‘The Traitors Season 3’ on Peacock, Reality Show Veterans Compete and Deceive in Alan Cummings Murder Castle

Season 3 of The traitorsseam stream on Peacockreturns the “cast entirely people we know” concept from Season 2 of the reality show. So among those who will be considered “traitors” or “loyalists” are a host of notable faces – and infamous rabble-rousers – from established reality universes such as Survivor, Big brother, and The Real Housewivesas well as a handful of relative newcomers, such as real-life British aristocrat Lord Ivar Mountbatten, Gabby Windey and Wells Adams from The Bachelorand Sam Asghari from “used to be married to Britney Spears.” Of course, you also have a big draw in the terrific Alan Cummingwho returns to host the US version of The traitorsand who wastes no time in announcing a few radical new twists to the game as his contestants meet at Ardross Castle in Scotland. “Things are coming purrrrderrrrousssss,” Cumming says, adding about six delicious extra syllables to the significant last word.

Opening shot: “Come friend, come foe, come one come all, to the Highlands,” says a costumed Alan Cumming, welcoming us back to the world of The traitors. “To see who lives and who falls.” His intonation for this little couplet gives puppet master; it also gives Vincent Price in “Thriller.”

The main essence: Cummings silent “followers”, clothed Wide closed eyes masks, greet his 21 first players, who arrive at the castle in black Land Rovers. Tom Sandoval has a kilt on, because of course he is. Twice Survivor Winner Tony Vlachos notes that familiarity with his competitive reputation is likely to be a problem. There are plenty of Real Housewives representation with Dorinda Medley (New York City), Robyn Dixon (Potomac), Delores Catania (New Jersey), and Chanel Ayan (Dubai). Big brother veterans Danielle Reyes and Britney Haynes also carefully circle each other, while Bob the Drag Queen brings an energy befitting the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race. “I’m a gay guy from New York City,” Bob says in a confessional, “so Alan is an icon. He looks amazing and my heart is racing because it’s getting real.”

Cumming will soon select three “traitors” from this pack who will keep the special designation a secret as they plan to eliminate the remaining “faithful”. There will also be reality show-style “missions” along the way, designed to both screw the contestants and contribute cash towards the $250,000 grand prize. But before the official start of gameplay, and before Cumming even gathers his players at the Round Table—the chamber where murderous traitors are produced and the faithful try to figure it all out—he has one of Traitors season 3’s biggest twists to introduce. It’s a mask-off moment as a titan of the reality world Rob “Boston Rob” Mariano is revealed to the contestants in what will surely be the role of the biggest agitating factor in this season’s action.

You haven’t been a reality fan until you’ve seen personalities from like ten different established franchises—and Britney’s ex-husband and Zac Efron’s brother Dylan Efron – try to make the oars of a Viking ship work. There is a lot of shouting and “Hiv! Ho!”-ing as the first Traitors mission gets wet. But the sequence also sets the precedent for dramas and alliances to come, complete with players calling out behaviors they recognize in their fellow contestants. (Recognizes from TV, that is.) Will it be Survivor vets and housewives versus everyone else? Will the lesser-known reality types team up? And what other wild cards are in the tunneled sleeves of Alan Cummings’ embroidered cape?

What shows will it remind you of? Sowing The traitors the lineup of reality show people is a brilliant move, as most of them in interviews describe the game’s intricacies and mental heavy lifting as a tribute to a higher level of gamesmanship. Early in Traitors, Bachelor vet Wells Adams actively flees a room where some serious Survivor-style strategizing between Tony Vlachos, Jeremy Collins (San Juan del Sur; Cambodia) and Carolyn Wiger (Survivor 44) is already beginning.

Our offer: Look at it Survivor player polycule, or its Housewives dues – The traitors season 3 leans heavily and wonderfully into the stories of all its players on small screens. “I don’t think I’d make it as a traitor,” notorious Vanderpump Villain Tom Sandoval tells host Alan Cumming as he lobbies for a position, to which a smiling Cumming replies, “But what if I made one for you?” (It’s almost illegal how much fun Cumming has as host.) And when she’s left to wallow on a pontoon in a dark Scottish lake, Dorinda “Interference” declares that she is mad enough to start feeling “a little Housewife right now.” Yes! Please do! In its standard format, Traitors is already capable of generating a ton of deception and delicious backstabbing. But add to its existing mix the collective and potentially chaotic energy of these many past reality competitions and appearances, and Season 3 of the series operates at an absurdly potent level.

At the same time, the contingent of reality-format vets is on Traitors should also check their trust on the Castle Ardross portcullis. Even though they’ve been conditioned to build in fake-outs and feints, series producers could easily use that competitive experience against them, especially with so much potential for new talent to rise. Do you want to bet against Nikki Garcia of the Bella twins making trouble? She is a WWE Hall of Famer!

Sex and skin: Nothing.

Parting shot: The traitors have taken their oaths. Will you become “The Mindful Murderer”? Who is “all in to play”? Who has been preparing for this role for so long, “I slept in a cloak”? Only Traitors season 3 can say.

Sleeping Star: Maybe Dylan Efron? “I really feel like an underdog,” it says Down to earth with Zac Efron producer, sibling Zac Efron and newly minted reality show contestant. “I’m playing alongside all these icons, people that I’ve watched on TV for 20 years.”

Most pilot-y line: As a conceited reality show, it’s a lot of fun The traitors to see the insidious excitement of players deemed to be such. “This is the game I was meant to play. I’m here to take people out, one by one, and I can’t wait to get started. I’m just—I’ve never been so happy to be so bad… “

Our call: Stream it! Season 3 of The traitors is the largest yet. With a top-notch host in Alan Cumming, difficult high-level play and a tantalizing cross-section of reality show talent as its players – competitive Survivor stands up against Real Housewives viles, or reality randos confront established format planners – Traitors takes the reality competition to stylishly outrageous new levels.

Johnny Loftus (@glennganges) is a freelance writer and editor based in Chicagoland. His work has appeared in The Village Voice, All Music Guide, Pitchfork Media and Nicki Swift.