Destination Xgot off to a slow start, but it’s become one of the best reality competition shows on TV, and people who gave up on it should give it another chance. Hosted by Jeffrey Dean Morgan,Destination Xfeatures contestants traveling through Europe on a bus, trying to determine where they are using only the clues that they gain during challenges.
A $250,000 prize is at stake, sothe contestants have to use both their knowledge and social skills to navigate the game and make correct guesses in the Map Room.
Destination Xbegan with 10 contestants, includingBig Brotherwinner andThe ChallengecontestantJosh Martinez, Jonah Evarts, Rachel Rossette, Tai Lowry, Kim Conner, Mack Fitzgerald, Biggy Bailey, Ally Bross, Shayne Cureton, and Rick Szabo. During week 4,TheBachelorandThe Traitorsstar Peter Weber andLove Island’sJaNa Craig were added to the cast.
So far,Destination Xhas taken the contestants toRome, Italy; Geneva, Switzerland; Paris, France; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Munich, Germany; Salzburg, Austria; and Venice, Italy. Although the show was a bit underwhelming at first, shocking twists have taken it to new heights. Here’s why everyone should watchDestination X.
Destination X Eliminations Have Become So Unpredictable
Even A Right Answer In The Map Room Might Not Be Enough To Keep Contestants In The Game
Destination Xeliminations started out predictable, with the person who was farthest from the correct location exiting the game after making their guess in the Map Room. However, during episode 3,Tai and Shayne earned privileges when they won a challenge.
Tai won the ability to save someone from the Map Room (she chose Shayne) and Shayne was able to send someone in (he picked Rick). This changed everything because simply knowing where they were was no longer enough for the contestants.Now they had to pay much more attention to their social games as well. In addition, in this episode,Peter and JaNa arrived, which turned the game on its head.
DuringDestination Xepisode 4, another twist rocked the bus, as Jeffrey informed the winner of the challenge, Biggy, that he was the only contestant who wouldn’t be going to the Map Room. However,he wasn’t safe because he had to convince someone to pick the wrong country, or he’d be going home.
This put so much pressure on Biggy, who had to decide which contestant to betray. He ultimately chose Tai, and she was eliminated from the game.It was a diabolical yet welcome twist that completely shook up the game.
The most heartbreaking twist came in episode 6, when, instead of the contestant who guessed the farthest location being eliminated, the person who was closest to Destination X had the opportunity to choose who went home. All four Map Room guessers correctly chose Salzburg, Austria, so they had to participate in a nail-biting tie-breaker.Peter won, and he decided to send Mack home because he saw her as the biggest threat in the game.
This was especially devastating becauseMack had figured out that they were in Salzburgon her own early on, but she still ended up having to say goodbye toDestination X. She was so upset that she had the right location, but she went home anyway. It was the most gasp-worthy moment of the season, and it showed the contestants thatthey had to have strong alliances in addition to knowledge about Europe to win the game.
Destination X Addition Peter Weber Breathed New Life Into The Game
Peter Is A Master Strategist
One of the best changes toDestination Xwas the addition of Peter to the game. He got his reality TV start as a contestant onThe Bacheloretteand later his own season ofThe Bachelor, but his first taste of a strategy game was duringThe Traitorsseason 2. As the most Faithful of the Faithfuls, Peter did everything in his power to keep his alliance safe, coming up with schemes to reveal the Traitors.
During one of theDestination Xepisode 5 challenges,Peter created a master plan to help him and his teammates figure out where they were. During the challenge, the losing team would receive red herring information, so he suggested losing on purpose so that they’d know for sure that they had the wrong information. This helped them to not get duped because they knew where they stood.
In addition,Peter’s secret alliance members,JaNa and Rick, were on the other team, so he knew that he’d be able to get the clues from them anyway. It was a clever strategy because sometimes the contestants knowing where they aren’t is just as valuable as being sure of where they are inDestination X.It was thrilling to see Peter put his intelligence to work to come up with an unconventional way to play the game.
Another aspect of Peter’s strategy that’s exciting to watch is thathe plays with his head, rather than his heart. When it came time for him to choose someone to send home during episode 6, he selected Mack, instead of Shayne, with whom he’d had a heated argument after the last elimination.
Peter had asked Ally to keep information from Shayne, with whom she’s had a showmance. When she told Shayne this anyway, he confronted Peter, which led to them having a conflict. However,Peter didn’t allow his emotions to cloud his judgmentwhen he had to choose someone to eliminate, and instead chose a strong player, Mack, over the much weaker Shayne.
Peter also didn’t let any guilt about eliminating Mackstop him from doing what it took to win the game. It’s clear thatPeter knows what he’s doing when it comes to reality competition shows.
The Destination X Game Keeps Getting More Challenging
Venice Was The Most Shocking Reveal Of The Season
WhenDestination Xbegan, the clues were easy, and the contestants and the audience didn’t have to have much extensive knowledge of Europe in order to figure out where they were. In fact, during the Geneva episode, a clue was photographs of actresses Jennifer Aniston and Eva Longoria because when their names were combined (Jen and Eva), it sounded like Geneva. This clue required no knowledge of Switzerland whatsoever.
However,as Ally pointed out during episode 7,the game is now getting more and more challenging. This was the first episode in which none of the contestants correctly guessed where they were. While they were actually in Venice, Italy, the Map Room guessers all chose the wrong location. Rick guessed Ljubljana, Slovenia; Peter picked Trieste, Italy; and JaNa chose Split, Croatia, and was eliminated because her guess was the farthest from Venice.
It was shocking that theDestination Xbus had arrived in Venice for several reasons. To begin with, the show had begun in Rome, Italy, and viewers didn’t know that the bus could circle back to the same country again.
In addition,the clues for Venice were very difficult to decipher. They pointed to Venice’s nicknames: the City of Bridges, the City of Islands, and the Floating City. Biggy and Rick also won a postcard that had a photograph of Venice’s famous Bridge of Sighs on it, although they didn’t identify it.
One of the most jaw-dropping reveals was thatthe contestants were looking at a map of Venice on their game boards in the Battleship challenge the whole time, but no one realized. In addition, winged lions were seen in several places, and they’re a symbol of Venice. Peter noticed them, but he didn’t know what they signified.
These difficult clues made the game more challenging not only fortheDestination Xcontestants, but also the audience. It was very exciting to see the reveal of Venice because it was so unexpected.To see theDestination Xbus floating on the water was astounding, especially since it was such a surprise. The game is getting harder, which will keep viewers on the edges of their seats, and it’s must-watch TV.
If viewers gave up onDestination Xbecause they thought that the show was boring in the beginning, they made a big mistake. They should consider binge watching the episodes they missed, so that they can catch up on all of the incredible strategies and locations. It’s been wonderful seeing the breathtaking views of the cities, and having the satisfaction of making a correct guess.There are so many reasons whyDestination Xis the place to be.
