‘The Traitors’ Season 4 Finale review: Betrayal burns brightly

The truth doesn’t always set you free; sometimes, it’s a devastating shock to the system. The Season 4 finale of Peacock’s The Traitors delivers a blindside of jaw-dropping magnitude to one of the Faithfuls. It’s a moment we viewers expected to happen, but one that needed all the pieces to fall into place. “Leap of Faith” and “Reunion” are exciting conclusions to a season-long arc; a narrative that brews a satisfying win for the Traitors… And a sobering lesson for the Faithfuls.

The Traitors Season 4 finale presents one final murder.

“Leap of Faith” is a collection of terrible Faithful gameplay moves that steer the course of victory. Rob R., the winning Traitor, effortlessly pulls the wool over his needed votes. Even when the Faithfuls are onto his schemes, it’s already too late for them to do anything about it. The Season 4 finale and the subsequent reunion are his victory parade (and rightfully so!)

For instance, Rob and Eric murdering Mark is the perfect final victim choice. Just like Kristen before him, no one denies that he’s not a Faithful. He is too genuine, reactionary, and plays everything out in the open. When heading into the final roundtable and Fire of Truth, the Traitors should be surrounded by people they can manipulate or hide behind. Mark is close with Rob, but his clear head would push him to side with Tara and Johnny. Rob knows when to sacrifice his relationships to benefit his future position. Mark is the latest murder that continues the consistent narrative journey.

Skating around the obvious.

Tara and Johnny, on the other hand, is the tale of failed opportunities. Their performance in The Traitors Season 4 finale captures the theme of “too little too late.” It’s a frustrating reality for any reality TV fan. Kudos to them for deducing that Rob and Eric are the Traitors! Surprisingly, the evidence shines bright enough for them to piece it all together. However, they don’t have the numbers to do anything, which is a direct result of their passive and self-preservation gameplay. Their staying in the background for most of the game shows they value longevity over outcome.

Natalie is right on the money during “Reunion.” Even if she, Tara, and Johnny didn’t have the votes during her banishment, they should’ve still voted Rob together. Positioning a case of Rob being the Traitor could’ve planted seeds of doubt into Mark’s and Maura’s heads. Instead, their backtracking destroyed their credibility heading into the finale. Why would Maura believe Tara and Johnny now when they betrayed Natalie the round before?

Tara deserves some credit for fighting until the bitter end. Her campaigns to Maura seem to be working well enough; she listens and processes the possibility of Rob’s betrayal. And between the figure skating pair, Tara creates a stronger Faithful picture. The problem, however, is that she campaigns to someone completely under Rob’s thumb. Her and Johnny’s loss stems not only from Rob’s successful manipulation but also from their passive self-preservation gameplay.

Blinded by trust.

Speaking of Maura, The Traitors isn’t her game. Don’t get me wrong, she is a likable person and a great TV character. Plus, her ensembles are worthy of the Costume Department award! However, she trusts too blindly; a fault that affects the course of The Traitors Season 4. Maura argues that she has to trust someone, but it’s with someone she’s only met once, pre-show. This isn’t the same as Tara and Johnny, who have been best friends for decades. It’s reasonable to believe that Tara/Johnny know each other implicitly, rather than Maura’s Love Island connection.

So, from a gameplay standpoint, her blind support of Rob negatively affects everything. For example, why would she listen to Rob in voting out Tara when she’s 100% positive that Eric is the Traitor? What purpose does that benefit her game?! She deduces he’s a Traitor, and she confidently believes that it’s more than Tara! Everyone in the manor believes there are two Traitors still heading into the finale. So, if she’s positive Eric is a Traitor… And Rob is campaigning hard for her to not vote out Eric… Then why is Tara more suspicious than her own better judgment? The math isn’t mathing.

This may be a harsh critique of Maura’s gameplay, and let’s be clear, this isn’t an analysis about her as a person. Understandably, someone would trust their new best friend in a game of paranoia. However, it’s also understandable how frustrating it is when someone continually ignores the obvious signs in front of them. Maura chooses the wrong path consistently, in favor of her blind trust. She isn’t a fool; she’s just too much in her bubble.

