Series three of The Traitors begins with an totally gutting twist. Effectively, technically it begins with Claudia Winkleman opening a drawer of equivalent pairs of pink fingerless leather-based gloves whereas conversing with an owl (sure, the present’s ludicrously camp Highland gothic vibe continues to be in full swing), however after that it’s emotional disembowelment all the best way.
As per custom, a brand new cohort of gamers meet on a steam practice, the place they merrily bond. Not like earlier sequence, nevertheless, this journey is a take a look at: there are 25 passengers on board, publicizes Winkleman over the general public tackle system because the practice slows to a standstill, however solely room for 22 contestants on the present itself: every of the three carriages should eject one individual or lose as much as £10,000 from the prize fund. Everybody sits in awkward silence till three noble souls take one for the staff and clamber on to the tracks. Certainly this may’t actually be the tip of the sport for our self-sacrificial trio? Is there no reward for such altruism? Is the world actually so morally mindless?! Sure, because it seems. As hope for some form of amnesty dwindles, the message turns into crystal clear: in The Traitors, goodness will get you nowhere.
This completely galling opener – all of the extra stunning contemplating the misplaced threesome appeared like potential all-time basic contestants – proves that after the success of sequence one (a word-of-mouth hit) and sequence two (a conversation-dominating behemoth), The Traitors is just not resting on its laurels. As a examine of human behaviour – of deception, manipulation, self-preservation – it stays fascinating. As maybe one of the best instance of social experiment-style actuality TV, it has cemented its place within the cultural firmament.
By now, anybody with a passing curiosity in actuality tv might be aware of The Traitors: in an immaculate Scottish fort, Winkleman – invariably clad in some mixture of tweed jacket, kilt, fingerless gloves and knitwear so ridiculously chunky that French and Saunders got here out of TV retirement to parody it – secretly anoints a trio of traitors, who’re tasked with murdering one of many remaining faithfuls every night time. In flip, the faithfuls should sniff out and vote to banish alleged traitors throughout a day by day roundtable ceremony. In the event that they succeed, they may share a jackpot of as much as £120,000; if there are any traitors left on the finish of the present, they take dwelling all the cash.
As signposted by the opening stunt, not every little thing is enterprise as typical: within the ultimate, banished contestants will now not reveal their traitor/trustworthy standing as they go away. Whether or not that is progress stays to be seen, however the present has additionally developed in additional constructive methods. Initially, a part of the attraction of The Traitors was its lack of cynicism: actuality TV has lengthy been dominated by wannabe influencers and manufactured drama; this sequence noticed a very numerous solid genuinely absorbed within the recreation. It nonetheless feels just like the producers have chosen contestants who need the expertise itself somewhat than a post-show bump for his or her socials (although final 12 months’s villains, Harry and Paul, now have their very own podcast, whereas trustworthy Diane parlayed her recognition right into a stint on Movie star MasterChef). But it’s apparent even in episode one which the gamers are savvier in terms of the format itself.
In earlier sequence, rooting out traitors usually amounted to random victimisation, however this 12 months’s contestants have discovered classes and techniques. Many appear hypersensitive to the behaviour, physique language and brass neck of the traitors – however they’ve additionally noticed methods to fly underneath the radar in terms of murders and misplaced suspicion. That’s why well-spoken Londoner Charlotte is placing on a Welsh accent (“it’s one of the reliable accents”), ex-soldier Leanne is pretending to be a nail technician and 62-year-old priest Lisa is retaining her occupation a secret (mendacity is ok as a result of “I’m a priest, not a saint”).
For many who nonetheless consider actuality TV could be really edifying, The Traitors is manna from heaven: shedding mild on how individuals lie and the way simply others are taken in, how barely perceptible slips may give individuals away and how briskly herd mentality and conspiracy theories can take maintain has actual sociological value. There’s a sheen of niceness that also clings to the UK model (many bumbling apologies are exchanged throughout witch-hunts), however for all its cosy aesthetics, there’s nothing heat and fuzzy about this programme. Loyalty and kindness are invariably taken benefit of; intelligence and distinction are threats to be neutralised. “It’s brutal right here, isn’t it?” says Winkleman, after the primary homicide. It’s – however that’s what makes its insights so useful; The Traitors is only a microcosm of the actual world.
The Traitors aired on BBC One and is on iPlayer now.