The Traitors Recap: Powder Keg

by

The individual who placed Carolyn on the show deserves a Peabody award; she’s exceptional, and while I empathize with her struggles, I enjoy observing her responses. Following rumors last week that Danielle has been awkwardly trying to become the final Traitor, Carolyn promptly challenges her in the turret. Interestingly, Danielle is so inept at this game that she can’t even deny it, leading to an immediate verbal exchange between them. However, Rob intervenes shortly after. Despite her distrust, neither of them anymore, Carolyn declares that she only wants to eliminate them. “This feels like a family,” Danielle claims, which may sound irrational, but given the circumstances, it does have a strange ring of truth. But can this troubled and potentially lethal family find a way to mend their wounds? With her strategy falling apart, Danielle proposes starting anew and vows to rectify the situation. Given their limited options, a truce is negotiated.

If they can’t harm each other, who else might they target? The potential candidates are Wes and Bob Harper, both of whom harbor suspicions towards Rob, and Ivar, whom everyone trusts implicitly and believes will not face banishment due to his Faithfulness. Following a serene sequence of footage featuring a badger, the day progresses with breakfast. However, their spirits are dampened when they discover that Bob H., one of the two Bobs in the game, has unfortunately met his demise. They continue to call him Bob H. as a reminder of the original two Bobs and find it amusing, which gives the entire scenario a playful, elementary-school atmosphere. Ironically, if an elementary school were playing this game, they would likely outperform some of these participants.

For instance, similar to Tom Sandoval, one might recall a situation where he believed he could be in danger, only for Gabby to clarify that the Traitors wouldn’t harm him because they find his foolishness amusing. To illustrate, shortly after this revelation, Tom shares his suspicion with Britney that Dolores is a Traitor. Now imagine if Tom were to somehow force Dolores Catania out of this game, the retribution he would incur from me would eclipse even the infamous Scandoval scandal. If he thought public condemnation was harsh, wait until you see what happens when he causes harm to a single hair on Dolores’s head. Fortunately, most people view him as an idiot, and nobody takes his accusations seriously; however, they do inform Dolores, who is dressed like the Quaker Oats man but with a chic twist.

However, Boston Rob’s name is gaining credibility, as his former allies Wes and Derrick believe he’s a traitor. Yet, the key lies in selecting the optimal time to strike – if they decide to confront him, it must be an undeniable victory, without a doubt.

In the meantime, Britney informs Carolyn that someone has been talking about her using her name (implying that Carolyn is involved). Although Britney doesn’t reveal the source, Carolyn suspects it must be Danielle, and we can almost see her anger escalating in the moment. Later on, Gabby verifies to Carolyn that it was indeed Danielle who was planning a smear campaign, effectively ending their recently negotiated truce. The unfortunate part is that this new information comes from yesterday, before they reconciled, and Danielle hadn’t made any fresh moves against Carolyn since then. However, it’s already too late… Carolyn is thirsty for revenge.

At the assembly point for their task, they find a colossal statue of a cloaked Traitor in a field, reminiscent of Elphaba’s image as lit by Glinda during “No One Mourns the Wicked.” Instead of belting out a legendary tune, our team members scatter into groups to search the woods for either protective shields or gunpowder hidden within containers. Contrary to expectations, all three teams initially concentrate on gathering shields instead of prioritizing the gunpowder essential for detonating the statue and potentially earning money.

The issue with deciding a shield collectively is determining who gets to keep it in the end. Carolyn takes their group’s shield from Tom Sandoval, asserting her authority, while other groups resort to rock-paper-scissors. Regardless, they all agree to conceal the true owners to confuse the Traitors about who is safe and who isn’t. However, two out of three groups have Traitors within them, so it’s essential to remember that only Dolores, Derrick, Britney, Sam, Chrishell (who genuinely has one), and Dylan (whom Boston Rob knows also has one) are protected by this secrecy. Additionally, Dylan is included in the shield group.

After securing their safety, they shift their focus to gathering sufficient gunpowder to detonate the figure. However, a wave of worry strikes me. Alan Cumming’s co-host and dog, Lala, is present, elegantly attired as usual – won’t she be frightened by the deafening blast of a big explosion? Let’s cross our fingers that they purchased fashionable canine ear protection. Alternatively, it might be more plausible that the main explosion was predominantly visual effects added later in post-production. Nevertheless, we have triumphed!

