It’s A Wicked Game | Traitors 2026 | Thread 9 | Spoiler Free!

[CaveMum]

Link to previous thread: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/telly_addicts/5476221-everybody-wants-to-rule-the-world-traitors-2026-thread-8-spoiler-free?page=1

Welcome to Thread 9 of Traitors 2026.

This thread runs at TV pace so do not read any further if you are not up to date with the live broadcast. Whilst most discussion will be on the current series, inevitably people will refer to previous series/players/winners so reader beware if you’ve not seen the 3 previous editions, or the celebrity version.

While we welcome posters discussing their theories and speculating on relationships/connections between players, please don’t post spoilers from elsewhere that may ruin things for those of us who like to see things unfold over the course of the series.

The story so far <spoiler warning if you haven’t seen the start of episode 9>

Traitors
Hugo
Rachel
Stephen
Fiona (Secret Traitor)

Murdered
Netty
Ben
Maz
Reece
Adam
Jessie

Banished
Judy (Faithful)
Hugo (Traitor)
Ross (Faithful)
Amanda (Faithful)
Fiona (Traitor)
Harriet (Faithful)
Sam (Faithful)

The floor is yours…

Oh good! Because I bet my fortune on it. 😀

My fortune is also gone 🤣

No, I meant I bet my fortune that there are no more secret connections! Two in a series is quite a lot.

Ah well I bet all mine on more connections 🤣

This with bells on 👏

Oh come off it! It’s literally the point of the game

Every viewer has a limited perspective - that’s pretty obvious!

my point is that within the perspective we all have, it’s fairly clear that Rachel is doing so well primarily because the faithfuls are spectacularly rubbish. None of us have any idea how often players ask other players to leave the room so they can talk to someone in private. Of course it might happen more than we see; but the point is, whenever that happens, it throws suspicion. Or should throw suspicion if the faithfuls have their wits about them. Rachel doing that while standing in front of and discussing the family tree with Stephen before (whether several minutes or a few hours) the marks were made should had raised suspicions. The FBI anecdote was completely unnecessary and potentially risky. And I don’t understand why the risk in certain situations hasn’t been shared between Rachel and Stephen. Maybe Stephen has been too willing to accept this rather than insisting that Rachel sometimes puts her name there (eg with the markings) - hopefully he’s not being lulled into a false sense of security that Rachel is protecting him. I mean, obviously she wants to at the moment but any traitor would be mad to think another traitor won’t throw them under the bus as the game reaches the end.

That would be amazing. I feel like it does need something as the pattern of the game frustrates me (much though the show is gripping). The traitors have so much of a head start over the faithful by knowing everything, while the faithful know nothing. Any ‘deserving’ faithful - ie the most intelligent/ trusted/ accurate get ditched early either by being banished or voted off. And the show always reaches this point, where viewers are faced with a choice of backing either the traitors or some of the more clueless faithful. I wonder if the faithful need some kind of leadership to give them an equal footing in the game. A banished faithful returning is a great idea - providing there were obvious limitations on what they could reveal.

I think people do suspect her for any or all of the reasons given by @Jumanji89
The problem is that because she’s such an influential player, and should have been murdered already, people are probably scared to raise her name in private discussions especially when they don’t know who to trust.
Other players could be very hostile to the idea and turn on that faithful. Plus, if the word spread to Rachel the player might be murdered if she is a traitor.
Remember in the box game James voted for Rachel as person who would make best traitor, for her FBI skills and yet I don’t think I’ve heard him ever mention her name privately (although this could all be down to editing)
And so this makes me think people suspect her but are playing it safe for the moment.

The whole point of the game for the Traitors is manipulating people. Not so for the Faithful.

Rachel is a Traitor though? I am baffled by your point. Are you saying she shouldn't be manipulative and sneaky?

I’d like Rachel and Stephen to win together as they seem to get on so well and it would be a ‘nice’ ending if they share the money rather than one take it and get rid of the other.

If any of the faithful have them sussed though and are pretending not to, I’d be ok with them winning too (but I don’t think any of them do). Would just be a shame if the ones who’ve been quiet and carried along the whole game end up winning by luck.

Some people just cry when they are upset. They are not using it as a tool to manipulate people, which is what my abusive exH used to accuse me of doing every time he made me cry.

No..You need to watch S1 and Wilf crying. He was a Traitor and did it to manipulate. That's why he was a good Traitor.
This isn't about your abusive ex.

Talking of the box challenge - it was wet and muddy underfoot, and the Traitors had to get in and out of their box several times to go up and down the steps. Can't help wondering why nobody thought to look and see whose steps had more than one set of footprints on them.😁

Shall we move on from the manipulative behaviour point just now?

Last time I looked, it wasn't very feminist to criticise a woman for being manipulative when the point of the game is manipulation.

Ah - I thought the remark I was responding to was suggesting that everyone in the game was supposed to be manipulative, including the Faithful.

I think the Faithfuls are all pretty smart people actually, particularly this series. Absolute Brains of Britain compared with many reality TV people anyway. The game isn't easy.

Don't patronise me.

I know some people manipulate others by the use of crocodile tears. The point I was making was that not everybody behaves like that, and others should not assume tears are a weapon to garner sympathy.

I wasn't patronising you. I think it's safe to say that when Traitors cry, they are doing to manipulate. And I was talking about Traitors, not the general public.

Does anyone know if next week is the same time slots and lengths?

According to the BBC website Wednesday and Thursday are the same, but Friday's final starts at 8.30pm and lasts fifteen minutes longer.

Uncloaked will then also be longer.

Maybe the faithfuls should have one or two players who cannot be banished or murdered at all, so confirmed faithfuls? This would strengthen the faithfuls hand as they’d have two people who were not playing it safe and would speak more openly about their suspicions. Like a shield but for the entire game?

Counting down 😊