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timeThere are two boxes on the round table. One of them contains a shield. The other contains nothing. If communications manager Rachel or gardener James choose the latter, they’ll leave. After such a gripping fourth series traitor – 11 episodes of psychological warfare and strategic wisdom – now in the finals Depends on what is essentially a glorified coin toss. It was the cliffhanger to end all cliffhangers, no doubt having millions of viewers screaming at their televisions as the end credits rolled.
while we’ve been watching Rachel Watching every emotional leak, however, her fellow renegade Steph is quietly doing something more cunning, becoming a wolf in sheep’s clothing—or rather, wearing an array of perfect knitwear tucked into high-waisted jeans. He is a cybersecurity consultant who understands how to deal with threats. Including becoming one.
if only There are a few true believers left – Faraz, Jack, Jed, and probably James – this award could still go to anyone. But the real contest is always between the traitors Rachel and Stephen.
This is a series that pushes everyone beyond their mental (and sometimes physical) limits. James vomited from exhaustion on Highland Hill. Rachel went through FBI-level preparation for the reality show. Harriet, a lawyer turned crime novelist, was deeply embarrassed about her Roxy’s Outbreak (“Put a cat among the pigeons!”) She publicly apologized and admitted she couldn’t see herself on TV. Everyone is immersed in paranoia and slowly losing control.
Except Stephen. Far from cracking under the pressure, he exuded a sense of effortless contentment. The only thing he seemed to take seriously was a show-stopping jumpsuit. Yes, his face has inspired a thousand memes — those rosy cheeks, that worried expression — but they may be the biggest misdirection of the series. Stephen’s apparent misfortune has become his greatest asset.
The 32-year-old’s experience has made his strategy clearer. Stephen grew up on the Isle of Lewis, one of the more remote islands in Scotland. He was the first in his family to go to college, but the family wasn’t done yet. His father, a butcher, always dreamed of becoming an artist, and his parents made financial sacrifices to support him. But being gay in a rural community comes with a price. During last week’s episode, Stephen opened up: “I actually kind of hated myself for a long time. I lost my youth going to church and trying to pray to be normal,” he said. That he’s gotten to this point in the series without anyone really questioning his sincerity speaks to how effectively he uses warmth. His vulnerability is his secret weapon: it’s real, not fake.
Rachel, by contrast, mobilized her abilities—but it became her undoing. James addressed her issues at the roundtable: “Rachel was such a good player that if she wasn’t a traitor, she wouldn’t have been murdered.” Her fatal flaw is that her abilities become a liability. For about seven hours, her FBI training — studying microexpressions, analyzing blink rates — paid off. Kitchen showdowns, strategic leadership, and alliance building with Fiona. She also knows how to handle heat. But this week, the wheels came off. There are only so many fires you can put out before people wonder why you’re always near a flame. Every defense sounded rehearsed because she was so good at defending herself. However, the traitors’ mistake – killing Roxy, who trusted them both, instead of young Faraz, with his correct theory of Rachel – may have ultimately sealed her fate.
While Rachel drew all the firepower, Stephen played a quiet game. Track his evolution: In early episodes, he’s the tentative lieutenant, wide-eyed and nodding. When Fiona is evicted with the help of Stephen’s vote, the latter conjures an Oscar-worthy weeping performance. Then there’s the pivot. In the semi-finals, Talk to the cameraStephen admitted that despite promising Rachel he wouldn’t vote against her, he would be “stupid” not to sow the seeds of doubt. “I have to put on my big boy pants and match it,” he said. Everything has become concrete. He tells Jack they should “think about Rachel,” and during the roundtable, he accuses her of using a “copycat” of Harriet’s crackdown on Hugo. Yet when push comes to shove, he remains loyal to her.
Although Stephen appears to be genial, even unpretentious, he is protean—changing depending on who is watching. In a way, he’s like a less creepy Uriah Heep David Copperfield. “I am a very ‘Shipp insists, while amassing power through displays of vulnerability. Stephen does this through both palpable anxiety and great attire. Every cardigan is armor.
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Also, let’s not forget that he’s lucky – think of how much attention he got before Fiona’s meltdown. But ultimately, Stephen was never Rachel’s junior partner. She was his heat shield, burning up on re-entry while he slipped through unscathed. Rachel listed her accomplishments, sounding guilty. Stephen expressed confusion and sounded faithful. Tonight reveals whether his survival is genius or fate. Whatever the outcome, I can’t wait to see what he wears.