I'm not the biggest reality TV fan, but "The Traitors" (U.S.) is genuinely one of the best shows on streaming services right now, let alone one of the best reality shows. The Peacock show is a perfect blend of pretty people, dumb people and pretty dumb people, with a sprinkling in of devious reality competition show players who know exactly what they're doing. And it creates perfect drama.
Of course, it doesn't hurt that the Emmy Award-winning show is hosted by Emmy/BAFTA/Tony/Olivier Award-winning actor Alan Cumming, who's in a role he was born to play in. He loves getting to be dramatic, and occasionally catty, all while wearing incredible outfits. And thankfully, the producers of "The Traitors" are more than happy to just let him cook.
And this season, Cumming is cooking with gas. He arrives in the season 3 premiere on a horse surrounded by "followers" in black robes and gold masks, he takes shots at former "Vanderpump Rules" star Tom Sandoval (to be fair, everyone takes shots at Sandoval) and at one point wears a top with a heart cutout that's embroidered to give the appearance of dripping blood. What he does as a host is truly an art form.
Season 3 debuted last Thursday on Peacock with a three-episode premiere and, of course, I binged all of them. After watching, I'm convinced that this is the best season yet, and it's because the show is learning from its past.
What is 'The Traitors' (U.S.)?
For those who are unfamiliar with this reality competition show, here's a quick rundown. Each season starts with a cast of around 20 or so minor celebrities and reality/competition show veterans, and within the first episode, Cumming selects a few of them to be "Traitors." The remaining cast are dubbed "Faithful" and their job going forward is to figure out who is a Traitor and vote them out of the game. If you've ever played the party game Mafia or the video game "Among Us," you'll have at least some familiarity with the concept.
Of course, while the Faithful can vote out who they think is a Traitor, they don't always get it right. The deliberation that happens after each day can end with a Faithful being voted out, and the reveal when this happens is always devastating. Then, the Traitors meet in secret and "murder" another Faithful, eliminating them from the game. This doesn't take places after every challenge if Cumming throws in a wrinkle, but it happens after most.
But the cast members aren't just playing for pride — they're playing for cash. Each day, everyone, including Traitors, participates in a challenge where they can earn money to add to the final prize pot. Often, they can also earn a shield to protect them from being murdered, though the Traitors are also allowed to win these shields since the Faithful don't know who they are until they successfully vote a Traitor out.
And voting a Traitor out matters. At the end of the season, if even one Traitor remains, the Traitors win the money. This happened in season 1, when "Survivor" veteran Cirie Fields won as a Traitor, taking home the full prize pot of $250,000.
Season 3 excels because it builds on past seasons
If you haven't watched the three-episode premiere of "The Traitors" season 3, turn back now, because I will be spoiling parts of what happened. So boot up Peacock, watch all three episodes and then come back.
After watching the three-episode premiere, it's evident that the show is learning from what's worked in past seasons. Alan Cumming and his outfits are clearly a draw. So what do they do? Let him go all out. Let him go as crazy as he wants to get. And it works so well and has never been better as a part of the show.
Then, there's the balance of the cast members. Each cast member tends to fall into one of three categories: reality star ("Real Housewives," "Shahs of Sunset," etc.), competition show veteran ("Survivor," "The Challenge," etc.) or minor celebrity (John Bercow, Marcus Jordan, etc.).
The competition show vets are typically the best — both of the past two seasons have been won by competition show veterans — the celebrities are hit or miss, and the reality show stars (particularly the Bravo ones) bring the drama. This season has been no different on that front, though the rivalries within the "Survivor" veterans group and the "Big Brother" veterans group have been particularly intriguing and are already causing issues. It's not a major leap in drama over past seasons, but it's a small improvement.
Finally, one of the best moves in season 2 was the surprise addition of a cast member and letting the Traitors add members to their ranks after the season started. This season, we're already getting the best version of both, with "Survivor" legend "Boston" Rob Mariano shockingly joining the cast, putting everyone on edge and entering the game as a Traitor. He's already helped send one of the "Survivor" vets home and will be a strong favorite to win this season of "The Traitors." Strong cast members really allow the show to shine and he may be the strongest one yet.
So make sure you tune into Peacock later tonight (Jan. 16) for episode 4 of of this latest — and best (so far) — season of "The Traitors" (U.S.). You won't regret it.
More From Tom's Guide
