Exit Interview: The Traitors: New Blood’s Sherry Kuehl on Groupthink and “Banishment Brain”

Sherry Kuehl may have entered The Traitors: New Blood planning to keep a low profile, but she left the castle with her personality on full display. As the oldest competitor by more than a decade, she understood that she would need to approach the game carefully, observing the dynamics around her, gathering information, and proving herself in every mission. Yet when her name reached the roundtable, Sherry embraced her final moments with humor, conviction, and what she proudly calls her “fabulosity.”

Behind that memorable exit was a player with a sharper read on the game than many realized. Sherry had identified Joe Vanella as a Traitor, but she knew that challenging one of the castle’s most beloved personalities would require more evidence and a longer strategy. She instead chose to confront Jay Vinnedge over the confusion he was creating among the Faithfuls, only to watch the roundtable quickly turn against her. That experience reinforced what she calls “banishment brain,” when the relief of hearing another player’s name overpowers reason and groupthink takes control.

Pop Culturalist spoke with Sherry about adjusting her strategy after seeing the cast, why she targeted Jay before Joe, and the psychological power of groupthink. She also reflected on being underestimated, the realities of playing as the oldest competitor, and why she was determined to make her banishment as fabulous as possible.

PC: You arrived at the castle and discovered that you were one of the oldest competitors by over a decade.
Sherry: One of? I was the oldest by over a decade. Let’s not mince words.

PC: Older players have historically been targeted early on. What was your initial strategy going in, and how did realizing you were the oldest change the way you wanted to navigate the game?
Sherry: You see some people on the train, but you don’t see the whole cast. Then you get out of the car and walk up, and it’s a spectacle. You start clocking everybody, and I’m like, “No! I’m the oldest person here.” I swear to God, I kept hoping there’d be some 70-year-old man standing over my shoulder. I was like, “Oh no. You’re going to have to play a different game because you’re the oldest person here.”

I didn’t want to come in with my full personality right away. That’s never really my thing, and I didn’t want people thinking, “Why is my mom here? Okay, Boomer energy,” or something like that. I also knew, and was going to do this anyway, that you’ve got to show up in the challenges and missions. You’ve got to bring it 100%. I had no problem doing that. I swim a couple of miles every week, and I loved being in the water for that first challenge. I was like, “You think that’s heavy? I can carry it.” You don’t want people saying you’re not contributing and making you a target. I didn’t want that to happen.

But I was a little gobsmacked when I realized I was the oldest one. It did change things. I was always going to keep a low profile at first and get a lay of the land. We all learn more from listening than talking. I wanted to formulate a plan. I had Post-it notes in my room, like a murder board, with all the evidence.

Sadly, it was also a signal to me that I probably wouldn’t be picked as a Traitor, even though I desperately wanted to be one. They’d just had a season with Mama [Donna] Kelce. She was the oldest, and she was gone. I knew that wasn’t going to happen. I was hoping maybe I was wrong, but I was like, “Adjust your mindset, because you’re not going to be a Traitor, girlfriend. Now you’re sitting there gathering information.”
PC: Early in the game, it also feels like everyone has the mindset of, “As long as it’s not my name, I’ll jump on that bandwagon.”
Sherry: 100%. I call it banishment brain. You’re at the round table, and when you hear someone throw out a name, 80% of your brain is going, “Thank God it’s not me.” The other 20% is thinking rationally, but that 80% outweighs the 20%.

PC: You’ve got to trademark that. Did you have any inklings going into that banishment that your name was going to come up? Did you ever consider throwing out somebody else’s name sooner to shift the target?
Sherry: There was definitely a vibe. You could feel it. I was like, “Okay, you’re going to have to fight for your life here.” But I also had a to-do list, and at the top of it was to say my piece about Jay. I wasn’t leaving that castle without saying my piece, because he was creating a crockpot of confusion that we were all simmering in. I had to say my piece.

