The Traitors Ireland finale: Final betrayal barely registers as second season fizzles out

Metaphors don’t come any more fitting than the halfhearted pyrotechnics that flicker unenthusiastically in the grounds of Slane Castle as series two of The Traitors Ireland (RTÉ One, Tuesday, 9.35pm) plods its way to a damp-squib conclusion.A show that announced itself in a blaze of melodrama 12 months previously has come down with a stonking case of difficult-second-season syndrome. Not even host Siobhán McSweeney’s electrifying tuttiness can supercharge this muted sign-off.Yes, Anna and Diego are worthy winners. But their victory feels like something obtained by default rather than owing to any great sleuthing on their behalf. They have, after all, been granted a huge favour with the completely random elimination of Traitor Carla at the first round table of the night as, following a split vote, she is essentially chucked out by drawing lots.Why The Traitors Ireland fell short this year is a mystery, as the cast have been a game bunch well up for some skulduggery. Whatever the reason, there were no storylines to cheer. That is in stark contrast to the sisterhood-versus-patriarchy dynamic of series one, when the girl-power trio of Oyin, Kelley and Vanessa overcame high-fiving brothers-in-arms duo Nick and Ben.READ MOREThe sense is that Anna and Diego essentially fell over the finish line together. They haven’t had much chemistry − and, really, not much of a relationship at all. In fact, if anyone has a right to feel hard done by, it’s Pauric O. He played a near-perfect game as a Traitor only to come unstuck when his ally Carla was eliminated in that earlier tiebreaker.[ Traitors Ireland: It’s all gone insane in Slane. Finally a ding-dong shouting matchOpens in new window ]True, there is one big betrayal in the episode as Diego turns on Pauric, having more or less pledged his allegiance earlier on. By rights, his decision at the fire pit to name Pauric a Traitor should have been the most grievous reversal on the domestic airwaves since RTÉ cancelled Podge and Rodge. Instead, the moment lands with a shrug, and nobody seems too bothered – Pauric least of all, even though he was losing out on a prize fund of about €40,000.Entrants are already being sought for series three, so The Traitors Ireland is going nowhere – and ratings this year have been robust. But even its biggest fans would have to admit that, after a spectacular first year, the show has lost momentum – never more so than in a finale that promised fireworks but in the end took its bows with a sputter.