The Traitors
Euan Cherry/Peacock
At the beginning of each season of The Traitors, the Peacock competition series shows no interest in catching audiences up on the cultural footprint of its celebrity competitors. There are no recaps of Real Housewives franchises or Big Brother beefs. Apart from acknowledging their respective reality TV associations under their name and the occasional not-so-humble brag in conversations, the series largely expects the audience to have watched some of the television from which its cast hails to know who these people are and what, if any, relationships they bring into the castle that could affect their gameplay. For all those unacquainted with the reality royalty and adjacent C-listers sitting at the roundtable, there’s always Google.
But that’s about it. The Traitors is about gameplay in the castle, and the contestants can wield their reputation as they see fit. But those reputations precede these people, for good and for ill, regardless of what the series chooses to acknowledge. And in Season 4, that has become more apparent than ever. While we don’t see the celebs lugging in their suitcases for their stay, the audience is still being saddled with so much real-world baggage in this latest installment that it has many begging for the unthinkable: a celebrity-free season.
This would not be unheard of. The UK version of the series is almost always made up of average people, and has only once invited celebrities into the castle to connive and kill (to thrilling results might we add). Even the first season of the American Traitors was made up partially of non-celebrities, who were eventually deceived in the end by the professional gamers. So benching the celebrities isn’t a crazy idea, nor will audiences have to wait long for it to happen. A stateside all-civilian The Traitors is already in the works, with applications currently being accepted for the season that will film this year and air on NBC (versus the regular seasons dropping on Peacock).
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When host Alan Cumming announced the special season last fall, it felt like it had the potential to be a more grounded companion to the juicy, ego-driven celebrity editions. The best of both worlds! But in the heart of Season 4, it suddenly feels like the all-civilian season might end up being a life raft for a series in need of saving from itself.
For one, the treachery and backstabbing in the castle isn’t as much fun when the infamy of the players is problematic, at best. Without dredging up the past too much, the recent explosions between competitors Colton Underwood and Michael Rapaport were a real lose-lose for viewers. Rapaport’s brutish behavior and unseamly tactics (not to mention his abysmal off-screen personality) were like a dragon ready to be slain, and his controversial comments in his final moments rallied the troops in a way that typically makes for great TV. But the one holding the sword was Underwood, who isn’t exactly a knight in shining armor.
Underwood’s own personal history is not the best either, and that’s being generous. A former NFL football player and Bachelor contestant on multiple series in the dating franchise, Underwood came out as gay in 2021. He received praise and even a Netflix reality series called Coming Out Colton for his admission, but it all came after his Bachelor ex Cassie Randolph filed a restraining order against him following alleged claims of stalking and harassment. Underwood is hardly the person to rally behind in the Traitors castle if you know all of this backstory. And even if you aren’t in the know, his aggressive gameplay and cocksure attitude are enough to confirm it as well.
Lisa Rinna and Colton Underwood, The Traitors
Euan Cherry/Peacock
Underwood and Rapaport aren’t the first to darken the doorstep of the Scottish castle. Last season, Vanderpump Rules alum Tom Sandoval brought plenty of drama and ill will with him, some of which was laid bare at the roundtable. And sure, there is something to be said for casting hotheads and button pushers to needle their competition and make fiery TV. But the backlash against Underwood and the resurfacing of his past has led the series to issue a statement about not bullying or sending death threats to players. Toxic fans are a whole other issue, but the fact that a season of The Traitors is becoming more notable for the controversial lightning rods in the castle rather than for entertaining gameplay is disheartening. Inevitably, casting celebrities means hashing out grievances on social media, as reality TV stars are wont to do (see: Lisa Rinna’s videos on Underwood after the Jan. 22 episode). That is when the production loses control of their manicured edit.
But Season 4’s issues aren’t the complete fault of two bad apples — even though the producers should have to answer why Underwood and Rapaport were granted an invitation to Cummings’ castle in the first place. A bigger issue is that the cast just isn’t entertaining as a group. Some of the personalities are fun, including the mighty trio of Traitors in Rinna, Rob Rausch, and Candiace Dillard Bassett. But beyond those three, the rest of the cast, including Stephen Colletti, Kristen Kish, Yam Yam Arocho, Mark Ballas, Tara Lipinski, and even the usually thrilling Dorinda Medley barely register in this game. Only more recently have Johnny Weir, Maura Higgins, and Natalie Anderson started to get in a few jabs. But it’s boring when people get lost in an ever-dwindling crowd because it means they aren’t contributing to it in the first place. In the words of the great Big Brother legend and former Traitors player Rachel Reilly, “Floaters grab a life vest” — or whatever the Scottish equivalent is if you are wading out into the loch.
Also lacking any real excitement are the challenges. While it’s mindlessly fun to watch modest celebrities drag wooden carts up hills and stumble through babbling brooks, there is barely any tension beyond the hunt for protective shields. That’s because most of these people don’t need the money they are banking each episode. This was made abundantly clear a few weeks ago when Big Brother alum Tiffany Mitchell was banished from the game after Underwood targeted her for little to no reason. Mitchell got emotional while fighting for her place in the castle because, as she told the audience in the first episode, she needs the money this group is playing toward. Not every reality competition star makes it their career. Tens of thousands of dollars, even if it is earned one booby trap at a time, could mean something to people.
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But that episode was immediately followed by one with a challenge where the group banks $16,000 for the pot. For most of these celebrities, that is hardly the reason they are here. What is $16,000 to a Real Housewife? What is it to a million-dollar winner of Survivor? That doesn’t mean they couldn’t use it, or need it. But on the whole, these celebrities are here to strengthen their public image and bolster their brand. That wouldn’t be the case, necessarily, for an all-civilian cast. Sure, some might want to use it as a launching pad for their 15 minutes of fame. But most would see this experience as more than just a TV show. As much as we need theatrical personalities at the roundtable, we also need people to fight in that castle to have their life changed, not just their brand. That is the kind of narrative stake we need in these challenges.
Will an all-civilian season fix all the cracks that are showing in Season 4 of The Traitors? Probably not. On the whole, it is still a thrilling watch and Episode 7’s banquet proves there is still shock and awe in these old hallways. But even good things can be better, and putting on shades to the starry potential of celebrity contestants and giving the normal folks a chance to backstab and betray might just invigorate this game even more than Cummings’ fashion prowess.
MIGHT! We said might!
The Traitors is streaming on Peacock. New episodes are released on Thursdays.