Continuing from last episode’s cliffhanger, Gabby apparently hears Danielle’s voice coming out of the bookcase, but runs off when it seems people are coming. The Traitors, however, leave the bookcase open and Dylan walks in. Danielle sees and goes in with him to make sure he doesn’t get any more suspicious.
Suddenly, Alan rings his bell and summons the players to the coffins. He announces that Jeremy, Nikki and Ciara have been shortlisted to be murdered tonight. The three get in the coffins and await their fate.
Next morning, Gabby tells the ladies she comes in with about her Danielle suspicions. With more people at the table, Robyn brings up the bookcase and a bunch of people say they went in there. Gabby is annoyed that her Danielle suspicions have been debunked.
The last group walks in and it turns out Jeremy has been murdered. Danielle pushed for his murder since he has been on to her. Though Carolyn again does not think the murder choice is a good idea. For one, Jeremy is alone. And also because she feels bad about killing a fellow Survivor.
After breakfast, the players scatter and begin chatting about their suspicions. One group suspects Ciara is a Traitor who got recruited. Wes tells Danielle and Ivar that Nikki is suspicious because of her wrestling performer background.
Dylan still thinks it’s Bob the Drag Queen. Robyn agrees, but is not ready to go after him yet. She does want to share with Dylan though that Bob the Queen is afraid of being caught, so if Dylan makes a move, he’ll probably get killed.
The players head out to today’s “Hedonistic” challenge. Alan explains that they must transport pieces of ancient statues up a hill and rebuild them on 10 plinths within 45 minutes. They will bank $2000 for each completed statue.
As an extra twist, there are 18 heads, each with the players’ names on them. The 10 players whose heads are placed on the completed statues will earn a Shield tonight.
Now, I don’t know about making half of the cast Shielded. On one hand, it can handicap the Traitors and limit their potential choices. On the other, it feels like it’s too much. Plus, I much prefer the Shield holders’ identities to be secret to everyone. Including the Traitors. I think that can add a lot of drama. As last season showed.
Derrick decides to go and grab Bob Harper’s head, seeing him struggle to get the big piece up the hill. Bob is feeling emotional that he is struggling here. Bob the Drag Queen suggests he team up with someone to carry the body up. With Britney struggling on her own, she pairs up with Bob.
Tom gets his head on first with only 15 minutes left. Bob Harper, Bob the Drag Queen and Rob get their heads next.
Some people think it’s stupid that they did not have a conversation about whose heads should go on for the Shield.
Umm… what? Why would they have to debate who gets a Shield? I’ll carry my own damn head up and plop it on if I were there. “Selfish”? No, it’s called ensuring my safety. Lol
In the end, they get all $20,000 into the prize pot. Also securing a Shield are Chrishell, Wes, Dolores, Danielle, Britney and Dylan.
Alan asks if anyone is upset about not getting a Shield and Bob the Drag Queen mentions that Rob, Wes and Derrick probably needed one because everyone thinks one of the cage boys is a Traitor.
Rob can’t believe he’s getting thrown under the bus by Bob after yesterday. He decides it might be time to take action.
In another car, Bob the Drag Queen tells the Bambis that he feels safe because no one thinks he’s a Traitor and he’s got a Shield.
But Rob is planning a blindside. He, however, needs to have other people take the first shots in order to keep Danielle and Carolyn in his trust.
Rob tells Dylan who starts to secure the numbers. He first talks to Ivar and then Chrishell who is unsure.
Wes, meanwhile, talks to Ciara to get her to vote against Nikki, to avoid a split vote. Derrick, however, talks to Nikki who is absolutely against Bob the Drag Queen being a Traitor. Derrick believes Ciara is the Traitor. So he is not sure what he will do tonight.
Rob talks to Danielle and Carolyn and saying Bob’s name is being talked about. But Danielle has Bob the Queen as her ride or die, so she wants them to stick to the Nikki and Ciara, 1-2 banishment plan.
Carolyn also thinks it’s too soon. But Rob thinks it is the perfect time.
The players head to the Roundtable. Wes speaks up first and speaks directly to Nikki saying she is a Traitor. Saying her fellow Traitors have protected her well. And that the Faithful should stick to their initial suspicion that one of the coffin people was a Traitor.
Nikki turns it around on Wes. Gabby says Wes has a good theory, but the wrong girl. Chrishell also comes to Nikki’s defense.
Derrick speaks up and points the target on Ciara, saying that thanks to his experience as a cop, her use of profanity and the fact that she did not plead for her life like Nikki and Jeremy did proves she is a Traitor.
(lol, I don’t think anything much needs to be said about Derrick using his experience to sus out Traitors and being completely wrong. Lolol)
Ciara defends herself with others also supporting her use of profanity as just her natural personality.
Rob then decides to speak up and says everyone’s getting it all wrong. He tells people to open their eyes to the one person who has been “quarterbacking” the entire show and has gained the love and admiration of many people. And that is Bob the Drag Queen.
Bob the Queen says he would never tell a lie and swears to God that he is a Faithful. Rob has two words for him: “You’re not.”
