The Traitors TV Review by Brooke Daugherty : Pop Culture Leftovers

The Traitors TV Review by Brooke Daugherty

January 25, 2023 2:01 pm |

Peacock’s original reality series, The Traitors, puts twenty contestants together in a Scottish castle to play a deduction style game à la Mafia or Werewolf – with the added bonus of outrageous reality show games. Based on the 2021 Dutch series De Verraders, ten reality stars and ten “normal” people work to complete missions for prize money without being either banished or murdered. Every episode includes a round table vote where contestants vote out a fellow contestant who they believe to be a traitor.
The three contestants selected as Traitors, must choose one of the Faithfuls in the group to murder.
If any of the traitors make it to the end undetected, they split the prize money, leaving others empty handed.

The Traitors is hosted by actor and author Alan Cumming whom you may know from The Good Wife, X2:X-Men United, or Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion. Cumming is exquisitely irreverent, chewing scenery while wearing the most spectacular Scottish themed outfits. The impish gleam in his eye could light up the whole of Scotland when he explains the most devious challenges. In the premiere episode, his best line is when he describes himself as “a less butch Agatha Christie with fabulous outfits.” The Traitors honestly is worth the watch just to see what he will say in his Scottish brogue or what he will wear next.

Anyone tuning in for the famous faces and boisterous personalities, will not be disappointed. Celebrity Contestants include Rachel Reilly from Big Brother, Reza Farahan from Shahs of Sunset, Arie Luyendyk Jr. from both The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, Brandi Glanville from Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills, plus Gold Medal winning Olympian Ryan Lochte. Of the ten non-celebrity contestants, we have Christian (Veteran), Amanda (ER Nurse), Michael (DMV Office Manager), and Angelica (Hair Stylist) among others.

Each episode is filled with drama, betrayal, and at times frightening challenges, yet twists given by Cumming aren’t as explosive as the finale episode revelations. Contestants from both sides have big personalities, with some non-celebrities surely returning to other competition shows in the future. My biggest complaint of the series is that I wanted to be in the dark about who the traitors were. It might be fun to take out the dramatic irony to keep viewers guessing. Fans of competition shows and reality personalities have no reason not to watch this series especially if you want drama, you’ve got it in this series. It is even quite enjoyable for someone like myself who couldn’t tell the difference between the celebrities and non-celebrities without their names posted on screen.

PCL Rating: High Taste It

Rotten Tomatoes Rating: FRESH