It's official: The Traitors NZ S2 is the best reality TV we've ever made
Seriously, it's really, really good. Plus, Taika and Jemaine's new time-travelling drama, another season of We Are Lady Parts and more thoughts about the sinking of the Titanic.
The Paris Olympics begin this weekend, which means it’s the one time in four years when we all become sports experts from the comfort of our own couch. If like me, you enjoy spending hours watching niche events like trampoline or canoe slalom while also googling “how to be Olympian” in your pyjamas, I heartily recommend Netflix’s new documentary Simone Biles Rising. Filmed in the months after the superstar American gymnast withdrew from the 2020 Olympics, it gives a revealing insight into the immense pressures she faces – as well as showing what an incredible athlete and human being she is. Happy watching!
If you haven’t touched The Traitors NZ yet, I beg you to reconsider
In the world of New Zealand reality television, we have many gems in our crown. There’s the delicious second season of the Celebrity Treasure Island reboot, which gave hope and comfort to a nation during Covid-19 lockdown, or the enduring love story of Art and Matilda from The Bachelor NZ season one. Now, we can add season two of The Traitors NZ, the reality competition of cunning and intrigue that has delighted and impressed since the first moment it hit our screens.
If you haven’t touched The Traitors NZ yet or reality TV usually isn’t your thing, I urge you to reconsider. The Traitors NZ is the reality format that’s swept the world, a murder-mystery game of luck and strategy that sees the “traitors” pick off the “faithfuls” one by one while the faithfuls try and work out who among them are the murderers. It’s less of a reality TV show and more an insight into the complexities of the human condition, and many times this season, I’ve found myself squealing with shock or dropping my jaw in amazement at what unfolded. I have been gripped by every single episode. It is, ultimately, a bloody good time on the telly.
It’s never too late to fall into The Traitors NZ’s open grave, so here’s five (relatively spoiler-free) reasons why this is the best season of NZ reality television ever made.
The cast is perfect
Last year’s Traitors NZ celebrity cast is dead and buried, and the show is all the better for it. This season features a diverse cast of everyday New Zealanders who each bring their own logic and emotions to the game. There’s a police officer, a landscaper, an occupational therapist. There’s 70-year-old clairvoyant Jackie, stern Dunedin teacher Siale (a key player in the powerful “Pacific Ring of Fire” alliance), and Noel, the quiet 22-year-old writer who mysteriously lists his home towns as both New York and Invercargill. It’s a petri dish of New Zealand society, and they’re all really likeable players. There’s no obvious villain here, no one character that you’re supposed to loathe. This is critical to the show’s success, because no matter who makes it to the end, we need to be invested in what happens.
The gameplay has been extraordinary
Both the faithfuls and the traitors are fascinating to watch as individuals, but the magic happens when they get together. Some players work quietly in the background while others stir the pot with glee, and there’s no shortage of tactics and strategies. Plus, because none of the players are celebrities who attended each other’s weddings and attend PR launches together every other week, every single player is here to for the right reasons. After the show ends, they’ll go back to their everyday lives, so they’re playing with nothing to lose – other than the $100,000 prize.
“It works so much better when you're strangers, because you've got to build relationships quickly,” traitor Whitney told The Spinoff in an upcoming My Life in TV interview. “It really didn't affect me to murder people, because you're a stranger. I've got no loyalty to you.”
It’s incredibly well made
The production values on this season of The Traitors are as strong as Paul Henry’s collection of scarves and brooches. The gothic Claremont Castle setting provides the haunting atmosphere, and every episode is filled with stunning shots of the Canterbury countryside. The missions are impressive, from the treasure hunt inside a room of haunted dolls to a tense quiz that featured exploding mines. And what could be more beautiful than digging your own grave in front of this view?
The pace of the edit is tight, the cliffhangers are infuriatingly well timed, and despite being a well-known international reality TV format, the surprises keep coming. The players seem to have the freedom to make unexpected moves (Mark’s decision this week will surely see him go down in Traitors history), while the round table banishments are dramatic and unpredictable. There’s no weak link, and with few precious episodes left in the season, it feels like anything could happen.
It’s not afraid to take the piss out of itself
Like Celebrity Treasure Island, there’s a charming sense of self-deprecation to The Traitors NZ. This show knows it's built on a ridiculous concept (deciding guilt based on the way someone gulps water? No further questions, your honour), and it leans in hard to all its absurdity and nonsense. Paul Henry in a dressing gown feeding a silky haired pup a fresh croissant for breakfast? Very normal. A pretend funeral that goes on so long that the players start falling asleep? That’s what we’re here for.
It’s showing New Zealanders in a new light
New Zealanders aren’t usually into hostility or confrontation, but The Traitors demands that we ditch our reserved demeanours and say what we really think. In fact, it’s probably the perfect game for us, given that we can be all relaxed and understated one moment and then strike like Team New Zealand up on both foils the next. Even when we do embrace confrontation, we do it in a uniquely chill way – like Bree asking clairvoyant Jackie if she’ll still knit her a jumper even though she just voted to banish her, and Jackie calmly replying “no”. A beautiful stitch up, indeed.
