Traitors (UK & USA)

[WrinkledMind]

Reckon we have enough fans of the series here to warrant a thread.

Second seasons of both UK & US versions are starting this month.
UK
https://youtu.be/pk9lnf6H2d8?si=AaAjJE735K2R-hUH


US
https://youtu.be/iwCCPWdNC9U?si=bAxGfQQD9u0gJJMf

[hacxx]

Looks good, which one do you prefer? The UK version or US?

[honeykid]

Decent first episode of the UK version. I'm keeping at broadcast pace, so I ask that people use spoilers if they've seen ahead of that this week. I think that after episode 3 everything will be at broadcast pace, so it's only this week to worry about.

I get the feeling the Traitors aren't as smart as they think they are. I'm interested to see which person they've taken as a traitor, mostly because I think they'll make (what I would consider) the wrong choice. :D

As for which is the better, I much prefer the UK verison. I found the US version too 'reality tv' for me and didn't care for the mix of celebs/public or Alan Cummings as host/presenter.

[John-Connor]

Great show / format, love the psychological aspects. I've seen the UK/US/AU/Dutch and Belgian versions. In the latest Dutch Halloween version something happened that hasn't happened in any version globally. (If you're not going to watch it, I'll tell you what happened.) This show has some similarities with Squid Game: The Challenge but The Traitor is ten times better imo.

[WrinkledMind]

Great show / format, love the psychological aspects. I've seen the UK/US/AU/Dutch and Belgian versions. In the latest Dutch Halloween version something happened that hasn't happened in any version globally. (If you're not going to watch it, I'll tell you what happened.) This show has some similarities with Squid Game: The Challenge but The Traitor is ten times better imo.




Do tell in spoilers, cause I can't find Dutch version here.

[John-Connor]

Do tell in spoilers, cause I can't find Dutch version here.
The faithful's banished a traitor at the roundtable vote, four times/days in a row! :eek:

[xSookieStackhouse]

never watched it but loved alan cumming :D

[John-Connor]

Watched Traitors New Zealand it was pretty good although the location was too pretty and vacation resort looking, so it lacked some mystery/creepy vibes.
I am at episode 3 from the second season of Traitors UK now. Production value is great and that breakfast table looks extremely appetizing!

[WrinkledMind]

Same here. 3 episodes into the second season of UK's version. Quite a strong start.

[honeykid]

Only 3 left now. It just gets better. :)

[John-Connor]

Paul is a traitor amongst traitors, cries about his kids on command in order to avoid suspicion, this guy is frckn shameless.. and almost all faithful's trust him completely, so frustrating!

[WrinkledMind]

Watched till episode 8 of UK season 2 so not checking John's post. I hope Honey means 3 episodes left.



Paul got a little too cocky. First openly admitting to Andrew in the tower that he is like a shield for them, and then needlessly bringing up Harry's name in the car after the crossbow challenge.


I didn't think Harry would get this far, but he is playing a blinder.


EDIT : All caught up. I know what Honeykid means now with the 3 :p.

[WrinkledMind]

Brilliant season and

A worthy winner. Played strategic and social game to perfection.


Fair play to Jaz too. Almost had Harry, if only Mollie had used her common sense.

[WrinkledMind]

Traitors Australia Season 2 is an absolute dumpster fire, except for the last 15 minutes of the finale.


I don't think we will find dumber contestants, in any other reality show, than these bunch.

[John-Connor]

Started with US season 2 yesterday, the birdcall mission is hilarious. :D

[WrinkledMind]

I finished watching Second Season of US Traitor. Pretty decent up until the end.


I was delighted to see Kate back. In the first season I went from hating her to loving her.

[Takoma11]

I'm almost done with the UK Traitors, season 1.

I'm absolutely loving it and really enjoying the contestants. Honestly, all people have to go on are vibes and hunches, so you can't even be too mad at people when they get it wrong. I think I would totally flop this game in the voting part.

My one complaint---no spoilers!---is that I felt that someone did something that to me seemed overtly unfair, and frankly maybe even borderline against what should be the rules.

