National Treasure: Edge of History Can’t Crack the Mystery of a Worthy Legacy Sequel

First they stole the Declaration of Independence. Then they kidnapped the President of the United States. Now the National Treasure franchise is attempting to pull off another nearly impossible feat: making a good legacy sequel TV show.

Enter National Treasure: Edge of History. The Disney+ sequel series continues the story of the National Treasure franchise with a new cast of leading characters. Created by Cormac and Marianne Wibberley, the screenwriters of the first two films, Edge of History exists purely because of the love people have for the original movies. They were absolute classics for kids growing up in the early 2000s. Their popularity only grew as we entered the internet age and “I’m going to steal the Declaration of Independence” became a commonly shared meme. Bonkers plots, grand American conspiracies, and a stellar, insane Nick Cage performance wraps it all together.

The National Treasure films were some of the last of a dying genre: the child-friendly adventure film. The movies were obviously silly, and mixed historical facts with elaborate conspiracy fiction. They somehow managed to make the founding fathers seem cool long before Hamilton came along (everyone is cooler when they belong to a secret society). But the films were also lightning in a bottle. Could a new series, not starring the beloved characters of the original, recreate that magic?

It’s hard to create a new protagonist, especially when you’re following Nicolas Cage. But Lisette Olivera is a golden find. She stars as Jess Valenzuela, an aspiring cryptographer and devoted puzzle solver. The child of a treasure hunter father and Latin America historian mother, Jess gets caught up in a hunt for a lost Aztec treasure. Olivera’ charisma makes Jess an endlessly watchable character. As a DACA recipient, Jess’s relationship to America as an immigrant offers a different angle on how someone comes to learn American history and culture. It’s the kind of update that justifies the show’s existence, offering a fresh take with an excellent rising star to lead her own show.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the new supporting characters. Jess’s friend group is the worst. They’re burdened with such heavy-handed attempts to be modern that it comes off as cringe-inducing. Her best friend Tasha (Zuri Reed) is a streamer/influencer, Oren (Antonio Cipriano) is a sneakerhead, and Ethan (Jordan Rodrigues) is a character that only exists to be mad he’s not dating Jess. Constant references to doing “Tik Tok dances” and wanting to “go viral” are nails on a chalkboard to anyone with a working knowledge of the internet. Tasha gets the worst of it, with dialogue that feels ripped straight from popular Tweets. She’s supposed to offer an opposing perspective on America, someone politically active and critical of a system that has oppressed minorities for centuries, but every line is so poorly conceived it feels insulting to anyone who shares her point of view.

There’s also Liam (Jake Austin Walker). The grandson of FBI Agent Peter Sadusky (Harvey Keitel, reprising his role), Liam exists only to sing country-tinged pop covers of various songs. I watched 4 episodes and he sang an almost full-length song in 3 of them. The show stops dead for his ballads, completely ruining any momentum. In what is perhaps true Disney fashion, his appearance feels more like a promotion for the actor’s musical career than a character that should be in a treasure hunting show.