"The Housewives have been a logical feeder system for The Traitors for several reasons, not least of which being corporate synergy between Bravo and Peacock. Plus, when it comes to drama, Housewives are self-starters; if there isn't interpersonal conflict in the castle, they'll create it, if only to fill a void."
"But after last week's lackluster reunion, it became clear that the Housewives don't want to play The Traitors. They want to play The Real Housewives of the Highlands and have arguments that spill out into social media, then meet up for a Housewives-style reunion with their patron, Andy Cohen."
"Lisa and Candiace made mistakes (as most Traitors contestants do, to a fair), then spent the better part of two months telling any Instagram follower or podcast host who would listen about how they were betrayed in a game where that's literally the name of the game."
The Traitors season four cast a record five Real Housewives alumnae, including Lisa Rinna and Candiace Dillard Bassett as Traitors together. While Housewives initially provided valuable drama and conflict for early episodes when evidence was scarce, they ultimately failed to engage with the game authentically. Instead of playing strategically, they treated the experience as an extension of Real Housewives, creating arguments designed for social media and reunion spectacle rather than genuine gameplay. Rob Rausch executed a near-perfect game while Lisa and Candiace made strategic errors, then spent months complaining about betrayal on Instagram and podcasts despite betrayal being central to the game itself. This disconnect between the show's format and the Housewives' approach suggests the franchise needs a season without Real Housewives cast members.
Read at Vulture
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]