The Traitors Recap: Send in the Clowns

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Danielle’s long-awaited ordeal has come to an end. Having disliked her fellow co-Traitors throughout the season, their departure now allows her to bring in her friend Britney into the ranks. Given that joining Danielle is essentially a choice between joining and perishing, it’s only natural that Britney signs up, despite the current challenging times for Traitors. However, the question remains: what will their initial move as a traitorous pair be? They concur that everyone except Dylan and Dolores, whom they trust, should depart first. But who gets eliminated first is still undecided.

Fortunately, Gabby managed to survive, possibly due to my negotiations with higher powers aimed at securing that specific result. Unfortunately, it was Tom Sandoval who met his end in the night. This turn of events might bring joy to his adversary, Dolores, but I’ll dearly miss Tom’s amusing arrogance. Even as he received word of his demise, he claimed he had seen it coming, given his perceived threat level within the group. “I didn’t know I’d be this good at it,” he quipped about his gameplay, a statement that was both poignant and comical, considering his earlier struggles with the game. However, did Tom truly lose? It’s intriguing to observe how The Traitors can influence a player’s preconceived image, and in this case, I believe the show worked wonders for Tom as it transformed him from an antagonist into a court jester. “For once, you were actually Faithful,” Alan says as he discards Tom’s portrait, a line the show had been waiting to use all season.

Following breakfast, there’s usually a lot of plotting going on throughout the castle, with Danielle and Gabby being the main subjects of most conversations. Danielle and Dylan seem interested in Gabby, while Gabby is justifiably wary of Danielle. Ivar is also keeping an eye on Danielle, which creates a balance. In a tense, dramatic scene, after all the commotion subsides, both women find themselves in the same room, sitting quietly beside each other, sipping their tea.

This week’s mission consists of three parts, featuring amusing characters such as clowns, dolls, and bags filled with unexpected items. However, there’s a surprise twist – even more surprising than the bags full of surprises! The player who accumulates the most gold by the end will be crowned “The Seer,” granting them the unique ability to uncover another player’s true identity. This is an appealing prize for several reasons, as Faithful players may wish to expose a Traitor, while Traitors need it to maintain their cover. Additionally, Alan Cumming, dressed as William Shakespeare, explains these details to the players.

To kick off our adventure, a troop of 15 jesters join me, as it seems Tom Sandoval’s absence left quite a void. As the game progressed, each participant burst the balloons carried by these jesters to uncover if they had hit gold or stumbled upon a dead end. Thankfully, those who hadn’t struck gold were given another chance when faced with the eerie dolls in the next phase of the mission.

Skipping over the nitty-gritty details of each challenge and the cash earnings, let me dive straight into the most intriguing aspect: The third task took us on a fishing expedition for golden coins—coins that were suspiciously nestled within what appeared to be bags of foul-smelling waste. Now, I’m no stranger to discerning quality, but even I wasn’t prepared for Dylan’s description: “These bags were filled with the most putrid-smelling excrement.” The show leaves us hanging as it doesn’t offer much insight into what lies within these bags, a mystery that sends shivers down my spine.

One question that keeps nagging me is where on earth they sourced this mysterious waste—could it possibly belong to Lala?

In the end, Alan reveals that one contestant has amassed the most gold, thereby being crowned the Seer. However, there’s a twist – he won’t disclose this information until after tonight’s meeting, causing Gabby and me to gasp in surprise. It seems these reality stars were made to sift through filth, yet they aren’t even given a proper reveal?

Before the meeting, the group takes a break and starts conversing. Dylan and Gabby, who have a keen understanding of the ongoing situation, discuss their strategies. Gabby presents her argument against Danielle, reminding him of how she almost caught her on the night of the murder. This seems to sway Dylan, who previously had been drawn towards Danielle, but is now beginning to question his feelings. However, as Gabby departs, Danielle arrives for her session with Professor Efron during his office hours. He indicates that it’s looking like a competition between Gabby and Danielle. It’s only when Dylan shows willingness to listen to Gabby’s viewpoint that Danielle reappears, putting on an emotional display worthy of a Daytime Emmy nomination.

In the precarious position of the Traitors, Britney and Danielle initiate the discussion at the roundtable by targetting Gabby, mentioning her exclusive group of Bambis first. However, Gabby anticipates this confrontation and responds vigorously during the discussion, suggesting that Danielle’s criticisms towards Carolyn seemed to stem from personal knowledge, implying another instance of traitors betraying each other. Gabby’s insightful analysis of the situation is spot on, as she also claims to have been kept in the game for moments like this. When Danielle falls back on her go-to defense by stating that she’s loyal (Faithful), Gabby counters with a straightforward “Same,” effectively puncturing Danielle’s favorite weak argument.

For Danielle, there’s a positive development as Dolores speaks up for her and mentions Ivar instead. It’s fascinating that Dolores doesn’t base her decision on strategy or statistics; she votes based on her immediate feelings. Ivar perceives this action as an attack on the “British representative,” another instance in the ongoing series of attacks faced by this underrepresented group (the British people) over time.

It appeared as if Dolores had discarded her vote similar to past instances, but an unexpected twist occurred when the votes were tallied. The competition between Danielle and Gabby seemed set in stone, but Danielle’s decision to vote for Ivar instead of her previous target shifted the race towards Ivar and Danielle. This move by Danielle might be the first strategic decision she made this season, though it’s unclear when she changed her strategy. If we give Danielle the benefit of the doubt, perhaps she and Britney recognized that attempting to win Dolores over wasn’t beneficial and instead decided to join forces with Dolores in discarding a vote to manipulate the numbers. When Britney also voted for Ivar, it suggested some secret agreement between them, although Dylan’s vote for Danielle resulted in a tie.

Alan informs everyone that since the result was a tie, Danielle and Ivar will have another opportunity to present their final arguments. Afterwards, everyone except them will vote again. If the outcome is still a tie, then their situation will be resolved through random means. As of now, we’re uncertain whether it will involve a coin toss, a game like rock-paper-scissors, or possibly someone named Chance who oversees this process.

Essentially, Ivar’s closing comments are straightforward, while Danielle appeals directly to Dylan in an almost pleading manner to alter his vote. As votes are being cast, Britney notices Dolores nod towards Danielle, which she interprets as a sign that Dolores might be switching her vote. However, in her private thoughts, Britney doubts her ability to backstab her friend, despite the critical nature of this decision. I’m surprised, given her reputation, isn’t Britney supposed to be a shrewd player? It seems she might falter at the last minute due to it being her friend… Poor show!

Though I was convinced Dolores would switch sides, her revealing her vote left me stunned – just like Dylan, she remained steadfast in her decision. As my jaw dropped upon learning that Dolores still voted for Ivar, I realized the outcome hinges on my own vote. However, I didn’t expect the unexpected twist when the episode concluded unexpectedly. I had thought the votes would remain unchanged, leading to another tie, but Britney’s intense reaction to Dolores’s vote leaves me pondering and hoping for something intriguing. Could it be that my misjudgment of Dolores might prompt a significant shift in her alliances and lead her to turn on her fellow Traitors? Here’s hoping!

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2025-02-28 08:28