It used to be a breath of fresh air – TV’s most relatable reality show. Now it features shouting matches and bad-tempered confrontations, and the biggest loser is the viewer
For the past year, The Traitors has had a massive problem. No, not the parade of indistinguishable white male contestants. Nor the way it increasingly kills off its most likable characters too early (RIP Jessie). Not even the fact that the disproportionate number of people of colour who leave the show early suggests it has a big problem with unconscious bias. Actually, sorry: let me rephrase. The Traitors has two massive problems.
But here’s the one that defines this series: what the point of the show actually is. The celebrity version blew the previous regular season of The Traitors out of the water. It was absolutely charming, featuring a bunch of lovely people playing a gripping game while committing the politest series of murders possible. It smashed the normal version in every sense: ratings, watchability, how instantly it hooked you. And it was always going to be that way, given that this is a show that functions best when you’re rooting for as many contestants as possible. So when nearly every player is one you’re already familiar with, it inevitably makes for more gripping TV than a series where you spend the first two weeks going: “Sorry, there’s a guy in there called Jack?”
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