(S05E02) "I'll kill you in your sleep...I can do it and not leave any forensic evidence." - Nicole, to Paul
Uh...wow. That's one of the more provocative statements made in the history of The Mole. Of course, if this show was on CBS Nicole would have said, "...I can do it and not leave any forensic evidence and even the CSI: Miami team wouldn't be able to prove I did it." The funny thing is, Nicole wasn't totally out of line in saying it. Just when you think Nicole was the "evil" one on this reality show, another strong contender shows up: Paul. I don't know which one I'd rather talk to less, though Paul pulled ahead of Nicole tonight in many ways.
The players are still in Chile. The first challenge had two different teams trying to make it up a hill to a statue. Mark and Kristen were on a bike, and the rest of the group had to make their way to gondolas, after getting their asses kicked by talented soccer kids. Despite a bike chain that keeps on breaking (hmmmm), Mark and Kristen make it first and got an exemption.
The second challenge tonight is one of the oddest challenges I've ever seen on a reality show. Three different groups have to go into town and find ceramic pigs and bring them back to the arena, where they will be catapulted into the air and caught (hopefully) by two other players using a blanket. They get $1000 for each pig and have to only have until workers create 10 other ceramic pigs by hand. It's different, that's for sure.
The team ends up getting several pigs back to the arena and actually a bunch caught. There's also an exemption chip inside one of the pigs, found by Paul after he smashed it. Hmmmm...was Paul just lucky (heck, it could have been a loose ceramic piece inside the pig) or did he know it was inside because he's the Mole?
Bobby finds Alex's journal in his room. Did Alex leave it on purpose because he's the Mole (or not the Mole but still wanting to throw players off) or did he really forget it? Bobby writes "I [heart] Alex" on a piece of paper.
At the execution ceremony, the player saying bye-bye is...Liz! Those of you who thought that the sweet older player could actually be the Mole are wrong. It's too bad that she's gone. This game needs an older player. She'll be missed.
At the end of the ceremony, Paul mouths off again, saying that Bobby is lame because a woman had to push him around, and he also insults Nicole, who responds with the quote that opened this review.
Some observations:
- Some readers said in the comments last week that it's way too early to try to figure out who the Mole is. While I understand this thinking, I also think that these reviews would be lacking if I didn't at least try to figure out who the bad guy is every week. Last week I guessed it was Mark, and nothing this week strayed me from that thinking (some of his lines seem badly delivered, like he's acting), though I think Victoria is a strong candidate too. She was more up front this week (I liked her line about Paul: "I'm used to dealing with people like him, I work in retail!"), but she's still a bit under the radar.
- Last week a very obvious (though I had to watch the episode twice) Mole fingerprint logo appeared on only one helmet in the raft challenge, Victoria's. Did anyone catch any other possible clues tonight? I'm always looking for a shirt that someone is wearing or something they might say in the confessional camera moments that might be a hint.
- Jon Kelley offered Mark and Kristen a taxi in the middle of their bike trip, but Mark was very adamant about saying no, though Kristen wasn't as sure. Even though Mark was clearly trying with the bike and wanted to win, this sounds like a very Mole-ish decision.
- One thing I want answered by ABC is this: is Bobby OK? I mean physically. Last week he almost keeled over just by walking on the beach looking for trinkets. This week he practically collapses not only from playing soccer but also from, um, simply walking looking for pigs in stores. Kristen actually has to push him around in a wheelbarrow for the entire challenge, which is one of the more comical scenes in the history of this show. Did the contestants have to pass some medical/physical tests before they signed on the dotted line? Bobby is either the Mole and sabotaging all the games or he's a thin, frail man, the male Olive Oyl.
- They have to start mixing things up in the executions. As it stands now, you know that the first three players that they check on the screen are going to be safe. It's usually the 5th or 6th or 7th player who is eliminated. I'd love to see the very first player who they check be eliminated, to keep viewers on their toes.
- More Mole merchandise: soccer uniforms!
- I might start using Kristen's line of "a wheelbarrow full of Bobby," though I don't know in what context yet.
Giveaway Monday: That '70s Show The Complete Series Stash box set
Giveaway Monday: Back to You season one DVD
Six shows that I am watching pretty regularly this season
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-10-2008 @ 2:00AM
Michael said...
I have to say, this week was much better than the premiere. The editing is still very sloppy, but it kept me engaged, and now I'm curious who the Mole is, and how he or she will elude detection.
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6-10-2008 @ 2:16AM
MERVE-THE-PERVE said...
I still say Mark. And I still believe he is the drama teacher at his school.
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6-10-2008 @ 4:47AM
collin said...
The host, Jon Kelley, really should be the one who gets executed. While he was attempting to deliver his lines during the introduction to the Pig Catch segment, he muttered them without any style or delivery similar to the way that a 7 year-old mutters his lines in a school play.
I then thought about how clever and cool Anderson Cooper was in the first two seasons, and that he'd still be excellent as a replacement host. But we can't do much, especially since this entire season is probably filmed and edited already.
So if any of ABC's people or the Producers of The Mole are reading this: Pick a host with charisma next time, dammit!
And they're still trying to fool us with that 40" "touchscreen". Yeah... right...
Having slammed the host enough, let me say that the vast majority of contestants are really hamming it up (no pun intended) in an obnoxious, I-know-I'm-on-reality-TV-so-here's-my-moment-to-shine way. These people are really overdoing it, and I can't wait for them all to either get executed or die on-camera. Paul, Nicole, Bobby, Mark... die... die... die...