The Traitors NZ screens Mondays and Tuesdays at 7pm on Three and streams on ThreeNow.
Bonus episode: Ross Vintiner - The Lange I Knew
Ross Vintiner, David Lange's head of press from 1983 - 1988, joins Toby Manhire to reflect on the singular figure of Lange, and the whirl of the ninth floor across those wild years. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.
Why you should watch: I am Lady Parts (Neon)
I was nervous when I started watching We Are Lady Parts season 2, concerned that the show wouldn't live up to its excellent first series, but I didn't need to be. Following an all-women Muslim punk band, the series picks up where the first one ended. Narrator Amina is still neurotic – but now, with the band finding minor success playing shows around the UK she's in her “villain era”, ready to speak up for herself. The six short episodes provide genuine character growth, rare in a comedy, as the band starts recording their new album. A classic band narrative – the commercial, pigeon-holing demands of the label vs the anarchic creativity of the musicians – is rounded out by fresh, funny storylines about romantic exoticisation, TikTok stars overshadowing the older band and white people having whole extra houses. The songs are still delightful – there are some moving covers in there too – and there’s even a guest appearance from an iconic human rights advocate. Here's hoping the show gets a third season! / Shanti Mathias
Why you should watch: Time Bandits (Apple TV+)
The highly anticipated TV reboot of the 1981 fantasy film dropped this week, with plenty of big names: Taika Waititi! Jemaine Clement! Lisa Kudrow! Rachel House! Filmed in New Zealand, Time Bandits follows an 11-year-old boy named Kevin who discovers his wardrobe is actually a portal through time, and joins a ragtag group of thieves and criminals as they zip through time and space.
Alex Casey spoke to the show’s writer, executive producer and star Jemaine Clement, who alongside longtime collaborator Waititi, brought the story to life for a 2024 audience.
“Jemaine Clement was just seven years old when he mooched along to Masterton’s Regent 3 Cinemas to watch Terry Gilliam’s 1981 time travel adventure film Time Bandits on the big screen,” Casey writes. “He came out of the Regent wishing to be Kevin, the kid who joins a troupe of time travelling thieves through his wardrobe. Now, over four decades later, Clement got his wish. Could he have ever imagined such a full circle moment as a seven-year-old? ‘No, no, of course not,’ he laughed.”
More pop culture news from The Spinoff:
Alex Casey brings you the shocking truth about Mitre 10’s “bring on the weekend” jingle.
Howells, Sproull and… Gingerbread the Cat? Discover the five comedians appearing in the new season of Taskmaster NZ.
Catch up on all the deathly drama in this week’s Traitors NZ with Alex Casey’s delightful power rankings.
Golden Globe winner and Madam star Rachel Griffiths revealed what those glitzy award shows are really like in this week’s My Life in TV.
Drum and bass DJ and singer PONZ shares her perfect weekend playlist.
Looking for something good to watch this weekend? We’ve got all the new shows and movies streaming this week.
Why you should listen to: Did Titanic Sink S2 (RNZ)
I get why you'd be bamboozled about why you should listen to an RNZ-funded podcast about a disaster that happened over 100 years ago, and over 15,000 km away. But as a Titanic freak who still laments not buying a “heart of the ocean” keyring at the official Titanic museum in Belfast last year, I devoured the first season of this like a first class passenger noshing down salmon and hollandaise for dinner on April 11, 1912. Hosted by Titanic obsessive and Australian comedian Carlo Ritchie and local comedian and Titanic agnostic Tim Batt, season one saw the pair deep dive into the icy-cold waters to dredge up the truth about a bizarre conspiracy surrounding the disaster. In season two, they apparently promised to change tack and make a season about the Canterbury Panther, but by all accounts it appears they have somehow made yet another eight episodes about the Titanic. I'm very intrigued and will be all ears this weekend, and likely buying a heart of the ocean keyring online while doing so. / Alex Casey
Before we pop off…
Keen to watch the Olympics this weekend? Sky and Sky Sport Now have comprehensive coverage for subscribers, while Sky Open (formerly Prime, Freeview channel 15) will broadcast a selection of events free-to-view. This includes live coverage of the opening ceremony on Saturday from 5.30am, while this RNZ article lists all the days and times that NZ athletes compete.
Speaking of the Olympics, high performance athlete Snoop Dogg is set to carry the Olympic flame through the streets of Paris, while winning athletes get some old bits of the Eiffel Tower?
It might be winter here, but in case you’re wondering what the heck a Brat summer is: here’s a handy explainer.
She plays on repeat in my house, so I enjoyed this New York Times piece covering Chappell Roan’s rapid rise to fame and how her tour venues are struggling to meet the demand of her many new fans.
Whānau Mārama NZ International Film Festival starts on Wednesday. Check out the full programme and venues around the motu.
That’s it for Rec Room for this week. If you liked what you read, why not share Rec Room with your friends and whānau.
