‘The Traitors’ 2×06 review: “Backstab and Betrayal”

The Faithfuls have scored their first weekly win on The Traitors! Can you believe it? “Backstab and Betrayal” marked the first time during Season 2 when the Faithfuls found their first Traitor. Could this be the start of a good momentum for them? Sure, Dan was pretty obvious by the end of his run, but it took a lot of work to get to this point. We’re here during episode 6 for it to happen; sometimes the Faithfuls get lucky and eliminated one by the first few rounds; other times, it can take most of the season. And “Backstab and Betrayal” could be summed up by a collection of Dan’s errors.

Dan’s first mistake was using the Traitors’ kill to go after Bergie. He fell into Peter’s trap so easily that it almost seems laughable. Did he never watch the first season on Peacock? Has he never watched an international season of The Traitors? You should never take the risk of going after a Faithful who could have the shield. Even if the possibility of Janelle and Peter having the shield was true, the odds were so against the Traitors — they could’ve easily hit any of the safe players. The better kill would’ve been to go after someone who didn’t compete in the outside group during the previous challenge.

Peter’s plan to drop the same lie to a small select group of suspects was a clever move. If the plan worked out in his favor (which it did), it would narrow the group down to one or more strong targets. Though, Peter’s plan could’ve easily been avoided. Parvati confirmed that she was fed the same bit of information from Peter — she warned Dan that it was suspicious and they were being set up for disaster. Dan was too cavalier in his bloodlust to kill Bergie; if he had listened to reason (and both Parvati and Phaedra), it wouldn’t have exposed him as much.

His second error came from his lack of attempt to plant seeds. For several banishments now, the Faithfuls have called him out for not throwing any targets or sharing any theories. Throwing out Janelle’s name was pointless and more of a reactionary play. So, why didn’t he start having conversations and teasing Phaedra’s name after the challenge? Dan knew his name was on the chopping block – he needed to hit the ground running and start those conversations strong. Dan tried to play The Traitors like he was on Big Brother, but unlike that game, he doesn’t have the time to make manipulative strategies to eliminate people. He needed to move fast and create narratives.

His third error was trying to throw Phaedra’s name out during the banishment ceremony. Seriously, what was he doing? His move seemed more like a petty play than a tactical attack. Phaedra’s name was never discussed, and by throwing her out there, he was setting at ground zero to turn the tide against her. If he had gone after Parvati, he could’ve had a shot at surviving this one round because everyone was already suspicious of her. Losing Parvati would’ve only given him some saving grace. However, by turning on Phaedra, it only sabotaged his team member who had been doing an amazing job in the shadows.

There will be many debates made that Dan was trying a long-shot move to save himself (similar to his “Dan’s Funeral” move of Big Brother 14) or that there wasn’t some personal motivation behind turning the spotlight on Phaedra. However, the latter doesn’t feel right. Dan previously called out that Phaedra would most likely reach the finale because no one suspected her; he conspired with Parvati to turn on Phaedra so that she would leave. He had it out for her, and part of it felt like he held it against her because she had been doing an amazing job as a Traitor.

Phaedra did an incredible job deflecting every single one of Dan’s accusations and theories at the banishment ceremony. She was prepared for every statement, and she knew exactly how to turn the tables against him. Phaedra showed her strength and might have proven why she’s one of the best Traitors yet in the franchise. However, now that Dan has thrown the spotlight squarely on her, the others may start to suspect her. Just look to Trishelle’s confessional! If Phaedra gets eliminated, especially in the new few episodes, that is more of a representation of Dan’s petty sabotaging than Phaedra’s error as a Traitor.

The catapult challenge was a familiar one from The Traitors U.K. Season 2. Many of the challenges from this season have been pulled directly from that season. This mirroring might be due to the cost-saving measures of the production company and the planning of the production teams. We’ve seen other shows in the past utilizing the same sets and ideas, like The Circle using the same building in the U.K. In this case, the catapult challenge was a simple and easy team-building game. Nothing too exciting or eventful that will stand out in our minds for seasons to come.

Now for the big question: will Peter accept the offer to become a Traitor? He has to, right? If he were to decline the offer, the Traitors would most likely kill him in the next round. I loved this play from Parvati because it was such a deliciously devious move. She wants to plant the seeds of deception and chaos among the Faithfuls. If Peter were to get voted out, it would tear his Faithful alliance apart and no one would know what to do next. Parvati’s time on The Traitors could be ending soon, but she’s spun a dangerous web that infect Faithfuls for the rest of the season.

“Backstab and Betrayal” was a captivating episode to witness the fall of a Traitor. Dan’s days were numbered, so this round focused squarely on how his game came crashing down. The challenge was pretty pointless — the priority was all about the breakfast revelation, the banishment ceremony, and the offer to Peter. And wow, those three areas delivered!

The Traitors airs new episodes on Thursdays on Peacock.

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Images courtesy of Peacock