Suvechha Sarkar
When trust and betrayal are just one charming smile away, it can raise the stakes significantly. Season 1 of Fox’s ‘The Snake’ is a social experiment wherein alliances can crumble in a heartbeat, and friendships are often nothing more than a well-played bluff. In episode one, titled ‘Who Can You Trust?,’ the show brings together 15 contestants from wildly different walks of life — an ex-con, law enforcement officers, a lawyer, an OnlyFans creator, and many more. They are all dropped into a world where the skill of manipulating and reading people is everything for a chance to walk away with the $100,000 grand prize.
Contestants Quickly Learn The Rules of This Game of Manipulation and Hidden Agendas
As in any premiere episode of a reality series, things kick off with the introduction of the contestants. In this case, they actually arrive in literal crates, revealing their profession and strengths one by one. As a detective, Derek possesses the ability to immediately ascertain people’s lies. Bryan, an ex-convict, admits that he began stealing jewelry at the age of five, so he plans to steal his place in the game too. While the OnlyFans creator Alyssa divulges that she knows how to get people’s attention and money, lawyer Amanda discloses that persuasiveness is a skill she proudly wears due to her profession. MacLaine, an Indianapolis Colts Cheerleader, states that if she can get 60,000 fans just by smiling and cheering, she can get anyone on her side in this game. Bryan further opens up about how he had spent three years in prison and is now eager to use his skills legally.
The host, Jim Jefferies, welcomes the contestants and clarifies that they arrived in crates to make things interesting. There’s no real reason behind it — it’s just for entertainment. Meanwhile, Jacob, who is a Pastor, notes that he is going to be asking God to lead him to his victory. Jim explains how each of them has to play individually while navigating friendship. Hairstylist Frank remarks that his game strategy is to be kind and authentic, but if it is tested, he is going to stand his ground. Similarly, Kethryn, a Tech Manager, acknowledges she plans to play the villain to win. Poker player Devonte reads faces and calls out bluffs for his profession, so he is pretty confident stepping into this experiment too. Jim then dives into the rules of the game, telling the players that they will compete to become the Snake each week. The Snake cannot be eliminated, and they hold most of the power since they will be sending someone home during the Saving Ceremony, which is the game’s version of an elimination.
The Snake has the power to choose the first player to stay, which is going to start a chain reaction until only two players are left. It is then in the Snake’s hand to decide who goes home. After each elimination, a new snake will be picked. This prompts non-profit director Jack to note that he is going to do everything he can to get into this position because it is the biggest advantage. He then notes in his confessional that no one should be fooled by his cute face. With the rules out of the way, Jim openly asks the contestants to raise a hand if they want to be a leader. Mena does so and states in her confessional that as a Bounty Hunter, all she does is make people trust her before taking them out, so that’s her game plan here too. The host then asks her to choose six people she thinks are her strongest competitors so that they can join her team.
While the Team Gets to Know One Another, the Others Face Their First Challenge
Mena’s first pick is Amanda because she believes the lawyer looks delicate in her professional outfit, but she is bound to be smart. The latter doesn’t particularly like being called delicate, but she is happy to let others assume she is. Mena then chooses Kailee, who is a police officer, and the latter believes it to be the right choice since her profession has made her mentally stronger than others. Following this, she selects bull rider Cody, who admits that he takes on high-stress environments every day, so this game should be no different. The next pick is pastor Jacob, who is eager to showcase his skills and prove that his life is more than just prayers. As Mena names cheerleader MacLaine and detective Derek as her last picks, make-up artist Frank observes that not being chosen is an advantage since no one is going to view him as a threat. However, ex-con Bryan feels that Mena has made a mistake by choosing the cowboy and the cops because she chose brawl over wisdom. Jim then tells the seven players to get to know each other over a good dinner.
Since professional boxer Brett did not land a spot on Mena’s team, he begins fearing that someone from the 8 players left behind will be going home. Little did he know that Jim would then bring them into the challenge area, where they are instructed to stand before one of the eight identical boxes set on a table. The host reveals that while others are enjoying dinner, they are going to compete for the most powerful position in the game – the Snake. The winner of the ensuing challenge is going to receive said power, but it is going to be complicated. Each week, he then goes on to say, the challenges are going to be different, but for the day, it is one of deception. While one of the boxes before them has a unique snake-eye medallion inside, the rest literally have a snake. The one to receive the former is going to be the Snake of the week. As Jack digests this information, HR director Jordan notes that Mena now has a target on her back for not choosing them.
