How Does the End of 'The Traitors' Work? Breaking Down "Banish Again" vs "End Game"

"FOLLOW ME DOWN INTO THE VALLEY NIGHT WHERE ALL THE FLOWERS BLOOM—" oh, hello. Apologies, as you've once again stumbled upon me singing the Grammy-nominated* theme song from The Traitors to myself!

*in my mind.

We have gathered here, in the Traitors Turret, to discuss something that many of us who are new-ish to this show might not know the answer to: How does The Traitors end? Because right now, we're just sitting here like this:

Obviously, we all know the cast is divided into Faithfuls and Traitors. But if the Traitors get voted off early, what happens? And if there are two contestants left at the end, how is a winner chosen? Truly, these are some of the most important questions of! our! time! and we're here to answer them.

It All Comes Down to the Final Four

When just four players are left in Alan Cumming's castle, they'll have to take part in one last devious banishing ceremony. Their options?

"Banish Again" or "End Game"

If anyone picks "Banish Again," then the game continues with yet another roundtable-style banishment vote, narrowing the group down to just three players. At this point, they have to once again pick "Banish Again" or "End Game," and the chaotic cycle continues.

But if/when they pick "End Game?" The game literally ends in that moment and everyone's cards are revealed in the most dramatic way possible (via some fun lil' fires that turn different colors).

_{Note: the votes for "Banish Again" or "End Game" are cast anonymously so no one knows what their friends/enemies are doing.}

If Everyone Left Is a Faithful?

Simple: the Faithfuls divide the money equally.

If There's Still a Traitor(s) in the Mix?

Also simple: the Traitor(s) win all the money. As you might expect, this creates a *lot* of tension as the end of the game approaches, since the players left basically have to decide whether they truly trust each other's claims of faithfulness... or want to attempt another banishment to root out a possible Traitor.

Watch it all go down in the U.K. version in case you're still slightly confused (literally try not to cry while watching this).

Everyone Who Has Been Murdered or Banished on Season 2

Not everyone survived last episode....

Did You Catch the Subtle ‘Traitors’ Season 1 and Season 2 Rule Differences?

These little changes are making a big difference already!

Behold, a Full Schedule of When ‘The Traitors’ Season 2 Episodes Drop

Consider me tuned! TF! in! to this drama. 👀

There's Also a "Steal or Share" Possibility....

The Traitors is obviously an international franchise, and as such has gone through several ending iterations over the seasons. In the past, the show has made its remaining cast members decide between "Share or Steal," a truly nail-biting scenario that seems to have fallen out in favor of "Banish Again or End Game."

The basics of "Share or Steal"? If everyone picks "share," they split the prize evenly. If one person picks "steal," that person screws over their fellow cast members and wins all the money. And if everyone picks steal, no one wins an-y-thing.

Note: this process is tweaked depending on how many players are left, but that's the gist of things (The Traitors fandom page has a ton of details)! Watch it go down in the most dramatic way possible over on Traitors Australia.

What Happened During The Traitors Season 1 Finale, You Ask?

Last season, the final four included two Traitors: Survivor's Cirie Fields and The Bachelor's Arie Luyendyk Jr. And in a shocking twist, Arie chose to reveal himself as a Traitor to avoid an inevitable banishment prompted by Cirie. As a result, Cirie ended up winning the game to the shock of the Faithfuls (who thought she was one of them) and walked away earning all the money!

It's possible Alan could pull some new tricks out of his fabulous sleeves this season, so stay tuned because there's always a plot twist afoot on this dastardly and devious show!

You Might Also Like

• Here’s What NOT to Wear to a Wedding

• Meet the Laziest, Easiest Acne Routine You’ll Ever Try