(S05E10) "You go down the street and take a left at Jesus." - street directions to find the solution to a challengeAt first I thought this was the season finale of The Mole. Then I found out that it's actually next week where we found out who the Mole is and who wins the money. According to the preview for next week, we'll also have a reunion of the executed players and we'll find out how the Mole sabotaged the game and what clues the show laid out for us. The latter sounds great, but a reunion? I can't remember what the finales for the first two seasons of The Mole were like (the ones hosted by Anderson Cooper), but did they have a reunion finale too? If I remember correctly, the game didn't end on a test and we found out who did best and who won the money, it was actually another challenge that revealed the winner and the Mole (I think one finale challenge had them opening various doors to see who was behind it, or something like that?).
Anyway, let's get to what happened in this episode.
I have to say I agree with Mark, Craig, and Nicole about the "cut the wire" challenge: that's the most spy-like challenge we've seen on the show yet. And I also have to admit that I'm totally confused. I like to think of myself as a clever guy, but when they show that room with the letters on the wall and the giant clock in the middle of the room and the map with time zones and the letter puzzle...gah, I think my head would have exploded right then and there.
But you have to hand it to them, they actually figured it out. I can't stand watching Nicole during these challenges. If she's not the Mole, then she's one of these people who isn't as smart as she thinks she is (I don't care if she's a doctor or not). She's one of these people who says more words and tries to make it look like they're figuring things out, when they're really just spinning their wheels. I hate people like that.
Five more observations about this next-to-last ep:
- At one point, Nicole says "when life gets ridiculous, just do a dance." That's a nice sentiment and I can picture it on a t-shirt, but I don't quite believe someone like Nicole (if she's not the Mole) lives her life that way. She'd be more "when life gets ridiculous, make ridiculade, poison it, and give it to someone you don't like."
- Running around the streets of Buenos Aires, with the crazy traffic and all the people, looks 100 times more dangerous than being on Survivor and living in an animal-infested jungle for a month.
- When Nicole is being all Nicole-ish to Jon on the phone, he rolls his eyes like he's disgusted with her. If Nicole is the Mole, then Kelley is just lying to our face.
- Right before the first commercial break, there was a weird, alien-like sound made. Sort of a high pitched cartoon voice saying something like "gigigeb." Did anyone else hear that?
Since this is the last episode before we find out who the Mole is, I have to give my guess, eh? OK, I'm going to go with Craig. It's nothing incredibly scientific, but I come to my conclusion because I think that from day one it has just been too obvious that Nicole was screwing up challenges and being confrontational. As for Mark, I think he's worked way too hard to put money into the pot to be the Mole. If Nicole's the Mole, it would be a little anti-climatic for me. If Mark is the Mole, I will give him a standing ovation for a great performance.
But I think Craig has been one of the more low-key players, so you wouldn't suspect him, with a mix of really trying to win the challenges and quiet sabotage. And I think that whole thing with him getting really sick on the mountain and having to go to the hospital in the ambulance is a little fishy.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
8-05-2008 @ 1:43AM
Ryan said...
Yes. They had a reunion show when they had the finale. It's to have all the players together again in one room before they reveal who the Mole is. Instant reaction shots. Then the three remaining (Mole, winner, loser) join the others and they do a retrospective and such.
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8-05-2008 @ 2:31AM
Kyle said...
I've been on Craig ever since he happened accross the Dry Cleaner where everyone's clothes just happened to be at.
It's become more and more obvious each week. Man, I'll be upset if I'm wrong ;)
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8-05-2008 @ 3:36AM
Jeff N. said...
I keep thinking it is Craig also. I can't wait for the finale.
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8-05-2008 @ 4:56AM
collin said...
What I hope happens:
Mole: Mark
Winner: Craig
Loser: Nicole
What I actually think will happen:
Mole: Mark
Loser: Craig
Winner: Nicole
I don't know if Craig actually tried to sabotage the Tick Tock Boom game, but he did find a number of items that Mark and Nicole missed (like the Map). Nicole has probably tried to sabotage every game she's played on the show, so whatever. Mark has indeed slowed the process down on this challenge and previous ones, but he has come through more than the other two with putting money into the pot. Doesn't matter, because Mark is the Mole.
During the final *FINAL* challenge, Craig really seemed to want to win the challenge, but Mark won. He prevented $75K from being added into the pot, and got to see the Mole's dossier. More importantly, he prevented the other two from gaining an advantage by getting the dossier. Mark is the Mole.
They also mentioned that (according to Craig) Mark held prevented the largest amount of cash from going into the pot ($170K?). Mark also mentioned that Craig prevented $150K to be second, and Nicole prevented $138K from being added to the pot. Disclaimer: I'm going by memory and those figures are probably wrong but according to the show, Mark sabotaged the pot the most, followed by Craig and Nicole.
