{"id":819905,"date":"2025-01-15T00:11:52","date_gmt":"2025-01-15T06:11:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/01\/15\/i-regret-to-inform-you-that-sandoval-steals-every-scene-in-the-traitors\/"},"modified":"2025-01-15T00:11:52","modified_gmt":"2025-01-15T06:11:52","slug":"i-regret-to-inform-you-that-sandoval-steals-every-scene-in-the-traitors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/01\/15\/i-regret-to-inform-you-that-sandoval-steals-every-scene-in-the-traitors\/","title":{"rendered":"I Regret to Inform You That Sandoval Steals Every Scene in The Traitors"},"content":{"rendered":"

Entertainment <\/p>\n

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I Regret to Inform You That Sandoval Steals Every Scene in The Traitors<\/em><\/h2>\n


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By<\/span>
\n Roxana Hadadi<\/span><\/a>,
\n a Vulture TV critic who also covers film and pop culture<\/span><\/p>\n

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Photo: Euan Cherry\/Peacock<\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Spoilers follow for the first three episodes of<\/em> <\/strong>The Traitors<\/strong><\/a> season three, which premiered on Peacock January 9. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Traitors <\/em>is as much a show about strategy as it is about vibes \u2014 the energy a competitor gives off, the baggage they bring into Alan Cumming<\/a>\u2019s Scottish castle, the reputation of the reality shows they previously appeared on. Tom Sandoval\u2019s vibes? Suddenly, they\u2019re entertaining! On Vanderpump Rules<\/em><\/a>, this man was smug, pathetic, punchable<\/a>. On The Traitors<\/em>, he\u2019s so far out of his depth I can\u2019t stop laughing at him. The way to redeem Sandoval wasn\u2019t through a true-love story<\/a> with Rachel Leviss. It was by surrounding him with his reality-TV peers barely disguising their glee at him fumbling this game over and over.<\/p>\n

In the first three episodes of season three, multiple strategy patterns have emerged. Some players are keeping quiet and observing more than reacting, like Britney Spears\u2019s ex Sam Asghari. Some are playing both sides, like The Challenge<\/em>\u2019s Wes Bergmann, who tells former Real Housewife of Potomac Robyn Dixon that he agrees with her distrust in Survivor<\/em> winner Tony Vlachos, then reassures Tony minutes later that he\u2019d never vote him out. There are the competitors who actually seem to be here to make friends, like Selling Sunset<\/em>\u2019s Chrishell Stause, former professional wrestler Nikki Garcia, and ex-Bachelorette <\/em>Gabby Windey, who form a clique and call themselves \u201cthe Bambis.\u201d Then there\u2019s Dylan Efron, the type who immediately (correctly) identifies a Traitor but must convince doubting players. Dylan in particular seems plagued by the same curse as actor brother Zac \u2014 he\u2019s a good player, dammit, but no one is taking him seriously because he\u2019s just too hot!<\/p>\n

Tom\u2019s strategy is based on a mixture of treacly ingratiation and misguided assumption, which \u2026 yeah, that\u2019s Sandoval for you. He\u2019s desperately trying to make friends, he\u2019s working up a sweat during the physical challenges (perhaps to make us forget that time JoJo Siwa carried him around<\/a> on Special Forces: World\u2019s Toughest Test<\/em>), he\u2019s spouting off baseless theories at the Round Table. None of these are necessarily atypical tactics. Sandoval\u2019s first maneuver\u00a0\u2014\u00a0sniff out the Traitors immediately after Cumming secretly selects them by assessing irregularities in the other players\u2019 behavior \u2014 is how many past competitors approached the game. The problem with these strategies for Sandoval is that this man possesses neither the self-awareness nor the people skills necessary to pull them off. Rather than a potential winner in the making, he seems more like someone the Traitors will keep around as a useful rube\u00a0\u2014\u00a0and, perhaps, some very entertaining TV. Here, 20 Sandoval highlights from Traitors<\/em> season three.<\/p>\n

1. Showing up at the castle wearing sunglasses, that famed lightning-bolt earring<\/a>, and a kilt. Tom, it\u2019s Scotland, and overcast as hell. From what weather phenomena are you shielding your eyes?<\/p>\n

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From left: <\/strong>Photo: Peacock<\/span><\/i>Photo: Peacock<\/span><\/i>\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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2. During the introduction phase of the premiere<\/a>, future Bambis Nikki and Gabby establish a rapport by uniting against Sandoval. I laughed.<\/p>\n

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Clockwise from top: <\/strong>Photo: Peacock<\/span><\/i>Photo: Peacock<\/span><\/i>Photo: Peacock<\/span><\/i>\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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3. Sandoval looks at the Traitors <\/em>cast portraits and mutters that he looks \u201clike an inmate.\u201d Well, buddy, you are kind of in an infamy prison of your own making.<\/p>\n

