The Traitors season 4 is already off to a dramatic start.
This post has spoilers for The Traitors season 4 premiere.
The campy murder-mystery competition returned to Peacock on Thursday, January 9, where host Alan Cumming tapped Lisa Rinna, Candiace Dillard Bassett, Rob Rausch and Donna Kelce as the season 4 villains. (Kelce was chosen as the “Secret Traitor” in an opening night twist but was later banished by the cast.)
The nefarious foursome quickly chose to “murder” Big Brother winner Ian Terry, Survivor vet Rob Cesternino and Real Housewives of Atlanta star Porsha Williams, all of which shocked viewers.
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“TOUGH year to be a reality TV fan. Tired of constantly getting my feelings hurt by my favorite shows,” one fan tweeted of Cesternino’s abrupt exit, with another adding, “OK but genuinely F*** THIS SEASON 😭.”
Other social media users lamented how quickly the “gamer” players — contestants who’ve previously appeared on competitions like Big Brother and Survivor — were given the boot.
“It sucks that you can be a really strong and intuitive player like Rob Cesternino was and still get murdered,” an X user wrote. “That he was able to suss out that a murder in plain sight was going down shows just how dialed in he was, and I hate to see him go so soon.”
While Cesternino and Terry’s eliminations left jaws on the floor, fans were equally shocked that none of the other “gamers” were selected as Traitors. (Rinna, 62, and Dillard Bassett, 39, are Real Housewives stars, while Rausch, 27, is best known for his stint on Love Island USA season 6 and Donna is the mom of NFL stars Jason and Travis Kelce.)
“Rob Rausch for sure thought he was going into that turret to meet his fellow two gamer traitors,” an X user quipped on Thursday. “[Then he] got two housewives. [I’m] laughing hysterically. I can’t stop laughing.”
A fifth fan added, “Not a single gamer was chosen as a Traitor and now [they’re] just getting picked off. I hate it here.”
Separate X users, however, thought the Traitors lineup was among “the best” in all four seasons.
“This is kinda the best Traitors lineup ever lmao,” one tweeted with another chiming in, “This is legitimately the best group of traitors in the history of this franchise. I’m not even joking. Chaotic Divas to the core. We will be entertained.”
The Traitors season 4 also had more twists than ever before, starting with Donna being tapped as a “Secret Traitor” in plain sight on Night 1.
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“Just finished the latest episode of #TheTraitorsUS, and I’m still on the edge of my seat,” an X user gushed on Thursday night. “The twists this season are unreal — it’s becoming a true social mind game. Can’t wait for next week!”
Not all fans, however, felt the twists created a memorable premiere.
“The ‘Gamer’ community helped Traitors USA grow and they got disrespected big time this season,” an eighth X user claimed. “S****y twist, only five gamers [and] only BB and Survivor were represented.”
Another fan, meanwhile, claimed that the gamers’ exits weren’t the only reason that she thought season 4 was a flop.
“It’s not just [because] the gamers are gone,” she wrote on Thursday. “These twists to the game were bad, and I felt like we barely saw the Traitors ‘strategize’ in the turret.”
New episodes of The Traitors drop Thursdays on Peacock.
