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Peacock's The Traitors US S2 E8 "Knives at Dawn" Recap with Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick

Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick returns to the Jack Vita Show to recap the eighth episode of the second season of Peacock's Emmy Award-winning reality competition show, The Traitors.
This week on The Traitors, Bergie (Love Island USA 5) was the victim of the traitors' fifth murder. The loss of Bergie is a huge hit to the Peter pals alliance, which is now a group of four: Trishelle, John, Kevin and Peter. Sensing that a pivotal roundtable is on the horizon, the group turns its attention to Phaedra. They sense that both Phaedra and Parvati are traitors. The group views Parvati as a dead woman walking, and fears that if they don't take out Phaedra as soon as possible, the Bravo clique will pick them off one-by-one. Trishelle crafts a plan for the group to try to pull Parvati into the fold, protect her, and attempt to use her vote in the upcoming banishment. Peter meets with Parvati and it appears the two have squashed their beef and agreed to team up.
Meanwhile, the Bravo clique also knows that a big time vote is coming. Its core of Phaedra, Sheree, Kate and MJ has its sights set on banishing Parvati. CT and Sandra have positioned themselves in the middle, as the swing votes.
The contestants visit a cabin in the woods that functions as an escape room. They are met with gross bugs and a number of other obstacles. The contestants from Bravo drop out of the challenge, while the reality competitors add $11,000 to the prize pot. Trishelle wins a shield, protecting her from the night's murder. Big Brother winner Dr. Will makes a cameo at the challenge.
After the mission, the contestants strategize as the bravo clique goes for Parvati and the Peter pals try for Phaedra. In the end, Parvati is banished at the roundtable by a vote of 7-4. Even John votes with the Bravos, leaving Peter, Trishelle and Kevin hung out to dry.
With Phaedra as the last remaining faithful in the turret, she is instructed by Alan that she must pick a faithful to recruit as a traitor. If that faithful rejects the offer, they will be murdered. Phaedra chooses Kate, and the episode ends as Kate enters the dungeon.
Stephenie and Jack break it all down!
You can follow Stephenie (@steph_lagrossa_kendrick) on Instagram, and join her on the Cruise of Deception!

Philadelphia Phillies Top Prospect Gabriel Rincones Jr. On Growing Up in Scotland, Christian Faith

With only one professional season under his belt, Gabriel Rincones Jr. is quickly emerging as one of the Philadelphia Phillies' best prospects. This week, he visits the Jack Vita Show to talk baseball, growing up in Scotland, pickleball, life, his Christian faith, and more!
The Phillies selected Rincones out of Florida Atlantic University in the third round of the 2022 MLB Amateur Draft. Rincones was unable to play in a professional game that season, upon being drafted, as he rehabbed a preexisting shoulder injury.
Rincones made his pro debut in 2023, appearing in 120 games between High-A Jersey Shore and Single-A Clearwater, slashing a cumulative .248/.351/.778 with 15 home runs and 61 RBI on the year. Rincones also played in the Arizona Fall League, where he broke out, slashing .293/.426/.889 with two home runs and 14 RBI across 22 games for the Scottsdale Scorpions. Rincones was named a Fall Star, earning a start in the 2023 Fall Stars Game. He also participated in the Home Run Derby.
Rincones has lived a very unique life. His father, Gabriel Rincones Sr., was a minor league pitcher who played in the Seattle Mariners' farm system. Rincones Jr. spent parts of childhood in Venezuela, Scotland and Florida. Rincones lived in Scotland for six years.
Rincones currently ranks as the no. 9 prospect in the Phillies' farm system, according to MLB Pipeline.
Rincones visits the Jack Vita Show to discuss his time playing in the Fall League. What was he working on, and what did he learn? How did he enjoy the experience? Rincones also opens up and discusses his Christian faith. At what point in Gabriel's life did he become a Christian and put Christ at the center of his life? How has Jesus changed his life, since Gabe made a commitment to follow him? Gabe shares about what it was like growing up in Scotland. He also discusses personal hobbies such as FIFA, pickleball and Spikeball. All this, and much more!
You can follow Gabriel on Instagram, @gabriel_rinconesjr.

