The Curse of Oak Island Season 13, Episode 4: “The Smoking Gun”

Season 13 of The Curse of Oak Island continues its trademark combination of mystery, mud, and moments that leave viewers wondering whether the island is hiding a centuries-old treasure or merely decades of broken tools. Episode 4, titled “The Smoking Gun,” delivers another round of discoveries—some exciting, some questionable, and many that turn out to be far less dramatic than the team initially hoped. Still, the episode maintains the show’s signature tension as the Laginas and their partners try to piece together clues while the island stubbornly refuses to give away any real answers.

This episode opens in the Money Pit, the site that has fueled hope, disappointment, and speculation for over two centuries. The team continues drilling operations and begins creating what they jokingly refer to as “mud sausages,” long columns of earth extracted from deep underground. The first core from this round—humorously nicknamed “forgetti spaghetti” by fans—seems to promise something unusual. Inside the slurry of mud and dirt, the team spots a gleaming metal fragment.

For several suspenseful moments, the team wonders if they’ve finally recovered a coin made of valuable metal. Gary Drayton, never one to hide his enthusiasm, leans in with excitement. But then comes the anticlimactic verdict: the discovery is not treasure at all, but a broken drill bit—a reminder that the island has swallowed more equipment over the years than it has revealed artifacts.

From there, the action shifts to the swamp, the site that has carried numerous theories ranging from ancient ships to medieval engineering. As usual, the swamp delivers wood, more wood, and yet more wood—plus a generous scattering of rocks. The crew calls in geoscientist Ian Spooner, who has been both praised and teased throughout the series for his interpretations. In this episode, he offers one of his most uncontroversial conclusions ever: he confirms that the rocks are, indeed, rocks.

Alongside the rocks, the team uncovers small pieces of charcoal. While the presence of burnt material isn’t unusual in archaeology, the Oak Island team places heightened importance on it, especially among members who believe the Knights Templar may have once operated on the island. Charcoal, they point out, would be consistent with human activity—though the claim that medieval Templars “invented fire,” as some joke, is clearly tongue-in-cheek.

Next comes a rusty iron object pulled from the muck. Early interpretations suggest it may be the remains of an old firearm. It is promptly connected to a historical figure whose involvement on Oak Island remains speculative at best. The show plays up the idea of a “smoking gun,” though the connection is likely more symbolic than literal.

The episode then jumps to the archaeology lab, where a previously discovered lead object awaits professional analysis. Gary Drayton had earlier suggested that it might be a decorative Templar cross—yet another potential link to centuries-old secret societies. But lab examination is far less dramatic. The object is determined to be a generic lead fragment, probably from the 1700s, with no clear religious or symbolic meaning. In other words, it joins the growing collection of ambiguous artifacts that hint at activity but reveal little about who was responsible.

Meanwhile, Lot 5, a section of land long considered promising, offers up a few items of interest. A metal detector sweep uncovers yet another piece of lead—unfortunately, not the kind that sparks treasure theories. The team also locates a circular arrangement of stones, prompting archaeologist Laird Niven to investigate. After close inspection, he confirms what the viewers likely already suspect: it is simply a circular pile of stones.

But the episode isn’t done cycling through emotional highs and lows. Another iron artifact emerges from the lot, and initial excitement is high. At first glance, the object appears to be the handle of an antique pair of scissors. A second theory quickly elevates it to part of a horse bridle, which would imply meaningful activity on the land. Moments later, however, the object is downgraded back to being nothing more than a scissors handle, likely from the 1700s. The emotional rollercoaster—from discovery, to speculation, to retraction—mirrors the broader Oak Island experience: hope rises fast, but reality often brings everyone back to earth.

By the end of the episode, viewers may find themselves agreeing with the narrator’s closing sentiment: not much truly happened in this chapter, despite the buildup. The episode delivers characteristic humor, a handful of promising leads, and plenty of speculation, but no breakthrough artifact and no definitive “smoking gun.”

Still, fans of The Curse of Oak Island know that each small find—every piece of wood, metal, lead, or charcoal—feeds into the ever-growing puzzle the team is trying to assemble. Whether these fragments point toward buried treasure, mundane settler activity, or misinterpreted debris remains the mystery that keeps viewers tuning in.

Episode 4 may not provide the explosive discovery its title teases, but it does offer a snapshot of the relentless, unpredictable, and often entertaining slog of treasure hunting on one of the world’s most enigmatic islands. And as always, the promise of what might be found next keeps the story alive.