The reality competition series, ‘The Traitors,’ has become a television staple since it made its way to the United States. Since the show’s first season aired in 2023, it has received eight Emmy Awards and garnered record viewership on NBC’s Peacock streaming service.
From season two, ‘The Traitors’ casts have been filled with reality TV stars, such as legends from ‘Survivor’ and ‘Big Brother,’ and recognizable faces from ‘The Real Housewives’ franchise. The cast of season four once again lived up to the hype, paving the way for another season of excitement and treachery.
As ‘The Traitors 4’ nears the halfway point, it’s time to look at some of the biggest moments through the first five episodes of the season.
Who are the Traitors?
This season of ‘The Traitors’ kicked off with host Alan Cumming, announcing a special twist to shake up the game. The twist was revealed to be that one contestant would be chosen as a “Secret Traitor.” The identity of this traitor was hidden from the public and the regular traitors. To keep their identity a secret, this “Secret Traitor” would provide the other Traitors with a shortlist of which Faithfuls to murder.
The twist, in theory, is an exciting change to the game, but it all hinges on how effective the “Secret Traitor” is at keeping the game interesting with their gameplay. In addition to the “Secret Traitor,” three other Traitors were chosen. Those traitors turned out to be two housewives, Lisa Rinna from the Beverly Hills franchise, and Candiace Dillard Bassett from Potomac. The third and final Traitor is Rob Rausch, a contestant from ‘Love Island USA.’ No traditional gamers being picked from the jump is a refreshing surprise, although choosing two housewives might prove to be a mistake.
The Faithfuls
With Candiace, Lisa, and Rob set aside as Traitors, as well as the “Secret Traitor,” that means the rest of the cast are placed as Faithful. Among the Faithfuls are Dorinda Medley, who’s best known for her time on the ‘Real Housewives of New York City.’ Dorinda was a contestant last season, but was the first person eliminated, much to fans’ chagrin.
When the cast was announced, one of the most surprising, in the best way possible, additions to the cast was Rob Cesternino, who was last on TV in 2004. The ‘Survivor’ icon showed his strategic prowess right off the bat and had his charm on full display as seen on ‘Survivor’ and his award-winning podcast, “Rob Has a Podcast.” Winners Natalie Anderson and Yam Yam Arocho rounded out the ‘Survivor’ contingent.
Overall, the Faithfuls have played hard from the beginning…but have mostly misfired on just about every accusation. The most delusional contestant has been Michael Rapaport, whose casting alone left fans frustrated even before the season started. Not only has Michael been wrong, but his brash antics have pushed the Faithful off track and have become more of a distraction rather than a helpful asset. The same can be said for comedian Ron Funches, whose gameplay has led him to be an easy target in the Scottish castle. Colton Underwood, from Bachelor Nation, and Eric Nam, a K-pop musician, have also had their fair share of miscalculations.
Roundtables and Banishments
Each episode of ‘The Traitors,’ I’m always drawn to the roundtables. They’re easily my favorite part of the show, where accusations fly, arguments erupt, and at least one iconic moment or quote usually emerges. Through five episodes, the roundtables and their resulting banishments have been consistently entertaining.
The first banishment, in episode two, saw ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta’ star Porsha Williams voted out in a close 10–8–4 decision. Donna Kelce, mother of NFL stars Travis and Jason Kelce, received the second-most votes, while Michael trailed behind. Porsha was blindsided, as Ron had quietly led the charge after Porsha misspoke in a way that made her appear traitorous. When Porsha revealed she was actually a Faithful, there was instant disappointment, especially for Ron, who felt responsible.
The second roundtable was far more straightforward. Occurring before the mission rather than after, Donna was nearly unanimously voted out in an 18–1–1 decision. Her reveal shocked the public because Donna was a Traitor, confirming she had been the season’s “Secret Traitor.”
Episodes four and five featured a frustrating stretch for the Faithfuls, who failed to eliminate another Traitor. Instead, ‘Big Brother’ standout Tiffany Mitchell was blindsided in a 15–2–1 vote. The emotional roundtable produced several memorable lines and marked an unfortunate early exit for one of the franchise’s strongest strategic players, who arguably deserved a Traitor role.
The most recent roundtable ended with Michael’s banishment in an 11–5 vote. After an intense, headline-making clash with Colton, his departure brought relief more than anger, even after revealing he was a Faithful due to his antics throughout.
Murders
Up until Donna’s banishment, Candiace, Lisa, and Rob R had to go off a shortlist for who to murder. Their first victim was Ian Terry, winner of ‘Big Brother 14,’ as he became the first person eliminated from the game. Not by too much of their doing, but Ian and Tiffany both kept the unfortunate trend of ‘BIg Brother’ players not fairing so well in the castle.
Another gamer was tossed aside when Rob C was murdered in plain sight, leaving just Natalie and Yam Yam as the only gamers left standing. The other murders resulted in Caroline Stanbury and Monet X Change being taken out of the game, with Caroline’s murder being done face-to-face.
What’s next?
If the Faithfuls keep this up, the Traitors will run away with this game. So far, Candiace, Lisa, and Rob R seem to be running the show like a well-oiled machine. Rob R in particular, has really shined with this personality fitting in perfectly to hide his treacherous role. Candiace and Lisa have both been consistent, though Lisa is seemingly in the most trouble heading into the next batch of episodes.
Even with some negatives, such as the “Secret Traitor” not paning out as well as it could’ve been and some of the cast feeling nonexistent, the campiness and overall funness of ‘The Traitors’ is what sets this show apart and into a massive success that everyone wants to be a part of.
Episode six of ‘The Traitors’ airs on Peacock at 9 p.m. EST.
