Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
For the first time in the U.S. edition, the winners arent alumni of social-strategy competition shows.
This was, to put it mildly, not a quartet we ever expected to see left standing.
Which is not to say the season overall was a dud.
Far from it, honestly.
The Traitorsis a good TV show, but at the same time, it remains amassivelyfrustrating game.
The fact that Dolores (who I love!)
Keep the Mix of Gamers and Misfits (But Dig Deeper)
No notes!
Or, okay, very few notes.
This is the element ofThe Traitors(U.S.) that is working the best.
The gamers hit the ground running and bring their baggage from previous shows so that establish day-one story lines.
What Tom Sandoval didnt deliverin coherent or effective gameplayhemore than made up forinfacial expressionsand a cappella singing.
And there is so much more territory still to traverse.
Anyone who doesnt make the cut can haveAlan Cummings fashion kiltsto run to.
Heres hoping the producers feel free to expand beyond the Gamer-Housewife binary too.
There are so many reality TV luminaries to be found in every corner of the industry.
Put Bobby Flay up in that turret!
This means fewer Ivars and more dips into theVanderpump Ruleswell.
Cast Scheana Shay and then watch her break down when you bring Tom Sandoval back for another music challenge.
The show could benefit from subverting expectations in season four.
Dont cast any gamers as Traitors next time.
Put one of the quieter personalities under the hood and make them come out of their shell.
Do it for no other reason than the players themselves are incredibly aware of how reality TV gets produced.
Theyre the raptors who know how to open doors and producers need to stay one step ahead.
If theyre smart, they will swervefaraway from CBS reality alums next time.
Instead, the show should dive back into theHousewiveswell.
The competitionsneed to have meaning beyond prize money!
The audience doesnt care about the prize money, and neither do the contestants.
Every competition needs to contain within it something that could help the Faithful suss out the Traitors.
All it takes is one halfhearted suspicion to get someone banished.
See poor Nikki Garcia this season, done in by Chrishell Stause reading one facial expression wrong.
Each competition should have some sort of hidden clue to the Traitors identities.
Add to that pot every time a Traitor is able to surreptitiously accomplish tasks during each challenge.
The rafting challenge from this seasons premiere was a perfect example.
One possible solutionfloated by Tony Vlachosafter his elimination was to incentivize voting out Traitors and/or penalize voting out Faithful.
Or casting a successful vote to banish a Traitor gets you a secret advantage to be played later.
There should be no limit on how many twists hes allowed to throw into the game.
Scheana for season four.
