The Traitors (Australia)/Season 2

***The Traitors Season 2*** is the second season of *The Traitors (Australia)*, airing twice weekly starting from August 13, 2023 at 7:30pm. Unlike its predecessor, it will feature a cast of celebrities versus civilians, similar to *The Traitors (US)*.

## Background

There was some concern on whether the franchise would be renewed by Network 10, given its disappointing ratings. However, Senior Vice President (Content and Programming) for Paramount ANZ Daniel Monaghan argued that the program was well-made and deserved a second look, especially in the wake of *The Traitors (UK)* becoming a global phenomenon.

The program's official Instagram page put out a casting call January 20, 2023, seeking prospective applicants available to film sometime between April to May in 2023. On April 28, 2023, the season was officially was announced. It was soon revealed that unlike the all-civilian format for *Season 1*, 'actors, reality stars, and content creators will join the likes of former federal agents, lawyers, and marketing consultants'. The first official cast photo and list of contestants was subsequently released on May 21, 2023, with the start date officially confirmed on July 31, 2023.

A new addition to the show this season was 'Dan', Rodger's butler who could be seen assisting him with the execution of Missions.

## Unique Characteristics & Twists

* **Celebrities vs. Civilians:** This season adopted a mixed cast of seven celebrities competing against thriteen newcomers to reality TV.
* **Varying Shield Giveaways:** In *Season 1*, Shields were only given out via Shield Challenges. For this season, Shields were available both through Armoury visits and Shield Missions (as a substitute to Armoury visits for the team that won the Mission), depending on the episode.
* **Regular Shield:** In *Season 1*, the Shield protected its holder from both the next Banishment and the next Murder. For this season, all Shields will only protect the holder from the next Murder.

## Contestants

 **Finalist: Traitor**

 **Finalist: Traitor**

 **Finalist: Traitor**

 **Banished: Faithful**

 **Banished: Faithful**

 **Banished: Faithful**

 **Murdered: Faithful**

 **Banished: Faithful**

 **Banished: Faithful**

 **Murdered: Faithful**

 **Banished: Faithful**

 **Murdered: Faithful**

 **Banished: Faithful**

 **Murdered: Faithful**

 **Banished: Traitor**

 **Murdered: Faithful**

 **Banished: Faithful**

 **Murdered: Faithful**

 **Banished: Faithful**

 **Murdered: Faithful**

## Season Overview

### Episode 1

*Airdate: August 13, 2023*

* **Traitors Selected:** Ash, Blake & Sam
* **Mission Synopsis:** Trojan Horses
The contestants were split into 2 teams of 10. 6 members of each team must race up a hill and clear the debris placed along the path of a Trojan horse along the way. Once they have reached the top of the hill, the other 4 will then winch the horse up. Someone will then run down the hill to light their torch, run back up and set the horse on fire, while a last person severs the rope securing the burning horse with an axe and sends it crashing downhill. Each team that completes the mission in 20 minutes earns A$20,000 for the pot, and the faster team would gain access to the Armoury.
* **Prize Earned:** A$40,000 out of A$40,000
* **Armoury Access:** Annabel, Ash, Blake, Corinne, Gyton, Ian, Keith, Paul, Sam & Simone
* **Shield:** Simone
* **Murdered:** *Anjelica*
* **Banished:** *Corinne* (9-8-1-1)

### Episode 2

*Airdate: August 14, 2023*

* **Murdered:** *Elias*
* **Mission Synopsis:** Pyramid Scheme
The contestants were split into 2 teams (1 with 9 members and the other 8), each with 2 rowers, 2 runners and the rest builders. The rowers will retrieve 11 scattered pyramid puzzle pieces from a lake and deliver them to the runners on shore, who will then carry the pieces to the builders. The builders can only start when all the pieces have been delivered, and each team that completes their pyramid and tops it with their flag before the 20 minute time limit earns A$16,000. The faster team would also gain access to the Armoury.
* **Prize Earned:** A$16,000 out of A$32,000
* **Armoury Access:** Ash, Camille, Gyton, Hannah, Ian, Liam, Paul, Roha & Simone
* **Shield:** Simone
* **Banished:** *Gyton* (15-1-1)

### Episode 3

*Airdate: August 21, 2023*

* **Murdered:** *Paeden*
* **Mission Synopsis:** Church Match
The 15 contestants were divided into 2 teams (1 with 7 members and the other with 8). Each team selected one member to be locked into a coffin with 5 padlocks. Each round, 1 member from each team would run to a confessional booth and listen to a riddle from Rodger. They then had to convey the riddle to the rest of their group and solve it collectively, locating an item or symbol they had to find from amongst the congregation, who would then hand them a key that unlocked a padlock (worth A$2,000 for the pot). The faster team each round would win the key, and the team that unlocked their coffin first would gain access to the Armoury.
* **Prize Earned:** A$16,000 out of A$18,000
* **Armoury Access:** Annabel, Ash, Hannah, Keith, Liam, Luke, Roha & Sarah
* **Shield:** Liam
* **Banished:** *Ash* (8–2–2–1–1–1)

### Episode 4

*Airdate: August 22, 2023*

* **Murdered:** *Paul*
* **Mission Synopsis:** Minesweeper
The 13 contestants were divided into 1 team of 6 and 1 team of 7. Each round, a pair from each team would have 90 seconds to crawl through a 'minefield' and find a 'mine' containing a true statement about the game. If they were correct, the 'mine' would contain a silver bar (A$2,000); if they were wrong, the 'mine' would instead blow up. The first team to find 4 correct statements would progress to the Shield Mission.
* **Prize Earned:** A$14,000 out of A$14,000
* **Shield Mission:** Target Practice (Annabel, Gloria, Liam, Luke, Sam, Sarah & Simone)
The contestants took turn to fire flaming arrows at ships, with each having one of their names written on the sail. A successful hit would set the ship alight and eliminate the contestant it corresponded to. The last contestant standing would win the Shield.
* **Shield:** Liam
* **Banished:** *Ian* (8-4-1)

