The Traitors Season 2 Premiere Recap, Episodes 1-3: Phenomenal Phaedra Parks
The Traitors is back for a treacherous second season, and this time round, it’s all celebrities taking part. Host Alan Cumming is welcoming 21 famous competitors to his castle (it’s not really his castle but this show is high camp, so stick with me here), to compete in a game of deceit. He warns that there will be “betrayers, fakes and fraudsters” lurking in the hopes of snatching the $250,000 grand prize for themselves. Among them are stars of the Real Housewives franchise, a British politician, and even heavyweight boxing champion, Deontay Wilder. Here are all of the highlights from The Traitors Season 2’s premiere: Episodes 1-3.
Who’s in the cast of The Traitors Season 2?
John Bercow, former Speaker of the House of Commons in the United Kingdom
Carsten “Bergie” Bergersen, Love Island USA
Trishelle Cannatella, The Real World: Las Vegas
Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Dancing with the Stars
Ekin-Su Cülcülo?lu, Love Island UK
Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio, The Real World: Key West and The Challenge
Sandra Diaz-Twine, Survivor
Dan Gheesling, Big Brother
Mercedes “MJ” Javid, Shahs of Sunset
Marcus Jordan, The Real Housewives of Miami
Larsa Pippen, The Real Housewives of Miami
Tamra Judge, The Real Housewives of Orange County
Phaedra Parks, The Real Housewives of Atlanta and Married to Medicine
Shereé Whitfield, The Real Housewives of Atlanta
Kevin Kreider, Bling Empire
Peppermint, RuPaul’s Drag Race
Janelle Pierzina, Big Brother
Parvati Shallow, Survivor
Chris “CT” Tamburello, The Real World: Paris and The Challenge
Peter Weber, The Bachelorette
Deontay Wilder, professional boxer
The Traitors Season 2, Episode 1 Recap: “Betrayers, Fakes and Fraudsters”
The Traitors Season 2 starts as you would expect, with the 21 famous faces arriving at Alan’s castle in Episode 1. Some of them have history. Parvati, for example, would “prefer not to see Sandra.” So, the Emmy-winning casting team made sure they’d both be appearing on the same season. Sandra promises to “take care of her once and for all” if she feels any devious behavior from her “Queen of Survivor” rival.
Meanwhile, Dan hasn’t seen Janelle for a decade. The last time they were in the same room together, he had voted her out of Big Brother. And of course, we have some Bravolebrities in the mix. Tamra says that “people might know me as the calculating bitch,” and she’d be right.
Perhaps the most surprising addition to the cast is John. “Over the years I’ve developed a knack for detecting who, frankly, is trying to lie, to deceive, to cheat, for material gain,” he says in confessional. Will he be the one to spot the Traitors when the game truly begins? Only time will tell.
The Traitors Season 2, Episode 1: Who are the Traitors?
Dan Gheesling and Phaedra Park are chosen as the first two Traitors in The Traitors Season 2. The pair will enlist one more Traitor to their cause when the first day comes to an end.
During the blind selection, a few eyebrows are raised. Janelle immediately confronts John for breathing heavily. He says that he has a history of minor trouble with his breath, and as viewers, we know he has no reason to lie. This might be something to come back and bite him on the ass, however.
On the opposite end of the table, the ever-deluded Larsa tells everybody that she has the best hearing in the world. As a result of this, she could “feel the vibrating” of Alan “lifting his jacket” when he passed Parvati. Ergo, Parv must be a Traitor. The Survivor legend immediately hits back that this is a “good strategy” from Larsa, to divert attention away from herself. So much mess already!
We also get a killer line from Bananas about poor, anxious Bergie. “The guy literally has soiled himself.” Welp!
Mayhem in the first mission, and petty drama
All of the celebrities – except a sickly Tamra – take part in the first mission for $30,000. They must work together to build a giant beacon in the middle of a Loch, before setting it alight. Huge, floating puzzle pieces must be collected and stuck together, with the celebs using boats and swimming out to do so. A clue to help build the beacon was also hidden on the shoreline, in one of countless bottles. Making it even tougher was the time limit, and the fact everybody would start the mission tied up.
To add a twist, three shields were up for grabs: one on land and two in the water. Anybody who grabbed a shield would be safe from the first murder of the season, but not banishment. That set the legendary gamers into action.
Janelle was one of the first to untie themselves, so she immediately rushed to grab the shield on land. In the water, CT and Deontay were successful in claiming safety for themselves. But as the clock ticked, chaos descended. With just one second left, the mission was a success, but with teamwork breaking down, Alan warned they’d have to do better in the future. Still, that was $30,000 added to the prize pot.
