‘The Traitors’ Season 4 Episode 10 review: “Do You Know the Enemy?”

Have we ever seen a group of Faithfuls this disorganized on The Traitors? “Do You Know the Enemy?” is a low point for the competing team on the Peacock series. The Traitors have pulled the wool over their eyes; they have no sense of direction and no inkling of the schemes hiding under their noses. Sure, the group discovered Donna, Lisa, and Candiace in previous weeks, but it’s proving to be despite their better judgment. “Do You Know the Enemy?” is an uncomfortable implosion of reality-TV gameplay, a warning sign for future players of The Traitors to heed.

The most faithful.

The Traitors – Rob R. and Eric – make great moves for themselves during “Do You Know the Enemy?”. Murdering Kristen is the right call; she is the most faithful of the Faithfuls. No one looks to her as a Traitor suspect, and no one has thrown out her name with legitimacy. Compared to the other players, she shows a sincere desire to vote out the Traitors. Like Maura and Mark, Kristen is too obvious a Faithful to be anything else. Eliminating her ensures that the remaining players are people with doubt and suspicion.

Eric’s silence helps him avoid the murder blowback, albeit not to the greatest outcome. Let’s not forget that Kristen is the first person to make a case against him. Even though she throws out his name, his innocent puppy dog attitude is enough to hide in the background. “Do You Know the Enemy?” does a fine job of showcasing how Eric’s behavior is catching up with him. He’s become quieter and is not throwing out any names, which is a terrible strategy for any Traitor.

Just look at Donna and Dan (The Traitors Season 2)! Retreating and withholding any theories paints a picture of a Traitor scrambling not to be caught in a lie. Eric benefits from Kristen’s murder, but the seeds have been planted. Even Mark, Tara, and Johnny notice his sudden shift in attitude. He needs to change up his gameplay and get back to being “Eric” or else he’ll be the next one banished.

A theory emerges.

The momentum is now a steamroll for Rob’s game. The Traitors Season 4 is his competition to lose, regardless of whether he helps Eric get to the end or not. No one confidently suspects him of being a Traitor and is willing to make that case. But the real advantage is his growing list of allies that defend him to no end (e.g., Maura, Mark, etc.). It’s baffling how no one notices the glaring evidence in front of them; it’s almost like they’re choosing to believe this theory instead of the reality.

“Do You Know the Enemy?” is a flickering moment of awareness that implodes before our eyes. If anyone had guessed that Tara would be the one to start the theories against Rob, that would be unbelievable. Tara Lipinski, the Olympic gold medalist, plays mostly a background role during The Traitors Season 4. After the failed deduction of Stephen, it’s shocking how she pieces everything together and has an “a-ha!” moment. From Rob’s behavior at the roundtables to Candiace’s vote, Tara’s clarity is an exciting turn of events, one that takes us by surprise.

It feels like The Traitors seizes the opportunity to craft a brewing narrative; a plot twist filled with electricity and tension. The Traitors Season 4 Episode 10 builds on itself, heating up toward a conclusion that pulls the rug out from under us. Tara and Natalie are on the right path – they’re piecing together the inconsistencies. However, they, along with everyone else, fall into the same trap that plagues them throughout The Traitors Season 4: safe group decisions.

Banished and betrayed.

Who else agrees that Tara and Johnny did leave Natalie out to dry? Tara starts the Rob theory, but she retreats when it becomes too tough for her. Sure, an argument can be made that Tara/Johnny/Natalie didn’t have the votes to banish Rob. They didn’t – the numbers don’t lie, especially with the dagger in the mix. However, it’s the backtracking of Rob’s suspicion that is more detrimental to the game as a whole.

Both things can be true: (1) the group doesn’t have the Rob votes, and (2) Rob is very likely to be a Traitor. Just because the group can’t banish Rob doesn’t mean the evidence isn’t pointing in his direction. Tara and Johnny’s backtracking is a self-imploding decision that further destroys their credibility in the manor. Natalie is understandably upset because of the complete denial of their conversations and the suspicion that pulls the rug out from under her.

This is a bad gameplay move – it not only makes Natalie look like an opportunistic Traitor, but it paints Tara and Johnny as untrustworthy. Untrustworthy for how they conduct themselves in the manor, and shady for possibly setting Natalie up to fail. This gameplay confirms the assessment that not everyone is cut out to play The Traitors. Hopefully, next season’s casting selects people who are ready, willing, and able to play the game; individuals who won’t always stay in the background or retreat to the safest group/personal decision.

Another failed vote.

Natalie’s game falls long before the group arrives at the roundtable. Being the last game player in the manor is a huge target that she can’t shake. And even after she pieces together the Rob theory and notices his strange behavior at the carousel mission, she doesn’t have the leeway to fight. The group decides before heading into the roundtable; Maura, Rob, and Eric are ready to write her name down.

Natalie’s only chance is to double down on Rob. A well-developed and thought-out case could open the door to discussion. Unfortunately, the bits and pieces aren’t enough to create a strong story, especially when she’s doing it alone. You can’t help but feel bad for her; she’s abandoned at that roundtable.

Her banishment continues an awkward trend in The Traitors Season 4, one in which the roundtables grow more uncomfortable after each round. The Faithful (and even the Traitors) know that these banishments are wrong. They’re just unwilling to change paths, even when the truth is staring them right in the face.

Overall.

“Do You Know the Enemy?” teases an outcome that doesn’t come to pass. It builds a story of players recognizing the truth hidden in plain sight, only to turn into a heated implosion. The Faithfuls are so close. So close! If Rob wins The Traitors Season 4, this round will serve as a warning not to disregard any clues or theories. An urgency for the Faithfuls to keep their heads in the game because, seriously, what are the Faithfuls doing?!

The Traitors airs new episodes on Thursdays on Peacock.