Peacock's The Traitors US S2 E7 "Blood on Their Hands" Recap with Stephenie LaGrossa, Bam Nieves

Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick and Jack Vita are back for another recap of the latest episode of The Traitors. This week, they welcome season 1 contestant Robert "Bam" Nieves to the Jack Vita Show, as they break down episode 7, "Blood on Their Hands".
Bam and Stephenie were cast members on the first season of The Traitors. Both Bam and Stephenie were faithfuls that were onto the traitors. Because of their suspicions, both Bam and Stephenie were murdered. Unfortunately for Bam, he was perceived as a threat by the traitors, and was whacked at the start of the third episode. Stephenie was able to survive five murders and seven banishments, until she was murdered in the penultimate episode of season 1.
This week on The Traitors, the dominoes continued to fall. After Dan was banished in episode 6, Peter is offered an invitation to join the traitors. For the second straight season, The Bachelor is recruited to join the traitors. However, this time around, The Bachelor declines. Peter remains committed to the faithfuls, and wants to continue on his path to eliminate the remaining traitors. Peter is fully convinced that Parvati is a traitor, and it appears that at least most of the rest of the cast is as well.
Trishelle thinks that Dan outed Phaedra as a traitor to the rest of the group at the previous roundtable. Trishelle argues that due to the numbers that Phaedra has and the protection that the Bravo clique offers her, she is far a greater threat to win than Parvati is, whereas Parvati appears to be a dead woman walking. If Parvati is banished, Phaedra would have an opportunity to recruit one or two of her fellow Bravo girls to join the traitors. Trishelle argues that even if Phaedra is not a traitor, the show is a numbers game, and maintaining a numbers advantage over the other alliance is critical to the success of their group, moving forward. Thus, Trishelle pushes for the group to target Phaedra at the roundtable.
As Peter and Trishelle debate over who their next target should be, the rival alliance talks about targeting Peter, hoping to secure their own numbers and a path to the end of the game. It appears that Peter's alliance is putting itself in danger by excluding others from conversations and alienating the rest of the castle.
Sandra and Kevin successfully complete the mission and win shields, protecting them from murder. The contestants continue to strategize and prepare for the roundtable, until Alan drops a bomb on the cast and reveals that there will be no banishment that night. Instead, the cast would give out shields to each other, protecting a majority of the faithfuls from murder that night.
Sheree, Phaedra, CT, Kevin, John and Peter join Sandra and Kevin, gaining shields. This leaves Trishelle, Bergie, MJ and Kate up for murder. Trishelle is hurt that CT chooses to protect John from murder instead of her, when they have known each other for 20 years.
Phaedra and Parvati plot their next murder in the turret. The episode ends on a cliffhanger, as the audience will find out who is murdered next week.
Stephenie, Bam and Jack break the episode down. Did they like the format of this episode? Was the cancelled banishment a fun twist, or a bit of a letdown? Did it kill some of the show's momentum? What are Bam's thoughts on the new season of The Traitors? What would he have done differently from S1, if he was playing on S2? Later, Stephenie answers questions from the listeners, who have left questions for her in the YouTube comment section. If you would like to have Steph and Jack take your questions next week, comment away!
Jack and Stephenie share their initial thoughts from E7 (0:00 - 34:25)
Bam joins the conversation (34:25 - 1:12:10)
Stephenie answers your listener questions (1:12:10 - END)
You can follow Bam (@robert_bam_nieves) and Stephenie (@steph_lagrossa_kendrick) on Instagram.

