The first season of the American television series The Traitors premiered on Peacock on January 12, 2023,[1] with all episodes being released. The season was won by Survivor contestant Cirie Fields, as a traitor, with Quentin Jiles and Andie Vanacore, placing as runners-up, as faithfuls.[2] The season won Outstanding Casting for a Reality Program at the 75th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.[3]
| The Traitors | |
|---|---|
| Season 1 | |
 Promotional poster | |
| Presented by | Alan Cumming |
| No. of contestants | 20 |
| Winner | Cirie Fields |
| Runners-up |
|
| Location | Ardross Castle, Scottish Highlands |
| No. of episodes | 11 |
| Release | |
| Original network | Peacock |
| Original release | January 12 – February 28, 2023 |
| Season chronology | |
Production
editThe season is produced similar to its British counterpart, with the same production company, Studio Lambert, in the same location at Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands.[4]
The first season of The Traitors featured ten former reality television participants and ten members of the general public. One player, Kevin Greene, was removed during the first day of the competition due to a positive COVID-19 test and the game was restarted with an alternate player, Geraldine Moreno, replacing him.[5]
Format
editThe first season of the show retained the same format and challenges as the first season of The Traitors UK. The arrived contestants at the castle are referred to as the "Faithful," and among them are the "Traitors," a group of contestants secretly selected by the host, Alan Cumming. Each night, the Traitors would decide who to "murder," and that same contestant would leave the game. After the end of each day, where the contestants participated in various challenges to add money to the prize fund, they would participate in the Round Table, where they must decide who to banish from the game, trying to identify the Traitor.
If all the remaining players are Faithful, then the prize money is divided evenly among them. However, if any Traitors remain, they win the entire pot.[6][7]
Contestants
edit
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The cast was a mix of notable reality television personalities and regular people.
| Contestant | Age | From | Occupation/Original series | Affiliation | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reza Farahan | 48 | Los Angeles, California |
Shahs of Sunset | Faithful | Murdered (Episode 2) |
| Geraldine Moreno | 29 | North Hollywood, California |
Actress | Faithful | Banished (Episode 2) |
| Robert "Bam" Nieves | 33 | Rye, New York |
Tech sales executive | Faithful | Murdered (Episode 3) |
| Brandi Glanville | 49 | Beverly Hills, California |
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills 3 |
Faithful | Banished (Episode 3) |
| Azra Valani | 35 | Los Angeles, California |
Yoga instructor | Faithful | Murdered (Episode 4) |
| Michael Davidson | 35 | Oneida, Kentucky |
DMV office manager | Faithful | Banished (Episode 4) |
| Ryan Lochte | 37 | Gainesville, Florida |
Retired Olympic swimmer[a] | Faithful | Murdered (Episode 5) |
| Kyle Cooke | 39 | New York City, New York |
Summer House | Faithful | Banished (Episode 5) |
| Amanda Clark-Stoner | 30 | Carlisle, Pennsylvania |
Emergency room nurse | Faithful | Walked (Episode 5)[b] |
| Cody Calafiore | 32 | New York City, New York |
Big Brother 16 | Traitor | Banished (Episode 7) |
| Anjelica Conti | 28 | Staten Island, New York |
Hair stylist | Faithful | Murdered (Episode 7) |
| Shelbe Rodriguez | 31 | Beaumont, Texas |
Public affairs manager | Faithful | Banished (Episode 7) |
| Rachel Reilly | 37 | Birmingham, Alabama |
Big Brother 12 | Faithful | Banished (Episode 8) |
| Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick | 42 | Dunedin, Florida |
Survivor: Palau | Faithful | Murdered (Episode 9) |
| Christian de la Torre | 28 | Los Angeles, California |
Veteran | Traitor | Banished (Episode 10) |
| Kate Chastain | 39 | Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
Below Deck 2 | Faithful | Banished (Episode 10) |
| Arie Luyendyk Jr. | 40 | Scottsdale, Arizona |
The Bachelorette 8 | Traitor [c] |
Walked (Episode 10)[d] |
| Quentin Jiles | 32 | Houston, Texas |
Political analyst | Faithful | Runner-up (Episode 10) |
| Andie Vanacore | 30 | Reno, Nevada |
Music services director | Faithful | Runner-up (Episode 10) |
| Cirie Fields | 51 | Jersey City, New Jersey |
Survivor: Panama | Traitor | Winner (Episode 10) |
Notes
- ^ Lochte is credited on the show as a swimmer while also being a former reality TV participant – his reality show appearances include, What Would Ryan Lochte Do?, Dancing with the Stars 23, and Celebrity Big Brother 2.
