Watch The Traitors

The Traitors is a new mystery competition series that premiered on Peacock in January 2023. Set in a remote Scottish castle, the show brings together 20 contestants to complete a series of challenges and missions. The catch is that secretly among the contestants are "the traitors" whose goal is to eliminate and "murder" the innocent civilian contestants.

The contestants are a diverse group of people from different backgrounds and ages. At the start of the show, they are all equal and unaware of who the traitors are among them. Each episode follows the group as they compete in challenges to add money to the prize pot that will eventually go to the civilians who survive to the end. The traitors try to stay undiscovered while subtly sabotaging the group's efforts.

After the challenges, the contestants come together for "the murder", where they must banish one player they suspect of being a traitor. The banished player then meets the show's host to reveal if they are actually a traitor or a civilian. As more contestants are eliminated, both the civilians and traitors must change their tactics and suspicions.

A key element of The Traitors is the social gameplay and deception. The traitors have to convincingly lie, betray and manipulate the other contestants. The civilians have to detect who is lying and work together to unmask the traitors before it's too late. This creates an atmosphere of paranoia and mistrust that ratchets up the tension.

The show employs interesting mechanics to advance game play. A subset of the group becomes the "Faithful" with power to cancel banishments, and players who are banished become "Ghosts" who can continue to influence the game. As the numbers dwindle, the Traitors have better odds if they remain undetected. But the Civilians also gain advantages by identifying Traitors within their ranks.

Set against the backdrop of the medieval Scottish castle, there is a whimsical charm and spookiness to the production design. Between challenges, contestants dwell together, scheme in secret and build alliances. The diversity of personalities breathes life into this thrilling game of detection. Flirtations, arguments, laughter and tears all come into play as pressure builds with each elimination.

Inventive challenges provide both entertainment and insight into the players' true natures. Contestants might work together in elaborate heists and stunts, or face psychological profiling in their quest for clues. Every contestant brings their own background and skills to help uncover the Traitors or else manipulate the civilians.

With dramatic lighting, moody music and lush visuals of the ornate castle interiors, The Traitors has a playful enigmatic tone. The host oversees proceedings with a sinister charm that accentuates the gloomy atmosphere. Around every corner secret passages, clandestine meetings and backstabbing may occur.

The Traitors is an addictive blend of mystery whodunit, competition show and roleplaying adventure. As friendships form only to be torn apart by doubt, viewers play along to analyze every suspicion and strategy. With new surprises in every episode leading up to the ultimate unveiling of the Traitors, it is a riveting game of deception that will keep audiences guessing.

The Traitors is a series that ran for 4 seasons (42 episodes) between January 17, 2023 and on Peacock Premium