Phaedra Parks has been on TV screens off and on since 2010 when she joined the cast of The Real Housewives of Atlanta.
After getting her marching orders from the Bravo hit under controversial circumstances in 2017, her time on the network seemed well and truly over.
Thankfully, that wasn’t the case because her appearances on The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip and Married to Medicine were excellent.
However, nothing could prepare us for how iconic Parks was on The Traitors Season 2.
At the beginning of the season, there were some concerns when Alan Cummings chose her to be a traitor alongside Big Brother alum Dan Gheesling.
But armed with a killer poker face, quick wit, killer one-liners, high fashion, and a savage personality, the attorney became the best traitor to grace the show because she was unafraid to make big moves, even if it caught her a lot of heat.
Who would have thought Dan Gheesling would dragged by Phaedra Parks?
One of her best moments involved her going up against Gheesling, widely considered by Big Brother fans as one of the best players to play the CBS hit, and she read him for filth.
Gheesling thought sacrificing Parks’ game was the best way to save himself and Parvati Shallow, so it was satisfying to see Parks tell him that she was doing so much because he was doing so little before going on to remain undetected for longer than the pair.
Of course, Parks’ back was against the wall throughout the process because she struggled to lie to friends like RHOA’s Sheree Whitfield while trying to remain undetected.
You could see the raw emotion in Parks’ eyes as she told her friend that she was not the traitor everyone would like to believe she was.
Did Kate Chastain lose her fans?
The most surprising part of Parks giving up the fight during last week’s penultimate episode of the season was how Below Deck’s Kate Chastain called her selfish.
To viewers, Parks was doing Chastain a solid by choosing her to be a traitor at the end of the game and leaving without blowing smoke her way.
That could have been an easy win for Chastain, but something tells us she’s sealed her fate after Sandra Diaz-Twine clocked on to the awkward exchange at the round table.
It’s crazy how that one moment changed many fans’ perceptions of Chastain, who was the Parks of The Traitors in Season 1.
Phaedra Parks had every player — including other traitors — pressed
Wherever Parks went in the house, she had people pressed. She’s a natural in front of the camera because she’s very good at handling herself when people call her out.
Her castle fauxmance with CT Tamburello was another highlight because, to viewers, the chemistry was palpable.
However, now we hear that maybe editing from those behind the show was being done to try and peddle the narrative that a romance was brewing.
Parks’ impact on the show was remarkable, and as we head into the season finale without her, it’s hard to imagine future seasons of the show finding a traitor to top the impact she brought.
Phaedra Parks set a standard as a traitor that future seasons will struggle to reach
The Traitors Season 2 leveled considerably compared to Season 1 because of the fantastic casting.
The sad part is that if Parks is offered the opportunity to return down the line, she’d probably decline because there’s no way she wouldn’t be a target the moment she stepped foot in that castle again.
For now, we’ll follow Parks wherever she goes. Honestly, she may be the only person who can save The Real Housewives of Atlanta, so producers should be begging her to return.
The Traitors Season 2 airs Thursdays at 9/8c on Peacock.