Greetings,
Tomorrow night brings forth the return of a show I enjoy very much, Destination Truth. For those of you who don't know, Destination Truth is a "reality" show on the SyFy Channel where a team of investigators go looking to uncover the "truth" about a number of strange beings in far off locations around the world, and, occasionally, even in America's own backyard. The show is hosted by Josh Gates, a well-known and quite adorable photographer, adventurer and explorer. Can I just say I love that someone can still, even in the 21st century, be famous as either an adventurer or an explorer? Anyway, he leads a team of some very interesting people, currently including (according to my information) awesomely hair-styled cameraman Gabe Copeland, always on top of things medic Rex Williams, and the well-experienced field investigator who could probably kick the butt of every guy she works with Erin Ryder a.k.a. just Ryder. And there are many more fascinating characters that fill the past of this show as well.
Basically, each hour long episode includes two different subjects to examine. Each one starts with Josh explaining what they will be looking for and where they will be going, then the team heads off to get more info, especially from the locals. This tends to be the most entertaining part of the show, because really what's funnier than people being exposed to a new strange culture, including all their customs and "food" right before your eyes? Yeah, I say food with quotations because sometimes I think my poor DT friends are just getting punked. Then we move on to the actual investigation. A word to the wise, if you are not a fan of night vision, this is the part of the show you may want to skip, because pretty much every investigation is done at night. Finally, they head back home to examine whatever evidence they may have obtained. There is a reason why this part of the show tends to be the shortest.
Now let me say this. I am not a huge believer in the paranormal. I don't believe in ghosts or aliens. I don't believe in Bigfoot, but I do believe in the Loch Ness Monster. Actually, some of the "monsters" for which they search seem almost plausible. There are a lot unexplored places on our planet, especially under the water, so in some cases, I can keep an open mind. Still, like on a lot of these types of shows, I get a fair number of eye roll moments. Like they'll be sitting in the middle of the rain forest at night and someone will claim that they heard something. Really? You're in the jungle and you heard something? I don't want to burst anyone's bubble, but I think that's normal. Call me when you're in the jungle and surrounded by complete silence. Now that would be creepy.
I also find it amusing that a show with the word "Truth" in the title is on a channel called SyFy. Because, you know the Fy was formerly Fi, which was short for fiction. Even Josh Gates himself has said it's more of a travel show, as well as an adventure show, even a food show at times. That makes me think it would be more suited to the Travel Channel, or Discovery than SyFy, but, hey, take the checks where you can get them.
Alright, let's get to the meat of this post, my top ten list. Like I said, with a few exceptions, every episode has two parts. One may be good, and the other, not so much, so I had to divide them. Therefore, I refer to them as "half-isodes". And normally, I wait until a show has ended before I do a list for it. But I have waited over a year for this new season to start, so, out of frustration and anticipation, I am going to do it.
#10. "The Leperchaun" (Ireland, Season 3) - No, seriously, they went looking for leperchauns. Apparently, in Ireland, there are actual protected areas for these creatures. That is how much they drink. Wait, I mean, that is how much they believe in them. Yeah, I made an Irish people drink a lot joke, because I am nothing if not original. I just hope it wasn't the booze that made the boys, at one point, misplace Ryder in the caves.
#9. "Bigfoot" (Malaysia, Season 1) - Despite my previous denial of the Bigfoot, this half-isode is special because I've heard it is the first one they made, the one that got them the deal for the show, so it means something to all of us fans. Plus, it's the one where they got their best piece of evidence ever. On the first one. Peak early much, boys?
#8. "Chernobyl" (Ukraine, Season 3) - Okay, we all know the story of the tragedy that occurred here over twenty-five years ago. What you might not know is that people claim it is haunted. So Josh and the gang headed off, got their shiny haz-mat suits and went looking for ghosts. Even if there were ghosts at this place, you know what's scarier than ghosts? Cancer. I don't care how much protective gear you offer me, you couldn't get me to spend even a minute in a place that is, to this day, basically a big ball of radiation. The things people do for an adventure.
#7. "Ghosts of Antarctica" (Antarctica(duh!) Season 4) - I cheated a bit on this one, because it actually took up a whole episode. It was a biggie. And, yeah, ghosts again. The whole thing was pretty interesting, considering most of the adventure was just in getting to the huge and mainly abandoned continent. Two things stuck out for me, though. First, it was Josh's and Ryder's Titanic re-enactment on the bow (I think) of the ship. That's fine in the Caribbean, but you may want to avoid such things in the Arctic where there are, what do call them? Oh, yeah. Icebergs! The second stand out moment: Josh's "sweet Arctic beard". His words, not mine.
