S01.E11: The Reunion

[Door County Cherry]

Quote

Andy Cohen hosts a reunion for the first season of The Traitors USA.

 

[snarts]

Reunion thoughts: Cirie looked fantastic. Andie & Arie are so bitter. Kate made me laugh as per usual. The obnoxious Traitor who went out early is dating Geraldine. 

Why couldn't Alan Cumming host?

[MicheleinPhilly]

Gosh, I hate Andy Cohen so much. At least he didn't insert himself into the conversation TOO much, but he still bugged me. 

Andie and Quentin took everything WAY too personally. I get it - they felt betrayed - but it's a competitive reality show that is premised on social dynamics. That's literally how you play the game. What was Cirie supposed to do? Bow out gracefully so they could share the money because they both had children on the way? Don't be so naive. 

Christian is still an ass. I hope he doesn't have any other mouths to feed besides his own because I can't see him making a steady living as an actor. Or as a content creator. 🙄

I actually had a hard time remembering who most of the folks in the back rows were. Of course I remembered Michael because of that accent and Ryan, but everyone else, I was like "Who are you?" Was anyone else missing besides Brandi and Reza? It didn't seem like there were as many people there as there were contestants. 

Cirie looked absolutely fabulous and I hope she is living her best life. 

[SoMuchTV]

Okay, this makes no difference one way or the other, but how long has Alan Cumming been blond? I’ve been a fan for years but only remember ever seeing him with dark hair, until now. 

[anniebird]

8 hours ago, snarts said:

 The obnoxious Traitor who went out early is dating Geraldine. 

 

And still can't spell her name.

[Door County Cherry]

Just a reminder, Andie uses they/them pronouns.  Please use those pronouns or their name when discussing Andie.   Not doing so is a violation of the site's inclusion policy. 

[LadyChatts]

I wish Alan Cumming had hosted.  I hope he returns as the host for season 2 of the show.

This was more bitter than I was expecting.  Cirie hit the nail on the head, when you go on a show where the main purpose is about deception, things are going to go down in order for someone to win.  It doesn't mean people are always being fake about creating relationships with you and looking at you as a person.  I liked Andie before this but my opinion of them changed.  And Quentin, I just can't.  He was so horribly wrong this whole game that I like to think him being bitter is more about how bad his reads were when he was watching himself back, and less about Cirie betraying him.  And seriously, I still can't believe no one even thought Cirie could be a traitor.

Christian seems like a legend in his own mind.

[ZeeEnnui]

8 hours ago, MicheleinPhilly said:

Andie and Quentin took everything WAY too personally. I get it - they felt betrayed - but it's a competitive reality show that is premised on social dynamics. That's literally how you play the game. What was Cirie supposed to do? Bow out gracefully so they could share the money because they both had children on the way? Don't be so naive. 

YES. Boo hoo, you lost. It's. A. GAME. This reunion left a really bad taste in my mouth (and no, it wasn't Andy Cohen's grating presence). Andie and Quentin can take all the seats. I could understand if this was the year 2000, and reality TV was a new phenomenon but you can't tell me you don't understand how these shows work. If you want to play happy campers then don't compete in a show called THE TRAITORS! Cirie played the role that she was given masterfully and now looks like she's ready for a Mai Tai on her very chic lanai. She won. Stop acting like she held your puppy hostage at gunpoint. Maybe it's because I played competitive sports growing up, but I don't get the bitter act. You play the game. Sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose. Deal with it. Perhaps this attitude is why I would for sure get a villain edit if I competed on this show. 

Shut up, Ari. He's so disingenuous. 

It's so ridiculous how everyone wrings their hands moralizing about the traitors. Sure, you're the "villain" of the game, but that doesn't make you a bad person. These people are way too in their feelings. 

