Scott, the brains behind this series had sheer brilliance in his grasp until he made the decision in choosing Justin as the show's other co-star.. The series certainly has its share of wonderful moments with a diverse blend of worldly locations that feature a number of well balanced aspects surrounding culture, landscapes, beauty, poverty, and as a result has the potential to shine but often falls flat on its face due to the absolutely miserable choice in casting Justin as one of the two featured adventurers. How can one person make or break a show about traveling around the world? Well, when you meet this juvenile, ignorant, beer guzzling moron of a child trapped in a man's body, you'll understand my point as he is distracting to say the least. There will be moments in Departures where you're presented with breathtaking scenery or diverse cultural phenomenon and then Justin appears either drunk, looking for beer, complaining about India being too crowded or making terribly juvenile 'jokes' which in turn usually end up offending someone or making Canadians look like frat boys on spring break. What's baffling is that out of anyone else Scott (the kind, intelligent, fun, likable co-star and creator) could have chosen as a co-pilot, he opted to pick this meat head. Again, this could have been a marvelous, ground breaking opportunity (which often captivates and displays flashes of beauty), but ends up being so utterly aggravating because you're ultimately forced to travel with Justin as a viewer during their relentless journey around the world.. At the end of the day, yes it's still a decent series with many engaging, insightful moments but ends up as a shame really. I never though that one individual could get under my skin so much but I suppose if I had to travel with an an immature, brash, untreated alcoholic, I'd have a tough time too. Bless you Scott! You have the patience and tolerance of a saint.
Review of Departures
