A familiar face has a vital role in this week’s episode as Justin Bartha returns.
Jess (Lisette Olivera) has a mountain of clues and a hint from Elvis Presley himself but isn’t sure how to proceed. Ethan (Jordan Rodrigues) brings some much needed refreshments to the group with a box of cupcakes, but that still doesn’t help provide any direction for the team.
On a private jet at the airport Riley Poole (Justin Bartha) has just landed for the funeral of Peter Sadusky. Talking with Ben Gates on the phone, Riley describes how his hit podcast is going to be adapted into a streaming service show, and that Ben is going to be his first guest. Informed that Ben’s daughter Charlotte is sick, and his wife Abigail must work, Riley is left to represent the group himself at the wake.
Jess has spent many hours consulting with Mesoamerican experts about the validity of the story behind the treasure. She meets nothing but opposition and is informed that her conclusions are wrong. When Liam Sadusky (Jake Austin Walker) invites Jess and her friends Tasha, Oren and Ethan (Zuri Reed, Antonio Cipriano) to Peter’s wake, the group has a chance to scout the clue room for more facts about the treasure.
Billie Pearce (Catherine Zeta-Jones) has her own issues to deal with in New York City. Attending a board meeting of mysterious individuals who want to find the treasure, Billie assures them that she knows what she is doing and plays the Elvis clue for them. When she and her bodyguard are attacked in the parking garage, Billie proves how capable she is and easily defeats the aggressor.
At the wake, Jess can empathize with Liam about how he is feeling. Stumped by the clues provided and feeling emotional after thinking about her mother and father, Jess is introduced to Riley thanks to Tasha, and she shares the clues with him.
Poole walks away sounding out the clues when he meets with Agent Hendricks (Armando Riesco). Hendricks asks him if he is working on anything new, and Riley tells him that it’s not something he can discuss with him now. (First of all, they brought back the guy who played the FBI agent who first met with Gates and Poole about the Declaration of Independence from the first movie, and now are the producers coyly hinting at a third movie? This is awesome on so many levels.)
Agent Ross (Lyndon Smith) is also at the wake and spends some time talking to Peter’s nurse. Ross decides to search the leftover medications in Peter’s office to help eliminate some substances from his toxicology report. During her snooping, Ross discovers a toxic plant in Sadusky’s office, and wonders if it is connected to the former FBI agent’s death.
Outside, she is met by Hendricks who informs her that he knows about the toxicology report. Trying to explain her actions, Ross is surprised to find a level of support from Hendricks. He tells her about first meeting Ben Gates and Riley Poole and how he didn’t follow up their tip about the Declaration of Independence. Hendricks tells Ross that if she has a hunch about something that she should proceed with her investigation with his blessing.
Riley is stumped by the clues given to him and is trying to text Ben about what they mean. Inside the mansion he finds Sadusky’s office and the secret clue room. Jess had been searching for Liam but finds Riley in the secret room. Riley is shocked to see the ship model of the ‘Charlotte’ in the office and mistakenly touches it which sends the office into a lockdown mode. The oxygen level is dropping in the clue room, and Riley and Jess must figure out the password to get out of the room alive.
Hidden away in a back garden, Liam is approached by Peter’s former nurse and tells him that his grandfather loved his music. Shocked, because his grandfather was never at one of Liam’s performances, the nurse tells him that they found his music online, and that Liam’s song about his van was Peter’s favorite.
As a eulogy is being given by Agent Hendricks, Jess and Riley are desperately searching for the passcode to the room. They have found some clues, but only have a small margin of error before being entombed until death in the office. Searching the office, Riley is continuously impressed by Jess and tells her how much she reminds him of Ben.
Liam plays his grandfather's favorite song, while Tasha is wondering where Jess and Riley are. With just moments to spare the two get free from the clue room and deduce that the next clue in the treasure hunt is connected to Sacagawea and the journal of William Clark, which happens to be on display at the governor’s mansion.
Leaving on his private jet, Riley details his experiences to Ben via phone, describing how even Ben wouldn’t believe what happened to him. But it’s the phone call that Riley makes next which is shocking and could upend the trajectory of Jess and her friends.
Riley tells Jess that Ben’s mother was approached to decode what Elvis’ message might mean. Somehow, Billie Pearce got a copy of the clue, and Riley warns Jess that someone who is her friend, may not be her friend at all.
Bill’s Perspective:
“Charlotte” is that episode that is going to push some ideas forward, but not have a lot of action. The funeral of Peter Sadusky is a great moment to bring in Riley Poole, which allows Justin Bartha to be awesome on screen, help Jess, and then leave.
We don’t see any progression in the treasure hunt until the very end, but we do get to know more about our characters, and the dark edges of their world which come into frame.
For example, Billie Pearce is a member of a group that is committed to finding the treasure and will stop at nothing. However, we also learn how capable Billie and her associates are, and the fight in the parking garage is tremendous. I especially loved how Billie states to her vanquished foe that that board of directors are going to decide what type of boating accident he will have. That’s evil, and awesome.
The connection between Jess and Riley had to happen, and episode four was a perfect vehicle for the two to meet, bond, and then part. Having Riley call Jess and alert her to a possible traitor in her midst was a nice touch, which makes me hope that Riley will continue to play a vital part in the search in future episodes.
I especially loved when Bartha’s Riley and Armando Riesco’s Agent Hendricks talk and Riley alludes to some sort of secret project. Please let this be a third National Treasure movie with Nic Cage returning as Ben Gates.
Either way, the adventure continues next week with our group of heroes bound to get into trouble at the governor’s mansion. The only question is, who is the traitor amongst the friends?