The Traitors Season 2 Producers Defend Canceled Banishment After Intense Backlash

The Traitors producers attempted to defend their own decisions after the hit Peacock reality series started receiving a lot of criticism. The Traitors season 2 has aired eight episodes so far, with the finale and reunion coming up in a couple of weeks. In a recent episode, the banishment was canceled after a new twist was introduced. The Bachelor alum Peter Weber was clearly at risk, but the twist ended up saving Peter and resulted in Bergie Bergersen’s murder, a move that was heavily criticized online.

Despite speculation that this twist was implemented at the last moment in order to save Peter from being banished or murdered, The Traitors producers wanted to set the record straight. In an interview with EW, Sam Rees-Jones adamantly denied that Peter was saved on purpose by producers, saying, “That was a twist that had been planned for that episode before we even started filming.” When asked to elaborate, Sam claimed they would “never interfere with the gameplay” because there’s no point in doing so, adding, “We don’t need to and…it wouldn’t be satisfying.”

Why Dan & Phaedra Were Recruited As Traitors

One of the most intriguing elements of The Traitors happens at the very beginning of each season when the Traitors are chosen. When asked about why Dan Gheesling and Phaedra Parks filled those two spots this time around, Sam said, “They both bring something completely different to the show…And the way that they approach it so differently is just to interesting to watch.” Sam didn’t delve too deeply into a specific reason but added that the producers “felt confident that we would want to watch them both play as Traitors in different ways.”

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There’s already speculation over who will join the cast of The Traitors season 3, now that Peacock has officially confirmed its renewal. Kate Chastain thinks some of the Vanderpump Rules stars should compete. Sam didn’t give away any hints about who might join the show, but producers are in the middle of casting at the moment. “It doesn’t matter who you are, where you are from, or what your past is. If it fits within the jigsaw of the casting puzzle, then brilliant,” Sam said, adding that John Bercow has been a surprising but great addition to The Traitors season 2, so anything is possible.

There has been backlash to some of the decisions made during The Traitors season 2, including speculation that certain elements are fake or scripted. Sam’s defense of the episode 7 twist won’t satisfy everyone, but it is very likely that twists like these are created in advance since there’s a lot of planning involved every step of the way, and trying to add in a last-minute change with almost no planning time might not work out too well. Regardless of what the truth is, hopefully, The Traitors season 3 implements changes that improve the show’s reputation going forward.

Sources: EW, Peacock/Instagram

The Traitors (US)

The Traitors is a reality competition series that features celebrity and civilian contestants vying for a grand prize. They must engage in challenges while trying to uncover the traitors in their midst. Based on the Dutch series, The US incarnation of Traitors is hosted by actor Alan Cumming. As the faithful try to avoid being “murdered” by the traitors, the traitors must work together to evade banishment.