The mind games of ‘The Traitors’
By Christa Bashinski · Entertainment Editor
Mystery, deceit and Rob Rausch: all cornerstones of this year’s game of “The Traitors,” a reality TV show that has taken over the public sphere.
“The Traitors” is a competitive mix of strategy and deceit, drawing a close comparison to games like Mafia and Among Us. The catch? All contestants are well-known reality TV stars. The rules are simple. Contestants live together in a castle where the group is separated into “Faithfuls” and a few carefully, secretly chosen “Traitors.”
The Faithfuls’ job? Complete challenges that steadily add to their final prize pot, a reward they will ultimately split. And the Traitors’ mission? Murder the Faithfuls.
Every night the group meets up to banish prospective Traitors, culminating in betrayals, alliances and sweet, sweet drama.
This year’s season generated a significant amount of buzz — largely credited to the popularity of “Love Island” star Rob Rausch. Other stars included Lisa Rinna (“The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills”), Maura Higgins (“Love Island UK”) and host Allan Cumming. Stop now before the spoilers start!
The show started off strong with Candiace Dillard Bassett, Lisa Rinna, Rob Rausch and Donna Kelce being chosen as the original Traitors. By episode six, three of the Traitors remained, having killed or banished eight of their counterparts. Not a bad statistic.
Rausch’s first big controversy was quickly queued as he redirected the group’s suspicion towards fellow Traitor Lisa Rinna — a move that showed the audience his competitiveness despite his misleading charm. The following episode concluded with Basset’s elimination, leaving Rausch all alone.
However, the Faithfuls’ relief was short-lived as Eric Nam was recruited to join Rausch’s ranks. The final three dwindled down to Rausch, Nam and Higgins (Higgins being the last standing Faithful). Rausch, in another shocking betrayal, voted to banish Nam. Nam, returning the gesture, voted to banish Rausch. It all came down to Higgins. Rausch, leveraging his close friendship, attempted to convince her to eliminate his own fellow Traitor. And oh, she did. Higgins, assuming they had won, celebrated until Rausch revealed the truth. He had been a Traitor the whole time.
And with that, Rausch betrayed the three people closest to him and took home the entire prize pot: a whopping $220,800.
“The Traitors” isn’t just a reality TV show but a commentary on America’s fascination with the line between honesty and manipulation. Old shows to new shows alike, ranging from “Survivor” to “Age of Attraction” have demonstrated that popularity. Season four was truly one for the books.
