On Feb. 26, the final episode of the fourth season of The Traitors aired on Peacock, leaving us and millions of other viewers on the edge of our seats. The season concluded with a dramatic episode filled with plot twists and epic backstabs.
The Traitors brings in reality television stars from a variety of different networks. Including cast members from Real Housewives, Survivor, Love Island and more, the ensemble consists of 24 stars who are transported to a stunning Scottish mansion where they “fight to the death” in a thrilling murder mystery-style game.
The show begins with three traitors (or sometimes more) whose mission is to murder a “faithful” every night. At the same time, the faithfuls’ main goal is to try to figure out who the traitors are and banish them in a daily roundtable.
As revealed in the first episode, this season’s traitors were Rob Rausch from Season 6 of Love Island USA, Lisa Rinna from the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Candiace Dillard Bassett from the Real Housewives of Potomac. The dynamic between the traitors starts out fun and light, but as the season progresses, their relationships become complicated.
A main motivation of the show is the prize money that one or more cast members will get to take home if they win. The possible grand prize is $250,000, but the cast starts with $0 and has to perform challenges each episode to build the prize pot. The “missions,” which range from physically demanding to mentally challenging, are an engaging aspect for the viewers who enjoy the competitive side of the show. At the end of the game, whichever side wins, either the faithfuls or the traitors split the prize money evenly among the surviving members. However, if a traitor remains, they keep all the money.
This season, social media played a major role in amplifying the season’s impact. Fans took to platforms such as TikTok or X to debate theories and analyze behaviors. This online engagement helped turn each episode into a shared moment, keeping viewers invested for a whole week until the next one dropped. For many fans, watching The Traitors became just as much about discussing it online as it was about the show itself.
Much of the internet’s fascination with this season came thanks to the casting. With Rausch, the snake-wrangling hunk from Alabama who made a name for himself online a few years ago during his Love Island season, the most controversial Bachelor, Colton Underwood and Taylor Swift’s soon-to-be mother-in-law, Donna Kelce, this season had a riveting cast. Former Olympic figure skaters and current Olympic broadcasters Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir were also a part of the cast, which was timed right alongside this year’s Winter Olympics (clever marketing Peacock).
This season was full of unique challenges, game strategies and was never short of drama. Currently, NBC is getting ready for their next season of The Traitors where they are casting regular civilians instead of celebrities.
It will be interesting to see what walks of life the upcoming cast comes from, but will it lack the entertainment that comes with watching all of our favorite reality television stars? We will have to wait and see. Because in The Traitors, loyalty is temporary, but betrayal can be venomous.