Dylan backs Rob up and says he recognizes Bob the Queen as being a good actor since he grew up with one. Bob the Queen snipes that Dylan’s brother was not a very good one, eliciting groans and disagreement from other players.
Rob and Bob continue to go at each other until Alan says it’s time to vote.
“Fuck!” Bob Harper exclaims and Alan Cumming tells everyone to remain silent as voting begins.
Dolores goes first and votes Bob Queen as does a distraught Danielle. The music implies that the ball has started rolling down the hill.
Gabby and Derrick vote Ciara. Tom votes Nikki, but Chrishell votes Bob Queen.
Bob TDQ votes for Rob. Robyn votes for Ciara. Britney, Ciara and Dylan vote Bob the Queen. Carolyn also votes for her fellow Traitor Bob DQ. Wes sticks with Nikki and Nikki votes for Ceara (sic lol). Sam votes Bob TDQ as does Ivar. Rob of course votes for Bob and so does the other Bob.
With 11 votes, Bob The Drag Queen slams the table and walks to the Circle of Truth. He shakes his head and tells the Faithfuls that him swearing to God meant nothing because he doesn’t even believe in God.
The Faithfuls are absolutely exuberant as they happily cheer that they were able to banish a Traitor.
Bob the Drag Queen says Rob was scared of him and went in for the kill and he acknowledges that’s just the game.
Everyone applauds Rob, acknowledging why he is one of the greats. And they also give Dylan his kudos having had Bob Queen pegged since day one. Robyn also adds that Dylan’s brother is a good actor.
Danielle, however, is beside herself having to betray her ride or die. She is out for Rob’s blood.
Rob is happy that he’s got Dylan now who fully trusts him and is someone he could murder in the future. But Wes starts to wonder out loud if Rob is a Traitor since he was so sure about Bob the Queen. The only way someone can be sure that another person is a Traitor is if they were a Traitor themselves.
And the episode ends.
Episode Thoughts
Whew! That was probably the best Roundtable ever on The Traitors US. And it was also a perfect demonstration of the legend of Boston Rob Mariano.
So, I love Danielle Reyes. She is absolutely the best Big Brother houseguest to never win. Rob Mariano? I have never been a fan of. I haven’t watched all his Survivor seasons. But just look through my Amazing Race thoughts over the years and you’ll see I’m no fan. However, I also recognize how good he is. He knows how to play the game and make good TV at the same time.
But perhaps The Traitors is just not Danielle Reyes’ game. Or really, maybe it’s not any Big Brother houseguest’s game. None of the Big Brother alums have done well playing the game so far. And that includes Danielle. She has been far too emotional and reactionary as a Traitor. And she’s just not playing well. It’s kinda surprising to see. Or maybe not considering how she crashed and burned on Big Brother All-Stars. And that was more than a decade ago.
Now, Rob orchestrated incredible television. Though he knew he had to have someone else bring up Bob TDQ’s name, he still ended up doing it himself. And that’s the kind of gamer he is. He’s not going to just be a sitting duck.
One can argue that it might have been too early. Especially when the heat was on Ciara and Nikki.
But when Carolyn and Danielle say the Traitors are supposed to be a team. You can be sure that if Rob had been the “wounded” one or heck, if Danielle or Carolyn were getting the heat, they also would’ve been easily dispatched by their fellow Traitors. That’s the game. So I shake my head at Carolyn and Danielle being so shocked and disgusted by Rob making the move. They would’ve done the same.
Rob accomplished what Dan tried to do last season with Phaedra. Phaedra had her Housewives to back her up though. And Dan could not keep up with Phaedra the way Rob was able to easily do with Bob.
Again, it was a masterful performance from Boston Rob that even Bob the Drag Queen acknowledges (I think). Even if it might hasten his banishment, it still exemplified just how good Rob really is.
Amongst the Traitors though, Carolyn is obviously in the best position right now. No one suspects her. And her instincts on who to murder are the best of the four. She really needs to speak up a bit more. But perhaps she’s just standing back as well as her strategy. And considering the way Bob, Rob and Danielle might be self-destructing, Carolyn might be on the right track.
And if I were her, I’d probably hitch a ride with her fellow Castaway Rob instead of Danielle who I think will be the next Traitor to go.
As for the Faithfuls, Wes might be on Rob’s tail now. But does he have the skills like Rob to rally the troops and secure the votes? Not so sure. Rob’s reputation might actually work in his favor. And Wes really pushing for Nikki was really odd.
Dylan seems to be carrying Peter’s torch from last season. And perhaps he’s in a good position to do better as well.
Derrick is completely wrong of course which is hilarious. Big hug to Bob Harper for his honest feelings regarding his health. I hope Britney makes some moves as well and not just be murder fodder.
The Bambis might be surprising dark horses. Gabby obviously is not too far off, though she does have a problem with moving on from her instincts too quickly. Lol
As for next week, I will bet the three Traitors will be safe from banishment.
Overall though, this was one of the absolutely best (if not the best) Traitors US episode yet. I think you can safely say that. The high drama, the blindside; the most satisfying the series has been so far.