The Traitors Season 4 Finalists Break Down That Savage Finale (Excl)

Are you a Trustworthy or a Traitor — or simply obsessive about Peacock’s newest actuality TV megahit? Right here at Us Weekly, we’re 100% devoted to the one recreation present that pits Housewives towards “avid gamers” and precise Olympians, with internet hosting duties carried out by the ever-glamorous Alan Cumming (who’s received 4 Emmys for his hassle).

Season 4 of The Traitors upped the ante with new twists and turns, resulting in maybe essentially the most savage finale in Ardross Fort historical past. To recap: After banishing determine skater Johnny Weir, the ultimate 4 — Love Island’s Maura Higgins, Olympic gold medalist Tara Lipinski, Okay-pop star Eric Nam and Love Island USA’s Rob Rausch — convened for his or her final vote. Rob, a Traitor from the start, had recruited Eric to his aspect late within the recreation after the banishments of authentic Traitors Donna Kelce, Lisa Rinna and Candiace Dillard Bassett, whereas Maura and Tara had been the final two Faithfuls standing.

After the group unceremoniously banished Tara, Rob mercilessly performed his final two costars towards one another, convincing them each that he deliberate to go all the best way with them and break up the money prize. Unbeknownst to Maura, this wasn’t doable, as he was a Traitor all alongside, whereas Eric was collateral injury in Rob’s scorched-earth plan to persuade Maura she may belief him. The season ended with Rob popping out on prime, successful $220,800 after throwing all of his allies beneath the bus.

Shortly after the forged taped this yr’s reunion, Us Weekly sat down with Rob, Maura, Eric, Tara and late lamented gamer Natalie Anderson to unpack season’s 4 cold-blooded betrayals — and received the underside of whether or not the smoked salmon was actually that good.

 

A Snake within the Grass

Rob is the primary Traitor and first solo participant to win the present since Survivor legend Cirie Fields, additionally a Traitor, in season 1. Viewers — and a few costars — initially underestimated the Alabaman snake wrangler as a smooth-brained himbo, nevertheless it quickly grew to become clear that his gameplay was a few of the finest Ardross Fort has ever seen.

Rob Rausch: I wished to be a Traitor after they defined the principles to me. I clearly realized that the Traitors have each single piece of knowledge that you want to win the sport. It simply comes right down to your talent set. Like, there’s no excuse to lose the sport for those who’re a Traitor.
Maura Higgins: (While you see me discover out Rob is a Traitor), you may clearly see I’m in complete disbelief. I’m in shock. I don’t assume I’ve ever felt like that ever in my life. I genuinely at all times have one thing to say, and I simply froze. I couldn’t even converse. I stored considering, “I’m ready for him to say, ‘Joking!’” I genuinely thought, “OK, this has gone on too lengthy. Simply inform me you’re joking now.” And he simply didn’t say it. After which it lastly sunk in, and I used to be simply genuinely in shock. I simply believed he was a Trustworthy the entire time.
Eric Nam: I used to be so unhappy and indignant (when Rob admitted it). Greater than something, I used to be simply actually disenchanted, as a result of Rob and I had constructed a rapport in our relationship — not simply after I grew to become a Traitor, however from the start. As soon as I grew to become a Traitor, that solely grew to become stronger, and it was sort of like we had been capable of talk with out even utilizing phrases. And I used to be like, “You understand what? We’re good. I believe we’re gonna be tremendous.” After which when he turned, I felt so dumb and silly and actually disenchanted, however on the identical time, I’m like, “You understand what? Nice gameplay, nice recreation.” He was a snake. I at all times like to offer folks the good thing about the doubt. While you’re on this recreation and also you’re immersed for therefore lengthy, typically you neglect that individuals are nonetheless right here to play the sport. And I believe maybe I trusted him a little bit an excessive amount of.
Rob: (Earlier than the ultimate vote), Maura got here to me and made me promise to her that I used to be going to vote Eric out as a result of she thought he was a Traitor. And that’s after I was like, “OK, I’ve to do that.” As a result of sure, given the chance, I’m going to take the cash for myself. I like Eric. He’s a fantastic man. However on the finish of the day, he’s a stranger. I knew him for 3 weeks. Like, what are we speaking about? … It simply wasn’t a danger I used to be keen to take — I had the sport locked up. Why would I not simply end out sturdy?
Maura: In my head, I stored considering like, “Oh, my God, think about if it was Rob. However then what if he’s a Trustworthy after which I activate him, after which I’ve the most important remorse and I’ve trusted him the entire approach by means of the present? Am I actually gonna activate him now and never consider him?” I simply genuinely believed he was a Trustworthy. I believe he performed a improbable recreation, and he’s an unbelievable liar.

