‘The Traitors’ 2×10 review: “The Weight of Deceit”

The Traitors fans, we are gathered here today to mourn the loss of three impactful players of The Traitors Season 2. “The Weight of Deceit” felt like an emotionally gripping end to the storylines that brewed between these two rivals and a steadfast Faithful. Peter, the messy charging force of the Faithfuls, met his bitter end after a risky move blew up in his face. The Faithful John finally met his end to further the Traitors’ plan. And Phaedra, the now-legendary Traitor who will live in infamy, lost her last life during an emotional banishment. Peacock’s The Traitors knows how to ramp up the drama before delivering a swift kill. “The Weight of Deceit” was the climax of those moves.

For everyone who confidently believed MJ’s cliffhanger vote was for Peter, pat yourselves on the shoulder. It was the big question debated around the social spaces about whether MJ would go for Peter or Phaedra. However, as we discussed last week, the odds were more stacked on Peter. MJ had no reason to turn against her Bravo alliance, and everyone was hyper-focused on getting Peter out, so it made more sense. Peter’s actions during the Parvati banishment sealed his fate — it was set in stone regardless if it was now or at a future vote.

What was surprising was MJ’s quick change of heart once Peter revealed his Faithful identity. You could see the same epiphany across her face that CT went through once he realized that Phaedra was a Traitor. The beautiful thing about The Traitors is that players tend to overanalyze everything and talk themselves out of making the most logical move. However, once it clicks and the pieces fall into place, the truth is like a weight off their shoulders. MJ’s approach changed completely and we saw a new game-focused version of the player who previously stayed in the middle. I wish we had seen more of this MJ earlier in the season. Sure, it helped her to not get voted out or murdered, but she never felt like an active player. A terrible thing to happen is to be treated as a participant than a player.

John’s murder was a long time coming. Was anyone else surprised that he lasted this long into the season? Everyone at the manor knew that he was a Faithful, so his presence was too much of a detriment to the Traitors. His name should’ve been thrown out during the failed Bergie kill, the night when Kevin was murdered, and even when Bergie was officially killed. John was an active part of the “Peter’s Pals” alliance and people listened to him during the Banishment ceremonies.  Good thing that Kate pushed for him to go; it was the best move for their group.

Speaking of Kate, what is she doing?! Her actions during “The Weight of Deceit” were a big warning sign to everyone that she could be a Traitor. When both MJ and Trishelle brought up that they needed to target Phaedra, Kate should’ve sided with them with no debate. Trying to turn the tables on Sandra is good from a strategic standpoint, but the emotional push was too heavy to go against. It was clear to everyone that this round was Phaedra’s last day at the manor – she was the Traitor. After Peter failed in his attempts to get Phaedra out, no one wanted to waste a round to target a potential suspect.

And during the Banishment ceremony, her explanation for her Phaedra vote was worded in the worst way possible. Calling someone “selfish” for playing as a Traitor made it seem too personal vs. strategic. Sandra is no dummy; she picked up on that suspicious behavior easily. If Sandra is still here after the final murder, her first target is going to be Kate based on that mistake. Kate has rubbed her the wrong way during these last two rounds. Plus, MJ scoped out Kate’s strange behaviour too, and CT/Trishelle/Shereé are obvious Faithfuls, so it’s a battle between Sandra vs. Kate at the end now.

The bridge challenge was another fun and simple game for the Faithfuls to play. For longtime fans of The Faithfuls, you’ll recognize this game too from The Traitors U.K. The best strategy is to keep running and hold your center of gravity. Kudos to Trishelle and CT for running laps during this game; their experience on The Challenge came very in handy here.

Now for the big moment, do you think Phaedra threw in the towel? She properly got voted out, but her mental and emotional game felt like it bowed out. She didn’t have the same fight in her as in previous rounds, and she voiced that she was tired of fighting. What I think led to her surrender came from the direct and bold lie she told Shereé earlier. Shereé is her friend of 30 years and her friend asked her pointedly if she was the Traitor. Sure, Phaedra couldn’t tell her the truth because of the rules, but the emotional weight of that deceit was a tough one.

You could feel the betrayal right to the end after Phaedra got voted out and revealed her identity. The weight of their friendship meant more than the power of playing the game. Their storyline has been one of the best parts of the season because it has shown the growth of their friendship and trust. They have come a long way since The Real Housewives. After all the votes and arguments, Phaedra accepted her fate, and she left being one of the best Traitors in Traitors history.

“The Weight of Deceit” was a Phaedra-centric episode that gave a satisfying end to a strong gameplayer. Phaedra wasn’t great at communicating about other targets, but when she was under fire, she could debate and dish it right back. Everyone rallied together to connect the pieces and seal Phaedra’s fate. This was a great penultimate round for The Traitors Season 2, and a tease for what will surely be an exciting end to a great season.

The Traitors airs new episodes on Thursdays on Peacock.