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From left: <\/strong>Photo: Peacock<\/span><\/i>Photo: Peacock<\/span><\/i>\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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4. In less than 12 seconds, Alan considered Sandoval\u2019s desperate desire to be a Faithful, sniffed at his plaid kilt, and called him out for his infidelity. Incredible.<\/p>\n

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5. At the first Round Table, Sandoval:
\u2022 Rips off his blindfold
\u2022 Leans forward
\u2022 Scans everyone else\u2019s faces like he\u2019s the Terminator<\/p>\n

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Shout out to Chrishell for aptly describing him as \u201cturning on murder mystery\u201d and \u201cgiving me the Spock eyebrow with the spotlight.\u201d<\/p>\n

6. Sandoval\u2019s scrutiny is that much funnier because, of course, he immediately tells Carolyn and Danielle that he knows both of them are Faithfuls, when \u2026 you know \u2026 they\u2019re not. Whoever on the editing team added in that little musical stinger to punctuate Carolyn and Danielle\u2019s surprise at how thoroughly off the mark Sandoval is, thank you.<\/p>\n

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7. You know what, rowing is hard. Your forearms probably would<\/em> hurt a lot if you didn\u2019t know how to move the oars on a boat while surrounded by many other people who also don\u2019t know how to move the oars on a boat. But man, does Sandoval milk that pain in this talking-head interview. You guys didn\u2019t even row to get that extra $20,000!<\/p>\n

8. Look at Tom\u2019s little jig at gaining a protective shield after that first challenge. Who does this guy think he is, a hobbit?<\/p>\n

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9. Only sharing this one because you know it hurts Tom to be seen without all that hair product.<\/p>\n

10. Because as soon as he could, he got back to the castle and slathered that pompadour back to eat a chicken skewer in the most unsettling way possible. Why so much eye contact, Tom???<\/p>\n

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11. I almost wish former RHONY<\/em> cast member Dorinda Medley had stuck around; look at how much she unnerved Sandoval with her criticism that the other competitors sort of sucked, actually, for eating so much dinner and leaving so little for the players who sacrificed themselves during the first challenge and were left out on the water.<\/p>\n

12. How clueless Tom is about who the Traitors actually are, Part 1: At the beginning of the second episode, \u201cRevenge is a Dish Best Served Cold,\u201d<\/a> this man is literally sitting behind the three Traitors \u2014\u00a0two of whom are weeping\u00a0\u2014\u00a0as they pretend to mourn the murdered Dorinda. Tom has absolutely no idea. His intuition is in the trash.<\/p>\n

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13. Does Alan keep the castle at like 85 degrees? Does that help him roll his R\u2019s better? Did Tom\u2019s hair gel melt down his body and collect under his armpits? What nightmare material is that shirt made out of? Is the stress just really <\/em>getting to Tom 24 hours in? That amount of perspiration is concerning!<\/p>\n

14. Watch out, Tom Cruise, Sandoval is trying to<\/a> Highlander <\/em>you!<\/p>\n

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15. How clueless Tom is about who the Traitors actually are, part two: While trying to convince new competitors Derrick, Wes, and Boston Rob \u2014 three actual gamers far better at reading people than he is \u2014 that Bob the Drag Queen and Carolyn are Faithfuls, Tom says he has a \u201cgood\u201d feeling about their loyalty. Wes calls Tom\u2019s perspective \u201cpropaganda,\u201d which is needlessly mean, but he\u2019s not wrong. Sandoval\u2019s just out here spouting spin.<\/p>\n

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16. Tom\u2019s beleaguered \u201cso is everybody\u201d when Chrishell says she\u2019s friends with Ariana Madix<\/a> during the second Round Table \u2026 this man would crawl under that table if he could.<\/p>\n

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17. Now, I appreciate what Chrishell is trying to say here, but naming Tom as a Traitor would have been the most anticlimactic choice for Alan to make, and Alan is not that unimaginative! Look beyond your own dislike, Chrishell!<\/p>\n

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18. They\u2019re giving ex-lovers who hate each other forced to spend time together at parent-teacher night. The \u201cWe\u2019re having fun, aren\u2019t we?\u201d smiles are too tight.<\/p>\n

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19. Tom\u2019s one true moment of happiness in these first three episodes involved getting covered in glitter. That fear becomes unabashed glee so quickly!<\/p>\n

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20. Sandoval replies to Nikki\u2019s comment about his creepiness with, \u201cIt\u2019s just my face,\u201d and I take back everything I said about his lack of self-knowledge.<\/p>\n

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To quote Rust Cohle<\/a>, this man knows who he is, and there\u2019s a victory in that. Just probably not one on The Traitors<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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