I said it last week and I'll say it again: The Mole has always flown under the radar, and avoids bringing attention to themselves. So, Clay and Kristen are still my candidates for The Mole.
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6-10-2008 @ 7:55AM
Argus said...
I say again, there is nothing weird about a 40 inch touch screen. I'm not saying that's what he's using, but its definately possible to make one, particularly if you stray from the tech found in laptops.
6-10-2008 @ 10:05AM
mike said...
I have personally seen a 46+ inch touchscreen onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. I doubt the host's TV is one of them, though.
6-10-2008 @ 9:42PM
Andrew said...
CNN uses one of those giant touchscreens for their political coverage.
6-10-2008 @ 10:58PM
collin said...
Somehow, I don't think the producers of The Mole opted for a large touchscreen. If you watch the host, he presses each "icon" very slowly and deliberately... as if he's waiting for the video person to switch the screen.
Compare that to someone who is used to working with a touchscreen. They work very quickly and fluidly, not slowly like Jon Kelley does.
6-10-2008 @ 10:10AM
AngryManSteve said...
I believe Victoria was wearing a very Mole-green shirt during one of the confessionals. I did not see her wearing that shirt during any other part of the episode. For the most part, the clothes people have on in the confessionals are whatever they were wearing that day so it was odd.
But I think Victoria is the Mole and am looking for any clues associated with her.
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6-10-2008 @ 9:44PM
Andrew said...
Victoria was the first one to get one of those green soccer uniforms from Jon.
I'm on the lookout for any clues having to do with Victoria, so I might be over-analyzing it a bit.
6-10-2008 @ 11:37AM
John said...
I'm going to point my finger at Craig as being the mole.
When Craig was with Kristen and Bobby in the first shop, looking for ceramic pigs, the man in the shop kept saying that someone had already been there and taken the pig. They kept looking, because no one apparently could understand him. But, in the previews for next weeks show, Craig translated for someone saying that (not exact verbage) "they said that you are too skinny, and need to eat" or something like that. So, was that sarcasm, or did he really know the native language?
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6-10-2008 @ 2:11PM
Zarquon said...
FYI, when Jon tosses the Mole Soccer shirt to the players, he tosses it to Victoria.
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6-10-2008 @ 7:57PM
sara said...
I deleted my episode, but I thought that one of the questions was worded strange. The question about the two teams in the uphill challenge was not, "What team was the mole on?". It was something to the effect of "what team did the mole CHOOSE to be on?". Anyone else notice that?
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6-10-2008 @ 9:47PM
Andrew said...
I think the question you are referring to is, "In "Race to the Summit," which group did the mole join?"
6-10-2008 @ 10:10PM
Max said...
I still think it's Mark. He's a HISTORY teacher, yet he thought that a picture camera and jeans were around in the very early 1700? Also, I've noticed that a lot of his actions are very rushed or done under pressure. For example, last week he threw the jeans in at the very last minute, saying something like he had to wear pants before the sand ran out. If it's down to the very last few seconds, then it sounds logical at that moment but if you think about it, it doesn't.
Then in the second episode, he was quick to say that they weren't going to take the taxi. His mind was already made up. Personally, I think most people would have took it because you don't know how much more you have to go, you could get an exemption that will help you stay longer in the game, and it cost only $5,000. So let's say they took it and everyone thought he was the Mole. So what, it's better for him because then they vote for him and get kicked out and he stays longer...unless he is the mole and he doesn't want to be caught.
Also I forgot to mention is doing to pig game, it was his idea to head back into town. When time was running down he kept on saying we better hurry up, I would rather break a few pigs then just have some left over. Sounds very Molish. Plus his waterfall picture is another clue for me that he is the Mole.
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6-11-2008 @ 7:49AM
Andy said...
At the moment I find it mostly boring.
Imagine how much more fun this show would be, if you knew from the beginning who the mole was.
And how interesting it would be to see right away in which ways the mole tries to sabotage the challenges and what his/her plans were and how he/she strategizes.
It's always funnier for an audience if it knows more than the contestants.
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6-11-2008 @ 8:50AM
fowak said...
Last week I thought Victoria. This week I still think she's a front-runner, but am open-minded to it being someone else, though. Maybe Bobby. But I kind of think that might be too obvious.
Also, Jon Kelley was quite as robotic this week, maybe he'll improve as the weeks go on...
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6-11-2008 @ 1:39PM
The Klepackage said...
I personally think Paul is awesome. He's from Brooklyn and doesn't want to take anyone's crap. If you're being a bitch, he'll call you out on it. Nicole's mere appearance on screen drives me crazy. She acts like one of the B-list celebs on some VH1 but has yet to realize that she's old news.
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6-11-2008 @ 4:53PM
Andrew said...
The only time I thought Paul was "in the right" was at the end when Nicole threatened his life. I don't care how much trash he talks to her anymore.
6-13-2008 @ 12:00PM
Mike said...
Don't forget, when Victoria gets that shirt, the host specifically says "Here is YOUR jersey"
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7-01-2008 @ 12:32PM
jlgunk said...
craig is the mole, he got the exemption by knowing to say "exemption" first. he just so happened to be be able to keep his original journal. and when they where chained together in the background on the wall in very big letters were CRG. and i am wondering wht hios shirt meant also "SILKE" its either him or Mark the only reason i say Mark is i just dont like his style what a crybaby who supposedly is a coach always never seem to try always whining not winning but whining would u let your kid be on his team. what a big baby.
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