It Was All a Recreation

Rob betrayed all of his allies on his path to victory, whereas Tara and Natalie let their sniping with one another get in the best way of an organized strike. So how is everybody feeling now?

Tara Lipinski: I like Natalie! And now we have now stored in contact and fashioned a very nice relationship.
Natalie Anderson: I really feel like (Tara and I) may have performed one thing and we may have received. Nevertheless it doesn’t make it tremendous private.
Rob: Me and Eric are cool. Eric understands it’s a recreation. He mentioned it took him a couple of days, however he received over it, and we’re cool. (With Maura), she took it like a champ, and he or she mentioned she would have performed the identical factor, nevertheless it was arduous as a result of she actually trusted me.
Eric: We’re good. It took a day or two for me to be like, “Wow, that was a loopy expertise. And I can’t consider that I as soon as once more trusted someone and I received fully stabbed within the again.” However Rob despatched me a message after filming, and I believe it simply mentioned, like, “My fault, G,” and I used to be like, “That’s simply him.” On the finish of the day, it’s a recreation, and I can’t be mad at him for enjoying a extremely good recreation. We’re pals, we’ve remained pals, we’ll keep pals. And I’m actually blissful for him.
Maura: Me and Tara are completely tremendous. We speak on a regular basis. (With Rob), I’m not taking it to coronary heart. It’s not actual life to me — he was chosen as a Traitor. He’s not allowed to inform anybody, and he performed an unbelievable recreation, so I can’t be mad at that. I can solely be mad at myself for trusting the improper particular person. He informed me he’s going to get me a present, which goes to be a Birkin purse. So when he will get that, then he’s totally forgiven.
Rob: That’s within the works. I’m in cahoots with Lisa. She mentioned she may in all probability get my foot within the door so I should buy one. It’s proving far more troublesome than I assumed it might be.

Know Your Enemy — Or Don’t

Traitors contestants put together for the sport in numerous methods — watching previous episodes, or in Dorinda Medley’s case, studying The Artwork of Warfare — however season 4’s finalists took a considerably extra laid-back strategy to the method.

Rob: I tried to observe an episode with my finest good friend, and I simply couldn’t get into it. I’ve been on Love Island, so I noticed what you see is barely a fraction of the entire story anyway, so I knew it wouldn’t actually assist me in the long term. It is a recreation that’s fully based mostly on the folks you’re with and the connections you make and understanding these folks, so there’s actually no level in making a method till you’re within the recreation.
Tara: I watched season 3, however no different preparation! I by no means thought it might be as arduous because it was. I made pals with everybody, and it was very arduous for me to change to harsh gameplay and never simply observe my coronary heart.
Natalie: I clearly studied the sport.
Eric: While you get to the citadel, you notice that except you’re a Traitor, you actually can’t have a lot technique. The Trustworthy are so blind we do not know what’s happening, and manufacturing does such a great job of retaining us fully confused the whole time that it’s actually, actually arduous to have a method.
Rob: (Early within the recreation), we had been going after individuals who had been intellectually threatening, just about the those that I assumed had been the neatest and that might put two and two collectively — those that didn’t belief me. Like Mark (Ballas), Natalie — we left lots of people within the recreation that I assumed had been very good and strategic, however I believe that they had been blinded by our relationship to a level that it wasn’t a danger to maintain them within the recreation. Kristen (Kish) as properly. There have been fairly a couple of those that had been very good that trusted me.
Maura: I had no technique. I’m not gonna lie about it — I had zero technique. I used to be studying each single day I used to be in there, and I used to be identical to, “You understand what? I’m gonna go in, serve some appears, hopefully keep in possibly for every week, make some pals and that’s it.”
Eric: (Maura) actually did nothing. Maura Higgins is that bitch, as a result of she will be able to actually do no matter she needs, and he or she’s tremendous — she was at all times protected. She actually would simply be carried all over the place. We’d simply take a look at one another like, “We’re so f***ing good at this recreation.” And I used to be like, “Maura, you may be the perfect participant, since you haven’t performed a single factor, you haven’t lifted a finger, and in some way you’re within the remaining.”

100 % Salmon

Viewers often don’t see a lot of what the contestants are consuming, however this season, the smoked salmon served at breakfast grew to become such a sizzling subject that it grew to become a plot level on the present. So we needed to ask: Was it actually that good?

