The Reality Checkmate – Traitors US Season 4 Preview

[00:00:00] This is the Reality Checkmate podcast.

Garrett: Two reality nerds

Britney: that breakdown

Garrett: Stratum

Britney: and psyche.

Hi everyone, and welcome to Reality Checkmate. I'm Britney.

Garrett: And I'm Garrett. And Oh yeah,

I was supposed to keep going. Okay, well we can keep, we can keep going. Um. And now I totally forgot what I was gonna say my,

Britney: for the next several weeks, we are going to be talking about Traitors US Season 4.

Garrett: For the next several weeks, we're gonna be talking about Traitors US season 4.

Britney: Well, let's get into it.

What do you say?

Garrett: All right. Yeah, let's do it.

Britney: Alright, well let's break down our cast.

Garrett: All right. Yeah.

Britney: Let's see who we're working with. Let's see who we're playing with.

Garrett: Yeah, we got 23 people.

Britney: Okay.

Garrett: Um, and let's talk about 'em in groups.

Britney: Yeah.

Garrett: So let's start with the housewives.

Britney: Let's start with the housewives.

Garrett: Yeah. Why not?

Britney: We [00:01:00] have some, I think we have some great players. Um, some great people. I think it's going to be dynamic. I think it's going to be drama and I think it's going to be fabulous.

Garrett: Yeah. Always. That's always with housewives, um, and big personalities.

Britney: Big personalities also. These women are not just heels and handbags.

Garrett: Right.

Britney: To get to be a housewife, you have to be smart.

Garrett: Yeah. And you're comfortable in front of cameras.

Britney: Mm-hmm.

Garrett: I mean, even, I mean, Lisa, of course, as a former, uh, actress or still actress.

Britney: Mm-hmm.

Garrett: Um, but, uh, you know all the others too.

Britney: Yeah.

Garrett: And, uh, and not being afraid of conflict,

Britney: not being afraid,

Garrett: maybe instigating some conflict.

Britney: They use that to their advantage though.

Garrett: Yes.

Britney: If, maybe, if their goal is to draw attention to myself, maybe it's to draw attention to other people.

Garrett: Right.

Britney: You have to have a lot of. Savvy.

Garrett: Mm-hmm.

Britney: Um, a lot of these women, they're, they run businesses.

Garrett: Yeah. [00:02:00]

Britney: They know, they know how to people skills.

Garrett: Yes, exactly.

Britney: And I think that we're gonna see that.

Garrett: Yeah. That'll be a good group. And you know, having four or five this year, uh, seems like maybe production is stacking the deck a little bit more for them than last season.

Britney: They know good tv,

Garrett: they know good tv, and, uh, hopefully they just don't get picked off one by one by one.

Uh, as in the past.

Britney: As in, right, right.

Garrett: They can, they can be more a group

Britney: which could, you know, we'll see how that goes. 'cause a lot of people like, let's get 'em out.

Garrett: Right?

Britney: I don't know.

Garrett: But then also, what if one of us is a traitor? We're, yeah. How is that going to, how much trust and, and stuff are they going to have?

Yeah. She was amazing.

Britney: She was good.

Garrett: Yeah. And also she was really good to argue her case.

Britney: Right.

Garrett: So we'll see what that is. Um. Yeah. All right.

Britney: Well, we have Lisa.

Garrett: Yeah.

Britney: I wanna talk about Lisa real quick.

Garrett: Yeah, yeah.

Britney: Um, love that she's here.

Garrett: Yes.

Britney: She's [00:03:00] done so much. Um, she's, uh, an actor and I think she's gonna know how to control herself.

I think she's know, gonna know how to play a part.

Garrett: Yeah.

Britney: Um, she's ambitious. I think all these housewives are ambitious. They are go-getters. They know what they want and they're gonna get it, and they're gonna have a plan to get it. Yeah. Lisa, I, I think she might be obvious. I think she, I don't know how long she's gonna last.

I think she's gonna be very excited.

Garrett: Right.

Britney: But she'll be fun to watch.

Garrett: She'll be fun to watch. Yeah. And Dorinda coming back.

Britney: Oh, I love that. Yeah.

