The Traitors NZ

As a fervent enthusiast of "The Traitors" series, having indulged in both seasons from the US, UK, and Australia, I approached "The Traitors - New Zealand" with high expectations. This show, at its core, presents an engrossing battle of wits, where 'the Faithful' strive to identify 'the Traitors' amidst their ranks. However, I found the first season of the New Zealand iteration to be underwhelming. My disappointment stems not from the concept, which remains compelling, but from the apparent budget constraints that starkly contrast with the grandeur of its counterparts. One of the series' charms has always been its setting, which plays a crucial role in creating an atmosphere of suspense and grandiosity. Unfortunately, "The Traitors - New Zealand" falls short in this regard. The participants are confined to small, sparsely decorated rooms for their daily congregations, a far cry from the majestic Andross Castle that graced the US and UK versions. This shift not only diminishes the show's visual appeal but also, I suspect, impacts the contestants' experience and, by extension, the viewers'. In a country with a population of approximately 5 million, the limitations of a small market are evident in the New Zealand version's production values. It's a poignant reminder of the challenges faced by smaller Commonwealth countries in matching the production quality of larger nations. The scenic backdrop, an element of the show that could have been its saving grace, also fails to captivate, further compounding the disappointment. Despite these criticisms, my affection for the franchise remains undimmed. I believe with adequate support and investment, "The Traitors - New Zealand" could yet capture the essence that makes this series so enthralling. It might be time for the show's fans to rally, possibly through a GoFundMe, to bolster the production budget, ensuring the New Zealand iteration can stand tall among its illustrious predecessors.

Just a note about Season 1, as I have not moved on to season 2 yet -- if at all. The introduction to each episode says they were a group of "complete strangers" but it was clear that several of them knew each other before the show was filmed. This definitely would (or could) affect the group dynamics, especially as we don't know what they say to each other when they are off-screen. One more thing -- and only because I have watched this same series from two other countries -- the total prize money initially announced for the New Zealand version is quite low compared to the others, and would not have been a huge incentive for those who were rich(er) to begin with.

I enjoy the idea, but the UK and US versions had much more drama.

This show is 90% aimed at the traitors to win. These NZ-ers (faithfuls) figured out the first 3 initial traitors in 2 episodes, but because after the vote out of each traitor, the left over traitors are allowed to recruit or 'seduce' a faithful into being a traitor until the very end, they really never have a chance to win. The faithful in this NZ series would have won early on, but because production needs to make 10 episodes they recruit traitor after traitor and make it impossible for the faithfuls to win. Its one of the most unfair gameshows I've ever seen. I have seen all versions US, UK, Aus, and it's the same for all of them. It's just most obvious in this series because they figure it out so quick. Although most of these people seem to know or have known other players for years.

My least favorite so far of The Traitors franchise. The host isn't as eccentric as the US or UK franchise and the "faithfuls" and "traitors" were some of the most boring and uninteresting. The location was interesting but did not compare to that of the UK and US locations. I did enjoy how some of the challenges were changed from the other versions to set this version apart.

This version would work better if seen prior to the UK and US version, but since I saw this version after 4 other seasons, it lacks the punch of the others. This being said, it's not a bad addition to the franchise and there is enough differences for it to stand on its own.

The New Zealand series lacked the atmosphere of ghe others that I'd seen. The house looked like it would have been quite a decent AirB&B - it could have done with a decent clean before shooting started.

The contestants followed the same characters as other versions, eg the former cop who brought her keen observation skills to the table yet couldn't pick a traitor to save her life, over the top reactions to other contestants within minutes of meeting each other etc.

What would have really improved this version would have been the opportunity to either kill or banish the host within the first two episodes. He was the weakest link - goodbye.