1. Introduction - Why This Topic Is Everywhere
If you have followed The Traitors even casually this season, you may have noticed a specific idea spreading rapidly online: crime writers are unusually good at this game.
It is being discussed on X, Reddit, WhatsApp groups, and TV recap videos, often framed as a revelation rather than a coincidence.
Some people are impressed. Others are suspicious, wondering whether professional storytellers have an “unfair advantage”. A few are overcorrecting, assuming the show is now stacked in favour of authors and lawyers.
This explainer steps back from that noise and looks calmly at what is actually happening, why it resonates right now, and what conclusions are reasonable-and which are not.
2. What Actually Happened (Plain Explanation)
In the current season of The Traitors, a contestant who is also a published crime novelist and former barrister has performed exceptionally well in early episodes.
Her ability to:
- articulate suspicion clearly,
- present circumstantial evidence persuasively,
- and frame narratives that others accept as “logical”
has stood out in a show where many banishments are driven by instinct, social dynamics, or group emotion.
This performance triggered a wider discussion: are crime writers-people who professionally design deception, motive, and misdirection-naturally better suited to a game built on those mechanics?
No rule changes were announced. No casting policy was revealed. What changed was audience perception.
3. Why It Matters Now
This conversation is trending now for three reasons:
The show itself has matured
Early seasons were treated as novelty reality TV. Viewers now analyse strategy, persuasion, and psychology more seriously.Audiences are more media-literate
People recognise narrative construction when they see it. They are noticing how arguments are made, not just what is said.The performance gap feels visible
When one player consistently outperforms others in reasoning and persuasion, viewers look for structural explanations rather than luck.
This is less about celebrity culture and more about how we understand influence and credibility.
4. What People Are Getting Wrong
Several misconceptions are spreading alongside this trend.
Misunderstanding 1: “Crime writers are professional liars.”
Writing fiction does not require lying convincingly in real time. It requires planning, revision, and distance-none of which exist in the castle.
Misunderstanding 2: “This proves the show is unfair.”
The Traitors rewards communication and social trust. Many professions develop those skills. Authors are not unique in this respect.
Misunderstanding 3: “Any novelist would dominate.”
Observation bias is at play. We notice the standout example and ignore the many writers who would struggle under pressure.
What viewers are reacting to is not a category advantage, but a skill alignment in one specific case.
5. What Actually Matters (Versus Noise)
What genuinely matters:
- Comfort with ambiguity
- Ability to argue without sounding aggressive
- Understanding how stories persuade groups
- Emotional self-control under scrutiny
What is mostly noise:
- The idea that writing crime fiction automatically makes someone manipulative
- Claims that casting is now biased toward “strategic professions”
- Assumptions that future seasons will replicate this pattern
The show still eliminates players who are socially isolated, regardless of intelligence or profession.
6. Real-World Impact: Two Everyday Scenarios
Scenario 1: The Office Meeting
An employee who frames a proposal as a coherent story-anticipating objections, acknowledging doubts, and guiding the conclusion-often appears more credible than someone with better raw data but weaker narrative skill.
This is not manipulation. It is structured communication.
Scenario 2: The Jury (or the Boardroom)
Decisions are rarely made on facts alone. They are made on which explanation feels most internally consistent. Crime writers train themselves to think in those terms, which translates well beyond fiction.
The show is highlighting a broader truth about how humans evaluate trust.
7. Pros, Cons, and Limitations
Benefits of this skillset
- Clear thinking under uncertainty
- Persuasive but controlled communication
- Sensitivity to motive and inconsistency
Limitations
- Overthinking can create false positives
- Confidence can trigger suspicion
- Narrative skill does not guarantee social likability
Importantly, these strengths can become liabilities if the group turns against perceived “cleverness”.
8. What to Pay Attention To Next
- Whether other contestants adapt by improving how they explain their suspicions
- How the group reacts if a strong narrator becomes too dominant
- Whether future casting choices diversify or deliberately avoid similar profiles (not confirmed yet)
The real test is not early performance, but long-term trust maintenance.
9. What You Can Ignore Safely
- Claims that The Traitors is now “rigged for writers”
- Social media takes framing authors as master manipulators
- Assumptions that intelligence alone wins this game
History of the show suggests otherwise.
10. Conclusion - A Calm, Practical Takeaway
This trend is not about crime writers taking over reality TV.
It is about viewers recognising, perhaps more clearly than before, how much persuasion and storytelling shape collective decision-making.
The Traitors did not change. Audience attention did.
If anything, the conversation is a reminder that in many areas of life-work, politics, media, even friendships-how something is framed often matters as much as what is true.
That is not new. We are just watching it play out more visibly.
FAQs Based on Real Search Doubts
Are crime writers unfairly advantaged on The Traitors?
No. Some skills align well with the format, but they are neither necessary nor sufficient to win.
Does writing fiction make someone deceptive in real life?
No evidence supports this. Writing is a controlled, reflective process, not live performance.
Will future seasons copy this casting idea?
There is no confirmation of any such strategy.
Why are viewers so focused on this now?
Because audiences are increasingly attentive to persuasion, credibility, and narrative influence-on and off screen.