The Traitors: New Blood Recap: The Game Finally Moves Forward

The Traitors New Blood
A Bad Apple Spoils the Whole Bunch 
Season 1 Episode 8
Editor’s Rating ★★★
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We left the roundtable last week in chaos. Who won the power of the pardon? Will they pardon Victor? I mean, yes. Obviously yes. The anticlimax of then kicking him off anyway. The producers would not let it happen. Also, who else is going to take the reins of the Faithful after Victor leaves? Jay tried being loud, and everyone hated it. I know I’ve been vocally anti-Victor, but I acknowledge that this group is giving very little, leaving room for Victor to do the most. I also acknowledge that I fully believed Tomica when she said she accidentally said Katie’s name, and my sister-in-law judged me heartily for this.

Shane wins the power of the pardon. Shane voted for Victor, but Shane also seems like a kind, thoughtful man who might change his mind (damn him). And change his mind he does! “Bro, bro, bro,” an eloquent Wyatt proclaims. Shane says he used his power as a New Yorker to discern truth from lies and determined that Victor was telling the truth. Morgan looks how I feel. Shane is on board with Fruitgate now! Victor is slowly winning over the castle. 

In the Traitors’ turret, Katie and Tomica are able to have it out over Tomica saying Katie’s name as a potential Traitor, and Katie then voting for Tomica. Katie didn’t think Tomica was going to go home (she says). Tomica doesn’t know if she said Katie’s name. I wish we had more time in these damn episodes so we could hear more of the conversations. Why isn’t Tomica tossing Wyatt’s name out there? Why are the Traitors constantly thrown when asked to name other potential Traitors? Wyatt is in love with Victor, so you’re not going to lose his loyalty if you name him. Just have some names ready to go! Come on, people. Why am I doing your job for you? I still want Joe and Katie to win, but I’m gonna need some better playing. They lasted this long because no one in this castle knows what they’re doing. Except Victor, I guess? 

They decide that the choice for murder is down to Victor, Abby L, or Clyde. Even aside from my dislike of him, they should objectively kill Victor. They can say someone was trying to frame them, and if the other players don’t believe that, Victor is not going to give up on trying to get Tomica and Joe out anyway. But they decide to kill Abby L. to put heat on Wyatt. Does that work? No. No, it does not. 

The next morning, when the players find out that Abby L. has been murdered, they all immediately decide that Wyatt is being framed. Even Morgan! I love Morgan, but she is terrible at this game. So if they had murdered Victor, would everyone assume that someone was framing Tomica? Maybe! I do not like strategy games, but even I am like, you guys, can someone think a few moves ahead, please? Everyone but damn Victor is playing in a real reactionary way. This is making me miss Rob, even though he crushed Moira’s heart.

Alan has harvested a Truffula tree for his boutonniere and comes in to tell everyone that they are all going to have a gossip sesh and then head straight to the roundtable. Victor takes this opportunity to follow Tomica from room to room, which, sure. Why not? What else is he gonna do? Kriste says she doesn’t have any brain cells left and needs someone to tell her what to do. GUYS. She is shocked that her mom experience is not helping her more in this television game show. Look, I am also a mom, but it’s wild that that was her pitch to get on the show and it worked. Kriste tells us that her superpowers are constipated. Between this and Joe’s roughage comment, is everyone doing okay in the castle? Seems like not. Victor follows Tomica out of the room, leaving Joe and Katie alone to agree that they messed up by not killing him. Yes! You did! But now this game will finally move forward, I guess.

At the morning roundtable, Alan tells the players that Marathon, Agincourt, and Waterloo were all decisive battles fought early in the day. And now we have these low-key influencers sitting at a table ready to vote someone out. The parallels. No one talks, and then Victor accuses Tomica (surprise) and says that people who lie are more prone to messing names up. Are they? Kriste launches into some menopause education, which Victor doesn’t know how to respond to. “How am I supposed to say anything to menopause?” “Read an article!” That’s fair; you probably should read an article, Victor. I don’t particularly care about what, but I would like you to expand your mental horizons beyond “girls are pretty,” “I am a sweaty boy,” and “I don’t know what to say about menopause.”

Joe speaks up when Wyatt declares that no one is defending Tomica, but only to say how he has tried to be as authentic and honest as possible. Smooth, Joe. When Victor asks him to name a Traitor other than Victor, Joe says that if it’s not Victor, it’s probably Tomica. Daaaaaamn. Okay, this is fine. At some point, Traitors have to sacrifice other Traitors. We see such a pared-down version of the roundtable, and based on the vote, the winds were blowing pretty hard against Tomica.

The vote is Jay (Victor), Morgan (Tomica), Shane (Tomica), Kriste (Tomica), Tomica (Victor), Katie (Tomica), Victor (Tomica), Abbey B (Tomica), Clyde (Tomica). That means Tomica is banished, but the other players voted: Ben (Tomica), Joe (Tomica), Wyatt (Tomica). 

Tomica stands in front of them all and tells the players that she flew her plane a little too close to the sun and got burned because she’s a Traitor. The biggest “we caught a Traitor” celebration ever happens, because they have been wrong so many times. It’s so ridiculous that Alan starts laughing and then gets teary! Aww, Alan! Clyde cries because he feels betrayed by his friend. Oh nooo, the downside of this game of relationships and trust!

Then Joe cries in the interview chair because he feels awful for voting for Tomica, and then Katie is sad because she knows that this all but confirms Joe for people. Victor is “the messiah of the castle,” according to her. So kill him! Literally, what do you all have to lose? I am genuinely so curious as to who Joe and Katie are going to murder, because who on earth else could it be? Wyatt? That won’t do anything to shift the outcome. Clyde is just a sad choice. Abbey B is giving us nothing and killing her would do nothing. Kriste would be confusing, I guess, but Kriste is literally telling people to tell her what to do. Morgan wouldn’t do anything; Jay is a shield … I guess they could kill Ben. Or Shane. But they should kill the loudest person.

You Have My Vote

Who would I vote for on Traitors? It’s hard to judge what one would do without having the insider knowledge, because who knows the full context of what’s happening in that castle, but based on what’s presented, here are my picks:

No Insider Knowledge: I would vote for Tomica. Everyone else did it, except Tomica and Jay, and I’m not singling myself out like that.

Yes Insider Knowledge: I mean … okay, I’ve said Victor every week, so let’s switch it up and have them kill Abbey B. It won’t change anything, but there needs to be consequences for a lack of contribution.