While the eight contestants are nervous about the game, the rest are having a relaxing dinner. When Amanda asks who they are worried about, Mena quickly names Kethryn because she can’t read her before realizing she may just be introverted. While Cody remarks to Derek that Amanda is his type, Kailee tells the group she finds Brett attractive. However, this remark prompts Derek to state in his confessional that this is not a dating show, and he is here to win for his wife and daughter. The focus then shifts to the commencement of the game, where Kethryn states how Devonte is the last person she wants to trust in this game of deception since he is a professional poker player. As Brett notes he has dealt with many snakes in the ring as a boxer, Kethryn reveals the secret that she is unafraid of snakes since she grew up around them.
Alliances Shift During a High-Stakes Challenge, Proving Honesty is Optional
While Frank feels he has to take on this Challenge with no strategy and just survive since he is terrified of snakes, Jack discloses that his competitors should not underestimate him for being charming and nice. One by one, the contestants put their hands in their boxes to feel what is inside, and most of them immediately flinch. However, Jordan has no expression, and neither does Kethryn or Jack, but only the latter raises suspicion in Frank’s mind because his hand was in the box for just a bit too long. Bryan is also unwilling to give anything away since he is treating this as a police lineup, and he succeeds too. Now that everyone knows what their box contains, Jim tells them they have an opportunity to trade. Devonte is first, and he decides to trade his box with Kethryn’s. When Jordan decides to keep her box, suspicion grows in Bryan’s mind. While Brett swaps with Jack’s box, Kethryn asks for her original box back. Frank decides to take Brett’s box, noting that he is doing so because it was initially Jack’s.
On Alyssa’s turn, she decides to keep her box, stating in her confessional that she doesn’t really even know what is happening as she had zoned out. Then, Jack asks Frank for his box back. Finally, when it’s Bryan’s turn, he expresses his wish to swap it with Jordan’s. However, Kethryn offers him her box, stating she has the medallion. He refuses to believe her and ends up taking Jordan’s, trusting his gut. He explains how she kept her hand inside longer, indicating that it may not have been a snake. Ultimately, it turns out that Kethryn was indeed telling the truth. She gets the medallion and wins the challenge, but this prompts Bryan to remark that she played him. However, the outcome leaves Jack baffled since he had initially thought he had it because he couldn’t even feel the snake – it was curled up on one side. In a shocking reveal in her confessional, Kethryn says that although others believe she is truthful, she is okay with deceiving others – that’s her gameplay.
Kethryn adds that she is ready to lie and cheat to win. That’s when Jim tells them it’s time for all players to reunite and for the truth about the challenge to come out. As he discloses that they had their first challenge and that Kethryn was the winner, Brett notes that Mena made a bad choice. Jacob also realizes that the rest of the eight players now have an advantage as they have a bond, so someone from the dinner party group may end up leaving. After the host elaborates on the rules before them once again, he welcomes them to their new home for the duration of this experiment and asks them to make friends quickly. Derek remarks that, being a detective, he is ready for battle, whereas Frank observes that although the game requires one to create bonds, in the end, it is all about deceit. Meanwhile, Kailee approaches Brett, complimenting his looks.
As Strategies Deepen and Secrets Unravel, Flirting Also Becomes a Weapon
Although Kailee was honest, Brett took her forwardness with a grain of salt. He said his good looks can indeed be a distraction, so he approaches Devonte and Jack, confiding that Kailee is being too flirty too quickly, but he can utilize it to his advantage. Jack quickly points out that she, MacLaine, and Amanda seem to be tight, so they can possibly use them to garner information. He also concedes that he is going to use flirting to move forward. After the three guys end up forming an alliance, Devonte approaches the three ladies. However, MacLaine sees through his fake flirting and adds that her strategy is just to be authentic and kind. The focus then shifts to Kethryn, who is seen informing Derek that both of her parents are law enforcement officers. However, a flashback reveals that she had previously told Bryan that she comes from a family of felons.