[bencr]

For me, the best things about The Traitors were Allan Cummings' performance, his clothes and his castle. What disappointed me was that at the end of the day this was a show about strategic personal alliances, being nice, saying little and staying under the radar. There were few real clues for reasoning out who was a traitor or a faithful, and so really smart people like Quentin were wrong every time. When someone was right -- like Brandy -- it seemed more like a lucky guess than an educated guess. So what possible reason would there have been for ousting Cirie who was nice to everyone, stayed under the radar and played the game perfectly? Plus she had the advantage of knowing who was a traitor and who wasn't. If I were Andie or Quentin this is what would have bothered me. It's hard to see how a traitor who plays the game well can lose except through bad luck.

And then at the end if there's a traitor(s) left, the traitor(s) wins it all, which seems grossly unfair. How could Andie or Quentin possibly guess that Cirie was a traitor? So good for Cirie for playing the game so well, but I'd be pissed if I was a faithful who was buried underground and stuck my head in a hole with insects all in service of a game I really couldn't win.

Edited March 1, 2023 by bencr

[pennben]

I had compassion for Andie (maybe Quinten a bit, but not much, he was always wrong) ) in the immediate aftermath. Over them both after this reunion. Honestly, Andie pontificating about how they built personal bonds to advance in game then to go to immediately saying Cirie was wrong to do same? I have no patience for that nonsense. They’ve had months to process….get away from me with this teary nonsense. 

Kate remains great. Cirie deserved her flowers (not idiocy) & gave best advice….’use your ears more than your mouths’. As Kate noted, great life advice as well.  
 

 

Edited March 1, 2023 by pennben

[Door County Cherry]

I loved Alan's intro  "Don't ask anyone to spell Geraldine"...although the intro was probably filmed after the reunion was filmed when he was on Andy's show last week.  

I really thought some distance would cool things down a bit but there was a lot of "It was personal" being thrown around and making it seem like the traitor who won, who didn't have a choice but to be a traitor, was a bad person for being a traitor.  That was her job.  I also had to laugh at Cody's moral high ground "I couldn't have done that."  Clearly he couldn't have because he screwed up so spectacularly early in the game but is he expecting me to believe that he would have sacrificed the money so Andie and Quentin could have had it?  I think not.

Christian is a doofus but while I thought he was very bloodthirsty in the game, I appreciated his take on it in this episode.  He was the only one unafraid to be unapologetic. 

36 minutes ago, pennben said:

Honestly, Andie pontificating about how they built personal bonds to advance in game then to go to immediately saying Cirie was wrong to do same? I have no patience for that nonsense.

Right?  I had that same thought.  I'm sure everything between them was authentic except for the .001% when Cirie had to lie about her game status.  It was a bit convoluted but I guess I sort of understood why Andie felt bothered that Cirie used their family--not to screw them out of money (because there was nothing Cirie could do at that point)---but to screw Arie out of his half.  I also don't quite buy Cirie saying the decision to boot Arie was a last minute choice. 

46 minutes ago, bencr said:

What disappointed me was that at the end of the day this was a show about strategic personal alliances, being nice, saying little and staying under the radar. There were few real clues for reasoning out who was a traitor or a faithful, and so really smart people like Quentin were wrong every time. When someone was right -- like Brandy -- it seemed more like a lucky guess than an educated guess.

It was a mix of social aspects and strategy. I agree that Brandy's guess that Cirie was a traitor was little more than an educated guess.  But it was early in the game and that's all the faithful have to work off of.  

However, there were clues later in the game. Cody exposed himself by telling Kyle an obvious lie.  That ouster was based on something real.  Christian brought a lot of suspicion on himself with his rambling but his biggest faux pas was his "I was recruited" bit that ultimately did him in.  

Cirie didn't make any obvious mistakes but she was playing with traitors who did.  And, as Arie said, he did lay down some clues upon his departure that neither Andie or Quentin picked up on. They might have picked up on those clues if they ever considered how they'd win the game as a traitor and bringing along close allies to the finale is the way to do it as a traitor.  Even Andie seemed to recognize it but still blamed their credulousness on Cirie instead of their own head for forgetting the game they were playing. 