### Episode 5

*Airdate: August 27, 2023*

* **Murdered:** *Roha*
* **Mission Synopsis:** Touchy Subjects
The 11 contestants were split into 1 team of 5 and 1 team of 6. The teams took turns being strapped into torture devices (either Chinese water torture or an electric chair). A question would then be asked (e.g. 'Who is most likely to be recruited?', requiring both a contestant in the devices as well as the other team to answer with the same name, in order to earn A$2,000. A wrong answer would instead see all the torture devices activated. Any contestant that managed a successful match with their answers would also gain Armoury access.
* **Prize Earned:** A$12,000 out of A$22,000
* **Armoury Access:** Annabel, Blake, Gloria, Keith, Liam & Sam
* **Shield:** Blake
* **Banished:** *Annabel* (8-2-1)

### Episode 6

*Airdate: August 28, 2023*

* **Murdered:** *Luke*
* **Mission Synopsis:** Silver Relay
The 9 contestants were given the opportunity to win back A$28,000 lost on previous missions, in addition to base maximum prize of A$20,000. They had 30 minutes to transport as many silver bars (each worth A$2,000) as they could, one at a time in heavy backpacks, up a steep slope before returning to the start to retrieve more bars. Rodger and Dan were also stationed at the midpoint offering refreshments and temptations (such as beers and Armoury access) at A$2,000 from the prize fund each.
* **Prize Earned:** A$18,000 out of A$48,000
* **Armoury Access:** Gloria, Keith, Liam, Sam & Simone
* **Shield:** Sam
* **Banished:** *Simone* (6-3)

### Episode 7

*Airdate: September 3, 2023*

* **Recruitment:** Camille *(Accepted)*
* **Mission Synopsis:** Captive Rescue
Hannah and Sarah are chained to a wall with 4 padlocks each, and must tell the other contestants where to find the keys to the padlocks, based on a map of the estate in their prison. The other contestants must then run across the estate to locate the 8 barrels with the keys and push them back, before using a sledgehammer to break the barrels and find the keys. If Hannah and Sarah were rescued within 30 minutes, A$30,000 would be earned for the prize fund.
* **Prize Earned:** A$30,000 out of A$30,000
* **Shield Mission:** Ax Throw
The contestants took turn throwing an axe at targets with each others' faces on it. Once their target was hit by two axes, they would be eliminated. The last contestant standing would win the Shield.
* **Shield:** Keith
* **Banished:** *Keith* (5-2-1)

### Episode 8

*Airdate: September 4, 2023*

* **Murdered:** *Hannah*
* **Mission Synopsis:** Bull in a China Shop
The contestants took turns to enter an overcrowded antiques store in pairs and retrieve an item Rodger requested from it. The catch was that the contestants would be bound together during the process, with one blindfolded contestant needing to be the one retrieving the specific item and carrying it out of the store. Each item they successfully transported (up to 12 items) within 30 minutes earned them A$2,000. Additionally, money would be deducted from the prize fund based on the amount of other items in the store they broke.
* **Prize Earned:** A$16,000 out of A$24,000
* **Banished:** *Gloria* (5-1)

### Episode 9

*Airdate: September 10, 2023*

* **Mission Synopsis:** Treasure Heist
The contestants were given a map of an estate with A$50,000 hidden across it in various locations, which they had to retrieve and deposit in a 'getaway van' within 30 minutes. They had to complete a series of tasks to locate bags with the silver bars, including: retrieving bags from a pond; breaking into a pump shed to locate a bag; digging through manure in a cattle yard to find bags; and breaking into a manor to locate silver bars. They were also given a two-way radio to help coordinate the mission, as well as an array of tools fit for a heist like boltcutters and wirecutters.
* **Prize Earned:** A$46,000 out of A$50,000
* **Banished:**
	+ *Liam* (4-1)
	+ *Sarah* (3-1)
* **Traitors' Dilemma:** *Steal* (3-0)
* **Runners-Up(s):** *Blake, Camille & Sam*
* **Winner(s):** ***No Winner***

## Viewership

Despite attempts to draw in more viewers with the inclusion of known 'celebrity' figures, the show continued to struggle in its second season against the considerably more established *The Voice* and *The Block*.

## Trivia

* This is the first season in the international franchise where:
	+ Traitors outnumbered Faithfuls before the finale episode.
	+ There are more than two Traitors going into the finale episode.
	+ Three Traitors made it to the final three.
	+ Contestants voted to Steal rather than Share during Prisoners' Dilemma.
	+ No winner was declared.
	+ No prize money was paid out to any contestant.

## References

1. ↑ Programmers Wrap 2023: 10 | TV Tonight — January 30, 2023
2. ↑ Blue doors and Traitors: 10 gives a glimpse at its slate for the rest of 2023 | Mediaweek — April 28, 2023
3. ↑ Renewed: The Traitors, Amazing Race: Celebrity Edition. Returning: HYBPA? | TV Tonight — April 30, 2023
4. ↑ Luke Toki, Princess Aussie And Paul de Gelder Set To Join The Traitors Season 2 | 10 play — May 21, 2023
5. ↑ Post by Channel 10 | Twitter — July 31, 2023
6. ↑ Mischievous Rodger Corser ready to play more Traitors | TV Tonight — August 10, 2023