Then there was the whole three-Traitors thing. My first thought was, “Is this an indictment of the American educational system, that people can’t do simple math?” I’m like, “What’s happening? Two plus one equals three.” We heard it from Alan [Cumming]. I was a little worried. I was like, “Gosh, wow. That’s not great. Let the chips fall where they may.” I think I defended myself to the best of my ability. People in the comments said, “Why didn’t you say this? Why didn’t you say that?” I was like, “You’re not seeing the whole thing, or you’d have a full miniseries of roundtables alone.” They have to show different stuff and keep it moving. But I saw the writing on the chalkboard. You knew. So I was like, “What’s my banishment strategy going to be?” I thought, “My hair looks good. I kind of like my outfit. What am I going to say?” I hadn’t been leaning into being a 65-year-old woman. Honey, I was going to lean into it 100%. They were getting a stern scolding. Three, two, one, it was coming. I was going to be their mother, and that’s why I told them to do better. It was fun.

I do think I’m a little delusional and fabulous. I just wanted to say that in a castle setting. I think my fabulosity was too much for them because they were like, “You’re not saying enough.” It’s the classic female conundrum: “You’re not saying enough. You’re not doing enough.” Then, when you say something, it’s, “You’re too much.” So whatever you do, it’s not going to be right. As women, we’re very used to experiencing that in our daily lives. Not enough. Too much.

But I wanted to enjoy my banishment because I knew it was going to be my last time in the castle. I was like, “I’m going to have some fun.” So that’s what I did.

PC: You went out guns blazing. Speaking of Jay, you had strong suspicions about Joe, who was indeed a Traitor. But ultimately, you went after Jay, and I thought your argument that he was playing a bad Faithful game was really compelling, especially early on. What led you to go after Jay over Joe? How much did the discussion at the roundtable influence that decision?
Sherry: Here’s the deal with Joe: I was collecting data on him. I knew he was a Traitor. His biggest tell was that he’d sit down and say, “The Traitors are really smart, right?” I’d be like, “Is he seeking positive affirmation because he’s a Traitor?” Then I’d say, “No, the Faithfuls are just dumb. The Traitors don’t have to be smart. We’re just really dumb.”

But he was the mayor of Castle Town. Everyone loved Joe. You couldn’t come at him with weak evidence. You had to have facts. I’m a very fact-based person, a journalist by training. Facts matter. I was gathering them.

My first step was to get rid of Jay, say my piece about him, get through the banishment, and not get murdered. Then I could go for Joe. You couldn’t just come for him. People would get their backs up. And at my age, people might have been like, “Is Sherry having cognitive decline? Why is she going after Joe?” So I knew I had to be very, very careful.
PC: Like you just said, the Faithfuls are playing a bad game, and the Traitors don’t have to do much. Why do you think causing chaos and repeatedly accusing the wrong people raised less suspicion than gathering information and staying quiet?
Sherry: I think it’s human nature and groupthink. Playing this game was the biggest psychological study I’ve ever experienced in human nature and how groupthink works. At the round table, I’d think, “No wonder so many horrible things have happened throughout history, and still happen today.” The implications of groupthink are frightening. A lot of that was fascinating to me.

I’m guilty of it, too. Who did I vote for? I voted out Madeline [Kostopulos] and Arisa [Thomas], so who am I to judge? I’m not above groupthink. I did it. It was really interesting.

It’s also interesting to see who people trust, because I thought, “Who’s going to believe Abby [Lee]? She just got out Arisa and was wrong, and now she’s coming for me. Come on.” But groupthink is powerful. The round table messes with your brain and your sense of logic. It was fascinating and fun. I had a great adventure. If they do another Civilian season, everyone should apply. I didn’t think I had a chance at all, but everyone should do it. It was so much fun. I enjoyed every minute of it.

To keep up with Sherry, follow her on Instagram. The Traitors: New Blood is currently airing on NBC and available to stream the next day on Peacock.