Warning: Spoilers for “The Traitors: New Blood” Episode 9 below.
A Loyalist spent his last night in the castle after unknowingly drinking from a poisoned goblet and knocking them out of the game.
In Episode 9 of “The Traitors: New Blood,” which aired on November 5, the remaining cast donned their fanciest outfits to attend Alan Cumming’s Highland Feast, held after successfully exiling the first Traitors of the season.
But the party wasn’t just an opportunity for players to bond. Before the meeting, the Traitors were secretly informed that they should poison a Loyalist’s chalice and kill them. With the Traitors losing a member, they needed to remove the right player to regain the upper hand and set a target for Sadik.
Read on to find out who survived the Highland Feast and how many Traitors are still in the tower as the game’s end approaches.
Plateau Festival Brings Tears and Chaos
Chapter 9, titled “Playing Chess,” opens with the players gathering around a table for an ostensibly more enjoyable evening. Some players get emotional as they share what the game means to them. Ben says he finally feels like “one of the guys” after making strong connections with men, and Abbey B. explains that she’s grateful for the experience because home life can be “isolating” while caring for her daughter. Shane also describes his sister’s death and how it affected his family.
When the episode rewinds to two hours earlier, Alan interrupts the heartfelt conversation. Traitors Katie and Joe are shown entering the confessional, where they say, “Traitors, after dinner tonight, someone is going to be poisoned. While everyone is getting ready for dinner, you must sneak downstairs and meet in the secret room and decide who you want to kill by giving that player a poisoned chalice.”
But there was an additional change. The message said, “Every player needs to drink, but he does not have to drink his own glass.” “Instead, they may argue and drink someone else’s cup. If a Traitor drinks from the poisoned cup, there will be no murder tonight.”
Katie and Joe begin strategizing. He worries that he is in a “dead situation walking” after Tomica is exiled and Victor publicly announces that he will target Joe next. Joe says he has to “do something serious” to save himself and suggests poisoning Victor. However, Katie reminds him that Victor could replace his drink with another one and ruin his plans.
In Highland Feast, the players join Alan outside, and Alan reveals that one of them will be killed after drinking from the poisoned cup. He tells them that they have two minutes until he makes his toast, and that they will drink from whatever glass they hold in their hands as he begins his speech.
Victor immediately becomes worried and asks a player to switch drinks with him. He asks Joe, who declines. Kriste’s lack of interest in changing her glass makes Ben suspicious. Before time runs out, Shane and Joe switch drinks. In his confession, Joe confirmed that the Traitors committed the murder. “We got back in the win column today,” he says.
A Murder and an Exciting Fight with a Hidden Shield
Over breakfast, multiple players begin sharing their theories. While Abbey B. questions why Joe doesn’t want to switch with Victor, Jay says he still suspects Victor of being a Traitor. Shane is also suspicious of Joe, but he’s focused on Ben, Katie and Kriste.
Players arrive in groups until it is revealed that Morgan has been killed. “They gave me the poisoned chalice!” When Morgan learns he’s been murdered, he says: After reading the traitors’ note, he tells the camera: “And these kids are the reason you don’t drink anything at parties that you haven’t spilled on yourself.”
He continues, “Shoot! That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But it was also the coolest. I wouldn’t change a thing except my glass. That’s for sure.”
Morgan’s murder confuses the Loyalists. They briefly discuss his departure before Alan enters the Breakfast Room and tells them to “Keep your spirits up.”
Players meet Alan at his creepy cabin in the woods. For the mission, they must enter the hut and summon a spirit. The spirit will call them and tell them the name of an item they want to reunite with. Players must find and deliver the correct item. If they answer correctly, they will receive $9,000 per item. If they are wrong, the player who delivered the item will be dragged out of the cabin. There’s also a shield to grab.
Players work together to give the spirit the correct bottle of beer in the first round. However, in the second round, they cannot find the exact wedding dress and Jay is eliminated. Victor finds a shield between the rounds and quickly hides it before anyone sees it. In the final round, Abbey B. braved a smelly bathroom to retrieve the final item, adding a total of $18,000 to the prize pot.
Traitors Are Preparing for War
Entering the Round Table, Katie says she was aware Joe’s name had been thrown out. But he wants to save her and keep the Traitors in power. He told other players about Wyatt and Kriste during the day, hoping to steer them in the wrong direction.
However, his tactic did not work on Victor. In his confessional he says that he is sure Joe is a Traitor and that he will work hard to get everyone at the Round Table to his side. He says he won’t back down and will try to stop players from voting for Kriste.
Joe is also ready to fight to survive. “I’m up against Victor and I’m going to come out on top,” he says as the episode ends.
What Will Happen Next Week?
Episode 10, “Sun, Moon and Truth,” will see Victor and Joe go head-to-head at the Round Table. If Joe survives, the Traitors will have a better chance of winning the game. But if she is banished, Katie will be left alone in the tower.
The next episode will air on Thursday, November 12 at 8pm PT/ET and 7pm CT on NBC. The episode will also air on Peacock the next day.
In just two weeks, the season will wrap up with the epic two-hour finale on Thursday, November 19.