Garrett: We can't, we can't, we can't leave without mentioning Dorinda.

Britney: That's right.

Garrett: Like first murder of last season. And, uh, so we definitely hope for bigger, longer stay

Britney: a little longer.

Garrett: At least a little longer. It would be kind of funny if not for her, of course, but

Britney: Oh, we'll laugh though.

Garrett: Yeah.

Britney: It'll be sad.

Garrett: A little short. Just a laugh. [00:04:00] Yeah. But, uh, yeah, hopefully she's learned some lessons, been able to analyze Yeah. Uh, a little bit more and see how she could stay a little longer.

Britney: I'm just so excited that she's back though.

Garrett: Yeah. All right. Next group. Reality competitors,

Britney: my favorite.

Garrett: Mm-hmm. Yeah. And mine too. Yeah, definitely. Uh, we got, and, and that's kind of split up into a couple different groups. We got the gamers, like the real reality gamers.

Britney: Mm-hmm.

Garrett: Um, uh, like one of my favorites, Natalie. Yeah. Just the competition beast.

She's gonna be amazing. Also very savvy and, uh. And com. Yeah. Competitive.

Britney: Well, I'm gonna, I'm gonna have her, um, win all my, my money for me.

Garrett: Right.

Britney: You know, I'm gonna have her walking up the hills and carrying stones and, and doing those things. I don't wanna do that. Right. I'm gonna keep her around as long as I can.

The Big Brother players, Tiffany and Ian, Big Brothers tv show. I'm a nerd, hardcore, very proud of it. [00:05:00] Um, interesting, interesting choices. Um, Ian, youngest winner at that time. Yeah. Um, to win Big Brother, he had a different tactic, but it worked for him. Mm-hmm. Tiffany, she, she makes sure that she has people around her.

She, she's gonna look for those alliances.

Garrett: Yeah.

Britney: And she's done the Challenge. She's done, she's here to play.

Garrett: Right.

Britney: She's here to play. I'm excited to see her play.

Garrett: Yeah, that'll be good. I, I know if I was a traitor, I would be quaking in my boots about Rob C though.

Britney: Yes.

Garrett: He is so insightful and has been like, from when he was on, uh, Survivor. Old School, like he knows what he mm-hmm.

And he's just been, you know, his podcast and all of this stuff. He really has been, uh. Seeped himself in

Britney: Yes.

Garrett: The game of whatever it is. And so I think he will [00:06:00] have a lot of insights that people will flock to. Like he'll be,

Britney: I think people will value his opinion. Yeah. If he's not a traitor, he's going to be a really good traitor hunter.

Garrett: Right.

Britney: He's going to see things that other people aren't going to. Yeah.

Garrett: And if he is a traitor, watch out,

Britney: watch out.

Garrett: He's gonna have some, he's gonna be thinking a hundred steps ahead.

Britney: Right. He's gonna plan every move. Yeah. Oh, I, I am excited to see him play. Yeah. Another one. Oh, I'm excited for this cast.

Garrett: And then I also group in, um, Kristen and Mark. Okay. As part of the reality competitors -- a different kind of game, but it's still a game,

Britney: still a competition. Mm-hmm. Still you have to get to where you're at by other people losing.

Garrett: Yeah. And they are not gonna be afraid of big people, big personalities. Mm-hmm.

They've been around those. I think they'll be umm dangerous

Britney: they know how you um command the kitchen. They know how to command the dance floor.

Garrett: Yeah, exactly.

Britney: They can command a castle.

Garrett: Yes. We'll see how much that works.

Britney: Right.

Garrett: In their favor. All [00:07:00] right. Uh, the next are the performers.

Britney: Okay.

Garrett: We got Eric, Michael, Monét, Ron and Steven.

Britney: I honestly, I know some of 'em, I don't know some of 'em.

Garrett: Mm-hmm.

Britney: Um, be really fun to see Monét.

Garrett: Yeah.

Britney: Um, I think it's gonna be, I think Ron's gonna be hilarious.

Garrett: Yeah. I think both of them are gonna be great. Just comic relief.

Britney: Yes. And dunno how long they'll last for, for different reasons. Yeah. Um, different personalities.

