The Traitors Season 4, Episode 11
"Leap of Faith"
Host: Alan Cumming
Cast: Maura Higgins, Tara Lipinski, Eric Nam, Rob Rausch, Johnny Weir
I feel like we all just went through a collective swooning. Considering all of us were treated to Heated Rivalry this past winter, it’s safe to say that we’re feeling fed. All that to say, Maura, we get it. Rob Rausch pulled off one of, if not the, best Traitor games we’ve seen (we can argue about whether Cirie Fields is better another time). He did it by collecting pawns, eliminating his friends when he needed to, and putting just enough heat on some Faithfuls to earn enough money so he can find a girl and move to a farm. I can give you my number if you need it, Rob.
The episode opened with another Faithful being killed. It all happens in front of the entire group. Considering the camp we normally get with this show, this elimination felt a little lack-luster. Mark Ballas is the last person killed by the traitors, enters a coffin, and is whisked away for good. At least we got Alan Cumming tell us that “death comes for us all” and lighting a ring of fire around him.
We then move to breakfast (which begs the question why Mark couldn’t have been killed overnight). Eric Nam and Maura Higgins are first in. We start to get the overarching theme of the episode: Maura has had trust issues in the past. She’s sure that neither Tara Lipinski or Rob are traitors. The Love Island star enters next and the three of them try to solidify their end game. They can’t separate and Johnny Weir needs to go next. When Rob suggests that Tara go after him, she seems a bit surprised. She’s so close and yet so far away.
Tara and Johnny skate into breakfast next. The pros of them having revealed themselves as a strong pair is that they just need one vote to get out the traitors, but it also has put a big target on their back. The saddest part is that they are right! They have pegged Rob and Eric as the last remaining traitors, but they need to pull Maura away from Rob to execute their plan.
Alan tells them it’s the final day of the game. From now on, the eliminated players will not reveal their identities to the group, a necessary bit of game structure I wish the game implemented sooner. Alas, as long as there is one traitor at the end of the game, they will take the prize pot.
Tara’s biggest flaw in the game is probably her reluctance to vote out Johnny. She insists he’s not a traitor, which I think does her a disservice considering you can never really know. She might have never been able to pry Maura away, but I think the figure skaters’ reluctance to turn on one another is their death knell.
The players compete in one final mission. Note to future traitors: be willing to sabotage earlier missions even if it costs you money. You’ll always get a chance to add a significant amount of money to the pot at the very end of the game. Rob and Maura opt to get in a helicopter where they will drop cards with eliminated contestants attached to buoys to the water below. The other three will navigate a boat to pontoons with the questions on them. This challenge is fine if not a little boring considering it’s a race around the lake and a helicopter ride. We get some added excitement when Rob has to jump out the helicopter to secure the money. The group adds $40k to the prize pot.
The group will have one more round table, then move to the end game. Maura is sure that Eric is one of the traitors with the other being one of Tara or Johnny. Rob tries to assuage her that the figure skaters might both be traitors and so they both need to go.
Tara makes one last plea to the Irish lass, but she locks in with Rob and Eric. Rob does catch that as Maura lies to Eric about trusting him, it feels the same way he talks to her. He finds that a bit scary. It’s the only real bit of tension in the episode, in my opinion.
So while Johnny and Tara have the final traitors nailed, they can’t swing Maura. It ends up being a 3-2 vote between Johnny and Eric, sending the Olympian out of the game. With no reveal of his alignment, it doesn’t do much to help Maura learn if she’s being conned by Rob.
Tara tries once again to talk to Maura and convince her she’s being fleeced. She can’t believe it. She has trusted Rob from Day 1, but she starts to realize she doesn’t really know him. However, even if she did vote for Eric or Rob, it’d still be a tie. So, they vote out Tara, leaving Maura alone with the two traitors.
With just the final three left, they have to decide whether to end the game or banish again. With Maura being sure that Eric is a traitor, Rob has to make a decision. Does he vote out Eric, betraying the other traitor, or put Maura out of her misery here instead of when it’s just the two of them. While I feel bad for Eric, it’s the right call for Rob to eliminate him and take the money for himself. Eric seems genuinely hurt by this move, but all’s fair in love and Traitors.
And so, with the two of them left, Rob has to break it to Maura that he’s a traitor. She seems stunned, though she arguably should have always known this was a possibility. While she initially seems shocked (even telling Rob not to console her in any way), she eventually eases up and admits that she would have done the same if the tables were turned.
And so, Rob spills champagne with Alan as he celebrates having won the game as a traitor from day 1. Not to repeat myself too much, but it was truly a great game. Eliminate the other traitors in ways that doesn’t throw too much heat on you, gain close allies and burn them as needed. Finally, leave just one close ally who will take you to the end and give you the money. What a snake.
The reunion, hosted by Andy Cohen, is pretty fiery, though mostly due to some players who seem to forget the name of the show is called The Traitors. Yes, I’m talking about Candiace Dillard Bassett. Her argument seems to be that the Housewives would not have turned on Rob, but his response is that they would have, but with so much heat on Lisa Rinna, it would have backfired on him to try and save her. And so, Candiace fired at Rob and he felt he had to fire back. I think his argument is valid.
Other highlights of the reunion include the questioning of whether Maura and Rob could become a thing, Donna Kelce saying that Taylor Swift watches the show, Rob Cesternino refusing to do the conga line, and Monét X Change calling her shot to be with Bob the Drag Queen on a future season (All-Stars anybody!?).
Andy called the season one of the most unpredictable. I would argue that seasons with incredible traitors make for less than thrilling seasons. That’s what we got. A case study in how to play The Traitors and a thorough assessment that that type of gameplay makes for more boring television. I’ll always love The Traitors. Even less good seasons have Alan Cumming in camp outfits, a bunch of Housewives yelling at each other, and a good dose of murder. At least we all got to fall in love with Rob.
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