I have only known about The Traitors for about two years, but I consider myself a superfan. I have seen every English language version — that I know of (Australia, Canada, the UK, and the US). I adore the show so much that I zoomed through The Traitors Season 1 on Peacock within a couple of days. I loved it as much as the other versions, but The Traitors Season 2 has taken that love to obsession status.
Arguably The Traitors is one of the best reality TV shows created within the last five years. Having seen many different versions of the series, I can say with full confidence that every adaptation of the show is captivating television. However, The Traitors Season 2 US and UK have been the most gripping thus far. Every Thursday, I gladly wait until 8 pm CST to watch The Traitors on Peacock. I haven’t been this dedicated to scheduled viewing since the final Season of Succession.
And let me explain why.
Minor The Traitors Season 2 Spoilers Ahead. Proceed with caution.
It’s Full Of Reality TV Stars Who Know How To Make Good TV
I usually only watch reality TV competition shows, so I am familiar with The Challenge, Survivor, and Big Brother contestants. I don’t know much about the Real Housewives and other Bravo stars. I started the season very excited to see players such as Dan Gheesling, Sandra Diaz-Twine, and C.T. Tamburello on The Traitors. After the first episode of Season 2, I was completely sold on the Real Housewives and their ability to create iconic moments with minimal effort.
Now, I can’t wait to meet more of them on a potential The Traitors Season 3. Peacock started Season 2 with a bang by casting some of the greatest reality TV stars of all time. The Traitors Season 2 cast all deliver entertainment, whether it’s from their strategic prowess or just ridiculous antics. There are no duds.
The Traitors Season 1 had great reality TV stars such as Cirie Fields and Rachel Reilly, but the non-reality TV players (minus a couple) faded into the background. They just didn’t bring the same level of entertainment that professional reality TV stars bring. Peacock made the right decision by limiting the Season 2 cast to reality TV stars. The results speak for themselves.
I Am Rooting For All The Traitors
Every season of The Traitors I have watched has made me either completely root against the Traitors or root for one Traitor and want the others to experience a downfall. With The Traitors Season 2, I am rooting for each Traitor. None of them have annoyed me (yet) to the point where I can’t wait until their game implodes. Now, I have seen enough of The Traitors to know that most likely one or more of them will be caught way before the finale.
This will be a hard pill to swallow because I want all of them to make it to the end, despite the unlikelihood of it. By episode 2 of The Traitors Season 1, I was only rooting for one Traitor to succeed. I will be sadder about the Season 2 Traitors’ loss than any Faithful’s death or banishment.
The Bravo Stars Against The Gamers Is Compelling Television
The Traitors Season 2 Episode 4 introduced the idea of the Gamers against the Bravo stars. Unlike Season 1, or really any season of The Traitors I’ve watched, the house has divided into alliances. There are three sides, but the main fractions going against one another are the Bravo stars and the Gamers. As you can probably guess, the Gamers consist of players who usually have been on strategizing series before (The Challenge, Big Brother, Survivor) and the Bravo stars are Real Housewives and those from the Bravo universe.
It’s a battle of wits. I am interested to see who ends up winning out between these two feuding sides. Both consist of players who have enough influence to sway the tides their way. We’re seeing this division take form, currently, most prevalently in the Phaedra Parks and Parvati Shallow battle. I believe (and hope) the tension continues to mount as each side tries to outsmart the other side.
Peacock Increased The Production Value On The Traitors Season 2
The Traitors UK Season 2 and The Traitors US Season 2 have a lot of overlap with their challenges. However, both shows produce different results. This makes them both feel unique and impressive. It seems like the production team on both series really wanted to create dynamic challenges to make them as interesting as the Faithfuls and Traitors drama.
I remember some of the challenges from The Traitors Season 1, but The Traitors Season 2 challenges have been a lot more interesting and memorable. Most of them have just been elevated versions of the ones from Season 1, somehow the minor tweaks work.
As A Big Brother Fan, I Want To Know If Dan Gheesling Can Win On Another Reality Show
Dan Gheesling's return to reality TV was a big draw for me. Of course, I was going to watch The Traitors Season 2 with or without Dan, but his return made it an even more exciting season. Dan is one of the best Big Brother players of all time. He’s also one of the most entertaining. The man hosted his funeral and turned the game in his favor. This was after being in isolation for 24 hours. Dan is a great strategist and a showman. I was ecstatic to see him bring his antics to The Traitors.
Even if Dan doesn’t make it far on The Traitors, his return still lived up to the anticipation. It reminded me of why he was so enjoyable to watch on two seasons of Big Brother. Unfortunately, I don’t believe Dan will ever return to Big Brother, so I am just glad I (and many other Big Brother fans) got to see him play at least one more reality TV competition show.
The Weekly Format Builds Anticipation
The Traitors Season 1 made the critical blunder of releasing the entire season at once. Netflix and some other streaming services have proved that reality TV shows on streaming platforms work best in a weekly format. They can be released in batches weekly or an episode a week. Shows like The Traitors are perfect for social media (and in-person) discussions. They have memorable moments that people constantly chat about, turn into gifs, post video reactions to, debate, and more.
A Weekly format just adds to the social chatter and builds the audience. I am someone who likes both the binge and weekly format, but I think weekly episodes make a show more exciting. You don’t have to worry about spoilers from people who stay up all night binging a show. You also can discuss the show in real time because the limited availability of episodes means everyone has the same amount of information. The wait adds to the anticipation.
The Traitors Season 2 continues to be one of the best reality TV shows currently airing. If you haven’t watched it yet, you can stream it on Peacock.
Stream The Traitors on Thursdays at 9ET/8CT on Peacock.
