Zak Bagans, he of the perpetually furrowed brow and hushed pronouncements, returns with a new episode of “Destinations of the Damned,” this time trading the dusty expanses of Nevada for the crumbling corridors of an Italian asylum. In “The Asylum’s Prophet,” Bagans and his crew investigate a decaying institution where a former patient, seemingly touched by something beyond mere madness, left behind a series of cryptic carvings that allegedly foretold future events. Cellular communication? Moon landing? Sure, why not add those to the usual ghostly checklist.
Having recently endured a spirited encounter at a Canadian roadhouse (apparently a hotbed of spectral activity), Bagans seems oddly unfazed by the prospect of facing down whatever resides within these aged walls. This asylum, however, presents a different kind of challenge. It’s not just about detecting ghostly whispers or cold spots; it’s about deciphering the ramblings of a disturbed mind and determining whether they were truly prophetic or just the product of a fractured psyche. The show, as always, leans heavily on eyewitness accounts (because who needs verifiable evidence when you have shaky testimonials?), along with Bagans’ signature brand of historical deep dives, all delivered with his usual gravitas.
The decaying Italian asylum offers a suitably unsettling backdrop. The peeling paint, the shadowed corners, the lingering echoes of forgotten screams—it’s all very atmospheric. Whether it’s genuinely terrifying or just cleverly staged, well, that’s for the viewer to decide. While the show’s tendency towards the sensational can be tiresome, there’s a certain morbid curiosity that keeps one watching, if only to see what outlandish claim Bagans will make next.
“Destinations of the Damned with Zak Bagans” airs Thursdays at 10:00 PM on the Travel Channel.