Okay, here are some specific spoilers (pertaining to the final two or three episodes of the UK first series): Kieran is the worst kind of guy. He thinks he's smart and an "alpha", and the minute things don't go his way, he gets in his feelings and becomes extremely petty. His gameplay was straight-up bad, and really cast a pall over the last quarter of the show for me. What a baby.

[honeykid]

The UK is doing a celeb version next year. What I'm hoping is that there's two versions and not just the one celeb one.

[Takoma11]

Any Traitors superfans want to give a list of all series/seasons from best to worst? (Without spoilers, please!)


My sister and I were comparing this show to The Mole---a show I really like---and talking about the pros and cons of the different format. I ultimately think that I like Traitors better.

Pros: I think that The Mole is a show where people actually have something to go on when they vote for who they think is the secret betrayer. People are eliminated based on their answers to questions, not social dynamics, which prevents bullying or even unintentional bias. For Traitors, the pro is that people all work honestly to do their best at the challenges. I also have to say, just on the one season I watched, the contestants seemed like much more genuine people and offered each other a lot more encouragement and grace, even when they were at odds with each other or literally eliminating each other from the game.

Cons: It's just the flip of the pros. In The Mole people are trying so hard to trick each other that they will frequently throw/sabotage the tasks, and I don't know about other viewers, but I LOVE watching people come together as a group to accomplish something challenging. Everyone in Traitors is motivated to increase the cash pot, so the effort is there. The downside in Traitors is that it's literally a game of Mafia. And if you've ever played Mafia, it's always like, "Um, when our eyes were closed I heard some rustling from over there?". It's hard watching them try to debate, because there is so little for them to go on. I guess it's sort of interesting from a social science point of view, but I found the debates a bit hard to engage with at times.

I admittedly have stalled out on the current season of The Mole because I find two of the people on it just straight up repulsive (captain "I'm already rich and don't need money" and his awful flirt partner, miss "I just say what I want and boys do what I say" BARF). Which is to say that getting into Traitors was some nice timing.

Finally, I feel like if I rewatched the season with a notebook, I'd come away with a billion quotables. "He did really well, so that's like, obvious traitor behavior . . . nah, I'm just kidding, I know he's just a dancer." Maddy <3

[honeykid]

Takoma11 I've not seen them all but I'd to go the two UK series, then Australian series 1, then US season 2 and then Australia series 2 and US series 1.

As someone who doesn't really like reality TV I am biased and so the two first UK series are with 'the most normal people' and therefore feel the least heightened which I like. It was the first example I saw, which also helped greatly and I adore and have been madly in love with Claudia Winkleman for 20 odd years and so having her there eased me into it as I don't know I have tried it otherwise. I don't know if I'd rate the first series above the second or vice versa. They are pretty equal for me.

Australian series 1 is similar but, because it's filmed in Australia rather than Scotland there are some different missions and obviously the entire location is different, which does mix things up a little bit. Series 2 seems to have completely killed the show in Australia and I can see why. I won't say any detail about it in case you wish to watch it, but I will say if you enjoy the format and like other versions, then it might be worth watching just to see it.

I've just finished season two of the US version and preferred it a lot more to season one. Season 1 is a mix of 'normal people' and celebs (by normal people I largely mean people who obviously wish to be reality TV stars) and the celebs are former winners of reality TV shows. As someone who isn't a fan of those shows (and they're the US versions) I had absolutely no idea who any of the celebs were, so I saw a bunch of nobodys who thought they were somebody acting like dickheads a lot of the time. Alan Cummings is no Claudia Winkleman, and he annoyed me a lot as well. I did actually make it all the way to the final episode and I yet didn't watch the final episode because I simply didn't care. In season two it's just 'celebrities' and I don't know if it's the mix of people, the editing or what it is but it works a lot better for me than it did in that first season. Even Alan wasn't as annoying. I'd certainly recommend season 2 of the US version and call it a good season.

