The Traitors Is Playing Its Villain Game Perfectly

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Spoilers ahead for the two most recent episodes of The Traitors season four.

Michael Rapaport, who quickly became known as the most obvious “traitor” on the show, was finally voted out after five episodes of being intimidating and confrontational. The person who led the charge to eliminate him was Colton Underwood, considered by many, especially fans of The Bachelor, to be the season’s second biggest villain. The final discussion of episode five turned into a heated argument, with Michael desperately trying to turn the group against Colton, while the rest of the cast seemed determined to get rid of him. In the end, Colton succeeded, and when Michael revealed he wasn’t actually a traitor, the others barely reacted, seemingly happy to see him go.

Reality competition shows often avoid casting openly antagonistic contestants these days, which makes Michael Rapaport a refreshing throwback. He’s been a classic villain – reminiscent of an old America’s Next Top Model contestant who thrives on upsetting others, or a Real World housemate who gets removed simply because everyone gets tired of their behavior. He targeted the Housewives he pretended to admire, relentlessly accused Survivor’s Yam Yam Arocho, and was so disruptive that even experienced player Rob Cesternino voted against him early on, not because he thought Michael was a traitor, but because his presence was hindering the team’s ability to think. From the very beginning, Michael was drawing complaints – people couldn’t even concentrate with him around!

By the fifth episode, Michael had shifted his suspicion from Yam Yam to Colton, who had been a key player in eliminating fan favorite Tiffany Mitchell. While Michael was incorrect, his reasoning wasn’t completely off-base. Tiffany’s suspicions – that Yam Yam, Ron Funches, and even Michael were Traitors – also proved wrong. What’s been impressive early in the season is the strong gameplay from both the Faithful and the Traitors. Rob Rausch is mostly relying on gut feelings, but his fellow Traitor, Candiace Dillard Bassett, is convincingly playing the role of a Faithful and actively trying to identify the Traitors. This week, Kristen Kish gathered allies and clues to target Colton, while Colton built a logical case against Michael, noting that three of those who voted against him had already been eliminated. Both were wrong, but even when the guesses are incorrect, it’s good to see players thinking strategically. Unlike some seasons where players simply accuse those they dislike (though Dorinda Medley is doing that with Ron), most people are genuinely playing the game. And Colton is spot-on about Lisa Rinna, recognizing that her quietness during discussions is unusual for her.

Colton’s natural strategic sense and ability to lead others position him as a bold player, willing to take risks on behalf of more cautious contestants like Mark and Stephen. However, those same instincts reveal a less appealing side – an arrogance and tendency to talk down to others, as seen when he questioned Tiffany’s name during a roundtable discussion. Many viewers already know this side of Colton. The show has highlighted his athletic background and his journey coming out as gay, but it hasn’t shied away from his past, including stalking allegations related to a former Bachelor girlfriend. When he became confrontational with Tiffany, it reinforced a villainous image that many fans were already anticipating.

As the episode continued, even though many viewers disliked Colton, it became harder and harder to not want Michael to face consequences. Leading up to the group discussion, he angrily moved around the house, accusing Colton of failing to lead the vote regarding Tiffany and demanding he apologize and be quiet. Ironically, Michael didn’t seem to realize how his own aggressive blaming – as Candiace perfectly put it, simply shouting – only made the others side with Colton.

By the time the group discussion happened, Michael was behaving a lot like Donald Trump, creating catchy, repetitive nicknames for Colton, whom he called “Conniving, Commiserating, Colluding Colton.” He kept repeating that Colton’s false claim about Tiffany had left her “crazy, sad, and alone,” seemingly intending it as sympathy, though it’s unlikely Tiffany would have seen it that way. As accusations continued to fly, Michael stated that Colton was uniquely good at keeping secrets, which many people – especially those who identified as LGBTQ+ – understood as a pointed reference to the 29 years Colton had spent concealing his sexuality.

Michael’s time on the show was essentially over. While Colton has his issues, it became clear who the bigger problem was in this situation. When even commentators like Johnny Weir and Eric Nam started pointing out Michael’s problematic behavior and said the show would be better off without him—regardless of his team—it was a clear sign of his fate. The most memorable moment of the episode (and arguably the season) was Rob calling out Michael for misusing the word ‘commiserating.’ Rob explained that ‘commiseration’ means feeling sorry for someone, a definition backed up by Merriam-Webster! By the time Alan Cumming announced the end of discussion, Michael was just angrily throwing out random accusations (“Colluding! Isolating! Crazy, sad, and alone!”). Cumming’s declaration that it was time to stop talking felt especially powerful. In the end, Michael received eleven votes to be eliminated, compared to just five for Ron.

Even though Michael Rapaport was often abrasive, spoke harshly, and didn’t always use proper grammar, he undeniably brought a lot of energy to the first five episodes. The beginning of a season of Traitors can be slow and confusing, with the ‘Faithful’ players having little information and mostly just reacting to each other’s actions. Michael’s difficult personality and confrontational style made him a target, which ultimately encouraged the rest of the cast to start playing more strategically and competitively.

It’s deeply satisfying to see someone so clearly echoing Trump’s style face the results of their words and behavior. As Johnny Weir put it, it’s a simple message: “I don’t care who you are – just leave.” Somewhere, it’s still possible to say, “Enough is enough. You’ve made things difficult for us, so please go away.” So thank you, Michael Rapaport, for playing the role of the bad guy we needed to see defeated, even if it meant dealing with a slightly better alternative.

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2026-01-16 22:57