Rob Did It His Way

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Just how upset was Maura Higgins with Rob Rausch after he broke his promise? She confronted him with a memorable and funny outburst, calling him out after he confessed to being a Traitor. In the heat of the moment, she even said he’d likely never find a girlfriend, but quickly followed it up with a begrudging acknowledgment of his clever gameplay (“Fair play, though”). Later, she admitted with a laugh that while he was a “really bad man,” she respected his ability to play the game. Despite his deceptive tactics, Rob ultimately followed the rules and played a skillfully wicked game.

Rob didn‘t fit neatly into either of the show’s main groups – the experienced gamers or the cast from The Real Housewives. Even though he was there with another Love Islander, Maura, he ended up lumped with other players who were either solo representatives from their shows (Dancing With the Stars‘ Mark Ballas, Top Chef‘s Kristen Kish) or celebrities not known for reality TV (musician Eric Nam, Olympians Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir). Being a ‘Faithful’ – someone trying to identify the ‘Traitors’ – is tough when you don’t have many allies, but it actually suited Rob, who was secretly a Traitor. He was able to eliminate players without raising suspicion. While others tried to create complicated theories about gamers or Housewives being the Traitors, Rob played a subtle game, building quiet relationships but always ready to betray someone when it benefited him.

What makes the American version of The Traitors so compelling – and sometimes irritating – is often the lack of strategic play. Most of the ‘Faithful’ players seem to rely on gut feelings rather than careful planning. When strategies do appear, they’re often inconsistent. Players frequently change their minds, which makes the roundtable discussions both exciting and frustrating to watch. In the latest season, the Faithful could have had a better chance if they hadn’t repeatedly gotten sidetracked by random ideas during these discussions – this ultimately led to the downfall of even skilled players like Natalie Anderson from Survivor, as they consistently let their emotions guide their decisions.

Rob rarely showed his anger. The only time he really lost his cool was during a challenge when he got upset about losing a shield. He generally remained calm and reserved. He did vote to eliminate fellow Traitors Lisa Rinna and Candiace Dillard Bassett, but they were already under suspicion. While he could have tried to protect them once they were targeted, The Traitors is a game of survival. He needed to stay in the game, and that meant making difficult decisions at crucial moments. He betrayed almost everyone on the show, and even though he genuinely seemed to like some of the cast, his dismissive farewell to Tara after her elimination felt particularly harsh.

Honestly, watching the reunion, Candiace really pushed this idea – something she and Lisa had already been saying online – that Rob cheated by telling Colton he was a Traitor. It was actually more upsetting for him to hear that accusation than losing the silly plushy challenge! He kept reminding everyone there were clear rules. It’s tempting to paint Rob as some master manipulator, even a misogynist, but he betrayed everyone, not just the women. He totally blindsided his best friend, Colton! And after constantly saying Mark trusted him, he essentially signed Mark’s death warrant too. The biggest shock, though? He even double-crossed Eric, his fellow Traitor, in the finale! While Maura’s reaction was heartbreaking, Rob just played a ruthless game. He saw everyone as a pawn, and he wasn’t afraid to eliminate them, one by one, until it was just him left standing.

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2026-02-27 19:59