I'm pretty sure there's Dutch versions as well, but I've never seen those.

Were you a fan of previous seasons of The Mole? Or just the new Netflix version?

There's also something over here called The Fortune Hotel, which is a bit like The Traitors on holiday in the Caribbean, which is pretty good if you like this kind of thing or you're short of something to watch.

[Thursday Next]

I'd agree with hk on this. I enjoyed both UK series 1& 2 (especially 2) and Australia S1. Australia s2 was frustrating to watch. US S1 is just a rehash of the challenges from UK S1 and the contestants are annoying.

[John-Connor]

There's also something over here called The Fortune Hotel, which is a bit like The Traitors on holiday in the Caribbean, which is pretty good if you like this kind of thingI'll give it a try, watchlisted. 👍

https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/meet-the-cast-of-the-fortune-hotel-11-6644986b6b406.jpg

[Takoma11]

Takoma11 I've not seen them all but I'd to go the two UK series, then Australian series 1, then US season 2 and then Australia series 2 and US series 1.

Great, thank you!

As someone who doesn't really like reality TV I am biased and so the two first UK series are with 'the most normal people' and therefore feel the least heightened which I like. It was the first example I saw, which also helped greatly and I adore and have been madly in love with Claudia Winkleman for 20 odd years and so having her there eased me into it as I don't know I have tried it otherwise. I don't know if I'd rate the first series above the second or vice versa. They are pretty equal for me.

I like a very specific subgenre of reality TV, which is that I really like watching people work together OR work on their own doing a skill that is their specialty. I strongly dislike watching people antagonize each other and/or watching people be put down by their peers or experts. I also do not care for obviously manufactured drama/editing.

So, for example, I have really enjoyed the different seasons of Glow Up (makeup artists), Blown Away (glass blowers/sculptors), Siren: Survive the Island (teams of athletic women from different fields of expertise), and School of Chocolate (chocolate sculpting).

I'm not really interested in dating shows (though I've heard really interesting things about Love on the Spectrum) or shows that boil down to rich people yelling at each other, or shows where Gordon Ramsey is either screaming that something is "incredible" or "humiliating!" and the editing is to choppy that you as a viewer have no sense of how well people are doing.

Traitors UK is probably my favorite reality show I've watched since Siren: Survive the Island, and I agree with you that it's all down to the cast. They just seemed like really nice people, and at the same time they understood that it was a game and so there was this nice mix of being philosophical about it and then the real emotion of people you like voting you out of the game. It's really rare that I watch a reality show where I would have cheered for anyone winning (well, anyone except one specific person in this case), and I loved that. I also liked that they devoted so much of the run time to positive interactions and the missions were really fun. Taking the time, for example, to show Aaron talking to Andrea about her life in the 1960s while they tried to figure out how to play bocce ball or something was really nice.

And I agree that Winkleman was a fantastic host. She was this perfect blend of firm, empathetic, and funny.

Were you a fan of previous seasons of The Mole? Or just the new Netflix version?

As a teen, I really loved the original run, and the first season in particular. The challenges were really rigorous and the gameplay was very complex. I quite enjoyed the first season of the Netflix reboot, but I am so turned off by the way that they have cast this second season. Young, blandly attractive wealthy people who want to be "reality famous" are the worst kind of people. And in The Mole, people get kicked off because of their score on the quiz, so you can't even hope that the other contestants would give them the boot! Frustrating!

There's also something over here called The Fortune Hotel, which is a bit like The Traitors on holiday in the Caribbean, which is pretty good if you like this kind of thing or you're short of something to watch.

Ooh, thank you for this recommendation! It's not currently streaming where I am, but I put it on my watchlist and I'll keep and eye out.

[Thursday Next]

You might like a show called The Bridge... I seem to remember there were two series, one on a tropical island, the other somewhere cold and damp in the UK. The tropical island one was better! It had people working together in competing teams to build a bridge out of little rafts.

