How to spot a traitor

As a movie critic with a penchant for unraveling the human story beneath the glossy veneer of reality TV, I must say that Jaz Singh from “The Traitors” stands out as a remarkable character who transcends the typical tropes of the genre. His life experiences have not only propelled him to become an exceptional player in the game but have also given him a unique insight into the art of deception and betrayal.

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In the TV series named “The Traitors,” it’s common sense that the characters labeled as “Traitors” would be the main focus – and typically, this assumption is correct 90% of the time. This high-stakes reality show from BBC revolves around these deceitful individuals, who drive the unfolding drama without a script. They take on the role of the central characters, engaging in manipulation, backstabbing, and eliminating their fellow contestants each night in the Scottish Highlands.

In contrast to the previous season, The Traitors series 2 introduced a unique type of protagonist. At first, Jaz Singh seemed like an ordinary member, but he soon proved himself to be a “Faithful” with an uncanny ability to identify turncoats. This earned him the nicknames “Jazatha Christie” and “Jazzandra”, reminiscent of Christ and Cassandra respectively, due to his prophetic accuracy that was often disregarded by other players.

Singh shares with RT before the upcoming series that he never expected to excel at the game due to its unpredictability. However, he’s been surprised by the reactions of people, who call him a true winner. This touches his heart!

It was his upbringing under falsehoods, according to Singh’s explanation, that honed Jaz, the ordinary young man from Manchester who had no prior knowledge of Agatha Christie, into such an exceptional detective. Growing up in a dishonest environment, he became adept at questioning everything around him.

Towards the end of the second season, it was startlingly uncovered that Singh’s father – a respected figure in Manchester’s Sikh community and a role model for young Jaz – had a hidden family on the side. This revelation left his son shattered. Later, Singh delved deeper into this issue for Radio 4’s documentary titled “The Psychology of a Second Life“. Although he prefers not to disclose too much about the details, he believes that this experience has given him insight into people who deceive with seemingly casual charm.

From a young age, I’ve always questioned things because my father was habitually dishonest,” he explains. “He was someone I admired greatly, but I never knew if his words were trustworthy. That definitely shifts your viewpoint. It makes you understand that betrayal and deceit truly exist in the world.

Indeed, Singh didn’t end up winning “The Traitors” in the end, even though he came very close. In the surprising climax, he wasn’t able to persuade Molly that her friend was betraying them, and instead, it was 23-year-old ex-soldier Harry Clark who claimed the prize money. Singh jokes good-naturedly that it’s “still a sensitive subject” for him.

I grew up with lies. When you’ve been in that environment, you second-guess everything

In the end, I couldn’t make Molly change her mind during the final. However, perhaps it wasn’t meant for me to win in that manner. I’m incredibly grateful that I can look back and say, ‘I played the game exactly as I intended.’ I gave it my all, using every strategy I knew, to be the best player possible.

Despite the loss, he’s managed quite well, in fact, he’s thriving. In the past year, he left his position as a national account manager for a distribution company to fully immerse himself in media work. Now, he hosts a weekly show on BBC’s Asian Network and has more documentaries in development.

He’s also excited to see what’s next for The Traitors, which began on New Year’s Day with host Claudia Winkleman welcoming a new crop of Faithfuls into the castle. “I can’t wait!” he says. “The beauty is that this game is so adaptable. It’s never going to be the same, which spices things up every single time. They need to brace themselves. It is the most difficult game out there. It’s horrendous – but absolutely amazing at the same time.”

1. Prepare

“I’ve worked for Samsung, Sony, all these glamorous, tech-y brands, where they give you this very expensive sales training to identify things like whether a client is going to take a deal or not. There’s been so much theory written about reading people that I thought, ‘Surely we can put this into practice.’ So, I did my own research on things like body language, and tried my absolute best to figure out, ‘OK, how do people feel when they do this? How do they act when they do that?’ I’ve also read books like How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie from an early age.”

2. Observe

“When it comes to spotting traitors, keep this in mind – you have two ears but only one mouth. If possible, take a step back and listen more than you speak. However, with so many people in the room and numerous discussions taking place, it can be quite challenging. Make sure to tune in at every available chance and pay close attention to everything that’s happening. In fact, I even listened in on conversations while I was in the castle bathroom!

3. Decode

Over time, I’ve become skilled at deciphering people’s feelings and reactions, including their body language. This is fascinating because it allows me to make educated guesses about what someone might be thinking, even without them verbally expressing it. For instance, in this game, I was able to recognize Paul and Harry as Traitors because they exuded a strong sense of confidence. They stood tall, their chests puffed out, and they moved with an air of control. In such a game, having things ‘under control’ suggests one is a Traitor.

4. Think

At night in my hotel room, instead of turning off, I was pondering, attempting to make sense of everything while brainstorming various possibilities in my mind. I’ve always been one to analyze based on percentages. For instance, ‘This person was 40% certain yesterday, but today they’re at 75%, perhaps because they coughed.’ It can get quite absurd. One tends to slip into an overly anxious state of mind. The crucial point is to maintain as much calmness as possible.

5. Substantiate

“Speak confidently and meaningfully when it’s your turn to speak, ensuring your words carry weight. Always back up what you say with facts or evidence to make your points more persuasive. Remember, if you rely too heavily on unsupported ideas, you may undermine your own credibility.

2024-12-21 00:05