- ^ In Episode 5, Amanda left the game for "personal reasons." After the show, this was revealed to have been a positive test for COVID-19.[8]
- ^ Arie was recruited as a Traitor in Episode 7.
- ^ After Cirie chose "Banish Again," Arie chose to remove himself from the game and admitted to being a Traitor before the vote was held.
Episodes
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "The Game Is Afoot" | January 12, 2023 |
| 2 | 2 | "Buried Alive" | January 12, 2023 |
| 3 | 3 | "Murder They Wrote" | January 12, 2023 |
| 4 | 4 | "Life or Death Situation" | January 12, 2023 |
| 5 | 5 | "Getting Away With Murder" | January 12, 2023 |
| 6 | 6 | "Suspicion and Sabotage" | January 12, 2023 |
| 7 | 7 | "The Mask is Slipping" | January 12, 2023 |
| 8 | 8 | "Cabins in the Woods" | January 12, 2023 |
| 9 | 9 | "Trust No One" | January 12, 2023 |
| 10 | 10 | "The Grand Finale" | January 12, 2023 |
| 11 | 11 | "Reunion" | February 28, 2023 |
Voting history
edit| Episode | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6[a] | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traitors' Decision |
Reza | Bam | Azra | Ryan | Anjelica Kate Rachel |
Anjelica | Arie | Stephenie | None | |||||
| Murder | On Trial[b] | Murder | Offer[c] | Murder | ||||||||||
| Shield | None | Arie | Arie | Arie | None | |||||||||
| Banishment | Geraldine | Brandi | Michael | Kyle | Cody | Shelbe | Rachel | Christian | Kate | Banish | End Game | |||
| Vote | 11–8 | 8–6–3 | 11–4 | 9–4 | 7–3–1 | 7–1–1 | 6–2 | 4–2[d] | 3–2 | 1–3 | 3–0 | |||
| Cirie | Geraldine | Brandi | Kate | Kyle | Cody | Shelbe | Rachel | Christian | Kate | Banish | End Game |
Winner | ||
| Andie | Michael | Brandi | Michael | Kyle | Cody | Shelbe | Rachel | Christian | Kate | End Game |
End Game |
Runner-up | ||
| Quentin | Geraldine | Kate | Kate | Kyle | Kate | Shelbe | Rachel | Kate | Kate | End Game |
End Game | |||
| Arie | Michael | Brandi | Michael | Kyle | Cody | Shelbe | Rachel | Christian | Quentin | End Game |
Quit (Episode 10)[e] | |||
| Kate | Michael | Michael | Michael | Kyle | Rachel | Rachel | Rachel | Christian | Quentin | Banished (Episode 10) | ||||
| Christian | Geraldine | Brandi | Kate | Kyle | Cody | Shelbe | Rachel | Kate | Banished (Episode 9) | |||||
| Stephenie | Geraldine | Kate | Michael | Kate | Cody | Shelbe | Kate | Murdered (Episode 9) | ||||||
| Rachel | Geraldine | Brandi | Michael | Kate | Cody | Shelbe | Kate | Banished (Episode 8) | ||||||
| Shelbe | Michael | Michael | Michael | Kyle | Rachel | Stephenie | Banished (Episode 7) | |||||||
| Anjelica | Michael | Michael | Michael | Kyle | Cody | Murdered (Episode 7) | ||||||||
| Cody | Geraldine | Michael | Michael | Kyle | Rachel | Banished (Episode 7) | ||||||||
| Amanda | Geraldine | Brandi | Michael | Kate | Quit (Episode 5) | |||||||||
| Kyle | Geraldine | Michael | Michael | Kate | Banished (Episode 5) | |||||||||
| Ryan | Geraldine | Kate | Michael | Murdered (Episode 5) | ||||||||||
| Michael | Geraldine | Brandi | Kate | Banished (Episode 4) | ||||||||||
| Azra | Michael | Brandi | Murdered (Episode 4) | |||||||||||
| Brandi | Michael | Michael | Banished (Episode 3) | |||||||||||
| Bam | Geraldine | Murdered (Episode 3) | ||||||||||||
| Geraldine | Michael | Banished (Episode 2) | ||||||||||||
| Reza | Murdered (Episode 2) | |||||||||||||
Key
- The contestant was a Faithful.