This doesn't sound right, but oh well. Mark is the Mole.
Mark also mentioned that even if he guesses the wrong person, *it doesn't matter*. Mark is the Mole.
And watch, Mark might not be the Mole. It'll probably be Nicole. But I still insist that Mark will end up being the Mole (I hope). He's way too confident and unaffected by the pressure (unlike Craig). And I will be cursing the producers if Nicole turns out to be the laziest, unsophisticated and worthless Mole yet.
Although I was critical of this show (and new host) at the beginning of this season, I really enjoyed it overall. I'm hoping that it continues (somewhere) for another season.
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8-05-2008 @ 5:39AM
Jdog said...
I played with that weird sound. I reversed it and slowed it down by about 65%. It sounds like "Craig barried Paul" to me. But here is an mp3, see if you can hear anything else. http://w14.easy-share.com/1701109684.html
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8-05-2008 @ 1:50PM
collin said...
Well, that does say "Craig buried Paul". Good catch!
This is about as straightforward as a clue could be. But! Is it really a clue?
In the early episodes, a poster here noticed that a baby's cry could be heard during dinner in one of the episodes. That person associated the baby's cry with Nicole, since she's an OB/GYN.
So if either was a clue, we now have conflicting clues.
8-05-2008 @ 5:48AM
Will said...
Last week, I said I thought The Mole was Craig, that was my pick. After tonight's show, I have to say I really think it's Nicole. She seemed to have too little interest in the tasks tonight & that's seems awfully strange for a regular player to act that way this close to the end. Yes, Mark kept a large amount of cash out of the pot by taking the the Mole info, but, like he said, that extra money does him no good if he doesn't ace the quiz. Craig really helped a lot on the map task & that would have been so easy to sabotage (hell, just look at Nicole, she was pitiful, keep messing up numbers.) I really want the Mole to be either of the 2 guys, so I'll be dissappointed if it's Nicole, but I'll be really suprised, too, if it isn't her. By the way, that map challenge had me lost, too!
I've really enjoyed this season, I'll be sad when it's over.
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8-05-2008 @ 9:12AM
Sarah said...
i was always after Craig to be the mole, but i am really thinking its Mark. he has kept the most money out of the pot, but when he does, he pulls people into throwing the challenge as well (the one with no clothes, trying to get people to take sides with him about it being immoral, and the one where they had to race in constume, again rallying people against it because it mocked them). he hides behind his desperation to win the game, and that is why no one really thought he was the mole. everyone who thought it was Craig has been eliminated, except Nicole cause she stacks her answers, and if that isnt evidence that she is a bit more smart than the average player, IDK what is. Craig, on the other hand, has always suspected Mark, and he remained in the game until the final three.
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8-05-2008 @ 4:30PM
Doctor Professor said...
You need to remember the context that Mark prevented money from going into the pot. I think it was around $150,000 which he prevented from going in by getting an exception and getting the mole's dossier. That's not mole behavior, that's survival.
I'm still thinking the mole is Craig, mostly from the comments he makes about who he thinks the mole is. It seems like he's trying too hard to throw people off his and suggest he thinks the mole is Mark, and I just don't buy it because he says such ridiculous things like Mark wastes time or uses that he took an exemption and the dossier. I don't buy either of those reasons for thinking Mark is the mole, he's been a too consistent player at helping the team put money into the pot.
8-05-2008 @ 4:47PM
Sarah said...
i remember the exact context by which Mark prevented money from going into the pot, all the while playing the martyr to keep from being suspected:
epsiode 3: in the Dress Code challenge, Mark was the first person to opt out of the challenge, saying he thought it was demeaning to walk around half naked, begging for clothes. Clay joined him, but we know Clay isnt the mole. so no one suspected Mark, because no one really questions another's morals.
episode 5: in the Travelers challenge, Mark was very vocal and pushy about not only opting out of the challenge, but for everyone to join in and throw the challenge, citing that Craig was out to humiliate them all. again, he appealled to everyone's ethics so they would not notice that they were basically allowing him to lead an affront and keep money out of the pot.
for someone who says he would do anything to win, he sure has a lot of excuses.
8-05-2008 @ 9:25AM
ORKMommy said...
I really don't care who the Mole is anymore, I just want to make Nicole shut up! That woman is just too annoying for me!
Did anyone else think that she was flirting with Jon and he was flirting back? I sorta picked up on a little something there...
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8-05-2008 @ 10:21AM
Ryan said...
