Staff Writer Victoria Urwick investigates the plausible reasons behind ‘The Traitors’ success, considering why betrayal and deceit are so pleasurable to watch.
The third series of ‘The Traitors’ took the country by storm on New Year’s Day. Presented by Claudia Winkleman, this reality television show continues to be a hit for BBC One, with the finale watched live by 7.4 million viewers. The series places 25 strangers in the beautiful surroundings of Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands – the 19th-century estate located on the banks of the River Alness, close to the north of Inverness.
At first, Claudia Winkleman selects some of the contestants to be ‘Traitors’ who must ‘murder’ a player every night. Meanwhile, the rest of the players – the ‘Faithful’ – must try to catch the Traitors by banishing one every night. They are all competing for a prize pot of up to £120,000 and if any Traitors remain at the end of the game, they take all the money. The series is built on deceit, with almost everyone lying, be that about their identities as Traitors, hiding their real profession or faking a Welsh accent to attempt to appear more trustworthy. But what makes this game centred around backstabbing, lies and deception such a success?
On the surface, the answer is obvious, looking at the show’s highly theatrical nature: from the hooded robes the Traitors sport over dramatic music, to the wall of pictures of the players in which their faces are dramatically crossed out after murders and banishments from the castle. The high camp qualities are manifested in Claudia Winkleman, through her fringe, outfits, red leather gloves, side comments to the camera and the enthusiasm she shows throughout. New twists were added in the third series keeping the show fresh, notably a ‘death match’ between four players chosen by the Traitors and the controversial power of the ‘Seer’ to discover the true identity of one player.
Unlike other reality shows, ‘The Traitors’ features contestants of all ages and backgrounds, with this season including a 20 year old Politics student, a 62 year old Anglican priest and a 38 year old former British diplomat. Many have noble reasons for competing, hoping to win the prize money for their families. It becomes easy to find a player to root for – and just as easy to find one to dislike. This is the psychological reason why the series is so popular: it provides insights into human behaviour.
As viewers, we are informed about everyone’s true identities and secrets. We even know what their thoughts or plans are from the short interviews interjected between scenes, such as when a Traitor is prepared to throw a fellow Traitor under the bus. We can revel at the cleverness of a Traitor who manages to fly under the radar, subtly shift suspicions away from themselves and plant seeds of doubt about other players. Thus, much of the audience’s enjoyment comes from the delicious dramatic irony as the Faithful incorrectly speculate on who they believe to be Traitors. We cannot help but laugh at the Faithfuls’ incompetence as they fail to catch Traitors and come up with nonsensical theories, including one player’s medical profession being deemed suspicious.
Since any action could cause suspicion, the competition is incredibly tense. The players are completely immersed in the game, isolated from their normal day to day lives in the Scottish Highlands. They are forced to form bonds with each other, especially in the physically challenging games or ‘missions’ in which they compete for the money to build up the prize fund. Occasionally, someone has to decide between sacrificing their chance of grabbing the coveted shield which protects them from that night’s murder, and the greater good of the group. The constant scrutiny culminates in the emotional roundtables, where all the players vote to banish a person, which often ends in tears.
The ability to study human nature under such immense pressure explains why the series captivated the UK. It is filled with emotion, unpredictability and uncertainty to the very last minute. While the audience is immediately informed about who is who, we can’t help but wonder how we ourselves would behave as players and whether we’d be able to spot a Traitor. Moreover, the strategic release of episodes three days a week over four weeks adds to the series’ success and builds up excitement. ‘The Traitors’ has became appointment viewing in a way few shows can in the age of streaming.
Hungry for more? BBC iPlayer is currently showing ‘The Traitors USA’, where Claudia Winkleman’s role is played by one of Scotland’s best actors, Alan Cumming.
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