The Traitors Finale: Unbelievably Stressful Till the Last Second
This year's series of The Traitors culminated in a finale that was undeniably nail-biting, though the cracks in the format have become increasingly apparent throughout the run. While the show still managed to reach the preposterously giddy heights of previous series at its best, viewers were left with a growing realisation that structural issues are beginning to undermine the experience.
Format Flaws and Filler Challenges
One major culprit has been the mid-episode challenge, which often felt like a slab of filler designed to kill all trace of intrigue. These segments disrupted the psychological tension, akin to watching a version of 12 Angry Men where jurors interrupt proceedings to spend twenty minutes swanning around in a park.
The new raft of tweaks introduced this season also failed to deliver significant impact. The reveal of the Secret Traitor came far too early in the proceedings, while promising secret connections between contestants like Judy and Roxy, or Ellie and Ross, ultimately fizzled out without proper resolution or dramatic payoff.
A Show That Rewards the Dull?
The most serious accusation levelled at this year's Traitors is that it has become a show designed to reward the dull. While there were spectacular participants throughout the series – James with his baffling behaviour, Harriet's explosive personality, Fiona who somehow managed to be both simultaneously – they were all banished the moment they demonstrated tangible signs of personality.
Instead, the final five contestants comprised two traitors and a handful of individuals who collectively might not have spoken more than five hundred words throughout the entire series. This created an unfortunate dynamic where personality became a liability rather than an asset in the game.
The Ruthless Saviour: Rachel's Dominance
After James was banished by chance in a holdover from the previous episode, the remaining contestants included Jade (whose default characteristic was defensive), Faraaz (who oscillated between muteness and tantalising perception), Jack (who suddenly made himself known three episodes ago like a Star Trek redshirt), and the two remaining traitors.
These traitors were Stephen, notable for his passive demeanour and fondness for big collars, and Rachel – the terrifyingly ruthless saviour of this series. Thank goodness for Rachel, who managed to bend the show's entire gravity field around her through sheer force of will and manipulation.
This was the woman responsible for turning The Traitors into what might be described, borrowing from Logan Roy, as a fight for a knife in the mud. For better or worse, Rachel's machinations meant this year's entire series was cast in her image – ruthless to a terrifying extent.
The Final Showdown
Even in the finale, Rachel's plotting remained in overdrive as she worked overtime to convince anyone who would listen that Jade was a bad egg. While this represents a terrible trait for a human being, it makes for excellent reality television. Rachel's innate untrustworthiness kept viewers on the hook right to the very end, despite her promises to Stephen that they would operate as a team.
Her effectiveness proved murderous in dispatching the competition. Poor Jade – unfairly vilified since episode one – was banished and fled the room in tears. Faraaz followed shortly after, only realising what had happened during his post-banishment interview. Then the traitors ganged up on Jack, at which point the game was effectively over.
The Aftermath and Moral Lessons
The traitors emerged victorious, with Rachel and Stephen splitting the loot. Tellingly, the other finalists didn't join them at the end, possibly because they felt too betrayed by people they had considered friends. The moral of this story appears to be that it's easy to cheat your way to the top – a distinctly 2026 lesson to absorb from popular entertainment.
Stressful Endgame Despite Flaws
For all the show's evident flaws, the endgame remains quite effectively stressful. Objectively, none of the finalists truly deserved the money – they were either too useless or too duplicitous – yet the final fifteen minutes made for a properly sweaty watch. The tension as Stephen fretted over how much trust to place in Rachel during those closing seconds created a spectacle roughly equivalent to watching someone place their head inside a crocodile's mouth.
Looking ahead, viewers might hope to see some contestants return in different contexts. James seemed to treat the show as an audition for a bizarre unmade CBeebies show about a vomiting gardener, while Jade might reveal different dimensions when not crushed by ennui. Stephen could likely find work as a sort of walking reaction gif available for party bookings.
More than anything, this year's Traitors made many nostalgic for the more innocent celebrity version, where participants were too concerned about their reputations to become as debilitatingly bloodthirsty as this current crop. Ultimately, this was an uneven series saved – but only just – by an excellent finale that delivered the psychological tension and ruthless gameplay that defines the programme at its best.
