The Faithful's Fate Hangs in the Balance: 'The Traitors' Finale Looms with Uncertainty
February 12, 2026, 10:23 p.m. ET
Spoiler Alert: If you haven’t caught up on The Traitors Season 4, Episode 9, proceed with caution—major revelations lie ahead!
After a streak of successfully banishing two traitors in a row, you’d think the faithful would be riding high. But here’s where it gets controversial: as the finale approaches, they seem more lost than ever. How did we get here? Let’s dive in.
In the February 12 episode, all eyes were oddly not on Rob Rausch, the cunning traitor from Love Island. Despite Candiace Dillard Bassett’s repeated votes against him before her banishment, Rob’s masterful social game has kept him under the radar. And this is the part most people miss: his ability to manipulate perceptions has shielded him from suspicion, even when Candiace tried to expose him.
The mission this week was a doozy. Players were locked in closed boxes while the traitors slipped away to answer questions like, “Who is the most manipulative?” and “Who is most useful to the traitors?” The faithful then had to guess the traitors’ answers to add money to the prize pot—all while trying to decode clues about their identities. It was a golden opportunity to unmask the traitors with just a few rounds left. But did they seize it? Not exactly. Instead, they banished three faithful players, though Top Chef host Kristen Kish seems to be closing in on the new traitor recruited last episode.
Who joined the dark side? Rob Rausch recruited Eric Nam, giving the singer an ultimatum: join him or face elimination. Eric reluctantly agreed, though he wasn’t thrilled about the sudden spike in difficulty after Kristen called him out for being too quiet. Talk about a game-changer!
Who met their end? Dorinda Medley from The Real Housewives of New York City was “murdered” for the second time on February 11. Remember, she was the first victim in Season 3 and returned for another shot at the game. With her departure, there are no more housewives left in the cast, following the eliminations of Caroline Stanbury, Lisa Rinna, Candiace Dillard Bassett, and Porsha Williams.
Who was banished at the roundtable? In a nail-biting vote, One Tree Hill and Laguna Beach star Stephen Colletti was banished, narrowly edging out Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir. The faithful grew suspicious of Stephen after Lisa gave him her gold during a critical mission and his private chats with Candiace. Natalie’s observation that he seemed inauthentic in the breakfast room sealed his fate—despite his loyalty.
Who’s left standing? With just two episodes remaining, eight players are still in the game: two traitors (Rob and Eric) and six faithful. Here’s the lineup:
- Rob Rausch (Love Island)
- Eric Nam (singer / TV host)
- Maura Higgins (Love Island)
- Natalie Anderson (Survivor)
- Mark Ballas (Dancing With the Stars)
- Kristen Kish (Top Chef)
- Tara Lipinski (Olympic figure skater)
- Johnny Weir (Olympic figure skater)
When’s the finale? Mark your calendars: the Season 4 finale of The Traitors drops on Thursday, February 26, followed immediately by the reunion hosted by Andy Cohen. Will the faithful finally catch the traitors, or will Rob and Eric slip through their fingers? And here’s a thought-provoking question for you: Is Rob’s social game genius or just plain lucky? Let us know in the comments—we’re all ears!
