‘The Traitors’ 2×09 review: “A Game of Death”

In the game of The Traitors, what would you deem worse: a Traitor knocking out the Faithfuls OR a Faithful conspiring with Traitors to last longer in the game? That was the great moral debate this week on Peacock’s The Traitors. “A Game of Death” found Peter at the end of his karmic rope. His ploy to protect Parvati backfired majorly, and now his previous aggressive Faithful strategy turned him into enemy #1. It’s an interesting round that brought up the importance of alliances, strategy, and when self-survival becomes too selfish.

Phaedra blackmailing Kate into becoming a Traitor was a genius move. No one has suspected Kate because she came into the game mid-way, and she’s too unpredictable in her strategy and Banishment conversations. If Phaedra gets exposed, no one will theorize that she picked another Bravo contestant. However, the real benefit will come from Kate’s previous experience playing The Traitors. She knows how Faithfuls and Traitors think, and she knows what it takes to get to the end. I loved her confessionals during “A Game of Death” because she immediately clocked how disorganized Phaedra was in her Traitor strategy. Both Dan and Parvati have been banished – Phaedra needs a plan of attack fast because most of the manor is looking at her.

Even when MJ noticed something was off about Kate, she knew when to pull back. Though, Kate’s fatal flaw might be her unwillingness to consider Phaedra as a Traitor. Kate deflected many accusations back at Peter whenever Trishelle or anyone else tried to accuse Phaedra. The Bravo alliance is currently being protected with two Traitors in the mix, but Kate’s fire makes her look too much like Phaedra’s protector. If she keeps disregarding the theories about Phaedra, other players like MJ or Shereé will spot her suspicious behavior.

Did the Traitors make the right move by murdering Kevin? I don’t think so based on the evidence. From those left in Peter’s alliance, there were much stronger targets and players in the game than Kevin. Trishelle is a smart player, Peter was catching a lot of heat, and John has been deemed the “most faithful of the Faithfuls.” Kevin’s main strategy has been to follow or throw out theories – his first one in a while was Phaedra’s eye twitch. The top two targets should’ve been Trishelle and John because they’re direct in their assertions and have proven to be trustworthy. From a Traitor’s standpoint, John should’ve been taken out. He will never be voted out; he’s too much of a liability to keep around. Kevin was fodder for an easy vote or kill later in the season.

We’ve discussed in the past how voting blocs have become a powerful new strategy on The Traitors. Alliances and friendships are more important than ever because those allies will be the ones to keep players in the game, not just their competition ability. And those connections can either make or break the future of the game. Simply look at how Peter’s alliance banded together with Bergie’s shield to expose Dan as a Traitor. That kind of gameplay could’ve only been done with alliances who trusted each other. And we can’t forget Sandra’s pool table conversation that flipped the thinking of everyone outside Peter’s alliance. Those two moves alone have significantly impacted The Traitors Season 2 and how the players are thinking about the game.

The sudden shift onto Peter as being a possible Traitor was fueled more by personal animosity than gameplay suspicion. Let’s be direct here: Peter messed up big time. Like bad. Very bad! Protecting Parvati was a selfish move to keep himself longer in the game, so everyone’s feelings are very valid. Phaedra also being a real Traitor was a positive benefit to that move. However, the issue is that other players are now dismissing real evidence and conversations about Phaedra to justify their hatred of Peter. They want Peter out so badly that they’re too locked in on him. “A Game of Death” felt frustrating at times because it stopped being about finding Traitors and more about competitor strategy.

A great extension of this came up during the crossbow challenge. From an entertainment factor, the challenge was easy and fun. It’s a great way for the players to work together, get their frustrations out, and practice their archery skills. However, the “theory” that came out about Phaedra and Sandra switching targets to make Trishelle vulnerable was noticeable smoke people were dismissing. Sure, neither thought more of this when moving to Trishelle with the crossbow, but the coincidence should’ve been enough to discuss, especially with Kevin’s recent death. Even CT noticed something was up when he put all the pieces together. Like Trishelle said during the previous Banishment ceremony, other players had been voted out for less.

Speaking of the Banishment, who do you think MJ voted for? The vote left us on such a cliffhanger that it could be anyone. Phaedra could hold a masterclass of her debate skills because she deflected everything she could. And both Trishelle and John did an incredible job shifting the focus on Phaedra with strong evidence. If I had to make a guess, she most likely voted for Peter. The Bravo clique is an alliance, regardless of what Shereé and MJ claimed. It would be shocking if her vote went in the other direction.

“A Game of Death” boiled down to being a numbers game. After Kate was blackmailed into being a Traitor, the episode focused primarily on the Peter vs. Phaedra war. This episode will be a great reminder during the events of The Traitors Season 2 because it will either mark how Peter’s actions led to his downfall or how the Faithfuls were blinded by Phaedra. It’s another turning point that will have big consequences.

The Traitors airs new episodes on Thursdays on Peacock.

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Images courtesy of Peacock