The Traitors season three was a rollercoaster – but here’s how it could be even better in the fourth season (Picture: BBC / Studio Lambert)
Another year of intrigue, betrayal and plot twists is behind us but with anticipation already building for The Traitors season four, here’s how they can stick the landing.
The BBC reality series has grown in popularity year after year with its unique brand of addictive gameplay and fascinating insight into the minds of ordinary Britons placed in a high-stakes murder mystery situation.
The third season of the Claudia Winkleman-helmed show peaked at over 10 million viewers nationwide, all locked in to see who would rise victorious out of the Faithfuls and the Traitors.
And this year included plenty of memorable moments that will go down in reality TV history from Linda Rands’ heroically terrible acting as a Traitor to British diplomat Alexander Dragonetti wooing the nation.
Oh, and who can forget Charlotte Berman’s chaotic trajectory from a fake Welsh woman to being a completely ruthless Traitor?
However, all great things come at a price and with a fourth season already confirmed there are a few small tweaks the show needs to make to remain the must-watch reality show of the decade.
Fewer twists
There were so many twists and turns that the heart of the show almost got lost (Picture: BBC / Studio Lambert)
Since the very beginning, the show has been known for its twists and turns, from the contestants who got booted out by Claudia in season one episode one to Diane’s poisoned chalice in season two.
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But the latest season had so many twists, it became almost difficult to keep up. The show started by kicking three contestants – Alexander, Fozia Fazil and Jack Marriner-Brown – off the train in an unlucky turn of events.
In another twist, they had to fight for their lives after being suspended in the air in cages – with only two making it out on the other side.
If that wasn’t enough, there was then a deathmatch (involving the ill-fated Fozia and Alexander) which shook things up once again.
Not to mention the entire Seer twist upending the game in the final episodes, compounded by the newest season three rule – to not announce your identity after being banished in the final.
Although the twists are a hugely fun and important element of the tense game – season four could probably benefit by slimming down on them to make it easier to follow and less stacked against certain contestants.
No Seer
Needless to say, The Seer twist was very controversial (Picture: BBC)
This leads us nicely to one of the most contentious choices of the third season. The introduction of The Seer role (in this case given to Faithful Frankie Rowan-Plowden) in the penultimate episode has left a sour taste in the mouths of many fans.
Not only did it mean Charlotte faced a near-impossible uphill battle in the finale but it also pretty much guaranteed that the poor person picked to use this power would also get banished ‘just in case’.
Some have called for the twist to be scrapped entirely in the next season, or if it returns then with heavy adjustments. For example, the Seer could be anonymous so they are protected from backlash or it could be introduced earlier on in the game so the finale is not as disrupted.
However, once marred with the Traitor brush it is difficult to claw your way back – so perhaps it’s best to chuck it all out.
Financial penalty for banishing Faithful in the final
The ending of season three proved there needs to be more financial incentive to keep Faithfuls (Picture: BBC / Studio Lambert)
After banishing Charlotte following the Seer twist, the final four had to decide to end the game only when they were sure there were no Traitors left. A task made all the more difficult by the fact that no one was allowed to know each other’s true identity upon banishment.
However, as we watched play out, our four firepit Faithfuls were whittled down to two (Jake Brown and Leanne Quigley) in a bout of paranoia.
In order to make an all-Faithful ending higher stakes, and avoid seeing Faithfuls needlessly banished, it could be worth including a financial penalty every time a Faithful is voted out in the final.
Not only would this make people think twice before choosing to banish again, but it also means there is less financial incentive to simply banish to get a bigger share of the money.
Better Faithfuls
The Traitors season three Faithfuls were a temperamental bunch (Picture: BBC / Studio Lambert)
It’s difficult to deny that this season had a cutthroat bunch of Faithfuls who were regularly pointing fingers at the wrong people. There was a distinct lack of camaraderie – from the clique discourse to the moments that felt a little too personal.
Several strong Faithfuls also got the boot for varying, sometimes troubling, reasons. For example, Kas Ahmed’s banishment felt uncomfortable to watch with sinister insinuations about his character that went beyond the game.
Although it seems like some contestants did grow strong bonds together (Linda and Lisa Coupland went to Alex Oleksy’s wedding and Frankie said she would rather Joe had made it to the final over her), we didn’t get to see much of it on screen – making it difficult to root for many of them.
A secret relationship
The show has previously thrived after the involvement of a secret relationship (Picture: BBC)
In season one, we saw the dramatic breakfast table confession after Alex Grey and Tom Elderfield admitted they were in a relationship – leading to shocked gasps and floods of tears.
And who can forget in season two, Diane Carson dropped one of the most iconic lines of the show so far… ‘Paul just couldn’t be my son… but Ross is’.
The mic drop moment was delightful to watch as a viewer and even more exciting to watch pan out in the castle, knowing the other contestants were in the dark.
This season we did have a relationship in the castle between sisters Armani and Maia Gouveia, but they made their family connection clear from the start. So it was less shocking to watch it unfold when they ended up on opposite sides.
And it meant there were plenty of fan theories flying around that there could be another relationship in the castle like Lisa and Alex being mother and son or Charlotte and Alexander actually being married.
Although none of them came true, the consensus is clear – the people are yearning for the return of a secret relationship.
Bring back who is a Faithful or Traitor in the final
This new rule had a massive knock-on effect (Picture: BBC / Studio Lambert)
As previously mentioned, the repercussions of not sharing whether you are a Faithful or a Traitor in the final have been rough to witness – with Frankie and Alexander taking the brunt of the impact in the finale.
Although it was meant to raise the stakes, in many ways this was the least tense finale since the show started, instead just ramping up the paranoia to a self-destructive level.
It meant Faithfuls were banished in a panic to make sure all the bases were covered, rather than relying on their logic and reason to end the game.
A secret Traitor
It’s time to introduce a highly-requested element – a secret Traitor (Picture: Cody Burridge/BBC/Studio Lambert/PA Wire)
Last, but certainly not least, we have our entry for the big twist next season. A secret Traitor.
A rogue wolf among the pack that even the audience is unaware of makes it more interactive and compelling to keep watching.
It’s a suggestion that has been floating around the fanbase for a while and, if the BBC are keen to include a shock twist, they could be onto the money with this one.
Although it may be difficult to pull off, the adrenaline ride for viewers could offer a sweet satisfaction and be just the boost the show needs to keep it fresh for a fourth year running.
The Traitors is available to stream on BBC iPlayer now.
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