Bold claim: this week’s episode of The Traitors twists the game in ways that could redefine who you root for. And yes, it’s as dramatic as it sounds. But here’s where it gets controversial... Tara and Johnny aren’t just players; they become the season’s most talked-about duo, whether you love them or roll your eyes.
Eric Nam kicks off with a meltdown worthy of a movie scene: “I need a helmet and an adult diaper because I am about to shit my pants and my head is gonna explode.” That is how Nam reacts when he learns that castle darling Rob Rausch has been playing both sides for weeks. Rob’s cool, matter-of-fact reply—“Sup, player?”—only heightens the tension. Nam, fearing a solo win at his expense, reluctantly teams up with Rob, but he’s right to worry that Rob will use charm to maneuver himself to the top while leaving Eric in the dust.
The shock doesn’t stop there: once Rob cobbles Nam into the alliance, the two Traitors must climb to the turret and kill one of the remaining players. With only three roundtables left, and just two chances to deploy Rob’s dagger, they decide to act shrewdly but riskily. Their target: Dorinda Medley—Dorinda, who has been Rob’s loudest admirer but now stands in the way of their plan. The Housewife’s parting line—“The queen’s gotta get back to Bluestone Manor!”—feels equal parts dramatic and theatrical as she dons gloves and a grand Scottish accent for her farewell.
The next morning brings disbelief around the breakfast table. Kristen Kish fires a question that captures the mood: what could have propelled Dorinda to an abrupt death? Stephen Colletti, who believed the stars aligned in his favor, finds his confidence shaken as Natalie's sharp observation—“I need to start reading the situation more carefully”—begins to spread. Meanwhile, Eric tries to steady his nerves with a breakfast ritual of stress-eating croissants, a small comfort in a tense morning.
Johnny Weir is uneasy about Colletti too, especially after a secret one-on-one with the late Candiace Dillard Bassett last week. But Tara Lipinski, faithful to Johnny, counters with fierce loyalty: she’s ready to defend her ally and accuses others of underestimating her bond with Johnny. The two teammates play their cards close, but Tara’s move to push Kristen to fuel the Stephen fire backfires, as Kristen hints that Lipinski herself might be a Traitor in disguise.
The week’s mission compounds the suspense: contestants crawl into life-sized boxes and must answer questions about the Traitors’ opinions of them. The twist is that the Traitors haven’t answered yet and must listen, then respond from within their own boxes. Rob and Eric decide to bluntly answer every question for Tara, sacrificing cash in the process to sow confusion. Rob reasons that muddying the waters is more valuable than a bigger prize.
The Faithfuls catch on to the ruse by the final interrogatory and collectively decide to answer for Tara to bolster the prize—except for Johnny and Tara, whose silence fuels further intrigue. The Traitors quickly narrow their next kill list to the ice-skating duo, plus Kristen and Natalie, heightening the sense that nobody is truly safe.
As a banishment looms, Natalie's strategy shifts the target toward Stephen, though Kristen remains adamant about voting for Tara. Tara and Johnny reveal they are IRL best friends and walk into the roundtable side by side, pledging loyalty to each other while pointing at Stephen in equal measure. The plan works: Stephen is ousted, and a bitter farewell from Colletti confirms his Faithful status. He mutters, “You blew it,” as he exits.
Rob later criticizes Tara and Johnny’s “we’re best friends in real life” display, arguing it proves nothing about their loyalties. Yet Rob’s attention may be better spent on his own ally, since Kristen questions Eric Nam’s willingness to participate in the night’s roundtable and muses aloud about trust. If she’s right, Eric might be the weak link in a fragile alliance. Her verdict—“If I’m murdered tomorrow, just look at Eric”—speaks to the growing paranoia inside Bluestone Manor.
The Traitors sweat it out in the turret, fully aware they have four potential victims in Natalie, Kristen, Tara, and Johnny. Each receives a midnight note inviting them to the dungeon, where a jack-in-the-box will reveal their fate—but not until next Thursday.
Stray thoughts worth sharing
- After this week’s episode, I’d love to see: Alan Cumming’s fur-lined navy cape, a Bluestone Manor Traitors reunion, a GIF of Mark Ballas’s dramatic door slam, and perhaps a hypothetical win for Tara and Johnny. They haven’t played the smartest game at times (Weir himself has admitted, “We don’t know anything; why do we even keep trying?”), but the idea of those two pulling off the overall victory after Rob’s schemes would make for memorable TV.
Christina Izzo is a contributor to The A.V. Club.
Would you like Tara and Johnny to win, or do you think Rob’s strategy should prevail? Share your take on who truly deserves the prize and why in the comments.