10 hours ago, MicheleinPhilly said:

Was anyone else missing besides Brandi and Reza? It didn't seem like there were as many people there as there were contestants.

No.  There were 18 people on the stage.  9 on each side.  There were limits to how many they could talk to, though.  

[sadtvjunkie]

My issue with mixing Celebrities and non-celebrities was I did not remember a single one of the non-celebs. Even the final 3, I only remembered Cirie. Peacock PLEASE next time make everyone unknown. It makes for a better game, just watch the Australian and UK versions when no one really knows anyone else.

[Tachi Rocinante]

So four-time Survivor loser and one-time Snake in the Grass co-winner Cirie played a better endgame than two competitive reality show noobs?  Color me unimpressed.

 

[jackjill89]

Cirie did play a masterful game, but it's not a game I want to play. Like Andie, I don't think I could get past the personal relationship part and the outright lying to my face. I didn't like it when Cirie lied to Andie, Quentin and Arie about their alliances on the showand I still didn't like it at the reunion. Left a bad taste in my mouth. I just don't think this is my type of show. I may watch if they have all newbies next season, but I don't want to watch another season with some reality show vets. 

[hendersonrocks]

4 hours ago, jackjill89 said:

Cirie did play a masterful game, but it's not a game I want to play. Like Andie, I don't think I could get past the personal relationship part and the outright lying to my face. I didn't like it when Cirie lied to Andie, Quentin and Arie about their alliances on the showand I still didn't like it at the reunion. Left a bad taste in my mouth. I just don't think this is my type of show.

I think that's completely understandable for you as a viewer. It's way less understandable for Andie and Quentin when they signed up to be on a show called The Traitors and knew from jump what the entire goal of the show was. I loved Andie - and still do after watching the reunion - but I'm not sure it was a good idea for them (or Quentin) to go on the show if they couldn't handle the way the game is played to win. I wonder if they would say the same in hindsight...Andy should have asked that question!

Also, because it needs to be said at every opportunity, Cirie looked fucking amazing. The entire look was stunning!

[tvfanatic13]

Damn Cirie! You cleaned up well girl. She looked phenomenal. Will always love her and Kate too. Can’t wait until next season. 

[jackjill89]

12 hours ago, hendersonrocks said:

I think that's completely understandable for you as a viewer. It's way less understandable for Andie and Quentin when they signed up to be on a show called The Traitors and knew from jump what the entire goal of the show was. I loved Andie - and still do after watching the reunion - but I'm not sure it was a good idea for them (or Quentin) to go on the show if they couldn't handle the way the game is played to win. I wonder if they would say the same in hindsight...Andy should have asked that question!

Also, because it needs to be said at every opportunity, Cirie looked fucking amazing. The entire look was stunning!

That is an excellent point...and exactly why I will never be a reality show contestant. 

[howiveaddict]

Was the lady who got booted behind the scenes there?

[Door County Cherry]

6 hours ago, howiveaddict said:

Was the lady who got booted behind the scenes there?

She must have been.  There were 20 contestants on the show and 18 were at the reunion.  The two who were missing include Brandi, because she non-consensually kissed someone on a Real Housewives Girl's Trip show and Reza because he tested positive for COVID.  I don't think they talked a lot with her, though, other than it was said she got COVID during filming which is why she left. (Or maybe I read that somewhere. )

[peachmangosteen]

Wait, what? Who was 'booted behind the scenes?'

[Door County Cherry]

2 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

Wait, what? Who was 'booted behind the scenes?'

I think this is referring to Amanda, a nurse, who left but we didn't get any more information other than Alan saying she had to leave.  I believe I read it was because she got COVID. 

[peachmangosteen]

Oh damn, I had forgotten about that. I assumed she had Covid. And I did see her during the reunion but I don't think she talked at all lol.

