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USA Insider The Traitors

Why Season 2 of 'The Traitors' Will Be Different, Aside From 'Villain' Alan Cumming & His Capes

Season 2 of the hit reality series can't help but change based on one specific thing. 

By Brian Silliman
The Traitors General1

If your life is not complete without Alan Cumming relishing the word "murder" every week, then you're not alone. Season 1 of the reality hit The Traitors, currently streaming on Peacock, featured Cumming hosting a smattering of reality veterans and civilians trying to betray and outplay each other in a Scottish castle. The series will definitely be back for a second season, and it will be a little different because of one big aspect of reality television. 

As part of Deadline's Contenders Television: Documentary + Unscripted event, Executive Producer Toni Ireland laid out the reason. Cumming was present as well, alongside contestant Kate Chastain (Below Deck) and Survivor vet Cirie Fields, who won Season 1. 

If viewers felt that Cumming was constantly hamming it up in a classically villainous style, complete with a never-ending array of outlandish outfits, then that was very much the point. As he said, “I loved how fun and inventive I could be with this. I’m basically playing a character… so it’s subverting the form in a way.” He referred to his heightened persona as being a "James Bond villain" and also noted his wardrobe, saying, “Capes are the new black." 

Chastain echoed the costuming sentiment, as she also had a lot of appropriate attire for the game. “Twelve years of Catholic school uniforms, six years of Below Deck uniform, I was ready to bring my Cruella de Vil out,” she said, referencing the puppy-murdering villainess of 101 Dalmatians

The show made three players into the titular traitors, and it was their job to secretly hamper the progress of the "faithful" players and take all of the winnings for themselves in the end. Fields was put in the role of a traitor at the start, and she proceeded to dominate the new game in the fashion that Survivor audiences have come to expect from her. She never won a season of Survivor, but she walked away with the big win on The Traitors. It wasn't even close. 

"I don’t feel like I did anything that dreadful,” Fields said. “And I won. I definitely wouldn’t change that.”

RELATED: "Cirie Fields Discusses Betraying Rachel Reilly Ahead of 'The Traitors' Reunion"

The show will have to change at least a little, and Ireland pinpointed the reason. Players for Season 1 were coming into a brand new concept, with no idea of what to expect. If you're coming into Season 2, that will not be the case. 

“[Season 2] will be instantly different because the players will have seen the show," Ireland said. "The big thing about Season 1 was that the players hadn’t seen the season before… now people are thinking they know how to play it."

Therefore, fans should not expect a copy of what they've already seen. Ireland added, "It’s our job to make sure that certain things will be different so that they never truly know exactly what’s going to happen.”

As long as Cumming continues his joyous antics (and says "sweet rides" at least once per episode) then we'll be content. Will they find a player as brilliant as Fields? We'll have to make it through the long, foggy nights to find out. 

Season 1 of The Traitors is streaming on Peacock right now. Go and take your sweet ride and see who will be murderrrred. 

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