Jess (Lisette Olivera) has had her world turned upside down. After Liam (Jake Austin Walker) revealed a secret academic paper that was written by her mother, he also has a video showing her mother discussing the treasure with a group of academics.
With Oren and Tasha (Antonio Cipriano, Zuri Reed) Jess and Liam play the video, and are amazed to see Jess’ mother relate the story of the Mesoamerican treasure. Jess’ father comes in at the end of the video to defend her mother, and Jess’ perception of her dad changes. The video concludes with a home movie of her mother and father dancing together. Jess is shocked by the video, especially since she had never heard her father’s voice before.
The group comes to a decision about what to do. They know Billie Pearce (Catherine Zeta-Jones) is a dangerous character who will stop at nothing to acquire the treasure. Liam assures Jess that he is committed to the treasure, and with Tasha and Oren on her side, Jess has decided to pursue the treasure too. When Ethan (Jordan Rodrigues) shows up, he agrees to help too.
Agent Ross (Lyndon Smith) still feels like something isn’t right about Peter Sadusky’s (Harvey Keitel) death. Despite being encouraged to drop her investigation, Ross proceeded with the toxicology reports on Sadusky and after speaking with the doctor at the morgue, the results are in.
Clues are needed on where to go next, so the group returns to Liam’s house to search through Peter Sadusky’s clue room. As Oren sees the room for the first time, he is blown away by the incredible artifacts on display. The artifacts used by Ben Gates and Riley Poole to find the lost Templar treasure are prominently located on a shelf with a label to not touch. Just before Oren touches one of the items, Tasha reminds him to keep his hands to himself.
As the team searches through the room, multiple clues are seen, but none seem to have any importance except for a note about the sun king. With some detective work, the group learns that the note points to Elvis Presley, and a possible guitar in the hidden room at his Graceland home.
Billie continues to ponder Jess and her refusal of money. To Billie this should have been a no brainer for the young girl. She needs money, Billie could have solved her problems and gave her cash, so why did she refuse, and how did Jess open the clue box on her own?
At the morgue, the doctor questions Ross about her toxicology order. She comes clean and admits that she disregarded an order to cancel the request. The doctor thanks her for her honesty and then tells her that the tests were inconclusive but there were a lot of unknown substances in Sadusky’s body, and a bright orange stain on his hands. Ross looks to track down the medication Peter was taking in hopes of determining foul play.
On the way to Graceland the group devises a plan that is audacious and will need a large amount of luck to help them succeed. Using moths to trick the staff at Graceland, Jake and Ethan will pose as exterminators to gain access to the secret room and photograph the prized hidden guitar. The plan works, Oren releases the moths, and while they gain access to the secret room, with photos of the guitar and then escape, it’s not enough. It turns out the guitar doesn’t hold the clue, a gold record in the secret room is what they should have been looking for.
Jess won’t quit, and with Liam beside her they re enter Graceland. Liam takes the opportunity to distract the guests and employees by grabbing a guitar and singing an Elvis song. While this is happening, Jess craftily sneaks into the hidden room, and finds the gold record. She plays a very distorted message which she records for later analysis. Despite close calls with security, and the arrival of the real pest control Jess and Liam escape with the clue.
In Mexico, Billie is leading her team into a cave in hopes of finding the next artifact. There are ancient Mesoamerican clues all throughout the cave which makes Billie think they are on the right track. When she realizes that what they are walking into is a trap, it’s too late as one of her security personnel, Nate, is lost to a hidden trap.
Ethan can spot the chemistry between Liam and Jess. Protective of his friend, he goes to see Liam and tells him about Jess’ DACA status. Feeling guilty about what he did, Ethan tells Jess, and while she is upset, she forgives him.
Not wanting to let a big issue like Jess’ DACA status to stop things, she meets with Liam, and tells him that she knows that he knows. She explains to Liam that she didn’t tell him because when people find out, it changes their perception of her. Liam is fine with everything and informs Jess that he has decoded the scrambled message on the record. It’s a recording of Elvis giving a clue to the next piece of the puzzle.
Billie is mourning the loss of Nate and drinking to his memory as they fly back from Mexico. When she is at the lowest of her moments, Billie gets a helping hand in the treasure hunt, as a recording of the Elvis message is sent to her.
Bill’s Perspective:
The game is afoot, and we are finally on the hunt for the treasure. Taking this episode out of Baton Rouge and going to Graceland was a great idea, and a perfect incorporation of something real, like the hidden room at Graceland, to help feed the narrative of the show.
There actually is a hidden room at Graceland. I looked it up, and Oprah did film an episode there, like the cast talks about in the show. I like how National Treasure: Edge of History is using real places and locations and have fun with their meaning, while telling a real fascinating story.
I don’t care if the treasure is real, but I want Jess and her crew to find it. The show is also making me want to learn more about Mesoamerica and the indigenous people who populated this land long before European colonizers came to the shores of North America.
This episode’s winner is Jess. Not only does she get to lead the team to their first real task at Graceland, but when things fall apart, it’s Jess who steps in to make sure the team succeeds.