Many fans would put “Boston Rob” Mariano on their Survivor Mount Rushmore. Having played four seasons of the CBS show, the legend was held in such high esteem that he was brought back as a mentor on Survivor: Island of the Idols. He’s known for his cutthroat and masterful gameplay, and Mariano completely ruled Survivor: Redemption Island, where he pulled out a win.
Mariano starts The Traitors in a precarious position. Presented as the first “twist” of the season, players are given the choice to let him in the game or exile him. If any player chooses to let Mariano into the castle, they then get to exile someone else. No one wanted to let the villain in, so Mariano was sent to the woods. At the end of the first episode, after the other three Traitors already made their first kill, it’s revealed that Mariano is not out of the game yet. He joins in episode 2 as a Traitor (two other contestants are also put into the game, but both of them are Faithfuls).
With one of the biggest reputations of the season, Mariano has a big hurdle to jump over if he hopes to win. He’s also joining the turret as an addition, with Wiger and Bob both resenting him from the start. Reyes, on the other hand, is glad Mariano is working with her and not against her. She better watch out, however, as Mariano already seems to spot Reyes as a possible liability. Time will tell if Mariano can bring the W back to Boston.