- The contestant was a Traitor.
Notes
- ^ The Traitors' decision and the mission took place in Episode 6, but the Round Table and Banishment Vote took place during Episode 7.
- ^ Instead of selecting one Faithful to be murdered, the Traitors were asked to put three players on trial. The next night, only those three players would be up for elimination.
- ^ In Episode 7, the remaining Traitors were given the opportunity to recruit a Faithful. The Faithful would then have the opportunity to accept or decline. Christian and Cirie chose Arie, and he accepted the offer.
- ^ The deciding votes at the Round Table (cast by Andie and Cirie) were shown at the start of Episode 10.
- ^ After Cirie chose "Banish Again," Arie chose to remove himself from the game and admitted to being a Traitor before the vote was held.
Missions
edit| Episode | Title | Money available |
Money earned |
Total pot |
Shield winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Game Is Afoot" | $30,000 | $30,000 | $30,000 | — |
Split into two groups, players must set fire to two giant wicker beasts. Half of the team must row out into the loch where they will retrieve a flame and bring it back to shore. At the same time the remaining players must search through piles of debris to locate, prime, and build, the fuse that connects to their effigies. The first team to complete the challenge will add $20,000 to the prize. If the second team is also able to complete the mission another $10,000 would be added to the pot.
The green team was the first to complete the mission adding $20,000 to the pot. The Blue team was also able to complete the challenge adding an additional $10,000. | |||||
| 2 | "Buried Alive" | $30,000 | $20,000 | $50,000 | — |
First, Alan asked the players for six volunteers. Amanda, Arie, Bam, Kyle, Shelbe, Stephenie all volunteered. They were then buried alive in underground graves at an undislcosed location. The remaining players split up into three teams, each team was then responsible for finding two of the buried players. The buried players each had a walkie talkie and a clue inside their coffin that could be used to communicate with the teams. Every player rescued from their grave was worth $5,000 for the prize fund, but the teams only had 40 minutes to complete the mission.
The Yellow Team was able to rescue both Bam and Kyle and added $10,000 to the prize fund. They then helped the Red Team free Amanda and Shelbe added another $10,000. The Blue Team wasn't able to free either of their players and didn't add any money to the pot. | |||||
| 3 | "Murder They Wrote" | $25,000 | $25,000 | $75,000 | — |
| The contestants divided themselves into two groups. The first group, consisting of seven players, had to ring the bells of the nearby chapel to play a tune. The remaining ten players stayed at the castle where they had to match the music from the bells to a music box in Alan's collection. Each box has a figurine that corresponds to an item in the castle. Each round was five minutes and every correct item brought back added $5,000 to the pot. | |||||
| 4 | "Life or Death Situation" | $22,000 | $19,900 | $94,900 | — |
| Five contestants were randomly selected to be strapped to a revolving wheel, while the remaining contestants answered superlative style questions. Each player on the wheel will also answer the question. For each answer that matches what the group picked, $300 would be added to the pot. Players on the wheel could tap out at any point but they would receive an additional $5,000 if everyone stayed on for the entire round. In the first round, Andie, Anjelica, Christian, Kate, and Shelbe were selected to ride the wheel. They got 12 correct answers for a total of $3,600 and all five players stayed on the wheel for an additional $5,000. In round two, Amanda, Cody, Kyle, Michael, and Ryan were selected to ride the wheel. They gave 21 correct answers for $6,300 and once again all five players stayed on the wheel for an additional $5,000 bonus. | |||||
| 5 | "Getting Away with Murder" | $20,000 | $20,000 | $115,000[a] | — |
The contestants were split into two teams and one at a time went into the confessional where Alan gave them a paragraph and line to find. They had to then bring that reference back to their team to find a riddle in a large book. The riddle would then lead them to a clothing item worn by one member of the masked congregation. Only the first team to identify an item counted, and each correctly identified item earned $5,000 for the pot. Teams only had one guess per round, and there were 4 rounds.
