When I first heard that Jeffrey Dean Morgan was going to be the host ofDestination X, I was excited, but, after watching episode 2,I’ve changed my mind and I think that he was wrong for the role. On each episode ofDestination X, the competitors must use clues in order to guess their secret locations in Europe. Each week, a few contestants are chosen by their peers to guess their destination in the Map Room. The person whose guess is farthest from the actual location is eliminated. This means that there’s a complicated social game being played in addition to the guessing game.
In the first two episodes ofDestination Xseason 1,Jeffrey has proven himself to be a competent host, but I still don’t think that he was the best person for the job. As an actor who’s best known for playing Negan in AMC’sThe Walking Deadand its spin-offThe Walking Dead: Dead City, he’s new to reality TV hosting. Here’s why I think Jeffrey was the wrong choice to hostDestination X, and who could’ve been better.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Tough-Guy Image Doesn’t Fit The Tone Of Destination X
Destination X Could’ve Been A More Highbrow Show
As aJeopardy!fan, I was really excited and intrigued when I heard aboutDestination X. While most reality competition shows don’t require any deep knowledge of geography, history, or culture, I thought that this show would be something new and different. After all, it would be impossible for the contestants to guess their locations if they had no idea about Europe.I looked forward to watching a reality show that was a bit more highbrow, and that would challenge me intellectually. I thought that it would be a rare find in the world of reality competition shows.
AlthoughDestination Xdid partially deliver on that promise, I felt thatJeffrey seemed out-of-place on the show. His tough-guy image seemed over-the-top as he challenged the contestants in the games. He reminded me a lot ofThe Challengehost TJ Lavin, but his macho persona didn’t match the competitions in which the contestants had to decipher clues about Italy that were printed on coins, or patterns of tones played on bells with images representing Switzerland.
The competitions onThe Challengeare incredibly outrageous and physically demanding, so TJ’s attitude is warranted. I thought that Jeffrey looked almost silly when he rode in on a motorcycle during the show’s first-ever challenge. I thinkhe’d be better suited for a show likeThe Challenge, which would allow him to be tough on the contestants in games that push them to their limits. I’d rather if the focus ofDestination Xwere more educational. That would be ground-breaking for a reality competition series.
In anNBCInstagram post,Jeffrey played up his bad boy image even more, riding a motorcycle and sticking up his middle fingers. In a clip, he asks the contestants,“Are you happy to see me?,“and, in another, he’s shown saying,“The more trouble I can cause, the happier I get.“Then Jeffrey is seen saying,“Who can you trust? Well, not me. That’s for sure.“I don’t know who this is supposed to appeal to, but I’d much rather have aDestination Xhost who I could trust, and who’d elevate the show to a higher level.
The Show Should Be More About Book Smarts Than Street Smarts
I was hoping thatDestination Xwould be more about book smartsthan street smarts, butJeffrey’s focus on social manipulation has made the tone of the show feel just like any other reality competition series. LikeBig Brother,Survivor, and other shows like them,Destination Xhas a complicated web of alliances and betrayal beneath its surface, but I wish that the focus was more on deciphering the clues themselves than having to backstab each other.
Jeffrey seems especially focused on this aspect of the game. I was really disappointed during episode 2 whenDestination Xcontestant Jonah Evarts was upset when he had to choose someone to possibly go into the Map Room in order to save himself. While I agreed with Jeffrey when he reminded Jonah that he was playing for $250,000,I didn’t like it when he said,“We gotta toughen that kid up,“after Jonah left the room.
Jeffrey’s comment bothered mebecause Jonah is a gentle soul, and, if the game were truly only about answering the simple question of where the contestants were located, as Jeffrey has said in both episodes so far, then he wouldn’t have to be someone he’s not to do that.I want more focus on the clues and the challenge of surviving being on a blacked-out bus, and less on the social game. I don’t like how Jeffrey plays up and values the cutthroat part of the game so much.
Like Jonah, I wish thatDestination Xwas more of a collaborative game, without the element of the players having to essentially nominate their fellow contestants for eviction at the end. They should be working together to figure out their locations, without having to worry that sharing clues or keeping them secret will lead to their elimination from the game.Jeffrey is feeding too much into the social part of the game, so the knowledge-based part of it is getting lost in the shuffle.
I’d rather haveaDestination Xhostwho revels in the intellectual aspect of the challenges than the typical manipulation and betrayal of other reality competition shows.I want to learn new things while watching the show, rather than watch the same tired game of social chessthat we’ve seen on competition show after competition show.
Other Celebrities Who Would’ve Made Better Destination X Hosts
There Were More Suitable People For The Role
Although Jeffrey is doing a good job as host ifDestination Xis supposed to be a show about being socially savvy, I think thatthere were more suitable people for the role if the series focused more on knowledge like I hoped it would. I’d love to see Mayim Bialik or LeVar Burton, both of whom were considered as permanentJeopardy!hosts, be the host ofDestination X.I also think thatJeopardy!host Ken Jennings would do a wonderful job with the show because he truly loves trivia, the arts, and culture.
I also think thatBig Brotherhost Julie Chen Moonves would be a good fitto hostDestination X.While she enjoys seeing theBig Brotherhouseguests make big moves during the game, she doesn’t encourage them to be disloyal to each other. In fact, she ends every episode reminding viewers to love one another. While I know that the social aspect ofDestination Xis part of what makes it interesting,there’s something about Jeffrey’s aggressive persona that irks me because I don’t think that it fits the premise of the show.
I know that Jeffrey is playing a role as host, much like Alan Cumming inThe Traitors, but I wish that it was different. Alan’s persona as the deceptive mastermind host fits the theme ofThe Traitors, but Jeffrey’s doesn’t. I’d much prefer it if theDestination Xhost were someone who valued intellectualism over toughness, and who didn’t put pressure on the contestants to betray each other. After all,Jeffrey is one of the executive producers ofDestination X, so he could make that change if he wanted to.
I feel likeDestination Xdoesn’t know exactly what it wants to be yet, but I hope that it chooses the high road, and reduces the amount of social manipulation necessary to play it if it comes back for season 2.Part of that would require Jeffrey to tone down his tough-guy persona, and allow theDestination Xlocations to be the stars of the show instead.
