The Story The Traitors is rigged, just not in the way you think - the Sunday Story
Nov 9, 2025
Helen Rumbelow, a Times feature writer specializing in culture and television, dives deep into the psychological game of The Traitors. She explores how the show reflects modern politics, revealing our trust issues and the charm-over-logic dilemma. Helen discusses the unpredictability of the game, how alliances dictate success, and the manipulation tactics used by traitors. She draws parallels to real-world politics, highlighting how charisma influences group dynamics, making this show a fascinating study of human behavior.
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Game Origin Reveals Political Roots
- The Traitors is a psychological experiment rooted in a Soviet-era game called Mafia (or Stasi) created in 1986.
- It exposes paranoia, surveillance dynamics and how groups police insiders and outsiders under pressure.
Family Trains Future Liars
- Helen's extended family plays Mafia whenever they meet and she jokes they've trained their children to lie well.
- She now distrusts simple statements like 'I'm going to Julie's for the evening.'
Faithful Psychology Steals The Show
- The show spotlights faithful psychology more than traitor skill, revealing how confident people repeatedly get it wrong.
- Viewers enjoy watching self-assured players fail at reading others and misjudge their own abilities.