Back at the castle, Dan and Janelle solidified their alliance. He considers her for Traitor recruitment, but also credits “the female version” of himself, Parvati. Fortunately for him and Phaedra, all eyes are on Peppermint.
Trishelle jokes that if she is first to be murdered, Peppermint must be a Traitor. Despite laughing along with the joke, Trishelle feels some sort of way and says, “she got all pissy.” That leads to some whispers, and before long, Peppermint seems to be in the Faithful’s firing line.
The Traitors Season 2, Episode 2 Recap: “Welcome to the Dark Side”
In The Traitors Season 2, Episode 2, Dan and Phaedra recruit somebody else to join them in murdering their fellow competitors. “They wanna win and I think they’ve got killing in their blood,” says Phaedra. She’s a phenomenal narrator of the season so far. I hope she goes far, if not all the way.
So, who do they pick? “I feel, like, electricity popping in my chest about this,” Parvati says as she accepts Dan and Phaedra’s offer. But she won’t know who her fellow Traitors are until the next night, when they all meet in the turret.
Meanwhile, Dan and Phaedra also get to make their first murder. “Who can we murder to cause confusion?” asks Dan. Kevin, Bananas, and Peppermint are all tossed out as names. There’s also a funny moment in confessional where Phaedra says Dan has won Big Brother twice. He’s actually only won once! He came close a second time, but lost out to Ian Terry. But I digress…
Who was killed in The Traitors Season 2, Episode 2?
Johnny Bananas was the first celebrity killed by the Traitors in Season 2, Episode 2.
Phaedra felt Bananas was “someone who has the ability to catch us.” Because of that danger, he had to go. The mood at breakfast when the news was revealed was somber. “Guess that means I’m next,” says Johnny’s fellow Challenge beast, CT. Peppermint throws more suspicion on herself when she says Bananas was “someone who can’t be controlled.” Then comes the calling out for her supposed beef with Trishelle.
At this point, Peppermint stands up and walks over to Trishelle. “If you get murdered it might be by my look, but it won’t be because I’m a Traitor.” And that’s on period. Trishelle is annoying as hell for barking up this tree.
John is also still causing concern. “Never trust a politician,” warns Tamra. You could say the same about an Orange County housewife.
The second mission answers some burning questions
$20,000 is up for grabs in the second mission of the season. Questions contained in lockboxes ask questions about the cast. Each celeb completed a questionnaire earlier in the day, and as is often the case, majority rules. Three shields are also available in the challenge, for those who want protection from murder.
The first question reveals Marcus to be the contestant whose opinion everyone else values the most. This is something Phaedra and Dan take note of. He could be dangerous down the line. The second question asks who is the most popular player. That accolade goes, surprisingly, to Peppermint. Finally, the third question asks who needs to speak up more. That casts a spotlight on Dan. He worries that this means he’ll be suspicious to the other players.
After making it through to a field of scarecrows, a handful of celebrities go for shields instead of gold. They include Janelle, Dan, John, and Peter. Only Dan is successful, while everybody else manages to add $16,000 out of a possible $20k to the pot, leaving the prize total currently standing at $46,000.
Back at the castle, chatter centers around both John and Peppermint. The latter misspeaks, saying “Traitor” when referring to herself, instead of “Faithful.” It’s not a good look, but Maks isn’t convinced. He tells Trishelle that she actually provided a “non-story” about Peppermint.
Who is banished in The Traitors Season 2, Episode 2?
Peppermint is the first celebrity to be banished from The Traitors Season 2.
Despite pleading her case, there have been too many slips of the tongue. After telling Trishelle not to go into comedy, she stands up to deliver the news.
“I came into this game because I’m a huge fan. But the bigger reason for me to come here is because I’m trying to put all of my energy and use my platform to advocate for our transgender community. I will keep being myself. That will never stop. But in this game I think some of you all have been led astray. I am a Faithful.” And with that, she sashayed right outta the game.
Shereé is BIG mad. “Y’all came up with this whole concoction,” she says. We also see some emotions from Deontay, who’s almost crying to have lost such a “beautiful person.” Unexpected, but incredible to see someone from the world of boxing give so much love to Peppermint. I have no choice but to stan.
The Traitors Season 2, Episode 3 Recap: “Murder in Plain Sight”
Parvati finally gets to meet her fellow Traitors, and she says they’re killing it. But in confessional, it’s clear Dan has a nasty plan. He’s looking to the future, and sees Parv as someone easy to throw under the bus. It’s a great strategy, but is he playing too hard, too early?
