Two people share their views and thoughts about reality show The Traitors with us.
1/ Is it a game or is it an elaborate charade?
By John Daniels
The Traitors, superbly staged it may be, is like an elaborate gothic charade, for sure, but is it just a game?
The short answer, obviously, has to be no, for it is a ‘deadly’ serious and successful product of the entertainment industry. Created in the Netherlands in 2021, designed to reach large audiences (currently over 12 million on the BBC alone, and franchised world-wide to 30+ countries. And then, for the fans, there is extensive merchandise. The financial implication will be huge!
We watch, and hope our favourite survives
Then we, the spectators, watch, like the ancient Gods of Greece looking down on the machinations of the faithful and the traitors as they try to gain advantage, each intent on survival. The game is rather like deconstructing a Russian Doll as the puppet players progressively dwindle. The audience meanwhile vicariously share the twists and turns, and are only allowed to see only what ‘they’ want us to see.
We are engrossed and mesmerised by the banishment discussions, trying to second guess who will survive, traitor or faithful, hoping our favourites will be safe until the end games, with their shifting probabilities, deliciously not quite knowing which way it will go.
I didn’t watch the first series when it was first shown, as its premise seemed too contrived, trading on the basic dualities of the human condition, extrovert and introvert, nasty versus nice, givers and takers, breakers and menders. However, a friend had watched it and said I should too, as it was fascinating to watch the psychology of the players. So I watched, and it was entertaining, but it left me with feelings of disquiet. I did wonder if that was just me being a tad sanctimonious though.
I felt compelled to watch the second series simply to test my reactions. I didn’t bother with the third series, but along comes a Celebrity version which might have a different dynamic. I resisted, I didn’t watch it live, but have seen the first two episodes and that is sufficient.
Celebrity Traitors introduced new ‘celebrities’
For the celebrity players there is nothing much to lose, except perhaps a chunk of credibility and a realignment of their support. There was a handful of surprise celebrities you might not have expected, and whilst all were called celebrities, many had thus far, been under my particular radar, so there was a chance to observe who or what constitutes being a ‘celebrity’.
During the previous two series I had watched, I really hadn’t noticed the degree to which the audience are drawn into a highly managed and edited presentation. Two things from this latest incarnation alerted me, the highly staged burial of Paloma Faith sequenced for maximum effect in a presumably empty coffin, and the individual interviews which felt suspiciously out-of-sequence. Ok, nitpicking, it is only a game, or is it?
Was all the behaviour really acceptable?
Very obviously, I would say, there are ‘interesting’ moral dimensions to do with the ethics of ‘celebrating’ traitors, ‘murders’ and banishments for the sake of prize money, and the cost implications of the production in its lavishness. Also, whilst it is in a recognised reality show format, it celebrates the types of behaviours that we would tend to disparage in everyday life should we get to know of them. Perhaps it is an insidious psychological message that these behaviours are somehow acceptable in this context and therefore possibly more tolerable in today’s society. Fake news, disinformation, digital scraping, realigning language, shifting alliances, trust no one, societal fracturing all come to mind – is there a connection?
PS:
Good news (depending on your view point): there will be another Celebrity Traitor series in 2026.
2/ The celebrity traitors – banish your doubts
By David Myall
Don’t be put off by the unrelenting volume of reporting, comment and speculation surrounding the BBC’s Celebrity Traitors. If you have studiously avoided any spoilers, because you have no interest in what Stephen Fry said to Jonathon Ross and have lived in a social media free bubble for the past 6 weeks, you should allow yourself some innocent fun on BBC iPlayer. After all, you have made your point now and nobody else needs to know.
Deploying celebrities to boost a tired format is a well worn tactic, but here the Traitors is only 3 series in and is still on the up. In fact the group of celebrities contains people you will actually have heard of and their somewhat exaggerated personalities add to the fun.
Eliminate the opposition, but who are they?
Basically the game is a battle between the “faithful” and a small group of “traitors”. The traitors meet daily and are able to eliminate (“murder”) a faithful who they feel might be a threat. The faithful are ignorant of everyone else’s true status and must try to eliminate traitors from the game at a nightly round table at which people are voted out. The action takes place in glorious Scottish scenery, shots of which nicely fill intervals between the action.
Every day the whole group participates in a challenge, success in which increases the prize pot (a donation to charity of up to a maximum of £100K ). The game ends when everyone remaining agrees that all the traitors have been eliminated and the remaining faithful share the prize. But if any traitor evades detection, they take it all.
A study in human psychology
It quickly becomes apparent that the faithful have absolutely nothing to go on in detecting traitors. It becomes a study in human psychology, as the stronger characters influence the vote and the wrong people are banished day after day. Participants declare their absolute belief in the status of fellow players but are right purely by chance. Votes are swayed on the flimsiest evidence and players who were almost voted out one day are completely ignored the next. The truth is often spoken (“X and Y are traitors”) but then ignored as the faithful blunder about in the dark.
In the recent series, a celebrated historian continually tries to apply a rigorous approach but proves no better than those who just guess wildly based on the colour of someone’s sweater. One of the traitors can’t keep a straight face when asked to declare if he is a faithful but because he’s a good chap, nobody pays any attention. Alliances, betrayals and ridiculously complex tactical voting enliven the proceedings.
Strange logistics add to the fun
Apart from the game play, you can amuse yourself by wondering about the logistics of it all. Why aren’t the traitors completely frazzled by having to stay up for their daily meeting, which apparently takes place after midnight every day? How come the players all have the same chair outside their bedrooms, where they receive news of their demise? Why do the first arrivals walk into the breakfast room but every subsequent group knocks on the door?
Give it a try! The set up is clever, the location is spectacular and the intrigue leads to genuine surprises. Oh, and Celia Imrie farts ….
