Faithfulness and treachery: Why ‘The Traitors’ grabs us

Gwilym Tudur  |  Features  |  culture watch
Date posted:  22 Jan 2025
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Faithfulness and treachery:  Why ‘The Traitors’ grabs us

Claudia Winkelman the contestants from The Traitors. Source: BBC

The first day of 2025 saw the launch of a new season of the hit BBC television show The Traitors. In this psychological game show hosted by Claudia Winkelman, 22 contestants are sent to a Scottish castle to compete against each other for a prize of £120,000.

It is, however, a game show with a twist: some contestants are ‘Faithfuls’ while others are ‘Traitors’. Each night, the Traitors figuratively ‘murder’ a contestant, while the Faithfuls seek to ‘banish’ a Traitor. With its unexpected twists and colourful characters, the third season of The Traitors promises to be gripping.

The themes that move us

But why is The Traitors so popular? It is for the same reason that Agatha Christie’s murder mysteries, The Lord of the Rings, and the Harry Potter series are popular. They are all stories hinged on the themes of trust, loyalty, betrayal and deception. For some reason, these themes resonate with us deeply. They move us and disquiet us.

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