Um, I think they might be dispensable. I think Ron might be dis unless he can make those social connections.

Garrett: Right. Yeah.

Britney: I want him to surprise me though.

Garrett: I do wonder if Monét X Change is going to with their, uh, interactions with Bob The Drag Queen.

Britney: Yeah, right.

Garrett: They have podcast together and all of that. If, um, maybe been talking about, uh, the game and maybe get, maybe Bob's given them some insight and, you [00:08:00] know, uh, suggestions for how to act or how to get farther,

Britney: I would be writing down everything.

Garrett: Oh, for sure. Yeah, definitely a student there. So, um, and

Britney: let's talk about Michael.

Garrett: Yeah. Big personality. Very

Britney: personality.

Garrett: Very loud.

Britney: I think that's going to shoot him in the foot.

Garrett: It could Yeah.

Britney: Or slash his foot

Garrett: or other, yeah. Or backstabbing

Britney: or back stab

Garrett: or whatever. Yeah.

Britney: I, I think he's really going to have to put himself in check.

I think his relationship and his, um, love of Bravo and the Real Housewives franchise. May work in his favor.

Garrett: Could, yeah, he could.

Britney: If he plays his cards rights.

Garrett: Yeah. Could be maybe align, align, with the housewives.

Britney: I think he will be low man on the totem pole.

Garrett: Sure. Yeah.

Britney: But it would be smart for him to team up with them.

Garrett: Yeah. We'll see if that, you know how that works out with it. He has some allegedly, uh, [00:09:00] hot takey views about women. And minorities. And so that may, may come back to bite him,

Britney: not the place to bring that to light. Not,

Garrett: yeah. I hope he doesn't.

Britney: Yeah.

Garrett: I hope that just kind of stays in the background.

Britney: Like you're there for two weeks, dude, just play the game.

Garrett: Right, exactly. So, but it may influence what he thinks about some people.

Britney: Right, right.

Garrett: Um, and uh, and I also, um, add in Johnny and Tara in the performers

Britney: Uhhuh.

Garrett: Um, but they can also kind of fit in with sports. Yeah. Um, who get also then also group in Donna. Um, but so let's talk about first Johnny and, and Tara.

Britney: Okay. Um, I don't think we've had figure skaters.

Garrett: No. Yeah. This is new

Britney: and I was all about them in the nineties. Oh yeah. I loved watching all of that. Um, Tara Lapinski, youngest gold medalist. Yeah. Hardcore to get to that position. Yes. Hard worker,

Garrett: so, so that'll be [00:10:00] good.

Britney: Mm-hmm. Um, what can you tell me about Johnny?

Garrett: Johnny, of course, also a competitor. Mm-hmm. Um, he's also been on some reality shows, so he kind of understands how it works. Um, but what I will find most interesting is whether, uh, he and Tara are, 'cause they are, have been commenters together and are known friends. And so will they let that out? Will they try to keep it hidden?

You know, will they try to make an alliance? Like how much are they,

Britney: I mean, people aren't dumb. They know. If you know somebody in there, you're going to at least have a conversation. Right. Unless it's a known feud. Mm-hmm. Um, which I don't think it is.

Garrett: I don't think so.

Britney: Yeah. But how far would they take an alliance?

Garrett: Right?

Britney: Or, oh yeah. I know him. He is a coworker, right?

Garrett: Or will they be, you know. Misunderstood or mislabeled as, you know, just the figure skaters, right? Just the performers.

Britney: Right, right. Absolutely. When [00:11:00] maybe they have the skills to take it far. Maybe. What if

Garrett: they're obviously competitive.

Britney: What if one's a traitor and one's a faithful?

Garrett: I see, uh, I see that case being a, a tough one where they may trust the other person a little bit too much. I mean, if they're not as insightful,

Britney: they would. Take the other person as far as you can.

Garrett: Oh yeah, for sure. That's what you want to do,

Britney: right? Yeah. Right.

Garrett: So, and then that leads us into Donna of course, as part of that as well.

Britney: Our token grandma.

Garrett: Yes.

Britney: Our token elderly.

Garrett: Yes.

Britney: She's cute.

Garrett: She is. Yeah. She's mm-hmm. Uh, an athlete in her own right.

