Destination X season 1 may be able to make waves in a saturated market.

Hosted by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who takes on a delightful mischief-making role as he guides the competitors through their first moments in the game, Destination X proves its worth quickly. While the majority of the competitors are new to reality TV competition, they all appear to be fans of the genre and understand that coming into any competition with a strategy, even a loose one, is key. The only veteran on screen is Big Brother season 18 winner and The Challenge contestant, Josh Martinez, but with a new game, all the Destination X cast had an even playing field.

Destination X's Gameplay Highlights Social Prowess & Travel Knowledge

The Competition Unfolds For Those In The Know

Destination X's fascinating gameplay starts out quickly, but it's clear from the jump that this isn't the typical travel competition show. While the competitors are faced with each other right away, they're able to make connections and decide who they want to align with, if anyone, immediately upon getting released into the game. As host Jeffrey explained the concept of Destination X, some players were taking in the rules while others were quickly making bonds that could benefit them in the future. The show then combines physical tasks with trivia-based knowledge, which can push some competitors to their limits quickly.

Though Destination X has that challenge-style competitive element, it doesn't linger with it or repeat it consistently, changing things up for the contestants quickly. I think the most important part of the game model is to keep the contestants on their toes so they never feel all too comfortable in knowing where exactly they are, and it works well in the first episode. Moving from challenge to challenge, especially being trapped in the luxe-yet-terrifying Destination X bus which has tech-savvy windows that limit contestants from seeing out, contestants are meant to feel uneasy, which heightens the game's stakes.

Within the first episode, things move quickly. After meeting Jeffrey and competing for a clue about their first destination, the competitors are ushered back into their goofy eye masks, complete with Jeffrey-Dean-Morgan-controlled sight capabilities and cameras that are ominously close to their eyeballs. While I enjoyed the quirks, the gameplay was what I found most refreshing. Without being able to see where they're being taken, the contestants are left to their own devices. Those who can build social bonds mimicking some sense of trust and have some niche geography knowledge have the key to unlocking Destination X at its core.

Destination X's Cast Quickly Creates Complicated Dynamics

They're Playing The Game Immediately

Although Destination X can hinge on someone's niche understanding of architecture or natural plant life, it can also find a contestant living and dying by their connections. Social gameplay is pivotal on a show like Destination X, even if it seems like it could fall to the back burner with everything else going on in the game. I love social strategy games, and seeing how quickly the contestants on Destination X played up their strategic sides was exciting for me. I expected things to move a bit slower as they got into the game, but the cast wasted no time.

From Josh's immediate distrust of Rick Szabo, who intends to use his vast knowledge of birds to his advantage, to the way Mack Fitzgerald decided to align with Ally Bross because of her unsuspecting appearance, social strategy came into play immediately on Destination X. Seeing how fiercely the social decisions impacted the game and how quickly they came into play made it clear that none of the contestants are going to give up their shot at $250,000 easily. While I do think it could become stale in the future to see contestants underestimate each other's knowledge, it's working for now.

Destination X's Concept Merges Quirky Twists & Unexpected Concepts Well

It Could Earn A Place In The Reality TV Competition World

Although one episode isn't enough to sell the series for me entirely, it's well on its way to establishing itself already. The fast-paced competition does a lot to stand out from the crowd, and with high-stakes competitions mixed with intriguing social gameplay, Destination X almost makes you forget that you're watching a travel show. The stunning views of the secret location, which isn't revealed to viewers or contestants until the end of the leg, are more of a bonus for Destination X viewers. While I'm not completely sold yet, I'm prepared to keep watching Destination X all season long.

Destination X airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. EDT on NBC, then streams the following day on Peacock.