go into the season hoping that disruption to topsoil and rocks caused by the bad weather may reveal previously hidden items.
Clips in the Season 5 trailers see metal-detection expert Gary Drayton finding what looks like a coin, which he guesses on the spot could date from as far back as the 1600s.
They find some sort of spike or bone
Footage from one of the trailers shows what looks like some sort of spike, or possibly a bone, being examined.
If it’s a spike, could it be part of an old sailing ship like the one Gary Drayton found in the swamp in Season 4? Or could it be something else altogether? Part of a treasure vault perhaps? If it’s a bone, is it human?
They find a fragment of something
Another scene in one of the trailers sees Marty closely examining what looks like a fragment of stone. Again, it could also be something else, possibly bone or something metal.
This is the biggest operation the island has ever seen
We told in September how vast amount of equipment were seen arriving on the island, pointing at a huge dig getting under way.
It was also revealed the team behind the show got $1.5million in funding from the Nova Scotia Business Inc. for this season. The sum was up by more than 50 per cent on what they got for Season 4 — pointing at things really being stepped up a gear this year.
This was reinforced by the initial press release from History about Season 5 which revealed “specialized drilling rigs dig deeper than ever before” this season.
That was followed by the release of the first two episode descriptions which revealed that what takes place is the “most ambitious engineering operation in Oak Island history”.
Some details of exactly what that entails were revealed in a sneak peek at the season premiere which aired on History last Thursday. It showed that the team plan to drill an estimated 40 six-inch wide boreholes to depths of up to 200ft in a bid to find the original Money Pit.
The season comes after the tragic death of Craig Tester’s son Drake
In a massive blow for the Oak Island team, Craig Tester’s son Drake — the brother of Jack Begley — tragically passed away earlier this year at the age of just 16.
It’s thought his death or the aftermath features in the season premiere. The sneak peek which aired on Thursday showed Rick asking Marty on a video call: “I see Craig’s not there…how’s he doing?”
Drake previously appeared on the show in Season 3 back in 2015.
It looks like they find the original Money Pit
All of the Season 5 trailers include a scene with Rick telling Marty: “I think we found the Money Pit,” to which Marty replies: “I know we found the Money Pit.”
An interview with Marty also sees him say: “We not only found the Money Pit, the Money Pit is real.”
There is a chest, keys, and a historical letter
Footage from the trailers show Marty’s son Alex Lagina carrying a chest into a room before the contents — including a historical letter — are apparently examined.
History previously confirmed in a press release that a “pirate’s chest and three keys for other chests” surface during the season.
There’s diving
One of the scenes in the Season 5 trailers sees a diver rigged up with torches and camera equipment being lowered down a shaft.
In the premiere sneak peek on Thursday we also saw that the team plan to put a camera back down the C-1 shaft in a bid to find the “shiny gold object” seen down there in Season 3.
The description released for the season premiere says that a “daring dive” takes place during that episode. Could the diver seen in the footage also be going down into the C-1 shaft?
There’s potential disaster
The trailers show a potentially serious accident taking place during the season when someone is blasted by what looks like an out-of-control high-pressure hose. He is then seen collapsed on the ground as others rush to his aid.
One scene also showed an ambulance being driven on to the island, with a female paramedic then seen closing the back door of the vehicle as if they are taking someone away.
The description for the season premiere also says that “peril strikes” during the dive, which suggests there may be more than one accident during the season.
A cave gets explored
One scene shown in the trailers reveals Rick exploring a cave by torchlight. Another shot sees light being shone at what looks like a Templar cross etched into a wall — although by the looks of the wall it is not the same one as in the cave.
They go in the swamp again
Pictures released of Season 5 include three of Rick standing in the swamp while wearing waders and holding a shovel. One shows him pointing out something in the distance to others standing nearby.
A pit with wooden beams gets excavated
The Season 5 photos include one of the team standing in a large excavated pit which appears to have been lined with old wooden beams.
A second photo taken in the same place shows Rick looking intently at something in his hands with an old ladder protruding from the ground behind him, while a third shows him handing something to Marty.
A huge boulder gets uncovered
One scene in the trailers shows Marty at the controls of an excavator as he removes a huge boulder from the ground — which appears to have one flat side.
Activity has continued far later in the year than usual
Local resident Karen Publicover, who lives just across the causeway from the island, told on her blog at the end of October how there was still “non stop activity” taking place on the island.
She also said that there were more people on the island than usual for this late in the year, adding: “There is no sign of things slowing down anytime soon.”
Rumors are they’ve already discovered something really big
On Saturday we told how rumors from insiders were circulating suggesting that the team make some seriously big discoveries this season. It comes after Matty Blake, who hosts the Digging Down after-show series, last month told of his excitement at what was in store for fans.
He said: “This has been…since I’ve been doing this, the most exciting and eventful time I’ve ever spent on the island. You’re going to love Season 5.”
There could be more to come!
Local resident Karen Publicover told last week how filming was still taking place on the island “on a daily basis”. That suggests that the discoveries that prompted the rumors about big finds took place before the season has even wrapped — meaning there could be even more to come.
We’ll raise a glass of Dr. Pepper or Crown Royal to that!
The Curse of Oak Island returns to History for Season 5 this Tuesday, November 7, at 9/8c.
Have been watching the Lagina brothers and Craig Tester since the beginning of the show. Gary Drayton has also been a colorful addition to the crew. Every year I expect to witness the discovery of a historical revision of our early country’s history in addition to a giant cache of treasure (for Marty) and I hope this will be the year.
After all I just turned 82 so you will have to text me the results in the near realm . . . so good luck! And Sempre Avanti.