WARNING: This article contains spoilers!
‘It kind of feels like no one’s your friend’ is very much the vibe as The Traitors Ireland returned for Series 2.
On Sunday, the Irish public were introduced to 23 new faces, who rocked up to Slane Castle, their fate as either a Traitor or a Faithful unbeknownst to them.
Series 2 got off to a dramatic start (we expected nothing less) as 39-year-old Denis, 39-year-old DJ, and 61-year-old Fionula decided to keep their cards very close to their chests.
Denis told his fellow contestants that he’s a ‘writer’, and he is; he wasn’t lying, but what he didn’t tell them was that he’s a psychotherapist who prides himself on his ability to read people.
Meanwhile, Fionula withheld the fact that she’s an actress, believing that she can perhaps play the part of a Faithful better than anyone. And DJ, a car salesman, believes his job lends itself to raised eyebrows, so he too told a small porky about his career.
Derry Girls alum Siobhán McSweeney returned as host of The Traitors Ireland, much to our delight, and chose three Traitors to do her bidding in Slane Castle: Fionula, Pádraic K, and Carla.
As the episode unfolded, the contestants were given their first task: construct an ancient Irish dolmen by working together through tough terrain, strenuous lifting, and design strategy.
Contestants were on high alert for early signs of Traitors among them, as some needed to ‘sacrifice’ themselves, losing their immunity from the first murder of the series.
‘At the mission, people show who they are, so I’m curious to see how people are in mission mode,’ DJ told his peers.
Some threw themselves into the challenge, while others bowed out graciously, but that action of sacrificing themselves only lent itself to suspicion of treachery.
Afterwards, you could feel the tension through the TV screen as the 23 contestants tried to suss one another out, divert suspicion, and sway opinion.
It’s early days, but sparks flew between Kayleigh and Páuric O when she alluded to the fact that he was doing too much. Yikes!
And as the moon rose in the clear Irish sky on Sunday night, the Traitors had their first meeting. Siobhán wasn’t without a few tricks up her sleeve, however, as Carla, Fionula, and Pádraic K were tasked with choosing a FOURTH Traitor to join their team.
‘You will not meet them here tonight, but they will have a big part in the final proceedings, as they will have the final say on who will be murdered tonight,’ she told them, leaving them to decide on their chosen one.
Names tossed around included Sean A, 59, because he ‘seems to have the ear of people to be persuading’, and Laura, 39, dubbed ‘underestimated’ and ‘fierce’, and Edelle, 44, who is ‘going to be the Queen of the Faithfuls if she’s a Faithful’.
As the Traitors make their ‘first united decision’, will it be Seán A, Laura, or Edelle who pulls on the cloak? Only time will tell…
The Traitors Ireland continues every Sunday, Monday and Tuesday on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.
