The Traitors wrapped up Season 3 not long ago, and while we know Season 4 is happening, we don't know when to expect it. As someone who binged the entire series so far with my Peacock subscription, I was desperate to fill the void, and I found a show that does exactly that.
Those also needing to find a new, exciting reality show need look no further than Million Dollar Secret. This series, currently streaming for those with a Netflix subscription, is the streamer's answer to The Traitors, and while it's not an exact copy of the beloved competition series, I think its well worth a watch and even does a few things better, which Alan Cumming's show could learn from.
Million Dollar Secret Is Netflix's Answer To The Traitors, And It Delivers
Million Dollar Secret has enough of the DNA of The Traitors to keep fans interested, but enough to differentiate itself to be something else entirely. The game starts with twelve contestants who stay at "The Stag," a manor they are invited to by host and comedian Peter Serafinowicz, who wants to make one of them a millionaire overnight. The problem is that only one person will get the million and walk away with it at the end.
While the more established show is centered around Traitors holding their roles until the end of the game, MDS is best described as a game of "hot potato." Whoever is given the million has the chance to complete a secret task, which will either grant them an advantage or an opportunity to pass the money off to someone else. This is important because the other competitors are often given clues to the millionaire's identity, so holding on to the money in the early stages is not beneficial.
MDS replicates the roundtable format of The Traitors and, surprisingly, gives us just as much drama as we saw between Boston Rob and Bob The Drag Queen. The contestants must vote on who to eliminate, but there's a twist, in that the millionaire may have an advantage that influences the outcome, or another player might also have an advantage. It creates a lot of chaos, where no one knows what will happen, and the millionaire may swap the money out immediately after. Contestants are forced to stay on their toes, which keeps the tension thick.
Million Dollar Secret Has Cracked The Code With Challenges, Which Is Something The Traitors Still Struggles With
I've written about my issues with the challenges in The Traitors and how they feel largely disconnected from the game, aside from adding more money to the grand prize. Million Dollar Secret doesn't have that same problem, with every challenge presented so that it will impact the game somehow. The primary challenge is that each one grants the winning team a chance to send a person to the trophy room and get a clue toward the millionaire's identity.
The primary advantage is that it drives conversation and forces the players to play more aggressively. If someone is told that one of the four winners is the millionaire, it helps them determine or rule out someone they already believed might the millionaire. If the person who goes into the trophy room is actually the millionaire, they can always lie about what they heard and deflect attention from themselves if necessary.
I usually tune the challenges out on Traitors because they do little to impact the exciting part of the game: the elimination segment. Everything in the Peacock series should work in service to the most exciting part. While MDS creates a bit of randomness in contestants deciding who to send home, it gets the challenges right. That has quickly made it worthy of being one of Netflix's best reality shows to binge watch, especially with it arriving at a time when its competition is not running new episodes.
Million Dollar Secret Doesn't Have Celebrity Contestants, But The Cast Is Really Good
Some people love The Traitors for the drama, but many also love it because it's a way of seeing all their favorite reality television stars on one show. I get the appeal of a celebrity cast, especially when they pull people who are as entertaining (and eager for their money) as Gabby Windey. Now, I have to wonder how she'd fare in this game, having the money and potentially losing it to stay in the game.
I have to tip my hat to the casting agent responsible for Million Dollar Secret because they compiled the best Season 1 cast to show us all the possibilities of this game. It doesn't take long to fall in love with these dynamic players, regardless of how long they're in the series. I hope we see a few on other reality shows when this series finally ends.
While I love how the Netflix series emulates The Traitors, I do have one note that makes the show slightly less enjoyable than the Peacock hit. Because the million dollars is passed around like a hot potato, it makes the whole practice of eliminating people fruitless if there's no real incentive to find the millionaire in each round. I would argue that players don't need to see who has the money, assuming they can keep a target off their back and get their hands on it when the time is right.
Aside from that, I think anyone desperate for more reality television fun is going to love Million Dollar Secret and make it their new television obsession at least until The Traitors Season 4. So, if you're in the market for something new, check out what I think is one of the best shows on the 2025 Netflix schedule.
Million Dollar Secret Season 1 is underway, with new episodes arriving on Netflix on Wednesdays. Gear up for the final batch of episodes on April 9th, and see who is going to win the million after it's passed around a fair amount.
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