‘Traitors’ Cast Episode 1 Recap: Phaedra’s Plan to Safeguard Housewives, Sandra and Parvati's Pact (Exclusive)
The cast recaps episode 1 of 'The Traitors' season 2, featuring surprising alliances, tense moments, and strategic plans Discover John's breathing, Larsa's dig at Parvati, Sandra and Parvati's unexpected truce, Phaedra and Dan's traitorous schemes, and a game-changing deal
When season 2 of The Traitors premiered on Peacock on January 12, the scheming began almost immediately. Big Brother's Janelle Pierzina shared her excitement about the new season, saying, "I was excited to see all the gamers. I love games on strategy. I love games that are thinking. So, immediately, I was very drawn to Parvati and Dan, of course."
The "gamers" on season 2 include Janelle, fellow Big Brother winner Dan Gheesling, Survivor's Parvati Shallow and Sandra Diaz-Twine, The Challenge's Chris "CT" Tamburello, Johnny "Bananas" Devenanzio, and Trishelle Cannatella.
"Then I met the Bravo people, and MJ from Shahs of Sunset was so nice," Janelle mentioned. "There wasn't anyone in the cast that I wouldn't work with. It's just strategic to collaborate with anyone and keep yourself alive in that castle."
The 21-person cast included former Bachelor Peter Weber and Housewives stars Larsa Pippin, Tamra Judge, Shereé Whitfield, and Phaedra Parks, as well as UK Parliament’s John Bercow and boxer Deontay Wilder.
Janelle's strategy was to identify the traitors and collaborate with them to potentially be recruited or gather enough people to go after them. She didn't want to oust real traitors right away as it seemed like a foolish tactic. She was concerned that if a traitor was eliminated early on, they could recruit someone she was working with closely.
Some of the celebrities were eager to "murder" their fellow castle guests, but MJ was relieved she wasn't chosen.
"I knew that if I were a traitor, I wouldn't be able to hide my emotions," MJ told Us about the roundtable selection. "I'm a nervous laugher. I wouldn't be able to keep a straight face. Even the moment when we took off our blindfolds was so intense."
John’s Breathing
When it comes to choosing, the politician faced criticism after Janelle pointed out his loud breathing while host Alan Cummings selected the members of the committee.
John Bercow. Euan Cherry/PEACOCK
“It was almost certainly a mistake because you should probably be inscrutable [and] give nothing away. So it was probably a mistake because it led for a short period … [of] this suspicion. ‘This is odd, this is fishy, this is inexplicable, this is possibly a sign in the absence of any other evidence that this guy’s a traitor.’ All it was to be honest, was this: I passionately wanted to be a faithful. I’ve made it clear in advance that I wanted and hoped [but] I had no guarantee to be a faithful,” John told Us. “Alan walked round that room so many times in the blindfolded ceremony that it was quite, sort of stressful. And when it was over, I breathed heavily and I think I do often breathe heavily and through my mouth — and I was asked by Janelle, ‘Well, what’s going on?’ And I said, ‘Well, I’ve been asthmatic. And then there was an issue, ‘Well, do you use an inhaler? No. Are you asthmatic now?’ And I said, ‘No, look, historically I was asthmatic. I don’t breathe very well, but frankly you are putting two and two together and making five.’ So it was a crass miscalculation of people thought I made me a traitor, but did I make a mistake to do that? Yeah.”
Larsa Takes a Shot at Parvati
Viewers of Real Housewives of Miami are well aware that Larsa doesn't hold back when it comes to sharing her opinions, especially during the same selection ceremony. When she became convinced that Cummings had tapped Parvati on the shoulder due to a noise coming from his jacket, she spoke up.
Larsa explained, "I had planned to remain low-key and not attract too much attention, but I couldn't resist. Her energy was just pushing me away," Larsa told Us about Parvati. Bananas then added, "I feel the same way."
Sandra and Parvati’s Truce
The previous year saw the two champions of the CBS series engaging in a public dispute over the title of the ultimate "queen of Survivor." However, in a surprising turn of events, they reconciled with the assistance of Peppermint, a star from RuPaul's Drag Race, during the premiere, leaving viewers in shock.
“My stomach dropped and Sandra emerged from the cart, pointing her finger at me like this, and I thought, ‘Oh God… We can’t keep having these awkward encounters, girl,'” Parvati shared with Us. “Because we really needed each other out there. I barely knew anyone besides Sandra. So we had to figure out a way to collaborate and not be in conflict. I'm incredibly thankful that Peppermint took the initiative to bring us together, facilitate a truce, and help us move past our differences.”
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Sandra noted it was a quick turnaround. “I was like, ‘Oh no, not only now do I have to navigate this game, but now I have to deal with Parvati as well?’ But thanks to Peppermint, we chatted about it briefly, I don’t even think it was five minutes and I was ready to move on and we agreed to move on,” she said. “And when I agreed to something, that’s it. So I was just hoping that me being honest about moving on was also the same with Parvati. People tell you different things, but I was happy that Peppermint put us together and we were able to bury the hatchet. And hey it’s all great.”
Phaedra and Dan’s Plans as Traitors
During episode 1, Phaedra and Dan were revealed as the traitors. "In my world, we fight, we drink Champagne, we glamorous – this world is all about strategy," Phaedra told Us, explaining that part of her plan was to "lean into" working with Dan because she knew he won Big Brother. "I had no idea. I only knew the Bravolebrities. And so of course, being a Bravolebrity, I was going to lightweight protect all my Bravo family."
Dan Gheesling on PEACOCK
Former Real Housewives of Atlanta co-star Shereé was included in the discussion. "We know she can be mischievous. I mean, she's a good liar sometimes," Shereé told Us of Phaedra, with Tamra concurring. "I think that as Housewives, it's in our nature to be disloyal at our core. That's what we do for a living. The girls who were on the show have been there for a long time, so I didn't trust any of them."
Phaedra expressed her desire to be an "angel traitor," explaining that it was a challenging role that required hard work while others were sleeping. She emphasized her unique perspective, stating that she always roots for the underdog. Despite feeling at a disadvantage for not knowing any of the gamers, she relied on personal conversations to determine who she wanted to protect or play the game with.
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Viewers witnessed Dan's eagerness to play the role of a traitor, stating "I just didn't want to sit on the sidelines. I've been sitting for 10 years. I wanted to go and mix it up, so I was definitely very eager and excited to play." However, he soon realized that the game was more like poker than chess. The first three episodes of The Traitors can be streamed on Peacock now, and be sure to check back for more from the cast, including recaps for episodes 2 and 3.