What I want to happen:
MOLE: Craig
WIN: Nicole
LOSE: Mark
It'll just be a hoot to see Mark lose after being so intense for most of the game to the point of throwing tantrums. Plus it's a big F-U to a few people if Nicole wins especially since many people questioned her strategy from Day One. Would the reveal of the Mole be anti-climactic? Eh, a bit, but Craig is awesome.
What I don't want to happen:
MOLE: Nicole
WIN: Mark
LOSE: Craig
As someone above said, as a PLAYER Nicole rocks. But if she was the Mole, her game play is just too unsophisticated for my taste. I'd hate to see Mark win, just because he did take the game so seriously. I like my players to have fun and not be a complete buzzkill. And after all that, the lovable Craig to lose to those two? Ouch. No thanks.
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8-05-2008 @ 10:48AM
MERVE-THE-PERVE said...
I'm still sticking with Mark as the mole. He has kept alot of money out of the pot while making it seem like he was working extra hard to put alot of money into the pot. He did an excellent acting job when his journal got burned and threw others off. I may have seen some numbered clues that show him to be the mole (the number 10, same as his journal number). Then again they were probably nothing. I'll find out next week. I'm gonna be pissed when they show the clues and everything will be so obvious. I would rather Craig be the mole and Mark the winner and Nicole the loser. But Mark is definitely the mole. I just hope Craig wins and Nicole loses.
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8-05-2008 @ 12:14PM
Rob Stevens said...
Nicole is the mole. Go back and watch the scene where Mark is reading the Mole's dossier. Freeze frame right after Craig is eyeing him, and when it cuts back to mark putting the papers down, you will CLEARLY see the word NICOLE at the top of the papers, written backwards (like you're seeing through the papers).
Now, having looked at that, it looks like they added that in after the show, since there's no way you should have been able to see that. Given that Mark now knows EXACTLY who the Mole is, the quiz should have been relatively easy.
Of course, there is another possibility ... that with Mark being the Mole, there was no reason for him to have his own dossier, so it was a dossier on the other players, and we just happened to catch a glimpse at Nicole's sheet. But I doubt it. It just seemed too obvious in this episode that they were trying to tell you that Nicole was the Mole.
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8-05-2008 @ 3:05PM
Liz said...
My guess, and also what I hope happens:
Mole: Craig
Winner: Mark
Loser: Nicole
I would really hate for Nicole to be the mole or the winner of the money.
Jon has said (in his blog and other places) that he didn't know who the Mole was until it was revealed at the end. Of course, this could be a lie (just like the quiz results could be) but I prefer to believe they are telling the truth about this stuff.
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8-05-2008 @ 3:07PM
Liz said...
How funny was it when Nicole thought she could get away with using an ice cream sundae as dulce de leche. Like the five production guys following her around wouldn't clue Jon in. Cmon.
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8-05-2008 @ 3:10PM
brenth said...
So I just wanted to write something... I remember the first reunion, they had all the contestants sitting in a small room, and they went around asking who they thought would win, and who was the mole, and Anderson hosted, and the mole and the winner came through doors during the reunion.
I liked this season, and I can't wait for next week! My mole was out a couple weeks ago, so now I have no opinion.. ok I think Craig's the mole.
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8-05-2008 @ 3:17PM
Bob Sassone said...
Liz: you're right, just checking Jon Kelley's blog and he says straight out (in Episode 7's entry) that he didn't know who the Mole was. That's really odd to me and if it's true it puts the whole game in a new perspective.
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8-06-2008 @ 12:10AM
SA said...
I remember Anderson Cooper saying it took him a little while to figure out who the mole was, and that he was never told either.
Once again, I feel like this show is on the brink of being an amazing show, but they don't seem to be executing it in the right way. And, once again, it will be written off as a flop...unfortunately. It's like having a child who isn't living up to his/her potential.
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8-06-2008 @ 1:32PM
Tammy said...
I think the mole is Nicole. I had thought it was Paul (although I was questioning it of late) but wasn't changing my mind because I didn't know who else to pick.
Anyway, with Paul gone I went back to look at other shows. I saved them on my DVR so I could go back and review. Anyway, I think the mole is Nicole.
There are a few reasons:
Remember when Bobby said that Jon was eating an apple and thought it was Paul (New York City = Big Apple). That may have been a clue and it related to Nicole, i.e. An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
Also, I noticed the baby cry, which I think someone above mentioned. That sealed it for me.
So, I continued watching and if you watch Nicole when they get money, she tries to look happy but it just looks fake. It just looks like she is faking her happiness.
I had thought all along that she was just too obvious, but I think now that I was wrong. I think it is Nicole. I still have a couple of shows that I taped to watch again, so I may find more reasons to think it is Nicole.
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