The Traitors reveals uncomfortable truths about our own democracy ...Middle East

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The concept is simple. A bunch of strangers are locked away together in a castle. Some of them are Traitors, who murder one of the others every night. Some are Faithful, who have the chance to vote for who they think is a Traitor every evening, at the round table. Whoever is left standing at the end takes home the prize money. And within this simple concept, all of human behaviour is contained.

You know you’ve a problem when the British series isn’t enough for you and you go searching for international versions to sate your hunger. The American version is rubbish, but the Australian version, which is available on BBC iPlayer, ended up being even more gripping than the UK one. I’ve watched hours and hours of this stuff and spent more time than is strictly healthy fixating on its political implications.

Anyone who is remotely unusual – perhaps they’re nervous, or introverted, or they struggle with the demonstrative theatricality required on reality television – is quickly accused of being a Traitor. They don’t quite act right. They don’t feel right. This is reliably interpreted as untrustworthiness. We all say that we like people to be individual and authentic. But in truth, we’re suspicious of those who don’t fit in.

In the later stages, the focus on eccentricity lessens, but it’s still not really about finding Traitors. The purpose of the game in the second half is to be popular. The more popular you are, the less likely people are to turn against you during the vote, and the more likely they are to protect you. Succeeding is not really about lying well, or being perceptive. It is about building alliances.

Why is Nigel Farage forgiven for stoking far-right riots last summer while Ed Miliband loses an election for eating a sandwich badly? Because of his popularity with the press and party members. Why do some prime ministers stay in position, despite failing, while others are booted out? Because they have maintained distinct groups of loyalists. In politics, as in The Traitors, establishing alliances is the core tectonic activity which dictates the outcome of surface-level events.

The Traitors is a modern day witch trial – and I love it

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Watch the programme carefully. You will see the same technique over and over again. A Traitor is suddenly in the spotlight at the round table. All eyes are on them. They have to explain themselves. And then, instead of doing so, they simply turn the spotlight on someone else. They do not answer questions, they just raise them in a different direction. This technique works nearly every time. It is quite hard to prove your honesty. But it is astonishingly easy to encourage people’s suspicions in an unrelated area.

By some weird chance, its simple format works as a kind of social petri dish. Pay careful attention. There’s a lot to learn. If we had any sense, we’d be showing it to school children in their politics class.

Now, can someone please stop me watching the New Zealand version? This has gone too far.

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