[Takoma11]

You might like a show called The Bridge... I seem to remember there were two series, one on a tropical island, the other somewhere cold and damp in the UK. The tropical island one was better! It had people working together in competing teams to build a bridge out of little rafts.

OH my gosh! I do know this show!!! I think I watched like half of the first episode! I should revisit it, as I remember enjoying what I saw.

[honeykid]

Takoma11

For nice, friendly people in competition with each other you really have to go a long way to beat The Great British Bake Off. It's not really what I think of as reality tv, but as you mentioned some similar sounding things, I thought I'd mention it. The Great British Throwdown is another which is very similar.

Masterchef and Masterchef: Professionals do similar stuff and have been on for years.

I don't watch it, but The Great British Sewinig Bee is also popular. My mum really likes that and she watches Glow up, which is one of the reasons I mention it.

[Takoma11]

Takoma11

For nice, friendly people in competition with each other you really have to go a long way to beat The Great British Bake Off. It's not really what I think of as reality tv, but as you mentioned some similar sounding things, I thought I'd mention it. The Great British Throwdown is another which is very similar.

Masterchef and Masterchef: Professionals do similar stuff and have been on for years.

I don't watch it, but The Great British Sewinig Bee is also popular. My mum really likes that and she watches Glow up, which is one of the reasons I mention it.

Thank you! In my friend group, we call this "gentle TV". I've watched plenty of Bake-Off and I think two seasons of Throwdown (I do have one major qualm with Throwdown, but I like it for the most part).

Masterchef, to me, does fall into the reality drama/bad editing trap.

I would love to watch the Great British Sewing Bee, but as of yet it's not available on any of my services. One day!

[honeykid]

You might also like Three/Four In A Bed (B&B/small hotels owners/managers spend a day/night at each others establishments) or Come Dine With Me (amateur cooks take turns throwing a dinner party.) I'd certainly recommend the early series of both (all of Three In A Bed and the maybe the first 5 or 6 years of CDWM) and fairly consistantly good.

Handmade: Best British Woodworker may also appeal if you liked Bake Off and Throwdown. There's also something called A Cut Above which is Candian (I think) chainsaw carvinig which I liked enough to finish.

[Takoma11]

You might also like Three/Four In A Bed (B&B/small hotels owners/managers spend a day/night at each others establishments) or Come Dine With Me (amateur cooks take turns throwing a dinner party.) I'd certainly recommend the early series of both (all of Three In A Bed and the maybe the first 5 or 6 years of CDWM) and fairly consistantly good.

Handmade: Best British Woodworker may also appeal if you liked Bake Off and Throwdown. There's also something called A Cut Above which is Candian (I think) chainsaw carvinig which I liked enough to finish.

Ooh, thanks! People making stuff is my favorite reality genre after team-work challenges.

I was a big fan of the series Making It, which was an American series hosted by Amy Pohler and Nick Offerman.

[WrinkledMind]

The UK is doing a celeb version next year. What I'm hoping is that there's two versions and not just the one celeb one.
Why?
The reason UK's version is the best, because we get people that are so relatable and real.

Unless they pick comedians, cause I have high regards for UK comics & I'm someone who watches a lot of Cat does countdown, taskmaster, would I lie to you etc.
Imagine having someone like Lee Mack or Bob Mortimor in there.

On a side note, Takoma11 I would also add Norway's Traitors to the list. John-Connor has watched the Dutch versions so he might know if they are worth it.
Do not watch Australia second season, unless you want to lose your hair & raise your blood pressure in frustration. The first Aussie season is quite good.


On a side note, I am thinking of watching New Zealand's second season because a lot of folks online have said it's quite good.

Also, I am still interested in hosting a Mafia Game here, which is similar to Traitors, if enough folks are interested.

[honeykid]

Why?
The reason UK's version is the best, because we get people that are so relatable and real.

Because celebs make everything better. :rolleyes: Like I said, I'm hoping this means we get two versions (normal one in Jan and the celeb one later in the year (maybe Easter or Summer) but I fear it won't be the case. I do wonder if there's any concern that a 3rd straight series will lead to people being 'more prepared' and that impacting the show so, rather than doing that and then a celeb version if it goes 'wrong' that a celeb version now means it'll either be a big success or people will be more welcoming/kind to a following 'normal' version.

