The following contains spoilers for National Treasure: Edge of History Season 1, now streaming on Disney+.
National Treasure: Edge of History, much like the National Treasure films starring Nicolas Cage, is about tracking lost treasure through the annals of American history. Unlike the adventures of Benjamin Franklin Gates, the series' format is more in line with escape rooms. Watching the show through that lens is what makes it entertaining.
Escape rooms have become rather popular in the past few years. The problem-solving and teamwork elements, as well as the colorful themes, make them a fun and engaging diversion. National Treasure: Edge of History recreates that same experience in a wider setting.
National Treasure: Edge of History Uses the Best Elements of Escape Rooms
Escape rooms are made to engage the imagination and critical thinking skills. Solving puzzles and riddles is critical to deducing myriad clues in breakout scenarios. If anyone has those skills, it's Jess Valenzuela. While on her quest to find Montezuma's lost treasure, Jess finds that one clue leads to another, and another, and so on. Sometimes, escape room clues are incomplete by themselves, much like the boxes that were hidden by the Daughters of the Plumed Serpent. When Jess figured out how to open the obsidian box, she discovered its panels contained ancient pictographs. It turned out she needed all three boxes to complete the picture, which she believed to be a treasure map.
Typically, escape room participants have one hour to uncover and solve all the clues to get out. On the series, time is a factor because Jess isn't the only one searching for the treasure. The unscrupulous Billie has been searching for it, too. And her motives, like her methods, seem to be truly insidious. Teamwork is especially important for Jess because even the cleverest person can miss something important before time runs out. Despite being gifted at solving puzzles and possessing a wealth of knowledge of pre-colonial history, Jess can't succeed without a little help from her friends. In particular, her friend and roommate Tasha is a talented hacker and programmer who's able to uncover information online that Jess might not be able to find in old journals or ancient tapestries. Also, in Episode 3, she and their friend Oren noticed that the symbol on Jess' necklace, which had belonged to her father, was identical to one worn by the Daughters of the Plumed Serpent in an ancient depiction.
Escape Rooms Have Figured into Edge of History's Narrative Twice Already
Jess and her team's adventures started with an escape room that was meant to simulate a prison breakout in Episode 1. The room was supposed to be inescapable but, thanks to teamwork and Jess' cleverness in deciphering a numerical clue on the wall, they were able to make it out with only seconds to spare. Jess's journey almost ended in Episode 4 when she and Ben Gates' associate, Riley Poole, were caught in a death trap in Sadusky's secret room. The trap utilized all the components of an escape room scenario, including clues left around the room to reveal a digital code to unlock the only exit and a time limit necessitated by the room being sealed and their air running out. While the stakes were higher than in a simple game, much of what made the scene compelling was watching them solve the puzzles.
Escape rooms are a unique form of entertainment as they allow the participants to enjoy an adventure of their own, using their wits to find their way out of unusual situations. Edge of History provides escape-room-style entertainment every week without the expense of renting a room for an hour. The best part is that audiences can escape with the heroes without leaving the comfort of their homes.
National Treasure: Edge of History is currently streaming on Disney+.