Big Brother winner and The Traitors Season 1 contestant Rachel Reilly Villegas visits the Jack Vita Show, joining Jack and Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick to recap the sixth episode of Season 2 of Peacock's Emmy-Award winning show, The Traitors!
Rachel and Stephenie were cast members on the first season of The Traitors. The two CBS reality television icons first met when they were pitted against each other on USA Network's Snake in the Grass, which...
Big Brother winner and The Traitors Season 1 contestant Rachel Reilly Villegas visits the Jack Vita Show, joining Jack and Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick to recap the sixth episode of Season 2 of Peacock's Emmy-Award winning show, The Traitors!
Rachel and Stephenie were cast members on the first season of The Traitors. The two CBS reality television icons first met when they were pitted against each other on USA Network's Snake in the Grass, which aired in August 2022. Less than six months after butting heads with each other in the jungles of Costa Rica, the two met again in a castle in the Highlands of Scotland.
As trailblazers on the first season of The Traitors, Stephenie and Rachel formed a bond early in the game that would not be broken. The two ladies squashed their beef from Snake in the Grass, and joined forces to create an impenetrable alliance on day one. Within the game's first few hours, Stephenie and Rachel correctly identified Big Brother 22 winner Cody Calafiore as a traitor, and eventually the two were able to gather the votes to banish him from the castle. Stephenie and Rachel led a powerful alliance of faithfuls. As the traitors caught on to their suspicion, Rachel was banished and Stephenie was murdered in the final episodes of Season 1. The eliminations of Rachel and Stephenie effectively clinched a win for the traitors, and Cirie Fields was able to capitalize, becoming the sole winner of the first season of The Traitors.
This week, Rachel helps Stephenie and Jack recap The Traitors S2 E6 "Backstab and Betrayal". It's the perfect time to check in with Rachel, as this season's two Big Brother alumni have been banished in back-to-back weeks.
Last week, four-time Big Brother player and fan favorite Janelle Pierzina led the charge to banish Dan Gheesling from the castle. Janelle's bid came up short, as she herself became the fourth contestant banished and the ninth contestant eliminated. Janelle's push to eliminate Dan did however further expose him to the faithfuls, which carries over into Episode 6.
In Episode 5, Bachelor star Peter Weber concocted a brilliant scheme, in an attempt to trap and expose the traitors. Six contestants — Trishelle Cannatella (The Real World: Las Vegas, The Challenge), Carsten "Bergie" Bergersen (Love Island USA), Sheree Whitfield (The Real Housewives of Atlanta), Kevin Kreider (Bling Empire), Janelle and Peter —went for a shield during the mission. Bergie and Trishelle claimed the shields. Peter came up with a plan to use a tactic that the cast of Season 1 implemented, and his fellow faithfuls agreed: the six of them would not tell the rest of the cast who had acquired the shields. Suspecting that CT, Dan and Parvati are the traitors, Peter chooses to lie to each of them, fibbing that he and Janelle won the shields. He hoped to provide cover for himself, while seeing if the traitors would take the bait and attempt to murder Bergie, Kevin, Sheree or Trishelle.
In the closing moments of Episode 5, Bergie makes a comment to a group which includes Dan, that he will continue to write Dan's name down at the banishments, as he is convinced that Dan is a traitor. Dan takes control in the turret, and pushes for the murder of Bergie. Dan seems to trust Peter and believes that the information Peter had leaked to him is true. Peter previously appeared on The Bachelor and has no experience competing in strategic competition shows. Dan doesn't think Peter has it in him to pull a fast one on him, and decides to roll the dice and go for a murder of Bergie.
In the opening minutes of Episode 6, host Alan Cumming informs the viewers that unbeknownst to the traitors, their attempt to murder Bergie has been blocked, and not one faithful will be murdered this round.
A braggadocios Peter is elated to see that his plan has worked, while the traitors are left speechless. Peter reveals to the group that he set a trap for CT, Parvati and Dan at breakfast, calling out the three of them. Based upon their reactions to Peter's accusations and Bergie's safety, suspicions continue to escalate surrounding Dan and Parvati. It appears that the two CBS reality TV alumni will be the next contestants banished.
The contestants successfully complete the mission and add money to the prize pot, while Sheree wins a shield, protecting her from murder. Peter fears that he may be next on the chopping block, given that he is on to the traitors and has been so vocal.
Dan pleads with the faithfuls, requesting that they hear him out at the roundtable. With one last desperation ploy, Dan calls out Phaedra at the roundtable, accusing her of being a traitor, but to no alas, as he is voted out in a 11-1-1 vote, with his fellow traitors Parvati and Phaedra each voting for him. Peter cast a vote for Parvati, indicating that she is next in the pecking order. Dan reveals to the group that he is in fact a traitor, and the faithfuls celebrate.
Phaedra is furious that Dan has taken a shot at him, and Trishelle makes a comment in a confessional that she believes Dan was outing a fellow traitor. With the traitors losing a number, Parvati and Phaedra are presented with the choice between murdering a faithful or recruiting a faithful to join the traitors. Parvati sets her sights on Peter, as she is fearful of Peter booting her from the game at the next banishment, given the numbers and power he has. She decides to offer him even more power. The episode closes with Peter receiving a letter and an offer to join the traitors, leaving the audience on a cliffhanger: will Peter accept the offer?
Rachel, Stephenie and Jack break it all down on the Jack Vita Show! They discuss what led to Dan's banishment, where Dan went wrong and what he might have been able to do differently to better preserve himself. Rachel weighs in on Dan and Janelle's games, and shares some valuable insight, given that she has known both of them for nearly 15 years. Stephenie and Rachel reflect on their time on The Traitors and provide an inside look at how the game is played and how the show is made, while comparing and contrasting S1 to S2.
Will Peter accept the offer and become a traitor? Should he or shouldn't he? How would Peter becoming a traitor change the game? Was Peter the right person for Parvati and Phaedra to attempt to recruit? Who will be banished next from the castle? And who was the MVP of Episode 6? Comment below and let us hear your thoughts, while Rachel, Stephenie and Jack tackle all of these questions!
Prior to competing on The Traitors, Rachel appeared on Big Brother 12 and won Big Brother 13. Stephenie previously competed on Survivor: Palau, Survivor: Guatemala, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains and USA Network's Snake in the Grass.
Rachel joins the show at the 49:20 mark.
You can follow Rachel (@RachelReillyVillegas) and Stephenie (@steph_lagrossa_kendrick) on Instagram.
