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Editor's Note: The following article contains spoilers for the Season 1 finale of National Treasure: Edge of History.The Season 1 finale of National Treasure: Edge of History is now available on Disney+, bringing the first chapter of the National Treasure expansion to a close. In the finale, Billie, Salazar, and their group took Jess and Rafael on the final leg of the treasure search. Jess and Rafael soon realize Billie's true intentions with the treasure and work to outsmart her and find the treasure before she does. Meanwhile, Jess' friends try to help where they can.
One of the biggest twists of the show, and the franchise, came at the end of the ninth episode: Agent Hendricks (Armando Riesco) was Salazar. The twist was revealed in the final minutes of the episode, shortly after Agent Ross (Lyndon Smith) figured out that Hendricks killed Sadusky and framed Jess (Lisette Olivera). When they both eventually reached Billie's (Catherine Zeta-Jones) location, Hendricks killed Ross, and Rafael (Jacob Vargas) recognized Hendricks as Salazar. Through Rafael, viewers also learn that Salazar did in fact kill Billie's brother -- though she doesn't believe it at first.
In an interview with Variety, series creators and franchise alums Cormac and Marianne Wibberley broke down the reveal. Up to this point, viewers had only known Hendricks as an FBI agent who worked alongside Sadusky (Harvey Keitel) in the movies, and as the agent who ignored the tip about the Declaration. The Wibberleys said that "was the perfect set up for us to reveal that he never reported it on purpose because of this larger conspiracy." They wanted something "more consequential" beyond the smaller nods to the franchise.
The Wibberleys had also planned for another major connection to the movies through the Templar Treasure. They had even considered name-dropping Ian Howe. Ultimately, it didn't make the cut, but the duo considered how everything would tie-in:
"We actually had something in there along the lines of ‘We can’t have another Templar Treasure. And Billie responds, ‘That was Ian Howe’s fault, not mine.’ We tried to tie all that in, even though things always end up on the cutting room floor. But we did think about how if it was all rewatched, it would fit together."
Will 'National Treasure: Edge of History' Get a Second Season?
At this time, Disney+ has not confirmed a Season 2 renewal for the series, nor have they publicly suggested the show would end. Either way, The Wibberleys are already cooking up ideas for a potentional Season 2 and questions still left for the characters:
"It’s funny because we always go back to the title of the show, ‘Edge of History,’ which was a nod to the treasure being hidden and history being erased. But it is also a reference to the young adults on the edge of their own histories. Who are they going to be? What are they going to carve out for themselves? We want to pursue Jess’ career. Does she really want to be an FBI cryptologist after all, or is there something else? Is this what she was born to do, like Ben?"
While the season finale closed the book on its first treasure hunt, it also left some wiggle room moving forward. Thanks to Sadusky's penchant for keeping pretty much everything, Liam (Jake Austin Walker) discovered a tape recording containing information hinting at another treasure -- and the others seemed ready to jump into action.
All episodes of National Treasure: Edge of History are streaming now on Disney+.