[Door County Cherry]

1 hour ago, peachmangosteen said:

Oh damn, I had forgotten about that. I assumed she had Covid. And I did see her during the reunion but I don't think she talked at all lol.

Oh and I forgot there was another guy on the show who got COVID on the first day.  They replaced him with Geraldine and actually reshot the first day.  He was not on the reunion. 

[hendersonrocks]

On 3/5/2023 at 4:30 PM, howiveaddict said:

Was the lady who got booted behind the scenes there?

Yes, but I don't think she had a single word uttered on camera. I think she was sitting next to Ryan and behind Cirie and Christian (ugh).

[ichbin]

My biggest issue was having competition show veterans compete with newbies.  The veterans are already well aware it is every contestant  for themself.  The newbies are at a disadvantage from the start.

The thing I hate most about these types of shows is when contestants like Andie come on confusing the premise with Queen for a Day and thinking that their needs make them deserving of the win rather than strategy and gameplay.  Cirie played upon just that by suggesting that Arie shouldn't win because he didn't need the prize as much as others. Cirie is ruthless...because she understand that is how the game is played.

[Stats Queen]

On 3/6/2023 at 7:10 PM, Door County Cherry said:

Oh and I forgot there was another guy on the show who got COVID on the first day.  They replaced him with Geraldine and actually reshot the first day.  He was not on the reunion. 

Thus why no one knew how to spell her name 😜

[SourK]

On 3/1/2023 at 2:23 AM, Door County Cherry said:

I really thought some distance would cool things down a bit but there was a lot of "It was personal" being thrown around and making it seem like the traitor who won, who didn't have a choice but to be a traitor, was a bad person for being a traitor.  That was her job. 

I have a lot of empathy for Andie. In real life, I love to watch hidden role games, but I don't like to play them because I find it upsetting to think that my friends are manipulating me, even if i know it's just for a game. If Andie wasn't used to playing those kinds of games, or being on reality shows, I 100% understand how they could make the mistake of being too vulnerable or trusting too much and then get hurt by that.

It's just that I think the lesson to learn is, "I went too deep with people in a setting that wasn't appropriate for that, and I ended up getting hurt" vs "Cirie hurt me on purpose."

Cirie was actually in a really awkward position, because she seemed like she was genuinely trying to be nice to people who were being vulnerable with her, and whom she liked, but also she was trying to play a game where she was secretly on the opposing team and couldn't reveal it.

On 3/1/2023 at 2:23 AM, Door County Cherry said:

Cirie didn't make any obvious mistakes but she was playing with traitors who did.

She was clearly the best Traitor, but I would argue that shanking Arie in the finals was a mistake. He could easily have tried to expose her and take her down with him, and she just got lucky when he didn't.

[peachmangosteen]

I still think Arie did try to expose Cirie. I believe he even pretty much said that at the reunion. Andie and Quentin just didn't pick up on it.

[Jaundiced Eye]

I didn't watch this on Peacock, and just saw the last couple episodes on Bravo, so I don't know if there were rules dictating what contestants said or did. If there weren't any rules, had I been Arie, I would have flat out said that Cirie was a Traitor, who knifed me in the back, so if you want to split the winnings, cast her out. His withdrawal should have been enough to convince the others that he was telling the truth.

If Cirie is so concerned about "taking care of her family," maybe she should  stick with her alleged nursing job, and stop being such a reality fame whore. I did not care for her at all. Why do producers keep allowing her back? It makes no sense to me.

[buttersister]

Old Arie there up on his high horse. Betrayal of a teammate during a game show is terrible? Doesn’t hold a candle to betraying a fiancé in real life. Jackass.

Cirie looked fantastic and good for her. As she said, she kept losing Survivor for being emotional instead of strategic. In a game. All that experience was clearly an advantage. Well played. If unfair—but not her fault.

Alan Cummings, the reason I started watching, did not disappoint. LOL!

[Lady Calypso]

So, I finally got around to watching the reunion.

