Kim Conner was eliminated from the bus in Destination X season 1, episode 5. However, it turns out that there was more to this than the show gave us a look at.
During the confessionals in Destination X season 1, episode 5, Kim shared that they were either in Frankfurt or they were in Munich. Well, it turns out that she knew exactly where they were. On top of that, she told us that she had no worries about ever going into the map room due to her research going into the game.
So, was it the lone wolf strategy that left her out in the cold? Not at all! And there were some good reasons for her strategy, and not just because she didn’t trust anybody.
GeekSided: I wanted to start with asking about your strategy going into the game.
Kim Conner: My strategy going in was don’t trust anybody, keep all my knowledge to myself, and win the game.
GS: Yeah, that’s the thing with these games. You need alliances, but you can’t fully trust those alliances. What was it like for you trying to figure out who people were?
KC: That was pretty easy for me. I can read people really quickly, so from day one on the tarmac, Rick and Tai, I didn’t trust them as far as I could throw them. I knew they weren’t trustworthy people in my eyes. I felt like Mack was really smart, but I knew that she was really sneaky and could be sneakier at some point.
Shayne is trustworthy. I really connected with Shayne. I connected with Mack and Biggy pretty much from the start. We just kind of bonded, but that doesn’t mean I wanted an alliance with them. I didn’t want an alliance.
I didn’t want to blame anybody for my exit. I didn’t want to blame somebody if they gave me the wrong information. I didn’t want to be mad or angry or resent anybody after the exit; just blame myself. So that’s how I played it the whole time.
GS: Is there anything that you would have changed about the way you played the game?
KC: I would have changed my exit for sure. I probably wouldn’t have taken myself out of the game when I did, but I’m stubborn a little bit. I was being stubborn, and it was not a well-thought-out decision on my part.
GS: Let’s talk about the Map Room, because in the confessionals, you were between Frankfurt and Munich. Why didn’t you choose Munich?
KC: Because I wanted to go home. I knew we were in Munich. I had an argument with another castmate a couple of days before that and that pretty much got in my mind. I didn’t want to ride the bus with that particular person and pretend like everything’s okay when it’s not. There were some really mean words said.
I want to bark back, but I took the higher road. I just knew that I wasn’t going to look at her for however long. So, I was like, ‘I’m leaving.’ I just wanted to start enjoying Europe.
GS: You certainly looked like you were having fun in Munich.
KC: I had a great time. Before I went on the show, I didn’t know if I could do it for so long, and I didn’t know when I knew I was done. My son-in-law said, ‘It’s no longer an adventure when you’re not having fun anymore.’
I kept telling myself that. So, when I went into the Map Room, that was the thing that crossed my mind. It’s not an adventure anymore because I’m not having fun. I had a blast up until that point.
GS: The challenges did look a lot of fun.
KC: We had so much fun. And the bus, which they didn’t show a whole lot of, was the best part. They challenges were great, but the best part was going on the bus. I miss that. The road trips were the best.
GS: What was that bus like without all the windows? I think I would have been travel sick.
KC: That’s the thing. Jonah did get travel sick. Nobody’s talking about it, and it p****s me off a little bit, because the reason I put Jonah in the Map Room was self-preservation. He was motion sick non-stop. I can’t watch other people get sick! I didn’t want to get sick, so I had to do that.
I didn’t have that problem because I grew up doing road trips across the states with my grandparents. And it wasn’t claustrophobic or anything. It was great, because it kept us close, and there was a lot of warmth there.
GS: How about the VR goggles? I’ve heard a lot of terrible things about them.
KC: I got fillers in my eyes probably a couple of months before I left, and within one week, I don’t know what happened to the fillers, but I had dents. I had bruises. [The VR goggles] are actually so heavy, and they do damage. I’m still recovering. My eyes have never looked this bad.
GS: But they were effective. You had no idea where you were going.
KC: Yeah, that’s so crazy. We were walking around, hand guided by someone. We had two with us at all times.
When we went to the Alps, it was obvious we were going up, because we’d get to one gondola and then we’d get off, and we’d walk a little but further. Then we’d get on another one and go a little further. We were just relying on our guide, who made sure we were safe and getting there. It was a bit like that game where you pretend to be blind.
GS: There’s a lot of trust put into production.
KC: That’s true.
GS: What sort of research did you do going into the series?
KC: I did a lot of Geo-guessing and used iMaps. I actually printed out maps and came up with my own route as to where we were going, like scenarios. I did different scenarios that I believed would work, because on a bus, you’re not going to crisscross.
I memorized flags, capital cities, and other big cities in the country, which is probably how I ended up playing my game. I was not afraid to go into the Map Room from the get-go.
Once I knew one, I got that pattern. I knew we were in Rome, and then I think we were in Switzerland? I think that was the second place.
GS: Yeah, that’s right.
KC: So, I knew that it wasn’t going to be Berns. Although Berns is important, it’s too small. Most people that are going to watch haven’t traveled or have limited travel, so the smaller towns weren’t going to promote much. That’s how I looked at it. They were going to promote the big-name cities.
GS: I was worried that Rome was too obvious in the first episode. I thought they’d go for smaller cities to make it harder.
KC: Yeah, but think about people who haven’t traveled or have limited travel? Most of those people are going to be interested in traveling and look for the biggest, touristy places nine times out of 10. We’ll see if that’s the way it ends up.
GS: So, as my final question, would you do another reality show, and if so, which one would it be?
KC: I would never, ever, ever, even if you paid me $5 million do one of those love ones. I’m not going on The Bachelor or The Golden Bachelor. If I can’t find love in my hometown or on a trip, I’m not doing it.
My favorite reality shows are like Jersey Shore. I like that reality, not so much competition. I like it to be real, so I would do my own reality show. Or I’d do this one again, but as a host or an assistant host. I would enjoy that, being Jeffrey [Dean Morgan]’s partner.
GS: Set the clues, know where you’re going, experience it all.
KC: That’s right. I don’t know. I’ve heard a lot about Traitors, and that’s kind of like a one-man show. I’m always a one-man show. That’s probably because of my age. I’m able to do what I want to do, make my own decisions, don’t ask anybody for permissions. Traitors looks kind of interesting.
GS: You only have to rely on yourself.
KC: Absolutely. That’s my motto.
GS: And only blame yourself when something happens.
KC: That’s right! I don’t want to blame anybody for giving me the wrong information. I go with my gut, not yours.
Destination X airs on Tuesdays at 10/9c on NBC.