At the castle, people dispersed to discuss their ideas and suggest names for the upcoming meeting, yet the most amusing conversation I witnessed was Britney inquiring of Sam, “Don’t you have any happiness in your life? You should give brownies a try.” Such a question and suggestion is fitting for anyone with a physique like Sam. In the meantime, Dolores learns that Tom, who was hunched over the table eating voraciously, has continued to mention her name. She remains composed but appears prepared to take defensive action if necessary.

Regarding Derrick, he’s deeply engaged in his efforts to rally support against Boston Rob, discussing strategies with Ivar and Danielle. However, he’s cautious about Britney, suspecting she may be aligned with Rob and could potentially be a traitor. The anti-Rob alliance appears to be gaining traction, but Chrishell, who you might recall from last week for her ability to sense energies, tips off Rob, thereby ruining the surprise for Derrick and Wes and allowing Rob time to prepare his defense. (Wit: This situation has robbed – in a double meaning of both taking away and revealing – Derrick and Wes of the element of surprise.)

In this scenario, Dolores begins the discussion at the roundtable, choosing to address a less serious accusation against her first. As Tom struggles with his words, she reassures him that the points he’s about to make won’t make sense, and she’s okay with it. This might be confusing for viewers unfamiliar with Housewives, as they may not know that Dolores has a fiery alter ego named Patterson Dolores, after her New Jersey roots. When Patterson Dolores emerges, she doesn’t hold back, calling people “fucking lying cunts” and showing every bulging vein in her forehead. However, in this situation, it’s not Patterson Dolores; instead, it’s a more chilling version of the calm and composed Dolores we’ve seen so far this season. This cool demeanor hides a powerful presence that effortlessly dismantles Sandoval, making light work of him as if flicking off a piece of lint from her shoulder. I eagerly anticipate seeing her take on a formidable opponent in future discussions.

Given that everyone recognizes this idea as preposterous, Derrick swiftly steers the discussion to present his logical and carefully crafted counterargument against Boston Rob. However, Rob anticipates this and counters by spinning a tale of his own, asserting that he’s survived not due to being a Traitor, but because the Traitors aim to implicate him – and the only individual cunning enough to orchestrate such a daring scheme… is Wes. Whenever a name is dramatically mentioned like that, I can’t help but imagine a dramatic “Dun! Dun! Dun!” sound effect.

However, much like Rob, Wes is equally well-prepared and vividly remembers the pivotal moment near the statues which ignited this entire situation – when Bob the Drag Queen publicly criticized the newcomers. Wes astutely recognizes that instance as the spark that led to Rob’s betrayal of his fellow traitors. While we, as spectators, acknowledge his accuracy, his fellow players view it merely as speculation.

To Chrishell, Wes appears quite assertive, and it’s concerning. When the topic arises, Wes promises to change his behavior, but simultaneously warns anyone who writes his name down, stating he’ll be watching them closely. This remark causes others to look uneasy, Boston Rob smirks, and Derrick sighs. With that careless comment, he has alienated everyone with his threat.

The outcome of the vote is extremely close, with only one vote separating Rob and Wes from a tie – but in the end, Wes resorted to intimidation which led him out of the game. In the honesty circle, he boasts about being the most successful person present – overlooking Dolores’ eight consecutive wins on “The Real Housewives of New Jersey.” As he departs, he claims to be a Faithful and exclaims “Fuck all of you,” flipping them off, behaving like a spoiled child.

The outcome of the vote has left nearly everyone in a complicated predicament. Derrick is terrified that Rob might harm him during the night, but the Traitors have more pressing matters to attend to. Despite their agreement, Carolyn voted for Danielle, and Danielle voted for Rob, so the internal conflict escalates. Fortunately for them, their voting patterns will make it difficult for others to decipher their allegiances.

Previously within the turret, there’s no pretense of reconciliation. Directly to Carolyn, it’s revealed that they must pursue Danielle, as Carolyn openly accuses her of aiming to be the last Traitor standing. However, Carolyn’s self-assurance isn’t solely based on deciphering Danielle’s scheme, but on her newfound understanding that she holds the strongest position among all the Traitors. Rob is struggling to survive, Danielle is playing a disastrous game, yet nobody suspects Carolyn as a Traitor at all. It seems that Carolyn is now poised to capitalize on this belief and act freely.

Read More

2025-01-31 06:56