The globe-trotting reality competition hosted by grizzled charmer Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Walking Dead) chose its $250,000 winner in tonight’s season finale. The prize went to professional bird watcher and group “dad,” Rick Szabo, who went head-to-head with pilot Peter Weber of The Bachelor after they turned on a shocked Biggy Bailey, a Chattanooga sports-better, and eliminated him from the competition.
“I felt bad for Biggy. I mean, I watched that all go down in real time and each step backwards, I was like, oh, this is rough. He just didn’t see it coming,” Morgan told us (click on the video for his full breakdown of the episode) of the blindside that came out of a Rick and Peter’s secret alliance.
Rick, whose family had experienced a financial catastrophe during the pandemic, had always been a favorite of Morgan’s. The actor says, “As an old dude, I was like, I’m pulling for the old dude. Let’s see how he does.”
Morgan was also rooting for Mack Fitzgerald, eliminated by Biggy in the sixth episode (what goes around…). “I’m still sad about Mack. She was also a favorite. Her gameplay was phenomenal,” Morgan says. But you could say Mack got something better than a case of cash. She found a soulmate in fellow contestant Ally Bross, who was often her ally. The couple post about their love relationship often on social media.
“Good for them. It’s awesome,” Morgan says. “They really do [make a good couple.]. Ally played this incredible social game, and Mack was a technical player. But I did not see the coupling coming at all!”
You could say one player lost twice: model Shayne Cureton. He and Ally had a show-mance and he was sure he’d found the love of his life. “Poor Shayne. Ally and Shayne seemed pretty happy,” Morgan says.
The series, running in the slot after America’s Got Talent, was a success for NBC, so a second season is likely but has not yet been announced. Morgan says, “I’m going to say we’re going to do season two. I’m totally talking out of my ass, but I think it’s going to be about making the show harder and smarter.” Just don’t count on anyone being loyal.
Destination X, Season 1, Peacock
