Rob Rausch’s Real Housewives Purge Is Changing The Traitors (And Not for the Better)

Peacock’s iteration of The Traitors has been successful because producers cast individuals immersed in the reality TV world, those who are willing to get activated, as if their paycheck depended on it.

Yet if you watched, for example, The Celebrity Traitors — the UK equivalent, but very similar since the same production company makes it — The BBC version casts respected figures who are reluctant to look foolish.

Peacock’s version thrives on people who don’t mind burning the house down for airtime.

Four seasons in, the U.S. edition has been a big hit, so big that a spinoff featuring civilians is in the works, meaning that executives should get something more akin to the UK version.

But baked into the DNA of Peacock’s original series are reality TV veterans, particularly Real Housewives.

I thought I’d died and gone to heaven when Lisa Rinna and Candiace Dillard Bassett strutted into The Turret alongside Rob Rausch on The Traitors Season 4 Episode 1.

Rob was one of the breakout stars of Love Island USA Season 6, and while he was easy on the eyes, his treatment of Leah Kateb made me question his motivations throughout the season.

Now that he’s the self-proclaimed “Real Housewives hunter” on The Traitors, it’s obvious that his plan has ruined much of the excitement for the rest of the season, and that maybe he’s on a mission to take the fun away from reality TV.

Lisa Rinna understood the assignment and delivered one-liners galore during her relatively short time in power, but Rob was far too quick to throw her under the bus.

There was a way for Candiace, Rob, and Lisa to remain a unit, but Rob lit the match without considering the bigger picture.

Rob’s Gameplay Makes Sense, But This is The Traitors

That said, I don’t blame him for going after Candiace because she was ready to drag him out of the castle after he did too much to get Lisa banished.

As The Traitors Season 3 can attest, Traitor vs. Traitors can ruin a great season, and Rob was too quick for Candiace.

Despite having answers for almost all of the evidence that was leveled against her, Rob was just too damn smooth in planting seeds of doubt with the rest of the cast.

From a strategy standpoint, he’s playing one of the best games I’ve ever seen on the show. But he’s made the show far less entertaining.

The Real Housewives don’t just compete — they escalate. They overreact. They weaponize confessionals. They turn suspicion into spectacle.

Sadly, The Traitors Season 4 Episode 9 was a frustrating low for the series because there are too few big personalities left in the castle.

Rob has been taking a lot of heat on social media for his actions as the season has aired, and credit where credit’s due, he’s got practically everyone else on the show in his back pocket.

Picking Eric Nam to be the next Traitor seemed like a big swing that could have blown up in Rob’s face, but it seems to have strengthened his standing because Eric is firmly on his side.

Hopefully, Eric is smart enough to come up with an exit strategy from his friendship with Rob, because we’ve seen how quickly the snake wrangler turns on his supposed allies far too often now.

If that happened, the season would hit a turning point to redeem whatever the heck we’re getting right now.

The Traitors producers would be wise to protect their Housewives next season, because if Rob Rausch succeeds in turning the castle into a chessboard instead of a circus, the audience may stop caring who wins.

As an aside, this is my first article of the year because I took a leave of absence at the end of 2025. I’m so glad to be back, TV Fanatics!

I can’t wait to dissect more shows with YOU!

What’s your take on the state of The Traitors? Do you think Season 4 and Rob’s actions are proving that Real Housewives are a necessary evil for good TV?

Gather around the round table for the great debate, The Traitors Fanatics!