It's a shame all the newbies were so goddamn boring or bad at the game, because the reunion softened me on a couple of them. Anjelica made me laugh with her "I hated Arie on The Bachelor" comment. I wish we got to see more of Michael. And Christian was a great Traitor but I do think, if we see him on another reality show, he might be able to play better. I think Christian and Michael are the only two newbies I would not hate to see on another reality show. 

As for Arie, Quentin, Andie and even Cody being pissy at Cirie for the way she played, I think Cirie laid out her reasons very well.

I really liked Rachel standing up for Cirie with Arie.

I did laugh at Andy's question to Andie about forgiving Cirie for playing the game. What a subtle dig at them being pissed at Cirie for, you know, playing the game.

I think the issue with Andie and Quentin being so upset is that, regardless if Cirie said anything about their personal lives at the end or not, they still would have been betrayed. What was Cirie going to do in the last days with the two of them, not talk about getting to the end? And even the stuff they brought up about what they talked about, it didn't sound personal in the way that makes Cirie look bad. It seems like they all mutually found some stuff in common, bonded, and used that as a way to gain a relationship for the end game. And, as Cirie said, her and Quentin only connected right at the end so she owes absolutely nothing to him and his feelings. 

Maybe I can understand Andie's betrayal a little bit since they connected on day 1 but it's still a game. If Andie's going to be betrayed that the two talked about family stuff and that was PART of the way Cirie formed a bond to get to the end with them, then they're not going to be good at any reality show. It doesn't sound like Cirie emotionally blackmailed Andie to bringing her to the end through Andie's family and goals for winning the money. It sounds like the two had conversations and connected over that and it helped solidify a bond between the two, which is literally part of the game. 

So, in reality, there's not much Cirie could have done because the social game IS part of it, which does means getting to know someone on a deeper level. And I know Quentin was going on and on about how they agreed to go to the end because they're all black players (aka "made a pact" which makes me curious how deep the pact went and if it was more Andie/Quentin pushing it and Cirie agreeing), and Andie was bemoaning about how they told Cirie about their plans for top surgery and all that but it doesn't sound like Cirie milked that to get them to go with her to the end. They just naturally assumed she was a Faithful because how could someone who they formed a connection with based on similarities and bonding be a Traitor?

Which shows more the fact that Andie and Quentin are terrible reality stars and cannot separate personal from game. They would have been pissed no matter what. They're just mad that they never saw it coming. The only thing that would have pleased them is if Cirie was emotionally distant from them, and that was never going to win her the game. They would have whined about how Cirie never formed a bond with them or got to know them and that's how they knew she was a Traitor who needed to be voted out. 

Except, Andie and Quentin only worked together BECAUSE of Cirie. Had Cirie not bonded with Andie, they would have been murdered, easily, and Cirie would have brought some other newbie to the end with her. 

That being said, Quentin pissed me off WAYYYYY more than Andie in this reunion. His smug nodding and smirk on his face pissed me right off. Boy, you wouldn't have been there if you didn't have THE WORST reads I've ever seen from a competitive reality show like this. Andie at least seemed to start to understand that in the end, but Quentin was just super oblivious, which makes him a way worse reality player. 

[AntFTW]

On 4/10/2023 at 5:41 PM, peachmangosteen said:

I still think Arie did try to expose Cirie. I believe he even pretty much said that at the reunion. Andie and Quentin just didn't pick up on it.

I just watched this show and reunion for the first time. I don’t feel bad for Andie and Quentin. They were outplayed. They could have gone one more round and voted Cirie out.

I believe Andie and Quentin (and moreso Andie) when they say they built a genuine bond with Cirie. However, they couldn’t split the prize money with Cirie. In order for Andie and Quentin to win, they would’ve needed to vote out Cirie and I’m pretty confident that any of them wouldn’t think they did anything wrong to Cirie had they voted her out.

They know the game they played, and they didn’t have to be so personally salty about losing.