In control.

As mentioned above, “Leap of Faith” and “Reunion” complete the narrative arc spun throughout The Traitors Season 4. Specifically, this season is Rob’s game to win (or lose). Rob has everyone wrapped around his finger, blindly believing in his words and actions. Even when Candiace votes for him or someone presents evidence, it’s more comfortable to trust in Rob than doubt him. Lisa/Candiace couldn’t stop him. Eric fails to anticipate his betrayal. Rob is the standout player during The Traitors Season 4.

Were you heartbroken for Maura during the Traitor reveal? You could see it on her face that she still didn’t doubt him. This reveal may be the most devastating in The Traitors franchise. More so than Cirie deceiving the Faithfuls on The Traitors Season 1, or Mollie’s heartbreak on The Traitors U.K. Season 2. Maura never doubted him heading into the finale; it’s a trainwreck that we anticipate will happen. It’s great TV and an exciting conclusion, but it’s a devastating move on the receiving end.

Reuniting the facts.

Now, let’s dive into “Reunion” and the surprising reactions. For the most part, “Reunion” doesn’t shake things up from a momentum standpoint. We expect the typical outbursts from Michael Rapaport, or the bickering around failed moves (i.e., Porsha, Yam Yam, Colton, etc.). The Traitors Season 4 finale has a decent reunion that lets everyone shine, albeit with some noticeable omissions. Like, why did Ron only get one question? He deserves a lot more discussion about the negative treatment he received in the game.

Comparatively, Rob R., Colton, Lisa, and Candiace get the lion’s share of the episode. Firstly, there is no way that Rob planned to go to the finals with Lisa and Candiace. Let’s not forget he led the vote to banish Lisa at her roundtable. He spins a narrative about turning on them after they attack him, but that’s not the complete truth. All Candiace and Lisa want is an acknowledgement that Rob desired to win alone. It’s obvious in his confessionals, in his actions, and even at the reunion. He just needs to own up to it. No one would fault him; he plays the best Traitor game.

A theory in the manor.

Secondly, do you believe the theory that Rob broke the rules and told Colton about the Traitors’ identities? To sum up: allegedly, Colton told Candiace that Rob revealed to him during the game that Candiace was a Traitor. If true, this is a HUGE no-no and affects the contract, as this is cheating and goes against the rules. We won’t ever get a definitive answer, especially since this is a he-said-she-said situation with no proof. However, it is quite telling in the reactions to that question.

Colton and Rob spin a defence that it would go against the rules; that they couldn’t do it because “it’s in the rules.” That position doesn’t hold much ground because other reality TV shows deal with similar situations. Shows like Big Brother and Survivor experience claims of cheating scandals, especially things caught on the 24/7 Big Brother livefeeds. Instead, the men would’ve claimed that it’s not something they’d do as they’re not, allegedly, cheaters.

Though the most suspicious piece of evidence is Rob’s smile. Rob keeps smiling; he can barely hold back the smile while he’s defending himself to Candiace. We’ve seen during The Traitors Season 4 that same smile whenever Rob lies to another player. Allegedly, he looks like he’s caught in a lie. Plus, why would Candiace say a direct accusation with no proof? She directly accuses Colton of telling her those words. It’s a very suspicious theory, and a topic that Traitors fans debated online. “Reunion” brings it up, something that would’ve been ignored, but instead, it makes the show feel timely and connected to the fans.

Overall.

The Traitors Season 4 finale may have had an expected conclusion, but it’s an enjoyable one overall. The Traitors Season 4 is a trainwreck of gameplay that brings the action from start to finish. You’d hope the Faithfuls would get their act together, but the Traitors steer the course in their direction. The reunion wasn’t the most unexpected; however, key segments stand out with gripping drama and exciting character moments that leave you talking.

The Traitors Season 4 is available to stream now on Peacock.

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Images courtesy of Peacock.