John Byrne recaps the explosive opening episode filled with twists, betrayals and a dramatic first murder. ***Spoilers aplenty***
I have to admit that I watched the opening episode of The Traitors Ireland with just my right eye open. I don't trust the left one.
That's the effect watching a show like this can have. I can only imagine the levels of paranoia I'd experience if I was an actual contestant.
Spoilers for episode one to follow...
Gone in 60 seconds
The 24 players arrived at Slane Castle in a fleet of cars and met host Siobhán McSweeney on the gravel driveway with smiles on their faces.
Those smiles didn't last long.
Before entering the castle, Siobhán asked them to pick the person amongst them they thought was the most trustworthy. The mind games had already begun.
David picked Andrew, who had travelled in the same car as him. Despite Andrew’s protestations, everyone joined in and he was nominated.
Watch: The first two players are eliminated from The Traitors Ireland before they enter Slane Castle
Then Siobhán asked Andrew to pick the three most untrustworthy people in the group.
Remember, these contestants were complete strangers.
Naturally, Andrew picked David first in an act of instant revenge. Then he picked John. Finally, Gemma was chosen.
Siobhán then told Andrew to pick two of the three, who would immediately be told to leave the castle and the contest. That was the first jaw-dropping moment.
Andrew looked hugely uncomfortable, ran his tongue around his lips, said "I’m sorry," then picked John and Gemma.
Siobhán told them: "John and Gemma, your fate has been sealed. I’m so sorry."
So that was two gone before the contest had properly begun.
Afterwards, Andrew confessed: "Oh god. I feel so bad." But he survived. For now.
Swear jar at the ready
The remaining 22 entered Slane Castle and began familiarising themselves with each other, obviously relieved they were still in the game.
This being Ireland, I was expecting Commitments level of foul language. Sure, it’s part of our DN-feckin’-A.
Mark from Laois, an IT analyst, admitted to the camera: "I was born deaf" but a cochlear implant helped him to hear. He was also the first person to swear on The Traitors Ireland – and he wasn’t the last.
Meanwhile, Andrew was feeling a different kind of discomfort as he was in the spotlight following his banishing act with Gemma and John.
"People already... not necessarily have their minds made up about you, but they have an idea about you almost before you have a chance to have an idea about them," he said.
He knew he already had a target on his back.
Mister Memory Man
During the initial soiree inside Slane Castle, as the contestants chatted amongst themselves, David made an impression by pointing everyone out and naming them.
He was trying too hard, wasn’t he?
Watch: David makes quite the first impression on The Traitors Ireland
Paudie was pretty much appalled by this behaviour: "We’re here an hour and he points out all the names!"
"That’s me game plan," David explained. "Making the effort and knowing their name."
Paudie: "He could either be dangerous as a faithful, to a traitor – or be very dangerous as a traitor."
David joined Andrew as someone who needed to watch their back.
The traitors are chosen
Everyone assembled at the Round Table for the first time. Siobhán was about to choose her traitors. Show time!
The players put on their blindfolds and Siobhán circled the contestants to touch the shoulders of the chosen.
Well, after a commercial break.
Siobhán wandered around the room and the first to get traitored was 38-year-old Eamon. And he was a garda! Earlier he had stated that he was going to lie about his occupation and claim to be a courier.
Good choice then.
"I got the touch and I was delighted," he said. "I knew then that the game was starting..."
Next was Katelyn, a 32-year-old leadership consultant.
"I got the tap on the shoulder," she laughed. "I’m absolutely buzzing. The game has completely changed."
The final shoulder chosen belonged to Paudie, a 68-year-old retired prison officer.
"The moment Siobhán touched me, I said to myself: ’Do not move!’ They sometimes say, be careful what you wish for – but I’m happy."
Now the real fun could begin . . .
Mission Improbable
The friendships and alliances began to form – as did the cloud of deception.
"Everyone has their detective hat on," said David. Niall especially. And Nina. The finger-pointing had already started.
The sense of paranoia was palpable. The eagerness to judge was just delightful.
Meanwhile, the first mission . . .
The missions on The Traitors Ireland created a sense of togetherness, where the group used teamwork to earn money for the prize pot.
It also allowed traitors an opportunity to spin their web of lies and spread doubt.
The first task involved getting barrels worth various amounts from the nearby River Boyne and bringing them back uphill.
David started to stand out as a leader. "What a man," said Siobhán. David explained: "Lookit, somebody needs to take control."
That target on Dave’s back had gotten a bit bigger.
Mission accomplished, €4,800 in the bank, and everybody bonded.
All we needed then was nightfall, a traitors’ meeting – and a murder.
But first – a major twist...
A family twist
You can’t beat a twist, something out of the blue. It’s a thing The Traitors do. So why would The Traitors Ireland be different?
It turned out Paudie and Andrew were father and son – and neither knew that the other was going to be on the show.
"When I saw you first I was totally shell-shocked!" Andrew told his dad when they had a moment alone together at Slane Castle.
"The first thing I was going to do was look down the line to see who was there," Andrew recalled. "I look over and I see... my dad. I actually did a double-take. Almost had to verify it was him when I saw him."
Watch: It's a family affair for father and son, Paudie and Andrew, on The Traitors Ireland
With a knowing smile, Paudie offered an explanation: "The reason both of us didn’t know we were here is because we’re both big liars! We just didn’t tell each other."
Andrew had also been telling everyone he was from Cork. He wasn’t. He was from Limerick. He just lived in Cork.
Paudie was optimistic: "I think we might get away with it"
Andrew admitted that "I was so excited to see him, I didn’t think 'Are you a faithful or a traitor?’"
He was in for a major surprise at some stage.
Murder in Slain Castle
As everybody headed back to their beds – in individual lodgings – for their first night, the traitors returned to Slane Castle for their inaugural meet-up – and first murder.
Siobhán summed it up: "The murdering hour is upon us."
As each traitor arrived, they took the traitor’s pledge, put on a cloak and headed to their conclave. First up, Katelyn and Eamon met. "I’m delighted it’s Katelyn," said Eamon. "She’s a dark horse."
Then there was a knock on the door. Obviously, it was Paudie. Both Katelyn and Eamon got a kick out of seeing him pull back the hood of his cloak and reveal his identity.
"When I unveiled, and I saw Eamon and Katelyn, I was delighted," Paudie said. "Because I think we will make a good team."
As they went through potential victims, David and then Mark’s name came up. "Because he is the soundest lad, everyone loves him – bye-bye," said Eamon, who was really settling into his role as a traitor.
"Oh," said Katelyn, "I think it would be terrific to kill Mark off." Traitor much?
"We’re getting rid of someone who’s very helpful," she added with relish.
Then David’s name cropped up again. And Michelle got a mention. But who would it be? As much as they’d like it, they couldn’t murder everyone on the first night.
Ultimately though, an eager Katelyn signed the death sentence and a faithful’s fate was sealed.
"Congratulations," said Siobhán. "You’ve just committed your first murder."
Naturally, we were left with a cliffhanger. No name was mentioned as the credits rolled.
Monday’s episode would reveal the first of the faithful departed.
The Traitors Ireland continues every Sunday at 9:30pm, Monday and Tuesday at 9:35pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player, followed directly by The Traitors Ireland: Uncloaked.
