Listen, I was prepared to move past the heartbreaking murders of Dorinda Medley and Chanel Ayan back to back in Season 3 of The Traitors. Heck, I was even willing to give this season’s four killers — Danielle Reyes, “Boston” Rob Mariano, Carolyn Wiger, and Bob the Drag Queen — the benefit of the doubt for killing two of the four Real Housewives so early into the new installment. The Traitors have few jobs in this game: try not to get caught, kill the Faithfuls, sow chaos and discord. By those metrics, they’re doing a decent job. But by the yardstick of making great television with the most entertaining reality stars around, the show is feeling lackluster.
That is because, in part, just two weeks after saying goodbye to Ayan, we said adieu to another Housewife, Robyn Dixon. The reason for her murder? Boston Rob — much to the dismay of Carolyn and Danielle — wanted to make the other Faithfuls even more confused. While Robyn told us here at Decider that she was onto Boston Rob just before her elimination, the editing of Episode 5, “All This Murderous Power,” made it pretty clear that Rob was intent on going after someone whose murder would cause chaos.
“Let’s murder Robyn. Nobody suspects Robyn of being a Traitor right now, that’s the number one person we want to murder,” Boston Rob said in this week’s episode, facing some backlash from his conspirators. “I don’t think we should go down the avenue of the Housewives,” Carolyn told her fellow Traitors in the Turret as even Danielle piped up and agreed that Bachelorette alum Gabby Widney would be a better option. And yet, here we are.
One thing to note is that in killing Robyn, the Traitors did exactly what they set out to do. In fact, later in the episode as the other cast members are all walking around the castle, convening in small groups, and chitchatting about Robyn’s murder, Dylan Efron — who we have named the “sweet Faithful Prince Charming” of Season 3 — says, “of all the murders, this one has got me the most perplexed.”
After Ayan’s murder in Episode 3 (“Nail In a Coffin”), fans immediately revolted and joked online that there should be a rule about killing Housewives so early in the season. The thought process is that if they make such great television — and, let’s be honest, they do — they shouldn’t be able to die right off the bat. And you know what, these fans are right. There is a reason there are 12 million Real Housewives shows and it’s because when these women are in front of a camera, they turn it on.
Of course, Robyn’s murder caused the last remaining Housewife, Dolores Catania, to fret about her safety in the castle, even going so far as labeling herself the next to die. “I mean, logistically, I’m next,” Dolores said at breakfast, “I need shields, guys.” Given that no one suspects her as a Traitor and her allies in the house are gone, it’s probable.
I get that people joked online about implementing special rules for the Housewives — things like getting them to the midway point in the season at the very least — but in seeing how they have been cast out and unfairly judged in this season and in previous seasons, I’m actually starting to consider it. The Housewives come in fighting an uphill battle compared to their Survivor, The Challenge, Big Brother, etc. cast members. Not only do they have the disadvantage of not being from a competition show, their fellow castle-dwellers are not quiet or subtle about underestimating them.
Considering that the only reason that Dolores is still safe heading into Episode 7 is because Danielle — who made one of the most baffling decisions in the game I’ve ever seen by not saving herself and therefore putting a target on her back — saved her, I’m just not feeling confident about the direction of this season or this show. We keep going around in circles and it’s giving me whiplash as someone who expects things to be shaken up episode after episode.
The crazy part about this is that I’m not even a Real Housewives fan. I just hate watching a show and seeing something that irks me and not being able to say or do anything. Considering The Traitors relies on the Housewives franchise to fill out their cast — four out of 23 is 17 percent of this season’s cast — it’s time for Peacock to work with these ladies to give them a fair chance. Maybe we give them a little prize just for coming on the show, call is SHE-ield. Maybe we should always just allow them to have a Traitor in the mix so we aren’t at risk of losing all four like we are right now. I don’t know what the solution is, all I know is that if I have to watch another Housewife be murdered, I’m going lose it.
Good luck, Dolores!
The first six episodes of Season 3 of The Traitors are currently streaming on Peacock. New episodes drop on Thursday nights.
The post ‘The Traitors’ Has a ‘Real Housewives’ Problem That They Need to Fix appeared first on Decider.