Britney: Absolutely.

Garrett: You know, um, track and field star. And of course, mother of professional football players, um,

Britney: which she knows what it takes to get to that position to get her boys to that position,

Garrett: Right.

Britney: You can't, you don't just take 'em to, [00:12:00] you know, peewee practice, you know, and all of a sudden they're football stars. That takes a lot of work, right? Um, and especially being an athlete herself. I think we're gonna see hustle from her.

Garrett: Yeah. She's not just gonna be the kindly little old lady who is uh, just there to enjoy people.

Britney: She's right. She's there to play.

Garrett: Yeah. Yeah.

Britney: I'm excited.

Garrett: I am interested to see what happens as far as the other traitors [and faithful] and, you know, 'cause for future mother-in-law to Taylor Swift. Mm-hmm. Yep. And those Swifties can be pretty vicious. There's that not not a group. Are the, are the other cast members going to worry about that and not wanna.

Tick them off.

Britney: Well, when image and PR is everything. Yeah. That's a big group that you don't wanna make mad.

Garrett: Exactly.

Britney: Yeah.

Garrett: So it'll be interesting. But I also put her in because of that. I put her in the love group

Britney: Sure.

Garrett: Right. As well. Mm-hmm. Um, along with Colton, Maura and Rob, [00:13:00] um,

Britney: Colton,

Garrett: the, the future mother-in-law, part of her

Britney: Colton Underwood.

Garrett: Yeah.

Britney: Do you want hurdles over fences

Garrett: famous? Yeah. I'm, I'm hoping that the producers realized that and. Have some sort of challenge where he has to, jump a fence

Britney: he's on my team

Garrett: I, want him there. Um, famous for maybe that, as well as maybe some, uh, inability to, uh, control his emotions. So

Britney: control his emotion.

Garrett: That was when he was younger, so hopefully he's matured, but maybe that'll come out. We'll see.

Britney: I think with any impulsivity, hopefully. What led a person to those behaviors has been whatever it is in anybody has been addressed possibly by coming out. Who knows?

Garrett: Right?

Britney: But maybe somewhere in him impulsivity still lies.

Maybe on a lower scale. Um, maybe [00:14:00] it's jumping to conclusions.

Garrett: Mm-hmm.

Britney: Hyper focusing on one person.

Garrett: Right.

Britney: How adaptable. Yeah. Can he be.

Garrett: Right.

Britney: And I don't know, this could be for anybody, but with, with impulsive behaviors, it's unpredictable.

Garrett: Right.

Britney: But he's also married with a baby now,

Garrett: right?

Britney: Like he's a grownup.

Garrett: So yeah, he's all grown up now.

Um, maybe not so much Rob,

Britney: maybe not

Garrett: very quiet mm-hmm. To himself, but could be, he also is very observant, like sit, likes to sit back and listen. Mm-hmm. And see what's going on. So hopefully if he's paying attention, that will. Come to his benefit,

Britney: he does come off as aloof and arrogant.

Garrett: Mm-hmm. Yeah. And that could hurt him

Britney: be manipulative. So is he going to gain trust with other people? Is he going to gain those, that connection and those relationships?

Garrett: Right.

Britney: And that could be very isolating if, if you're too standoffish.

Garrett: Right. Exactly.

Britney: He's gonna pay [00:15:00] attention, he's gonna listen. Yeah. And I think he's going to.

Um, he's going to think differently mm-hmm. Than some of our other players.

Garrett: Yeah. And, and of course he and Maura know each other, so maybe that will become sort, sort of alliance.

Britney: Right.

Garrett: Or not, we'll see.

Britney: Yeah. We'll see.

Garrett: See yeah.

Britney: Great. What a good cast.

Garrett: Yeah, that's really exciting. So let's talk about the trailer.

We both watched it.

Britney: Oh yeah. How exciting.

Garrett: So what were your thoughts about the trailer itself?

Britney: I think we, I, I love the competitions. They keep stepping up their game each season.

Garrett: Yeah. It seems like it can be a lot tougher.

Britney: A lot tougher.

Garrett: A lot tougher.

Britney: That's why I wanna keep Natalie around.

