What makes ‘The Traitors’ so good?
*Article contains spoilers of The Traitors finale.
Lies, banishments and the iconic Claudia Winkleman: why wouldn’t we be invested in this TV show? It encompasses all elements of great TV in one perfect series – a mix of crime, comedy, and reality all in one, but could any of us really justify why we enjoy it?
Perhaps it's the sheer drama which excites us the most – the tense round table conflicts which leave us on the edge of our seats. Or maybe it's the thrilling challenges which expose true identities as both faithful and traitors battle for shields to either protect them from the night’s ‘murder’ or to utilise under false pretence. Could it be the vignettes of reality in which we are reminded that the contestants of this popular game show are people and not characters, acting not just for the purpose of TV but also to deceive their fellow players?
These elements all contribute to our enduring love of the show, but what we may be oblivious to is the psychology behind these elements: the true reason we love ‘The Traitors’ so much.
In Freudian theory, lying and deceiving is motivated by a conflict between two parts of the human psyche – the unconscious Id (which controls the instinctiveness in our personality, and which demands immediate gratification) and the semi-conscious ego (which mediates between the obstreperous Id and the consciously moral superego). This is just one way of proving that what we now deem ‘good TV’ usually involves gameplay, deceit and a challenge of societal norms, with ‘The Traitors’ proving itself an endorsement of duplicitous behaviour which is so severely criticised in our society – an outlet for our human instinct to battle between right and wrong.
But what is ‘right’ and what is ‘wrong’? The truth is that they have no meaningful definition and are merely abstract concepts which are used to condition. Our investment in ‘The Traitors’ is not just a minor escape from mid-week chaos, but an exposure of what we find interesting: as humans we enjoy watching the traitors deceive their fellow faithful's because of the outrageous thrill, but as embodiments of society we enjoy the ‘Cluedo’ nature of analysing and investigating possible traitors for the greater good. We are also privy to observing, and our empowerment through knowing who the traitors are and watching them as they struggle to maintain their facades creates a feeling of omniscience which we are rarely gifted, making the show even more investing.
Like a great Shakespearean tragedy, drama, miscommunication, and scheming play key roles in forwarding the popularity of ‘The Traitors’, exposing to us how all great art whether it be in the form of a play, novel, drama production (or a BBC 1 series!) is successful based on the reaction of the audience. In this sense, ‘The Traitors’ taps into a small part of our human psyche which enjoys the difference to ordinary TV, and it is here where the ultimate brilliance of the show lies: a crime thriller with no gore, but a comedy and reality with a dark edge – this series’ multi-faceted nature will always prove intriguing.
As Alan’s burden dramatically lifted in Thursday’s tense episode, the strangely heartwarming moment as his fellow players surrounded him brought us back to reality, reminding us that, although the players become enthralled in the action, Alan was ultimately relieved to release the repressed tension which had built as it became increasingly difficult for him to deceive the faithful's – epitomising the drama which we are unused to seeing in day-to-day life. ‘The Traitors’ is, and will continue to be, one of the most well-loved shows on TV with the awe-inspiring finale proving our dedication to following the episodes to be worthwhile.
So, as the recent series of ‘The Celebrity Traitors’ comes to an end, and we ponder where it all went wrong for ‘Hundy percent faithful's’ Nick and Joe, we are left longing for the next series – a mastering of TV marketing and a magnifying view into our complex minds.
Violet Crowton