Then comes the question of who should be murdered next. Deontay is strong, so should they strike when he doesn’t have a shield? There’s also Marcus, who’s beloved by the rest of the cast. He also has Larsa, which feels a little unfair as an advantage. Then we have Janelle, who is super smart and always gaming. People listen to her. So who should go?
Who was killed in The Traitors Season 2, Episode 3?
Marcus Jordan was the second celebrity to be murdered in The Traitors Season 2.
Larsa’s man feels he was “too much of a threat,” upon receiving the news. “Rest in peace, Marcus,” Larsa jokes when Alan hands her his portrait. The host then reveals that the third mission will take place “in the dead of night.”
While the celebrities await that mission, they get to socializing. Larsa and Tamra want to put their “Housewives skills” together, to “collect some red flags” in their discussions with everyone else.
In a conversation with Trishelle, Bergie, Ekin-Su, and John, Parvati learns that there are a handful of Faithful suspicious of Dan. She’s got “mixed feelings” about how to respond, because defending him too heavily would turn their attention to her.
Elsewhere, Deontay has his sights set on Maks. “He seemed very nervous, and Maks is no actor,” he says.
Will somebody please listen to Bergie?
The majority of the third mission is a complete shit show. The celebrities are asked to go searching through graves, tombs and crypts for gold. There are also three shields available once more. Searchlights in the graveyard will follow them, and if a celeb is caught, they’re eliminated. Half of the group will start, with the other half waiting to fill any gaps. As it turns out, everybody gets to play, because nobody will listen to our lovely Love Islander, Bergie. He’s got the pattern of the spotlights down, but 10 minutes in, no gold has been banked.
“I’ve got the pattern down, just listen!” he pleads. But it takes Dan shouting at the group to listen to Bergie for things to actually get going. Somehow, the group collects $19,500 in total, bringing the prize pot up to $65,500. “Oh Bergielicious, I’m so proud,” says Phaedra. She’s SO good with her social game.
Peter grabbed a shield, and while Ekin-Su thought she was gonna get her first, Janelle beats her to it. There’s some disagreement on how it went down. Ekin-Su thinks Janelle was “aggressive,” while Janelle states she simply got there before Ekin-Su did. “If she talks shit about me I’m gonna have to [say something],” Janelle says on the car ride back to the castle.
Once there, Parv takes her opportunity to tell Dan a bunch of people suspect him. Deontay also tells a group of players that he’ll be going at Maks during the roundtable.
Who is banished in The Traitors Season 2, Episode 3?
Maksim Chmerkovskiy is the second celebrity banished in The Traitors Season 2.
After Dan seemingly defending himself successfully, by saying he’s simply a “quiet” person and “if that’s a crime then so be it,” Maks was sent packing. Deontay defended Dan, then laid out his case against Maks. He accused Maks of “bad acting,” and Sandra brought up Maks supposedly laughing when Peppermint was banished.
Maks did a terrible job of defending himself, and to his credit, admitted it was an “uncomfortable” situation for him. In being confronted, he quickly tried to pass the buck to Janelle, Ekin-Su, and then CT, who pointed out deflection was “something a Traitor would do.”
In the vote, Parvati did something very subtle, but extremely smart. She wrote down a “D” on her board and then scribbled it out. With Dan getting some votes, this could make the other players believe she has her own suspicions about him, allowing her to widen the gap and relationship they secretly share in the game.
Maks’ speech is short and sweet. “I’m a Faithful. Boom.” Janelle is “pissed,” and says Deontay changed her mind. Decompressing afterwards, Phaedra comforts an emotional Deontay, who says, “This shit is fucking with me too much.” This isn’t his world.
A poisoned chalice
The Traitors are told that their murder this evening will be a little different. They must grab a poisoned chalice from some fake books in the castle, and get their target to drink from the cup. Alan notes the poison is “slow-acting,” which suggests the celebrity they choose to take out won’t die right away. Phaedra is happy for Dan and Parvati to take the lead on this one. The two of them throw out the names MJ, John and Shereé.
But when it comes to getting the job done, Parvati panics. She can’t give the chalice to Shereé, because Phaedra is her best friend and standing right next to her. As for MJ? She’s not gonna drink out of the “rusty old cup,” according to Parvati. And John doesn’t seem to be an option based on proximity.
So who does Parvati pick? We won’t find out until Episode 4!
The Traitors Season 2, Episodes 1-3 are available to stream now on Peacock. Episode 4 will be available from Thursday, January 18 at 9 p.m. ET.
TELL US – DID YOU ENJOY THE FIRST THREE EPISODES OF THE TRAITORS SEASON 2? WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE PREMIERE? DO YOU HAVE AN EARLY FAVORITE?
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