Garrett: Right? Yeah. All the strong people.

Britney: Yes. I we're gonna see drama, of course. We're going to see, um, you know, of course the fights and arguments and being defensive and the accusations.

Garrett: And things might get really heated. We're has a lot of drama.

Britney: Yes. Might be really heated.

Garrett: And there's a [00:16:00] lot of big personalities.

Britney: Yes.

Garrett: In this cast, right?

Britney: There's also a lot of housewives and a lot of gamers,

Garrett: right? Yeah. Are they gonna try to go against each other or there's gonna be any cross mingling?

Britney: What's production? Trying to do with that,

Garrett: right?

Britney: I think they know who makes good tv,

Garrett: right? Yeah. Yeah. But what about does Alan? Of course he does,

Britney: of course.

Garrett: And so let's get into what we think is gonna happen, uh, and Alan's part of it. Um, of course the first murder is not really, but who do you say or think is going to be the first murder?

Britney: The first murder? I think Eric and I could not tell you why. I don't know. I have no idea. Um, he's not a gamer. Yeah. He's not a housewife.

Garrett: Right.

Britney: He's kind of, I think on an island by himself. Yeah. And maybe that makes him, dis-, disposable.

Garrett: Right. He's not US [00:17:00] based. He's kind of not maybe as well known to the others. Right. And uh,

Britney: I don't think it's gonna ruffle any feathers.

Garrett: May not ruffle, but he also may be just too quiet too.

Britney: Yeah.

Garrett: Just an easy... may confuse people about why him.

Britney: Right, right.

Garrett: Yeah.

Britney: That's my, my, that's my prediction.

Garrett: I could see, I could see that, uh, mine, I think Natalie, contrary to your belief that they wanna keep her in, which I can see for sure. Um, but I just. Looking at the trailer, you know, that's all I have to go on. I didn't see her a lot in there, like

Britney: fair point.

Garrett: And of course production is messing with that and giving us what they want to see. But uh, so that's really my only reason. And, and I think she is going to be dangerous for people. And so maybe getting her out sooner, rather than later her out

Britney: just in case. What if she is a traitor?

Garrett: Right, exactly.

Britney: You don't want her to sit around.

Garrett: Well, no. This is the murder first. Murder. First murder, yeah. So the traitors want to get her out because she is going to be dangerous to their game because she's very savvy as well.

Britney: Oh, [00:18:00] absolutely.

Garrett: So, yeah, that's what I was,

Britney: they don't want her to be a traitor hunter.

Garrett: Right, exactly. And she might be,

Britney: yeah.

Garrett: To see.

Britney: She might be a really good one.

Garrett: Yeah.

Britney: Good point.

Garrett: Yeah.

Britney: Fair.

Garrett: So, all right. First banishment.

Britney: First.

Garrett: I say Rob R. It was my, it was my vote. Um, I think that because he can kind of come across as aloof mm-hmm. As, uh, maybe too quiet that people may not trust him.

Britney: Right.

Garrett: Or may not know if they can trust him.

Britney: Okay.

Garrett: And so I could see him as being one of the first to be banished.

Britney: Right. Do you stick with the devil you know, or the devil you don't.

Garrett: Right. Exactly.

Britney: I am torn between Lisa and Michael.

Garrett: Oh yeah.

Britney: Michael's mouth and his abrasiveness.

Garrett: Yeah.

Britney: Be like, I am tired of you. Please just leave. Um. Or Lisa is just a shoe in.

If she's not a traitor, like she's so excited for this.

Garrett: Mm-hmm. [00:19:00]

Britney: I think she would be really good at it.

Garrett: Yeah. Well, let's go to our, who will be traitors because mm-hmm. You said Lisa would,

Britney: I think Lisa would be,

Garrett: you think she's gonna be a traitor?

Britney: I think she would be.

Garrett: Um, and so how does that work in with the banishment for you then?

Britney: She's really gonna have to watch herself. Yeah. She's really gonna have to play it. Cool. Know how to play,

Garrett: but would that come across as, as maybe people would be like, why is she being so cool? Like this isn't the Lisa that I know.

Britney: That's very true. She's gonna have to know how to play that middle part.

