New Delhi: 

If you’ve ever wondered what Bigg Boss would look like after binge-watching a murder mystery on vacation at a Rajasthan palace, The Traitors is your answer. This Prime Video original is branded as a reality thriller, hosted by Karan Johar. Well, he seems to have traded his Koffee for chaos this time!

The Traitors review:

The Traitors has been styled as a glamorous whodunit. Yet, instead of edge-of-the-seat tension, what you get are teacup tremors; it is dramatic and loud, but hardly game-changing. “100% Maheep is a traitor,” declares Apoorva, while Sufi Motiwala tells Uorfi, “I will talk about your horrible clothes on the internet.” Personal digs disguised as gameplay? Checked.

All said and done, if your idea of suspense involves glitter, gossip, and guessing games with a side of sabotage, The Traitors might just be your next guilty pleasure.

The Traitors cast and episode details:

Episodes 4, 5 and 6 will stream on June 19 at 8 PM on Amazon Prime Video. The remaining cast of The Traitors includes: Uorfi Javed, Raftaar, Ashish Vidyarthi, Sudhanshu Panday, Jasmin Bhasin, Apoorva Mehta, Jannat Zubair, Purv Jha, Maheep Kapoor, Anshula Kapoor, Jaanvi Gaur, Elnaaz Norouzi, Nikita Luther, Sufi Motiwala, Harsh Gujral and Mukesh Chhabra.

The series kicks off with all the grandeur of a royal palace, but instead of kings and queens, you get influencers, TV actors, an astrologer, and Raj Kundra without a mask. However, what’s promised as a gripping strategy often feels more like watching your friend group fall apart while returning from the trip.

The Traitors Episode 1, 2 and 3:

10 minutes into the show, contestant Nikita, a poker player, is booted out, which is deemed as a ruthless introduction to the “traitors’ charm.” But only to make a shocking yet underwhelming comeback in Episode 3.

Our masked backstabbers, aka “The Traitors”? Purv Jha, Raj Kundra, and Elnaaz Norouzi. The Karan Joharification of Prime Video’s very own Bigg Boss is apparent. Dramatic lighting, designer outfits, and contestants acting as if they’re auditioning for Balaji rather than outwitting a mystery mission.

The tasks, meanwhile, fall flat like a soda left open overnight. In one such test of “wit,” three groups are placed on a moving train and asked to decipher clues displayed by people at the tracks. One group botches it all, and like a twisted school picnic, everyone loses their reward. Riveting? Not quite.

As if the pace wasn’t bizarre enough, Sahil Salathia is “murdered” by the traitors. His absence the next day sends contestants into a collective funk, especially Anshula Kapoor. Elnaaz, despite being one of the killers, puts up a fine show of anguish. Oscar-worthy? Perhaps not, but a decent Daytime Emmy might be in sight.

The Circle of Shak, yes, that’s an actual segment. It lets players vote on who they suspect is a traitor. Raj Kundra is voted out with 15 tallies against him after being cornered by Apoorva Mehta aka The Rebel Kid and Raftaar. His post-reveal exit is followed by a round of applause, naturally. Sadly, the remaining traitors take down Lakshmi Manchu next.

By Episode 3, trust is nowhere to be seen. Karan Kundra gets ousted despite being innocent, and Jannat Zubair is visibly shaken. Meanwhile, tensions bubble with a cold war brewing between Apoorva and Uorfi Javed, and another between the former and Jasmine Bhasin. There’s more frost than at a Delhi winter brunch.

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