Elissa Reilly Slater Talks Big Brother 15, Famous Spit Take, The Amazing Race, Christian Faith

Elissa Reilly Slater visits the Jack Vita Show to discuss her time on Big Brother, The Amazing Race, her Christian faith, and much more!
Elissa's sister Rachel Reilly competed on Big Brother 12, where she met her husband, Brendon Villegas. The following summer, Rachel played again, and won Big Brother 13. Two years after Rachel won Big Brother, the show recruited Elissa to play on the franchise's 15th season.
Within the first week, Elissa was recognized by her fellow houseguests as Rachel's sister. Despite having a large target on her back from the very beginning, Elissa reached the Final 6 and was voted America's Favorite Houseguest.
Six years after she competed on Big Brother, Elissa appeared on The Amazing Race 31, running the race with Rachel. The Reilly sisters finished in seventh place, as they traveled the world, visiting Japan, Laos, Vietnam, United Arab Emirates, Uganda and Switzerland.
But perhaps Elissa is best known for her viral spit take gif!
A clip of Elissa doing a spit take, during her time in the Big Brother house has since become one of the most-used gifs on the internet. Elissa has unintentionally become a staple of meme culture.
Just two days after Rachel guested on the Jack Vita Show, recapping episode 6 of The Traitors, Jack welcomes Elissa to the program for the first time!
Elissa discusses her time in the Big Brother house. What was it like being trapped in a fake house with 15 strangers for 77 days? Elissa participated in one of the show's wildest seasons; does she ever have nightmares from the Big Brother house? What was it like exiting the house and returning to the real world, having been disconnected from friends, family and the news for nearly three months? How did Elissa's season, Big Brother 15, forever change the franchise?
Later, Elissa talks about her Christian faith. How did she rely on God in the Big Brother house? How much time did she spend reading her Bible and praying to pass the time? Were there others in the house that joined her in prayer or that she had spiritual conversations with? Elissa shares her testimony and discusses what role Jesus Christ plays in her life today. She also catches us up on her family and life after the show, shares about her time on The Amazing Race, discusses her career, and talks about what it has been like working with athletes! And would Elissa compete on The Traitors, given the opportunity? It's an episode you will not want to miss!
You can follow Elissa (@elissercise) on Instagram.

Peacock's The Traitors US S2 E6 "Backstab and Betrayal" Recap with Rachel Reilly, Stephenie LaGrossa