You have to act, but also act as yourself being something you're not, so you're not playing a different character. You're playing yourself.

Garrett: Right.

Britney: And it's just the excitement in the end of just being there and the new adventure and the game.

Garrett: Yeah. So she could use that as a,

Britney: right. So I think Lisa,

Garrett: mm-hmm.

Britney: Um, I think there's going to be a gamer, so I think there's going to be a housewife and a gamer.

Garrett: Yeah. [00:20:00]

Britney: I think it's going to be Rob C.

Garrett: Yeah.

Britney: Although I would love for him to be a traitor hunter. I would love actually for him to be a faithful. I'm torn that maybe Rob C would be an obvious traitor.

Garrett: Yeah.

Britney: But I would love to see him work.

Garrett: Right. Yeah. In that way. Yeah. It would be interesting. Yeah. Right. And then your third one?

Britney: And my third one, I think it's gonna be Kristen.

Garrett: Okay.

Britney: I think she's a badass.

Garrett: Yeah.

Britney: And I think she will slay, literally

Garrett: keep those knives sharp.

Britney: I think she's going to, um, know who she wants for it, and I think she will have no problem slicing and dicing.

Garrett: Yeah. And she's maybe not as well known to people, so maybe not an immediate suspect.

Britney: Right.

Garrett: Yeah. Especially with the other two. Higher profile.

Britney: Exactly.

Garrett: Ones. Yeah, exactly. That could be good. Alan May be on the right track with that one.

Britney: Yeah. [00:21:00]

Garrett: All right. For me, I actually think there's gonna be four.

Britney: Okay.

Garrett: Starting out. So I was thinking a housewife, a gamer.

Britney: Mm-hmm.

Garrett: And then a couple others, right?

Britney: Mm-hmm.

Garrett: Um, so I was thinking Carolyn, okay. And Tiffany.

Britney: Good ones.

Garrett: It's kind of not immediately obvious. They seem like they will be very willing to be traitors though.

Britney: Right. There's always a big brother traitor, I feel like.

Garrett: Yeah. So that could,

Britney: and I could see Tiffany over Ian,

Garrett: right.

Britney: Be in that.

Garrett: Yeah.

Britney: Good predictions.

Garrett: Yeah. And then also, uh, Eric. Mm-hmm. Similar, just quiet and unassuming. Uh, maybe not as well known.

Britney: Right.

Garrett: And then Tara, who I, I don't know. It just seems like nobody would ever suspect her. She'd be like the quiet assassin.

Britney: Oh, she would.

Garrett: That she's just so sweet and nice and loving and

Britney: stab, stab, stab.

Garrett: She's stab, stab, stab

Right? This is 'cause I just finished watching [00:22:00] Traitors Australia and it just

Britney: so good.

Garrett: Gives me that vibe. Right. Um, so that's what I was thinking. All right. So finally, um, which group, Faithful, Traitor, do you think will win it in the end?

Britney: And I think the faithful are gonna take it this year. Mm-hmm. I can see them going all the way.

Getting everybody out. Yeah. I think we're gonna have a lot of good faithfuls.

Garrett: Yeah, definitely. It's gonna be a great cast.

Britney: Yeah.

Garrett: Uh, for me, I think it's gonna be a traitor or traitors who are gonna win it in the end. I think because there are just so many competitors,

Britney: cutthroat people

Garrett: and cutthroat people, it's just, we're gonna lose a lot of, all of them gonna be recruiting and.

Britney: It's gonna be a blood bath.

Garrett: It's gonna be crazy. It's gonna be a blood bath. Nobody's gonna know who to trust, who to do. And so I think that could come to the advantage of the traitors, whoever the traitors are.

Britney: All right. Fair point. I think it's gonna be a good season regardless.

Garrett: Yeah. All right. Well, anything else?

Britney: Um, I'm excited for the first episode. I'm excited to see [00:23:00] what happens and, and goes down and,

Garrett: Yeah. Yeah, exactly. So. All right, well, uh, check us out on the socials. And

Britney: let us know what you think.

Garrett: Let us know.

Britney: Let us know what your predictions are and what you have to say.

Garrett: Exactly. All right. Well . . . That's Checkmate.

That's checkmate.