Eric: I don’t assume there’s something nice in regards to the smoked salmon. The problem is that we begin capturing very early, and all of the meals are chilly, proper? That breakfast is chilly, the croissants are stale, the eggs are chilly, all the pieces is chilly. And the one factor that’s acceptable to eat chilly actually, to me, is smoked salmon, and it’s the one type of protein exterior of only a bowl of watery, hard-boiled eggs. There’s no seasoning or flavoring in Scottish meals. So to have a kick of omega-3 and a few salt through smoked salmon I believe is what actually received folks so excited.
Natalie: The salmon was simply one thing that was the perfect in all probability on the breakfast desk. It was good, however not in comparison with good salmon, like for those who go to New York Metropolis and also you go to a great deli and also you get a pleasant lox and cream cheese bagel.
Maura: I don’t assume it was that good. As a result of the breakfast was so dangerous, that was the one sort of good factor we had, and since we didn’t have plenty of it, it was the one factor that all of us wished. The boiled eggs had been chilly, the toast was arduous and chilly. I can’t consider it grew to become such a factor as properly. Particularly me, in each single episode, all I’m doing is consuming. There’s firms DMing me providing to ship me smoked salmon.

Fort Hindsight Is 20/20

It’s simple to play armchair Trustworthy from the consolation of your sofa, nevertheless it’s loads more durable while you’re really within the citadel. Does anybody have regrets?

Tara: It could have been good if Johnny and I had one other Trustworthy to affix our little alliance earlier, however we perceive it was arduous for anybody to belief anybody within the citadel, in order that was in all probability an unlikely hope to start with! However no regrets — I attempted my very best all through the sport.
Maura: I genuinely don’t take it that critically, and I’m not a severe particular person. I’ve seen a couple of feedback like, “Maura is the dumbest particular person in there,” nevertheless it’s really easy for them to say they know who the Traitors are. Like, it’s not that simple while you’re in there! It’s really actually, actually troublesome. However yeah, I wasn’t upset (in regards to the ending) in any respect. I used to be really very pleased with myself for getting so far as I did. My recommendation for anybody that’s going to do The Traitors is don’t watch the present. Simply go in and don’t have a method and simply wing it, as a result of it labored for me. I do know that I trusted the improper particular person, however at the very least I received to the ultimate and I wasn’t murdered. Good.
Natalie: My largest remorse shouldn’t be taking part in a more durable recreation. I may have put a few of the worries about being focused away, though it was scary as a result of they had been killing us left and proper as avid gamers, so it made it more durable for me to be myself. However I ought to have simply embraced that and simply been like, “Hear, for those who’re going to get murdered or banished, it’s higher to only attempt.” … I ought to have simply relied on myself, mainly.
Rob: Murdering Mark was a troublesome one, as a result of I actually received near Mark, and having to see his face proper after was a troublesome one. And I believe he knew (I used to be a Traitor). I believe he had figured it out, and in order that’s how I do know it was the best option to make.
Eric: I’d have been a little bit extra cautious of like, “OK, possibly Rob will stab you within the again.” It could have been a really advanced factor to attempt to pull one over on him, as a result of he had a lot belief within the citadel … however possibly I’d have performed it in another way.

Making Lala Proud

Even when they didn’t come out on prime, the forged can nonetheless cling their capes on their proudest moments within the citadel.

Rob: I’m solely eager about the sport and the way it’s going to work out for me to win. I used to be there to win a recreation. I used to be not there for display time or something like that. I wished to play and win.
Tara: It’s not the perfect gameplay technique, however I’m proud that I performed the sport with my coronary heart and stayed true to myself. I’m not a actuality star, and it was essential to me that I stayed genuine to myself and performed with integrity. I made plenty of pals within the citadel, and I cherished constructing these relationships.
Eric: My purpose was simply to have enjoyable. That is essentially the most random aspect quest I may have ever taken on. And greater than something, I simply actually wished to depart an attention-grabbing impression on America. I’m American, I used to be born and raised right here, however I needed to go to Korea to construct a profession, as a result of there’s simply not lots of people that seem like me doing these items. And so I used to be like, “OK, I need to do that in a approach that’s impactful, after which hopefully we are able to introduce the music and the a number of movies and all the opposite issues that I’ve happening in an attention-grabbing approach.” And so from that perspective, I believe it’s been enjoyable and profitable. After which the opposite half was like, I actually simply wished to make good TV.
Natalie: I’m pleased with being an asset. Top-of-the-line moments for me was after we had been dividing up into groups for the statue problem. Yam Yam (Arocho) goes, “Alright, so let’s make the strongest folks captains,” they usually picked me, Colton (Underwood), Rob and Stephen (Colletti). It’s a special feeling for me — having folks simply be like, “Natalie’s one of many strongest, stronger than a few of the guys. And we’re not going to argue with that.” That, for me, is wonderful.
Maura: I’m simply proud that I made it so far as I did. To be the final lady standing, I by no means would have thought that in one million years. I by no means watched the present. I received to put on all my outfits, and I’m in all probability getting a Birkin purse. So, win-win.

The Traitors is now streaming on Peacock.