It turns out that Kethryn has written down a long list of strategies. One of them states that she is going to lie to players to make her seem as relatable as possible. So, she goes on to give Derek a backstory about how her parents met on the job before her father ended up joining the ATF, but it’s all a lie. When the morning gradually rolls around, she tells the contestants during breakfast how she is worried that her decision as a Snake is going to make them hate her, which she doesn’t want. Shortly after, she reveals in a confessional that another of her strategies is to make herself look innocent. She then approaches Bryan, informing him how she implicitly trusts him. Yet, so as not to make things obvious, she is going to save Jordan and ask her to save him in return, stating she trusts the HR director. She further adds that she hopes he can trust her, but he is not fully sure if she is playing him. The focus then shifts to Derek, Jacob, and Amanda, just for the detective to express that he trusts them both. Amanda and Jacob reciprocate his sentiments, with the latter noting that while he is savvy and smart as a Harvard graduate, having an officer and a lawyer on his side is a significant advantage.
Kethryn then goes up to Jordan and informs her how she wants to save her, but in return, it will be great if she saves Bryan, to which the latter immediately agrees. Although it is indeed a good strategic alliance, it is soon revealed that it is a part of another one of Kethryn’s elaborate plans. However, Jordan divulges in her confessional that she trusts the current Snake. Meanwhile, Mena tries to create at least one connection since she feels she has a target on her back. She approaches Brett, and both of them agree that Kethryn is Medusa. He remarks that he had misjudged Mena originally. While MacLaine is nervous that the dinner party has put her on the chopping block, Derek becomes agitated when Cody constantly asks him to save him while insisting he will do the same if he is picked first. Kailee once again approaches and compliments Brett, who is not interested in her, but she is unable to see the signs and feels they have good chemistry.
A Clever Performance at the Saving Ceremony Leads to an Unexpected Exit
As the time finally arrives for the Saving Ceremony at the end of Week 1, Jim welcomes the players and informs them that the game gets very real here. As Kethryn takes her spot as the Snake beside him, Mena frustratingly observes that she is still unable to read the former. A flashback then reveals how the former had already decided to fake cry to avoid having any target on her back. Her strategy is to play the “dumb” and “innocent” girl, and it works. She gradually begins crying, stating how she doesn’t want to take away someone’s position in the game, which is why she had offered up her chance to be the Snake during the challenge itself. She also adds that she does not take this decision lightly. However, in her confessional, she quips that her acting deserves an Oscar. Kethryn first decides to save Jordan, secretly revealing that she is only choosing the HR director because she has complete control over her, as she is desperate for an alliance.
As expected, Jordan saves Bryan, who then picks Frank, leaving the Italian-Purto Rican feeling quite validated for being chosen. The make-up artist decides to select Alyssa, referring to her as his “Barbie doll,” following which she chooses Jack. Staying true to the brotherhood, he saves Devonte, who then calls up his “boy,” Brett. The boxer states that he is going to choose Mena since their last two conversations have been very relatable, indicating her plan to focus on just one alliance really worked. She picks Amanda next, who proceeds to save Jacob since he is a man of God. He ends up selecting Derek because of their initial alliance, and the detective recalls how Cody had said to him that he would save him if the time came. Hence, he decides to pick the bull rider, noting that he is a truly loyal person. Kethryn once again begins crying when the final choice comes down to Kailee and MacLaine.
Kailee reveals that she is feeling good because Kethryn had repeatedly assured her that she was not on her radar. The Snake then apologizes to whoever she will be choosing, but discloses in her confessional that she has to choose the one whom she does not perceive as a threat. Kailee is left shocked when she chooses MacLaine. Before her departure, she informs the others that some contestants should not trust each other, before further cautioning everyone to watch their backs. In her exit interview, Kailee states that she knew not to trust anyone, but she didn’t expect Kethryn to betray her and feels that she is “fake.” The episode comes to an end as the now-former Snake remarks that she feels she may be a puppet master who is controlling everyone. With that being said, only time will decide where the lies and deception will lead each contestant next, and who will be the next Snake.
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