Since it first appeared on our televisions in 2022, The Traitors has become a firm favourite in many households. Concluding its third season on the 24th of January 2025, there has been much debate about whether the show was a success or disappointment. Looking back across the season, there were many points of excitement, starting with the train journey that had three players getting off before reaching the castle. While their return was somewhat predictable, the way they did so was certainly not, with them being caged and waiting to be saved by other players, making it an interesting addition that embodied the risk-taking that is essential to the game. 

Another addition that certainly added to the thrill of the show was the “Death Match”. Returning to a favourite staple of the show, they got the traitors to kill (or plan in this case) in plain sight, which is always successful in creating anticipation. With the potential for a traitor to have been included and the fallout it created, namely suspicion around Leon and Alexander, “Death Match” proved to be a very welcome addition, adding something fresh to the show. As with other seasons, the people involved greatly determine the level of interest in the show. 

Following big personalities like Harry and Paul from Season 2, it was going to be hard for this season to compare, but between Linda’s head turn in the first episode, her comments at the round table, and Dan’s eyerolls that caught great attention on social media, the personalities of this year’s cast still managed to draw audiences in. 

One of the most contentious points of the show was the introduction of the “Power of the Seer”. This twist initially created a lot of excitement, with the endless possibilities of who could earn this gift and who would be chosen to reveal their identity, creating an opening for the show to go in an unexpected direction. However, the way it enfolded in this season was disappointing. It led to the early reveal of the last remaining traitor’s identity, dwindling her previous high chance of winning. 

Another dampener to this season was the reappearance of a traitor voting out another previously unsuspected traitor as they leave the game, causing their downfall as first seen in the final of Season 1. The addition of not revealing their true identities in the finale certainly seemed to be in response to this problem but instead seemed to peak paranoia in the faithful. The last twenty minutes of the finale were somewhat disappointing with the absence of a traitor, leaving audiences watching the distrust of the game play out without the excitement of previous finals, perhaps putting a dampener on the season. 

Ultimately, I think there were great efforts to make additions to this season to keep the show exciting and fresh, as reflected in 7.4 million people tuning in for the final, the highest viewing the show has ever had, certainly making it a triumph, rather than a disappointment.