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…

Such a good point

Not sure though... look at poor old Alan in the final of the Celebrity version, I don't think there was anything crocodile about those tears! They are subjected to weeks of mounting tension, emotional reactions are understandable. My mind boggles as to what I'd be like - I suspect I'd be laughing hysterically half the time.

Are traitors expected to betray each other in the final? If I were a traitor and got through with another traitor, I would be absolutely stumped as to what to do. I'd want to share it with them, but obviously not if they were about to stitch me up. I think that dilemma is far worse than the one the faithfuls face in the final when trying to guess who to trust, because the traitors have built up a fairly intense relationship.

Are traitors expected to betray each other in the final?

I don't think I've ever seen a series where Traitors didn't betray each other at some point, and very often in the endgame. It was shocking when it first happened in S1 but then we realised it isn't actually a team game really and yeah, at some point that's going to be necessary not to blow your cover. To the point where people also know it's not good now if Traitors try to recruit you off their own bat because it means they think they can get you banished in their stead.

If I were a Traitor, I'd probably chuck the others under a bus at that point just because I'd assume they were going to do the same and better safe than sorry.

I think in the celebrity version Alan and Cat would have gone all the way together but sadly there was too much suspicion on Cat. Alan didn’t vote for her at all though. I’m sure there was only suspicion on Cat because they all thought there had to be a female traitor, which is really unfair.

• they missed Stephen saying ‘last night’ instead of this morning once.

Yup! I noticed it straightaway and if I had been at that table I'd have said "you just fucked up there!" And try to rally the faithful to banish.

Cat and Alan both voted for Jonathan. He was toast so they didn't really have a choice but yeah, it's not a team game and nobody, Faithful or Traitor, is expected to go down with the ship.

If the faithfuls think Rachel is a faithful - why are they not questioning why Rachel isn't being murdered?

Fuck sake it's so Obvious!

What I can't get is how they proved in that task that actually, most of them think Rachel would make the best Traitor, although that's not the answer Rachel and Stephen gave. If they mostly think she'd be a good Traitor, why don't they suspect her?

They mentioned this on uncloaked and Sam said it wouldn't have looked suspicious even if it had registered because the concept of time is v confused in there. We know they have breakfast at hotel before "breakfast" scene, lunch and tasks probably all take variable time, RT takes hours. He said that people would often say yesterday when they meant today etc.
Also iirc that was the day when the RT had been moved to straight after breakfast - so even more disorientating

I’m not even sure it was that. He was talking about thinking this morning about something that had happened last night. He just got the beginning and end of his sentence mixed up - I do it all the time! I wouldn’t have found it suspicious, personally.

I don't think that anyone should have immunity from being banished but I think that a couple of Faithfuls having secret immunity from being murdered by the Traitors would level the playing field slightly. Particularly if the Traitors weren't told about the immunity and they would only find out the next day when their chosen faithful would be still there. They would start to feel as unsettled and powerless as the Faithfuls do. I do think the game is too heavily weighted in favour of the Traitors.

Absolutely agree with this. The Faithfuls have two things to worry about whereas traitors only have banishment giving them more time to plot.

I'd like for them to have a few days of missions before anyone gets murdered or banished, in fact before they even pick the traitors. It would mean the theories about people changing after the first round table were based on a bit more than the train and car journeys.

Also it would be kinder to the first people out, to have least had a bit of fun and got to know the others.

Isn't that what the shields are for?

That's interesting, I think I agree with this. I guess they'd be worried it would be less interesting telly but they could compress it into one ep

I agree too. I think the game - and the tv show- would be completely different with the potential of being more interesting. I do love the show but the first person to be murdered is always murdered because they’re too much of a threat to the traitors because they’re ’too clever’ like the wonderfully dressed and apparently very intelligent woman who was murdered first in the last series. we never got to see her!

Well yeah, from a traitor perspective that makes total sense but from a tv viewer perspective, it’s terrible because you get a load of dimwits left for the rest of the show who are dreadful at catching traitors and repeat the same old shit that doesn’t make any sense like ‘who is protecting me?’, Like Leanne from last year. No one, you simpleton! And she won too!

it would be hilarious if the traitors are chosen AFTER the first episode but the contestants don’t know when they’re picked, so at the first round table EVERYONE is a faithful. They could then pick the traitors via letters, like they let them know they’ve been murdered. That would really put the cat amongst the chickens. I suppose it would only work once before the contestants caught on to that (or perhaps people like Roxy would never catch on) but it would be interesting way to do it for next season.

I can't get over this either. How can they all independently say Rachel is the person who would be the best traitor and then fail to interrogate that thought any further?! That just didn't make any sense.

Or...they ALL suspect her but what's the point in banishing her just yet?

If there are only Traitors left at the end, then they share the prize as obviously they know they are Traitors, so can't banish each other. The question is "Do you think there are any Traitors still here?" (IIRC) - if there are only Traitors then of course they know.

Maybe they DO suspect Rachel (I mean she’s an obvious choice!) and are waiting until the final?

You have to be brave to take on Rachel, it’s not gone well for the last two people who tried to suggest she was a traitor!

And I was talking about all of the contestants on the programme, not just the traitors. Some people cry because they are upset, such as Jade for instance, who'd clearly had enough at that point. She hadn't turned on the waterworks on purpose in order to manipulate people. Same goes for that young chap earlier in the series.

Yes I’ve thought there must be this going on with at least one or two of them.

In S1 Ivan (? I think I’ve remembered correctly) said he suspected Amanda of being a traitor, as did others, but his strategy was to play along and not say anything. Partly because once you get rid of a traitor, another is likely to be appointed so that’s another unknown element.

Hope that there’s at least someone who’s worked it out and is believable enough and can convince others to vote for Rachel near the end.

I don’t think it’s safe to say that. But then I don’t like categoric statements. Sod’s Law, there’s always an exception

Sure most of the time if a Traitor cries it’s probably to manipulate.

But it’s also possible that one may cry out of sheer frustration, finding it hard after so many days to manipulate people they have genuinely become fond of. Or because they feel isolated having to lie and really miss their family & friends.

People are all different. And most of them don’t seem to be Game Bots.