Big Brother winner and The Traitors Season 1 contestant Rachel Reilly Villegas visits the Jack Vita Show, joining Jack and Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick to recap the sixth episode of Season 2 of Peacock's Emmy-Award winning show, The Traitors!
Rachel and Stephenie were cast members on the first season of The Traitors. The two CBS reality television icons first met when they were pitted against each other on USA Network's Snake in the Grass, which aired in August 2022. Less than six months after butting heads with each other in the jungles of Costa Rica, the two met again in a castle in the Highlands of Scotland.
As trailblazers on the first season of The Traitors, Stephenie and Rachel formed a bond early in the game that would not be broken. The two ladies squashed their beef from Snake in the Grass, and joined forces to create an impenetrable alliance on day one. Within the game's first few hours, Stephenie and Rachel correctly identified Big Brother 22 winner Cody Calafiore as a traitor, and eventually the two were able to gather the votes to banish him from the castle. Stephenie and Rachel led a powerful alliance of faithfuls. As the traitors caught on to their suspicion, Rachel was banished and Stephenie was murdered in the final episodes of Season 1. The eliminations of Rachel and Stephenie effectively clinched a win for the traitors, and Cirie Fields was able to capitalize, becoming the sole winner of the first season of The Traitors.
This week, Rachel helps Stephenie and Jack recap The Traitors S2 E6 "Backstab and Betrayal". It's the perfect time to check in with Rachel, as this season's two Big Brother alumni have been banished in back-to-back weeks.
Last week, four-time Big Brother player and fan favorite Janelle Pierzina led the charge to banish Dan Gheesling from the castle. Janelle's bid came up short, as she herself became the fourth contestant banished and the ninth contestant eliminated. Janelle's push to eliminate Dan did however further expose him to the faithfuls, which carries over into Episode 6.
In Episode 5, Bachelor star Peter Weber concocted a brilliant scheme, in an attempt to trap and expose the traitors. Six contestants — Trishelle Cannatella (The Real World: Las Vegas, The Challenge), Carsten "Bergie" Bergersen (Love Island USA), Sheree Whitfield (The Real Housewives of Atlanta), Kevin Kreider (Bling Empire), Janelle and Peter —went for a shield during the mission. Bergie and Trishelle claimed the shields. Peter came up with a plan to use a tactic that the cast of Season 1 implemented, and his fellow faithfuls agreed: the six of them would not tell the rest of the cast who had acquired the shields. Suspecting that CT, Dan and Parvati are the traitors, Peter chooses to lie to each of them, fibbing that he and Janelle won the shields. He hoped to provide cover for himself, while seeing if the traitors would take the bait and attempt to murder Bergie, Kevin, Sheree or Trishelle.
In the closing moments of Episode 5, Bergie makes a comment to a group which includes Dan, that he will continue to write Dan's name down at the banishments, as he is convinced that Dan is a traitor. Dan takes control in the turret, and pushes for the murder of Bergie. Dan seems to trust Peter and believes that the information Peter had leaked to him is true. Peter previously appeared on The Bachelor and has no experience competing in strategic competition shows. Dan doesn't think Peter has it in him to pull a fast one on him, and decides to roll the dice and go for a murder of Bergie.
In the opening minutes of Episode 6, host Alan Cumming informs the viewers that unbeknownst to the traitors, their attempt to murder Bergie has been blocked, and not one faithful will be murdered this round.
A braggadocios Peter is elated to see that his plan has worked, while the traitors are left speechless. Peter reveals to the group that he set a trap for CT, Parvati and Dan at breakfast, calling out the three of them. Based upon their reactions to Peter's accusations and Bergie's safety, suspicions continue to escalate surrounding Dan and Parvati. It appears that the two CBS reality TV alumni will be the next contestants banished.
The contestants successfully complete the mission and add money to the prize pot, while Sheree wins a shield, protecting her from murder. Peter fears that he may be next on the chopping block, given that he is on to the traitors and has been so vocal.
Dan pleads with the faithfuls, requesting that they hear him out at the roundtable. With one last desperation ploy, Dan calls out Phaedra at the roundtable, accusing her of being a traitor, but to no alas, as he is voted out in a 11-1-1 vote, with his fellow traitors Parvati and Phaedra each voting for him. Peter cast a vote for Parvati, indicating that she is next in the pecking order. Dan reveals to the group that he is in fact a traitor, and the faithfuls celebrate.
Phaedra is furious that Dan has taken a shot at him, and Trishelle makes a comment in a confessional that she believes Dan was outing a fellow traitor. With the traitors losing a number, Parvati and Phaedra are presented with the choice between murdering a faithful or recruiting a faithful to join the traitors. Parvati sets her sights on Peter, as she is fearful of Peter booting her from the game at the next banishment, given the numbers and power he has. She decides to offer him even more power. The episode closes with Peter receiving a letter and an offer to join the traitors, leaving the audience on a cliffhanger: will Peter accept the offer?
Rachel, Stephenie and Jack break it all down on the Jack Vita Show! They discuss what led to Dan's banishment, where Dan went wrong and what he might have been able to do differently to better preserve himself. Rachel weighs in on Dan and Janelle's games, and shares some valuable insight, given that she has known both of them for nearly 15 years. Stephenie and Rachel reflect on their time on The Traitors and provide an inside look at how the game is played and how the show is made, while comparing and contrasting S1 to S2.
Will Peter accept the offer and become a traitor? Should he or shouldn't he? How would Peter becoming a traitor change the game? Was Peter the right person for Parvati and Phaedra to attempt to recruit? Who will be banished next from the castle? And who was the MVP of Episode 6? Comment below and let us hear your thoughts, while Rachel, Stephenie and Jack tackle all of these questions!
Prior to competing on The Traitors, Rachel appeared on Big Brother 12 and won Big Brother 13. Stephenie previously competed on Survivor: Palau, Survivor: Guatemala, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains and USA Network's Snake in the Grass.
Rachel joins the show at the 49:20 mark.
You can follow Rachel (@RachelReillyVillegas) and Stephenie (@steph_lagrossa_kendrick) on Instagram.

