If you had the inside information on finding $200 million of lost gold that was linked to a cursed history, would you risk your life to find it?

Five treasure hunters attempt to do just that on the History Channel’s Legend of the Superstition Mountains.

According to a popular legend, somewhere within the 160,000 acres of Arizona’s Superstition Mountains lies the Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine, which supposedly contains an incredible mother lode of riches. The location of this lost mine has been shrouded in mystery and hidden from the public for many years. One source of this legends depicts Jacob Walts on his deathbed, supposedly revealing the location of it via pictograms and riddles, but never quite giving actual directions to its location.

This treasure has possible links to an ancient-warrior tribe, conquistadors and even a secret religious order that may be preventing its location from being discovered. Unfortunately, as the number of treasure hunters increase, so do the number of missing people and mysterious murders. Could this land be haunted or cursed? Is there paranormal activity to blame here or are these treasure hunters simply ill-prepared for the rugged terrain?

Wayne Tuttle has discovered new evidence concerning the legend. As the Team Leader of his five-man crew, he hopes to follow a newly found map to find the deadly treasure. Filling out his team are Frank Augustine (the bossy former police detective), Woody Wampler (the older, possibly wiser prospector), Eric Magnuson (the Tech Expert) and Eric “Deal” Deleel (the Rock Hound — equal parts geology and sweat).

Both Tuttle and Augustine have spent over half their lives searching for the gold and would love nothing more than finding it. However, the one thing they would enjoy more than the gold, itself, is to discover the answers behind the unsolved mystery.

After two episodes, the men must scale steep rocks, climb cliffs and travel through rough terrain. It’s clear that each of these men have different personality types, which could easily foreshadow conflict down the road. Another possible detriment: The men constantly look over their shoulders, fearing they’re being followed. And they have a good reason to be worried. Most people who sought the lost gold never left the mountains alive. In fact, more than 250 people have died in the Superstition Mountains. After using their FLIR camera in the dark to reveal nearby heat sources, they realize they’re not alone.

Part Unsolved Mysteries and part Indiana Jones, Legend of the Superstition Mountains has me hooked.

Similar to Destination Truth, Finding Bigfoot, Expedition Unknown and The Curse of Oak Island, the main purpose of this Reality TV is to show the journey of the people involved, not necessarily the end game, which is finding the actual treasure.

Future episodes reveal gold mines riddled with booby traps. Clearly, this is must-see TV.

After being lost for more than 150 years, will Tuttle and his crew finally uncover the Lost Dutchman’s buried treasure? Tune in to find out.

Strength: An infectious desire to uncover the truth.
Weakness: Is there any validity to this tall tale?
WTF Moment: Will the mysterious person following the crew prevent the prospectors from finding the hidden loot?

Notable Quotes:
– “I know these mountains are cursed.”
– “If there’s something here, i can find it and I will find it.”
– “I’ve always wanted to go out and be a modern-day Indiana Jones.”

Review: 4/5