Pilot and judoka Meriem, polarizing figure in reality TV Traitors from Noovo, is driving us all completely crazy – and not bullion.
From the first episode, this chaotic 33-year-old competitor siphoned off too much airtime by refusing to take off her sunglasses, out of pure coquetry (how stupid), and developed an unhealthy fixation towards Christopher, 27, a police investigator for the city of Moncton, New Brunswick.
At the round table, Meriem even trumpeted that if Christopher, her number one target, was indeed a loyalist, she would leave the show with him, ciao, babye. Hours later, Christopher was murdered by the traitors and Meriem, unsurprisingly, failed to keep her promise to clear out. She continues to make us sweat – and to get on the nerves of her comrades – with her reactions that are as disproportionate as they are untimely. She is both the best and worst participant.
How can a professional pilot like Meriem lose her way so much? It’s impossible to follow its logic, if it exists, in this game derived from the traditional Werewolves.
Meriem’s instinct often guides her towards the right suspects, including the ex-spy Michel, 64, then she loses her temper and gratuitously attacks another competitor, which destroys her credibility. The next episode, she gets back on the same ride in a cloud of unnecessary confusion and inconsistency.
At the same time, Meriem gives a good TV show, love her or hate her. Hence my ambivalence regarding its disturbing presence.
One thing is certain, it was time for Michel Juneau-Katsuya, former secret agent, to leave Traitors. His performance during the giant puzzle challenge was painful to watch. He was screaming and getting impatient like a kid. What remained of his natural authority was then pulverized. And his condescending tone of “superior sage” no longer convinced anyone.
Here again, it is Meriem, even if she annoys us, who was the only one to really doubt the existence of Michel Juneau-Katsuya’s disabled daughter. The divisive Meriem was right: Michel invented an illness for his daughter (who runs marathons) to arouse pity and empathy in the other players.
Traitors from Noovo, a new addition to the spring grid, took a long time to take off. We had to wait until the fifth episode, halfway through, for the stakes to finally get tougher.
The second plane pilot of the Traitors, Axel, 34 years old, in very thick butter. Her tantrum at breakfast towards the neuropsychologist Mathieu, 34, sounded super fake, but the tenants of Karine Vanasse’s mansion believed and swallowed everything. Axel’s spat with real estate broker Étienne, 27, was also a primary school lesson.
However, the intense Axel, who flirts with arrogance, maneuvered with skill when he attacked his traitorous colleague Michel and orchestrated his ouster. This slingshot from Axel made it possible to bring out the first traitor of this edition.
Now, the third Judas Iscariot in this part of murder mysteries, hairdresser and entrepreneur Marie-Josée, 53, is swimming in troubled waters. His name often appears on the slates and it doesn’t look good for the “good boyfriend” of researcher Maxence, 27, who gives the most entertaining interviews in the confessional.
On paper, the candidates who had the strongest assets to flush out scammers all failed miserably, such as former SPVM star detective sergeant Philippe Paul, poker player Isabelle “No Mercy” Mercier and Montreal criminal lawyer Vicky Powell.
Even the medium Giuliana, aka the Fairy of the West, was unable to predict her own future. When things go bad.
PHOTO ELISE TELLIER, PROVIDED BY BELL MEDIA
Karine Vanasse, host of the show Traitors
Several guests of Baroness Karine Vanasse are currently slipping quietly under the radar, including former customs officer Ismaëlle, 42, as well as Olympic diver Cédric Fofana, 20. Do you have to blend in with the wallpaper of the Rouville-Campbell mansion to progress to the next round?
It seems so. The operations supervisor at the Montreal Casino, Marc-André, 44, started to stir things up and was immediately zagged. The man with the two-tone glasses – and a lookalike of André Ducharme – nevertheless believed he could escape thanks to his shield. Error.
In contrast, federal civil servant Chelsea, 30, leads the way without attracting suspicion. Among the victims, I really liked the energy and liveliness of the public relations officer Laurie, 25, who was killed Monday evening. Ex-military Kim, 32, navigates this labyrinth well and she could surprise us. Étienne too.
What should be improved in anticipation of a second season of Traitors ? The tests used to fatten the prize pool. They are rarely exciting. I think of the challenge of observing objects in messy rooms or that of enigmas in the church. It was a bit bumpy, without any real suspense.
Personally, I would shorten the episodes to 60 minutes, except that the format The Traitors imposes rigid rules, therefore not very flexible. In short, less talk, more results. And a mute button for Meriem, is there one in the vault?