Honestly, it's more likely to get higher ratings simply because it is celebs. That's the land in which we now abide. :(

[Thursday Next]

They are likely to be such Z list 'celebs' it will be no different to having regular people.

[honeykid]

I doubt they will, actually. It's such a big show that I'd expect them to get some proper people. Although, it depends on what you call Z list? I mean, it's entirely possible that they'll have a great line up which I won't know many of because they'll be from soaps or Social Media/Youtube and, while they're probably a lot more famous than the people I would know, much like Vienna, it means nothing to me. :D

Although, if they are, then it'll be worse as they'll 'think' they're someone and act like it, which will be like watching the US version. :mad:

[WrinkledMind]

Four episodes into the latest UK version. Loving it so far.
Will watch the US version after finishing the UK version. Apparently the US version is also being broadcast.


I watched the Norwegian & Hungarian ones couple of months ago. The latter was fantastic.

[honeykid]

Four episodes into the latest UK version. Loving it so far.
Will watch the US version after finishing the UK version. Apparently the US version is also being broadcast.


I watched the Norwegian & Hungarian ones couple of months ago. The latter was fantastic.

It's a good series so far. I've been interested in how they've made little tweaks to the game to keep people on their toes and make it less predictable (though the people getting off the train had to have the result it did) but otherwise, where this programme really excels (in the UK version, at least) is choosing the contestants. Getting that right, and Claudia hosting, is the main plus that the other versions I've seen just don't have/haven't managed. I'm interested to see how not having those banished reveal whether or not they were traitors will affect the game/decisions. I guess it depends on who's left and how the faithful think they've done/can trust with even less information?

The US verison starts in the UK on Monday on BBC3.

[WrinkledMind]

It was a decent season. Started slow but ended strongly, despite the anti climatic last episode.
& yeah Claudia is a top, top host.



The Seer thing shouldn't have been used at the end. Maybe early in the game, but not the end. It ruined both Charlotte & Francesca's chances. Hope they don't bring it again next year.


Charlotte especially played a top game, except for being just a tad bit greedy with the way she trapped Freddy. Otherwise she would have easily walked to win.


The death match on the other hand was a great addition.



Now onto the US version. However I will wait for the majority of the episodes to land first.

[honeykid]

It was a decent season. Started slow but ended strongly, despite the anti climatic last episode.
& yeah Claudia is a top, top host.

Now onto the US version. However I will wait for the majority of the episodes to land first.
I felt the last episosde suffering was expected because of the rule change they told us about in episode one. I've heard others think it worked well, but for me, the ending was always going to be like that.

From the minute they said that they wouldn't know if the last people were traitors or not when they left I said it'd be just two people, because why would it be anything else? This was made even more certain with the Seer thing, which I agree should've been used earlier (maybe the halfway point? Though I'm still not sold on it being a good thing like everyone else seems to be) as both Charlotte and Frankie were pretty much gone with that once Charlotte was chosen. Had she chosen Alexander (as he wanted) it might've worked? I wasn't sure of the final three, but from the last 5 I'd have chosen who ended up winning because I felt the game meant that had to be the outcome. Alexander already had lots of doubt and the Frankie and Charlotte thing just left the two who were there. It also meant that, from an audience pov, once Charlotte was gone it was done, as they were all faithfuls and I was sure they'd vote until there were two left and even those two were fairly sure about.

Not as good as last series, but not through anything other than bad luck/some poor planning, IMO and still better than any other version I've seen.

I still think the main reason it's the best version I've seen is because none of them know each other (although there's always a couple who do) and the casting is excellent. They have to change it every year, making little tweaks here and there, but so long as that continues and Claudia stays, I think it'll go on for a few more years yet.

I will be interested to see how the UK Celeb version does and whether having two series a year starts to wear at it a bit?