“She’s so motherly!” Why older women prevail over traitors | Traitors

WWednesday’s episode of The Traitors was explosive: Matthew’s recruitment deal with traitors Steven and Rachel is “confirmed,” James steals a shield, and Rachel reveals “FBI training.” But let it be known, if I ever go missing, I want Harriet Tice to be on the case. Her behavior was nothing short of Shakespearean – dropping the undercover writer and criminal lawyer bombshell, summoning Rachel against the dramatic backdrop of a Gothic church, putting her on trial in public over breakfast and then offering only emotion-based evidence at the round table. Furthermore, she is the first female redemptorist in the show’s history I ask To be banished just to prove a point. I’m afraid Harriet operates on levels of camp that no TV show has ever seen before.

It’s a common trend that appears every season: a woman over 50 captures the nation’s heart and becomes a viral sensation, elevated to “mom” status by fans. And this mother is always strong, frank and often completely incomprehensible. In the first series, we had Amanda Lovett, the 54-year-old estate agent turned traitor, whose ruthless ‘Welsh dragon’ instincts are hidden behind a clueless façade. Series two brought us Diane Carson, the 63-year-old devoted former teacher, who came armed with blunt candor and ginger hair only to be upset by the invasive Rose when Ross, her secret son, took part in her funeral procession. Move on to 70-year-old Linda Rands in series three, a retired opera singer who clung to the traitor until episode seven despite her mistakes being so terrible that she made billboards.

In this series, I thought we couldn’t do better than Fiona, the under-the-radar 62-year-old local government employee who not only fooled unfaithful Rachel and Stephen but also the audience with her sweet and talkative antics – only to be the secret traitor. I thought her quick transformation from scheming liar to full blown suicide bomber, shooting her traitorous classmate Rachel out of nowhere in front of the entire castle, was peak television. But with Fiona in denial, 52-year-old Harriet clearly noticed a gap in the market and took matters into her own hands.

Harriet entered that church like a woman on a mission, quickly wiped the smug smiles from Rachel and Stephen’s faces as she mocked their answers (“I guess that answer isn’t worth the paper it’s written on”), and turned that confessional booth into the witness stand. After telling Rachel that “the party’s over” and taunting the traitors for not killing her earlier, the nation held its breath as she marched toward breakfast, canceling invitations for a private conversation, to completely annihilate her fellow player. The courtroom eloquence she used to expose Hugo is gone: Harriet has not only dropped the “truth bomb,” she’s gone straight for nukes.

Was it a bit brutal? Yes, but that’s what makes it creative. What these women have in common is that they are brave and sassy, ​​if not always on the right track. They don’t fade into the background like many players do – there’s always a group of players whose name you never know – they throw themselves into the spotlight, all guns blazing, to find the answers. Whether they are disloyal or loyal, they take action. And make wonderful television.

Fan enthusiasm comes from a place of underestimation. Even though Fiona told us to “never underestimate a woman of a certain age” in her denial speech, we’re still shocked that these women can cause such chaos and be so convincing. No one expected that 73-year-old national treasure Celia Emery would become directly involved in The Celebrity Traitors’ missions, and no one expected Harriet’s quiet control to turn to fiery brilliance by demanding that the cast “call her bluff” and vote her out to prove she’s loyal (and Rachel unfaithful). There is nothing more legendary – nothing more “mother” – than sacrificing yourself to prove yourself right.

Well, that’s partly true: Harriet’s assertion that there are four, perhaps even five, traitors is so far from reality that her performance borders on farce. But her brilliance in tunnel vision and tough questioning cements her place in the show’s hall of fame. Before tonight’s episode, I ask remaining believers to heed Harriet’s parting words: “Let not this sacrifice be in vain.”