#6. "El Lobizon" (Argentina, Season 1) - So this is a basic werewolf legend where the seventh son of a family is in danger of becoming a Lobizon. He must be baptized by the president of Argentina (what?) in order to be safe, but they found a little kid who had not been baptized. So what did they do? Well, logically, they kept him outside, sitting in a chair until about one in the morning. Just to see if he would go werewolf on them. Did he? Guess you'll have to watch and find out. But, really, what do you think?
#5. "Haunted Forest" (Japan, Season 2) - This one is actually on my list because it's really sad. The team went to explore the Aokigahara Forest in Japan. This forest has a lot of history concerning Japanese mythology of demons and probably ghosts, as well, but it is also a very, I guess you can say popular place for suicides. There have been so many suicides that Japan has put up many, many signs around the area encouraging people to not do it. They did go looking for paranormal things, but they did find tangible evidence, such as ripped up pictures and tickets, that were no doubt the remnants of someone's life that had been given up on. Even the team members seem to moved by it, proving that real life can be more effective than anything they may be looking for.
#4. "Worm Monster" (Iceland, Season 2) - Okay, back to amusing incidents. This half-isode is full of funny moments. First, they had a hearty meal of lamb's face and goat testicles, the latter of which will, according to the waitress, "make you a man". Second, as they prepared to do an initial dive into a lake to search for the monster du jour, the boys realized that their wet suits were a bit small for them , not that it stopped them from painfully squeezing their way into them. It did though give Josh the opportunity to brag about his size 14 feet. He is such a man. Hey, I guess the goat testicles worked. Anyway, the actual investigation was kind of a nail biter because, due to a heavy fog, some of the team got lost on the lake, forcing them to spend practically the whole night in frigid temperatures. But all is well that ends well.
#3. "Island of the Dolls" (Mexico, Season 3) - Here the team heads off to an island in Mexico inhabited by creepy, evil dolls. Yeah, I know that's a little redundant. These dolls are purported to open and close their eyes and move their heads. Sadly, a little girl drowned there as well as did the former owner of the island, so everyone thinks it is haunted. The most memorable part is when Josh and Jael, a former team member, explore a shack full of, what do you know, dolls! They get a strong reading on their EMF recorder from one doll, so they stopped and you see a shot of Josh just staring at it for a few seconds, then - BAM! - the doll's eyes opened! It was awesome! It was awesome because Josh made a noise like he was going to puke or pass out or both. Now later Mike, another former member, tried to upstage him by running and screaming like a little girl after hearing a noise, but, sorry, Mike, the best I can give you on this one is second place.
#2. "Israeli Mermaid" (Israel(duh, again!) Season 3) - Sure they wanted to find a mermaid, but what they really wanted was the million dollar reward for finding it. Now Josh tried to say that if they did, he got the whole million, while the rest of the team got a free trip to Israel. Ryder, of course, later got him back for that remark by puking over the side of the boat while he was in the water. Girl power! And, later on the bigger boat during the nighttime investigation, there was an entertaining conversation between Josh, Ryder and Rex. It's worth a view just for that few minutes.
#1. "The Lusca" (The Bahamas, Season 3) - In this, my favorite half-isode, the DT team goes to the Bahamas to search for the Lusca, which is basically a GIANT octopus. This is one of the times where I actually believe it is very possible that this thing might exist. Apparently, Josh felt the same way because he expressed concerns about being "hugged to death". Oh, I can hug you to death, babe! Sorry. Moving on. The actual investigation was yet another nail biter. Josh went down to the caves where the Lusca allegedly lived, and he went at night, of course. Anyway, he is in communication with the team on the boat, says he sees something and then they lose contact. They lose contact for a really long time. Giant octopus or not, that made the team nervous. It made me nervous, and I wasn't even there. But, of course, he resurfaced after both he and the others got a look at something really big in the water. In this case, I think I may decide to believe.
So there is my list. Check out these episodes/half-isodes if any of my synopses interest you. I look forward to many more adventures with this group of wonderful people. May they always remain safe.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
