‘Traitor’ has a dizzying ending, but the BBC must heed this warning – Review

when alan carr won celebrity traitor Come back in NovemberI wonder if the success of the series has rubbed salt into its civilian siblings. Only 56 days left in Carr’s term (only one week longer than Liz Truss’ term) traitor Came back with a groan earlier this year. Does the country have the enthusiasm for another month-long obsession? Won’t traitor Has fatigue set in? But it was New Year’s Day and I had nothing to do, and like so many others, I threw caution to the wind. I join nearly 12 million Britons in another round of the nationally watched parlor game. and – damn ——I was attracted again.

Whether it’s rebellious Celtic duo Rachel and Stephen forming an unshakable bond in Turret, rogue “secret traitor” Fiona self-immolationcrime novelist Harriet Also set himself on fire (This is a interesting Decision-making), or scruffy gardener James delivering a mix of metaphors and misnomers like they’ve gone out of style, season four delivered. And then some. When Stephen revealed his final panel with suppressed joy (“for reasons that will become clear in the future”), he pulled the curtain on something rather rare in the world of reality TV: a truly impressive performance. this is not apprenticeill-equipped clowns stumbling through simple tasks, or i’m a celebritythe public tortured former politicians and footballers for their masturbatory viewing pleasure. This was a game won by two traitors, and they really did, real Brilliantly. Their skill is lying and deception, but that’s not the point. They have proven themselves to be the Williams sisters, Bailey and Garrincha, Torvill and Dean, of guile.

This ending captures the essence of a brutal psychological drama. When doctoral student Jade attacks her during the final roundtable, her Castle friend Stephen reacts, in her own words, as “blinded by trust.” Faraz realizes this soon after his banishment, accompanied by a whispered self-admonishment of “Idiot…”. “Two traitors,” Claudia Winkelmann said in the climactic moment, “but completely loyal to each other.” Even the presenter – behind bangs and eye shadow – was in tears. This is another great moment from the show that proves to be a huge water-cooler thrill.

However, traitor Clearly a one-off entertainment. I barely remember the show’s final season (which was obviously won by Leanne Quigley and Jack Brown), and what sticks out to me most are the big dramatic moments: Season 1’s doomed traitor Wilf begging for his life; triumphant villain Harry successfully stabbing Molly; non-Welsh Charlotte announcing that she would use a Welsh accent throughout the show. There are only occasional flashes of the kind of organic carnage (e.g., “She’s not a traitor, she’s my girlfriend,” or “Paul’s not my son…but Rose is”) like we saw in the heyday of the crazy, destructive, but delicious reality shows of the early 1990s. in my Season 2 finale recapI wrote that winner Harry was “born TV gold” – the only show I’ve seen him on since then was Traitor: Facelesspost-match analysis of each episode.

But in that moment, while we were all glued to our television sets (and finally, after three seasons of lackluster public support for their feeble loyalists, it finally felt like the entire country was rooting for the traitors to triumph), the disposable nature of the entertainment felt irrelevant. It is a form of public communication, a shared conspiracy. This is a show crafted for the frayed, fragmented modern mind. Twists, betrayals, and alliances all give us the same dopamine rush as a boring doomscroll. traitor cannot be replaced Bear or puberty or severance pay – It can replace an hour of your brain spent sitting on the sidelines of big tech algorithms. For this reason, it should be cherished.

What remains to be seen is whether the BBC can control itself. Fifty-six days until the end celebrity traitor and start traitor Not long. They have a winning formula, but must avoid overexposure. After all, reality TV goes through cycles of prominence. There was such a moment Strictly Come Dancing, X factor or Britain’s Got Talent Reaching eight-figure ratings and capturing the attention of our nation. In turn, all of this becomes irrelevant. maybe one day traitorIt also releases control over small screen audiences.

But, now, the producers seem to have found a perfect setup. Brilliant casting, tight narrative control, a host who lets the contestants steal the show: everyone is complicit, traitor It’s the biggest, most dizzying diversion imaginable during these difficult times.