Milwaukee Brewers Top Prospect Oliver Dunn Talks Being Traded, Utah Baseball, Arizona Fall League

Three months ago, Milwaukee Brewers infield and outfield prospect Oliver Dunn was named the 2023 Arizona Fall League Breakout Player of the Year. This week, he visits the Jack Vita Show!
Dunn entered the AFL as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies organization. Dunn was a late addition to the Scottsdale Scorpions roster, not expecting to receive a great deal of playing time. Dunn slashed .343/.455/1.071 over 19 games, racking up six doubles, four triples, two home runs, 11 RBI and 12 stolen bases. Dunn quickly became a regular fixture in the Scorpions' lineup, and was named a Fall Star, starting for the National League team in the Fall Stars Game.
Days after the conclusion of the of the Fall League, Dunn was informed that the Phillies had traded him to the Brewers in exchange for Hendry Mendez and Robert Moore. Dunn tells the story of when he found out he was traded, while he was on his honeymoon, and shares his excitement to join the Brewers organization. He was added to the 40-man roster and will be heading out to Arizona for spring training in a matter of days.
Dunn, 26, was selected by the New York Yankees in the 11th round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of the University of Utah. Dunn spent four years in the Yankees farm system, however, the club chose not to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft upon the conclusion of the 2022 season. Dunn was selected by the Phillies with the final pick of the Rule 5 Draft.
In 2023, Dunn played 119 games at Double-A Reading, where he slashed .271/.396/.902 with 21 home runs and 78 RBI. Now, as a member of the Brewers active roster entering spring training, Dunn has a chance to crack the club's big league roster.
Dunn had a relatively low profile prior to last season and his showing at the AFL, but he recently MLB Pipeline's top 30 prospects rankings (no. 24) within the Brewers' system.
Dunn speaks with Jack about his time in the Fall League, the Fall League pitchers and hitters that impressed him the most, what it was like being traded, what the baseball scene is like in Utah (could Salt Lake City ever get an MLB franchise?), his love for UFC, the NFL playoffs, NCAA conference realignment and the death of the Pac-12, college baseball, his excitement to play in Milwaukee, and much, much more!
You can follow Oliver on Instagram, @oliver_dunnn3.

Peacock's The Traitors US S2 E5 "A Killer Move" Recap with Survivor legend Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick

Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick returns to the Jack Vita Show to recap the fifth episode of Season 2 of Peacock's Emmy-Award winning show, The Traitors!
Episode 5 picked up right where Episode 4 left off. Parvati and Phaedra are in the heat of a confrontation in the turret, after Parvati suggests at the round table that a housewife is a traitor. The traitors debate murdering Sandra and Tamra, ultimately deciding to whack Tamra, a move that appears to make Phaedra even less-suspecting of being a traitor.
At breakfast the next morning, CT presses Dan in front of the group, asking Dan to give him the name of who Dan thinks a traitor might be. Up to this point, Dan has been strangely quiet, which seems to be making the faithfuls suspicious of him. Dan has not been throwing out any names or targeting anybody. By this point, Janelle is convinced that Dan is a traitor. The two competed with each other on Big Brother 14, back in the summer of 2012. They entered The Traitors as allies, but now Janelle is going to take her shot at the two-time Big Brother finalist. Dan is on the defensive.
Peter is suspecting that Dan, Parvati and CT are the traitors. It is in the fifth episode that the former Bachelor lead starts to really shine. Peter not only correctly targets Dan, but he also concocts a scheme to provide cover for the six faithfuls that went for a shield, and tries to trap his suspects into attempting to murder a player that has a shield. It remains unclear whether the traitors will fall for it or not, with the episode ending on a suspenseful cliffhanger with the traitors plotting their next murder in the turret.
Dan puts forward a compelling argument at the roundtable, and is able to turn the vote in the direction of Janelle, banishing her from the castle. Dan appears to be backed into a corner, and it seems his "Dan Gheesling funeral" moment on The Traitors may be coming soon. Dan has a history of playing very aggressively with his back up against the wall. He will certainly have some tricks up his sleeve in Episode 6.
Oh, and Kate Chastain is back. The S1 contestant made her grand appearance at the Episode 5 roundtable.
What will Dan's next move be, and who will he target? Will he target Phaedra or Parvati? What will happen in Episode 6? Stephenie and Jack break it all down on the Jack Vita Show, providing thoughtful analysis and color commentary on Episode 5, and looking ahead and predicting what will happen in Episode 6. Stephenie also shares stories and insights from her time on The Traitors Season 1. Stephenie previously competed on Survivor: Palau, Survivor: Guatemala, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains and USA Network's Snake in the Grass.
You can follow Stephenie on Instagram @steph_lagrossa_kendrick.

Peacock's 'The Traitors' US S2 E4 "The Funeral" Recap with Survivor legend Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick

The fourth episode of season two of Peacock's Emmy Award-winning show, The Traitors, is in the books, and Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick is back to break it all down on the Jack Vita Show!
This week, The traitors were presented with a daunting task. Dan, Parvati and Phaedra were ordered to 'murder in plain sight.' The traitors were tasked with the mission of retrieving a chalice from the castle's library and giving it to an unsuspecting faithful. If the faithful were to touch the chalice before midnight, that faithful would be murdered and eliminated from contention.
Parvati took on the challenge, pouring wine into the chalice and going undercover as the castle's unofficial bartender. With time ticking away, she finally was able to get Ekin-Su to drink from the chalice, sealing the Love Island (UK) star's fate in the game. The next day, the cast was shocked when every contestant arrived at breakfast and nobody had been murdered. Host Alan Cumming arrived and informed the cast that someone had been poisoned, and the victim of the murder in plain sight would be revealed at the day's mission.
At the challenge, Ekin-Su was revealed as the victim of the murder and the cast was shocked. It appeared that Ekin-Su did not relay any information to the rest of the cast about drinking out of a glass that Parvati had given to her, the night before.
With paranoia running high, the castle appears to have split into two factions: the Housewives and the "Gamers", consisting of contestants that have competed on reality competition shows. Sandra was playing both sides, and after hearing of the Housewives' plan to target either Dan or CT, she flipped the vote and Larsa Pippen was banished from the castle. Larsa was a faithful. Through four episodes, the faithfuls have yet to oust a traitor. However, there seems to be trouble in paradise, as the episode closes with Phaedra confronting Parvati, after Parvati said that she believes that one of the Traitors is a Housewife.
Will Parvati and Dan throw Phaedra under the bus, in an attempt to cover their own rear ends? Are the faithfuls starting to catch on to any of the traitors? What will happen in episode 5? Stephenie and Jack break it all down on the Jack Vita Show, providing thoughtful analysis and color commentary on episode 4, and looking ahead and predicting what will happen in episode 5. Stephenie also shares stories and insights from her time on The Traitors Season 1. Stephenie previously competed on Survivor: Palau, Survivor: Guatemala, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains and USA Network's Snake in the Grass.
The Traitors also announced via social media that Season 1 star Kate Chastain will soon be entering. Stephenie and Jack react! Subscribe to the Jack Vita Show, and don't miss our E5 recap, dropping Friday, January 26!
You can follow Stephenie on Instagram @steph_lagrossa_kendrick.