Team 1 won all four rounds and added $20,000 to the prize fund, while Team 2 added nothing to the pot. | |||||
| 6 | "Suspicion and Sabotage" | $30,000 | $16,800 | $131,800 | Arie |
| As a group, the contestants had 90 minutes to transport whisky barrels to an old distillery on the top of a nearby hill. Along the path there were fifteen barrels valued between $600 and $10,000. Any barrels that made it across the finish line before time was up, would add money to the prize. There were also three special barrels on the path that represented a pass to the Armory. If the group could get all three Armory barrels across the finish line then the group would be able to send three players to the Armory for a chance to win a Life Shield. If all three Armory barrels didn't cross the finish line then no one would be allowed into the armory. The group was able to get eight barrels across, including the three Armory passes. The group selected Rachel, Anjelica, and Arie. | |||||
| 7 | "The Mask is Slipping" | $30,000 | $2,000 | $133,800 | Arie |
Split into three groups, the players would enter the Billiards Room which had been filled with various knick knacks, junk, and props. Each group would have a few minutes to take notice of everything in the room until the lights cut and the "spirits of past players" would change three things in the room. Each group would then have 60 seconds to identify what items were changed. If the group can identify one item they will add $1,000 to the pot, if they can identify two items they will add $5,000, and three successfully identified items would add $10,000. In addition the group that adds the most money to the pot, would all have the chance to go to the armory and win a Life Shield.
Team 1 and Team 3 were able to identify one item each, while Team 2 wasn't able to identify any of the changes. Since Team 3 locked in their items faster, they were declared the winners and Arie, Christian, and Quentin were able to visit the Armory. Arie earned the Shield for the second time in a row. | |||||
| 8 | "Cabins in the Woods" | $35,000 | $35,000 | $168,800 | Arie |
The remaining eight players were split into two teams, and each team was given an identical cabin for the mission. Teams had 30 minutes to escape from their cabin, two players would be on either side and they each had to solve puzzles that would give them the combination to the padlock on the other side. On the first side (Quentin and Christian for the Blue Team, and Arie and Stephenie for the Green Team) players had to count rats of different colors to decipher the first padlock, while the other two players had bugs rain down on them. Then the second pairs (Cirie and Kate for the Blue Team, and Rachel and Andie for the Green Team) had to put their heads in boxes filled with various creepy crawlies to find the second combination. Each team that successfully escaped would add $17,500 to the pot. In addition whichever team completed the mission first would win a trip to the Armory.
