Why Donna Kelce as Secret Traitor Didn’t Work

Spoilers observe for the primary three episodes of the fourth season of The Traitors, which premiered on Peacock on January 8. 

In no different scenario in life would I say this, on condition that the girl is the rich mom of two extraordinarily profitable athletes, a spokesperson along with her personal endorsements, and a mainstay in Taylor Swift’s circle. But additionally: Poor Donna Kelce! The Traitors type of did her soiled, didn’t it?

As the Secret Traitor, the most recent twist within the collection’ ever-evolving gameplay, Kelce wasn’t set as much as succeed. Sure, she’s the competitor with probably the most recognizable title, however Kelce positively has the least expertise with any type of technique recreation, and also you’re inserting her in a task that calls for inherent conniving, intentional subterfuge, and enforced individuality. That’s denying Kelce a official probability at truly taking part in the sport, and even having fun with being within the fortress, since she’s instantly remoted from the Faithful and different Traitors alike. On prime of that, how apparent is it to pick out Kelce, who many gamers described as “America’s mom,” as a Traitor? It can be so stunning to make her a assassin that it truly turns into fairly predictable, so it’s not stunning that the Faithful clocked her so quick. In truth, it type of makes the entire Secret Traitor thought really feel like a flop.

With its fourth season, The Traitors is as versatile as ever, throwing surprising challenges on the Traitors and Faithful alike. Host Alan Cumming calls for the Traitors pull off a homicide in plain sight on their second night time, and there’s a roundtable in the midst of the day to vote somebody out. The greatest change of all, although — one which truly might alter the construction of the present — is the idea of the Secret Traitor, whose function is to supply a shortlist of individuals whom the principle Traitors can choose for homicide. Selected as quickly because the group arrived and tasked with staying nameless, the Secret Traitor was not allowed to work together with the opposite chosen Traitors till Alan allowed it. That meant that neither the opposite opponents nor the collection’ viewers knew who the Secret Traitor was, and the present didn’t give us any clues. Outside of exhibiting us the Secret Traitor’s handwriting on their shortlists, there have been no tells from the manufacturing staff about who this particular person might be, simply shadowy footage of some hooded participant wandering the fortress with a lantern. They’re an entire thriller contained in the fortress and outdoors of it, and that looks as if a good suggestion in principle, however didn’t truly work in execution.

It’s powerful to invest how far Kelce truly might have gotten, as a result of like Michael Rapaport, she was coming into the fortress with no pure allies. She did join with a few the opposite loners within the fortress, together with Rapaport and comic Ron Funches, however in any other case needed to depend on an “I’m a superfan” strategy towards the Housewives, avid gamers, and different reality-TV personalities, a technique not constructed for longevity. Also not serving to was the specter of “the Swifties,” who got here up greater than as soon as when individuals have been speaking about Kelce, like contestants didn’t wish to cross her as a result of they thought Swift’s virtually militarized cadre of superfans would go after them. And perhaps there was part of Kelce who would have ultimately been uncomfortable with the sport’s bodily challenges; the girl is 73 years outdated, and I can perceive if she doesn’t wish to be buried alive, hike up cliffs, or do no matter else The Traitors would have demanded. But once more, that is all hypothesis, as a result of The Traitors was extra involved with retaining her Secret Traitor id a secret than exhibiting us how she would have performed this recreation. We didn’t get to know her as a result of the collection wouldn’t allow us to.

Does this imply the Secret Traitor thought itself is a non-starter? Not essentially, however it definitely must be tweaked if it’s going to proceed being a component of this season’s gameplay. It’s unclear at this level whether or not Alan will choose one other Secret Traitor from the remaining Faithful, or if that idea exits the present as soon as the unique Secret Traitor does, however for now, let’s discuss concerning the Secret Traitor idea because it’s been proven to us. Putting the homicide shortlist in a single particular person’s arms, relatively than letting the shields do the work of specifying who could be killed off, is a significant change that provides the Secret Traitor a ton of energy with out a ton of clarification for his or her considering. We don’t know the way the Traitors may need continued to react to being curtailed. Kelce’s shortlists appeared to work out for them, because the Traitors murdered off two seemingly threatening avid gamers in Ian and Rob C., however we simply don’t have sufficient information but to gauge the varied methods this might play out, efficiently or not.

If the Secret Traitor goes to return, the present itself might do extra to indicate their motivations, and to allow us to truly play alongside in determining who the particular person is. Slap a distortion impact on their audio and allow them to inform us what they’re eager about who to kill. Or make the Secret Traitor solely a secret throughout the fortress, and tell us who they’re from the start in order that we will watch how they’re taking part in the sport. None of this may have helped Kelce stick round, however it at the least may need made the massive swing of the Secret Traitor land higher.