Alan Cumming has done away with celebrities for the fifth installment of The Traitors U.S., opting instead for new blood in the casting of “everyday Americans.”
Kicking off The Traitors: New Blood with a two-episode premiere, 22 newbies journey by train to Alan Cumming’s castle in the Scottish Highlands to partake in the world’s greatest murder-mystery game. Also new to the competition this year is an incentive that for every Traitor successfully banished at the Round Table, an extra $15,000 will be added to the prize pot.
Among the cast are players like Kim Daily, a Houston-based lawyer using the “cover story” of basketball coach to hide her true profession, and Michael Foote from New York who is much more conspicuous about his litigation career. Joe Vanella and Shane Beatty are also from New York and think because of that they’re used to the sort of confrontation they’ll experience within the game. Stay-at-home mom Kriste Lewis from Mississippi boards a train for the first time in her life while former MLB player Xavier Scruggs is just excited to finally see a castle in the real world.
Read on for our recap of the important moments from Episode 1 of The Traitors: New Blood, titled “A New Dawn Is Rising,” which aired Sept. 17 at 8 p.m. PT on NBC.
Alan’s Traitor Selection
Once the players have had a few hours to settle into the castle and lay down their baseline personality for the group, Alan welcomes them to the Round Table where he makes the all-important selection of his new Traitors. In past seasons Alan selected three players at this point, but “new blood” means new twists and so this time he only picks two. Unbeknownst to the blindfolded room, they are Joe, the funeral director from Long Island, and Tomica Adams, the pilot from Boston. Upon completion of his two selections and without disclosing how many have already been chosen, Alan warns the entire group that soon “one more will join this cutthroat cabal” and another among them will be murdered.
In the time following their picks as Traitors, Joe proceeds to light up every room with his chatty personality, while Tomica plays it cool building trust via more intimate conversations. It will take some time to see how these two strategies play out for them long term, as the Faithful typically point to changes in personality and demeanor as key evidence when accusing Traitors.
The Mission
Up for grabs at the players’ first mission is a whopping $50,000 to be salvaged from a pirate’s shipwreck. Scattered among the wreckage in the loch float three crates containing $10,000 each and a clue to unlock the Captain’s Safe which contains an additional $20,000. Also available are three murder-saving shields to be claimed by any player willing to walk that sort of perilous plank. Business executive Victor Vollbrechthausen beelines for the first shield early on and claims it, followed by astrophysicist Abby Lee and construction manager Madeline Kostopulos who, in a more chilled way, claim the other two further into the mission. By the end of the afternoon, all of the treasure chests are salvaged and the group banks all of the potential 50K as well as some yummy crates of raw salmon. Is that a wink-wink, nod-nod from production in response to last season’s celebs complaining about the castle breakfasts? Hilarious if so.
Following the mission, Victor’s name makes the rounds among the players for his selfishness, but without a banishment to put his feet to fire at, his folly may just be brushed under the rug. Unless it gives the Traitors a reason to pluck him out of obscurity for recruitment consideration…
The Murder
In the turret for the first time, Joe and Tomica meet each other as teammates and in their excitement make a commitment to “take it to the end” of the game together. But before they can enact their murder, Alan joins them to ask that they complete their trio by selecting two Faithful to serve as accomplices for the next 24 hours. The two players will be “put through a series of tests” to impress the Traitors and one will be asked to take the green cloak with them while the other will be murdered. In considering who to select, Joe expresses concern over loyalty and wanting someone who won’t “mess up the vibe” or be “too overbearing.” Tomica agrees with that approach and they begin to debate who to bring on board. Of course, neither of their choices is revealed, as that must wait until the second episode.