Both teams were able to escape their cabins earning a total of $35,000 for the prize fund. The Green Team escaped first earning all four of them a trip to the Armory. For the third time in a row Arie was able to find the Shield. | |||||
| 9 | "Trust No One" | $25,000 | $13,000 | $182,000[b] | — |
| The contestants were given fifteen minutes to individually make their way through a room and steal artifacts which were protected by lasers. Each artifact was worth a set amount of money for the prize fund. After each attempt another laser was added. If a player set off a laser they were eliminated from the mission, any artifacts being carried would be lost, and one minute would be deducted from the timer. After all six contestants have made an attempt, the remaining players were then given a second opportunity. In the first round Cirie, Quentin, and Andie successfully made it through adding $1,500, $8,000, and $2,000 respectively to the pot, while Christian, Kate, and Arie were unable to make it past the lasers. In the second round, Quentin and Cirie were unable to make it through the lasers, but Andie made it through successfully and added another $1,500 to the prize fund. | |||||
| 10 | "The Grand Finale" | $68,000 | $68,000 | $250,000 | — |
| Hidden around Loch Glass were three bags holding various amounts of money. The team had one hour to retrieve as many bags as possible. To start, two players (Arie and Kate) jumped out of a helicopter and swam to two buoys to get a combination that unlocked the keys to Alan's speedboat. The remaining players had to take the speedboat and a map to find all three bags. Meanwhile, once back on shore, the first two players were given a second padlock to crack which would give them the location of a fourth bag worth $43,000. The team was able to retrieve all four bags adding $68,000 to the pot and bringing the total prize to the full $250,000. | |||||
Notes
Reception
editThe first season of the American edition of The Traitors received positive critical acclaim with many praising the show's cast, concept and setting. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an approval rating of 95% based on 20 reviews, with an average rating of 7.50/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Hosted by Alan Cumming with theatrical relish, The Traitors deploys a rogues' gallery of reality television stars to make for a compelling murder mystery party."[9] Alex Abad-Santos of Vox wrote that it "combines the acute pain of a corporate team-building exercise with some of the most emotionally fragile reality show celebrities that have ever been on television... and it's perfect."[10] Alim Kheraj of The Guardian rated the show 4 out of 5 stars writing that "by the time you reach episode eight (which could already scoop the award for the year’s best hour of reality TV), the tension is so unbearable that you will be glad the last two episodes are there for binging."[11] Linda Holmes of Pop Culture Happy Hour summarised the season as "Goofy, hyperdramatic, suspenseful and pretty entertaining."[12] Dustin Rowles of Pajiba described the season as "A slickly produced version of Mafia set in a Scottish castle that features a number of contestants familiar to reality-show audiences and a number of newbies to make the whole enterprise more unpredictable." adding that "It’s really fun."[13] Andy Dehnart of Reality Blurred wrote that "The Traitors had me a few seconds into its first episode, and only tightened its grip from there. This is outstanding competition reality TV, with all of the elements sliding confidently into place."[14]
References
edit- ^ Dosani, Rishma (January 6, 2023). "The Traitors US: Celebrity cast, release date and everything you need to know about new series". Metro UK. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
- ^ Tinoco, Armando (January 28, 2023). "'The Traitors' Season 1 Winner Has Been Crowned". Deadline. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
- ^ "The Traitors". Television Academy. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
- ^ Rhymes, Shameika (January 17, 2023). "Can You Stay At The Scottish Highlands Castle In 'The Traitors?'". USA Insider Official Site. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
- ^ Dehnart, Andy (March 29, 2023). "The Traitors US castle had another enemy: COVID". reality blurred. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
- ^ SYFY Wire (April 29, 2022). "Peacock nabs psychological thriller competition 'The Traitors' hosted by 'Bond' vet Alan Cumming". SYFY Wire. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
- ^ USA (December 7, 2022). "Alan Cumming Hosts Peacock's 'The Traitors' In Remote Scottish Castle – What To Know". USA Network. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
- ^ "The Traitors US castle had another enemy: COVID". March 29, 2023.
- ^ "The Traitors US - Season 1 Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
- ^ Abad-Santos, Alex (January 24, 2023). "Peacock's The Traitors should be your new reality TV obsession". Vox. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
- ^ Kheraj, Alim (January 16, 2023). "The Traitors US review – pure, evil, shout-at-the-TV brilliance". The Guardian. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
- ^ Holmes, Linda (January 19, 2023). "You will not be betrayed by 'The Traitors'". Pop Culture Happy Hour. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
- ^ Rowles, Dustin (January 17, 2023). "Alan Cumming Is the Least Interesting Part of the Intriguing Murder-Mystery Reality Series 'The Traitors'". Pajiba. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
- ^ Dehnart, Andy (January 12, 2023). "The Traitors is exceptional reality TV, from host Alan Cumming to its game of intrigue". Reality Blurred. Retrieved September 23, 2023.