Jess and Tasha are very suspicious of Liam being Billie’s mole, so they start investigating him while also trying to track down the treasure in the latest episode of the Disney+ Original Series, “National Treasure: Edge of History.” Tasha hacks into Liam’s bank account to find a hefty deposit. The gang, plus Ethan’s girlfriend, end up at the Governor’s ball trying to find the journal of Meriwether Lewis. And Billie becomes Jess’ unsuspecting hero as Jess has to try to flee security at the Governor’s mansion.

Where to begin with what’s wrong with this episode. Tasha commits fraud, and it’s played off as Liam being gullible. It makes me want to see the group break apart and Liam find the treasure. Tasha is clearly Machiavellian here and, while that may serve her well as a treasure hunter, it presents a moral quandary where she, and those that side with her, are unlikable. At this point Tasha is more villainous to me than Billie because Billie is straightforward about what she wants and, to this point, doesn’t want to hurt Jess and her friends but will if they stand in her way. Obviously, she’s not good, but she’s not evil either.

I’m also struggling with the tone of this series. The creators seem to forget about the main reason for the story throughout long periods of time in each episode. There’s a lot of drama and angst between the main characters and their love lives. For example, the dance scene in the Governor’s mansion served no purpose to the overall plot. It created unnecessary drama between Jess and Liam and Ethan and his girlfriend. Character development and relationships can make or break a show, but this is bad character development at best.

Can this show improve over the course of its run? That’s a question that I hope will be answered with a “yes,” but I won’t hold my breath. This series has been disappointing at best and downright bad at its worst. There is a lot of potential in this show, but it feels like the creators are wasting it on needless drama and not enough development of plot or characters. But if you are in the mood for content like “National Treasure,” it might be a better idea to stick with the films.

Rating: 2 stars

What did you think of the latest episode of “National Treasure: Edge of History”?

Jeremy Brown

Jeremy has been a big Disney fan since he was a kid growing up during the Disney Renaissance. One day he hopes to go to every Disney Park in the world.

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