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The Mole (U.S. Season 5)
Encyclopedia
The fifth season of the US
version of The Mole
began airing on ABC
on June 2, 2008, after being pushed back a week by ABC. Casting information was announced online.
After the fourth season
in 2004, ABC declined to pick up The Mole, and Stone Stanley Entertainment
lost the rights to the show from Belgian company TTTI. In August 2007, Scott Stone of Stone & Co. Entertainment (the new name for Stone Stanley Entertainment after David Stanley left in 2004) re-secured the rights to the program, and with ABC in January 2008, announced the show's return to U.S. television.
500,000 (compared to $1,000,000 of the first two civilian seasons), and the total offered in all of the missions exceeded $850,000, although the team only earned $420,000.
Jon Kelley
was hired as the new host, and filming began the week of March 23, 2008 in Chile
.
Over the Falls: The players were asked, by secret ballot, who they thought the Mole was based on first impressions. Marcie was chosen and it was revealed that she would have control over the upcoming game. While wearing a safety harness, the remaining players each rode a raft over Laja Falls
and had to try to grab a bag hanging over the edge of the falls. Of the eleven bags, six had real money, while the other five had worthless paper. It was Marcie's task to secretly assign which six players would be jumping for real money. Each bag of real money grabbed added $10,000 to the pot. Of the six players who successfully grabbed a bag, only two had real money, so $20,000 was added to the pot. Marcie then had to choose four players to sleep outside, rather than in a cabin with the other eight. Nicole, who was chosen to sleep outside, complained about the decision, and decided to stay awake all night inside the cabin to avoid breaking the rules.
Robinson Crusoe: The players were taken to a beach and told the story of Alexander Selkirk
, who was stranded in Chile in 1704, and inspired Robinson Crusoe
. The goal of this mission was to find five items that Selkirk had with him. Nicole, who was voted the "whiniest" player, divided the remaining players into three groups: six "scavengers" who searched the beach for as many of 45 hidden items as they could find, a group of three "appraisers" who decided which of the found items were correct, and two "timekeepers" who could give the others more time by refilling a giant hourglass
with sand as it ran down; when it was empty, the mission ended. The appraisers were allowed three guesses at the five items, and were told after the first two guesses how many items were correct, but not which ones. For each correct item found, $5,000 was added to the pot. Three correct items were found for a total of $15,000. Nicole, as "whiniest", was then "stranded" on the beach while the remaining contestants went to their hotel. This caused her to be exempt from execution, as she could not take the quiz while she was "stranded".
Race to the Summit: The players were asked to split themselves into groups of nine "goal-oriented" people, and two who see life as an "uphill battle" (Mark and Kristen were chosen as the latter). The two teams had to race to the top of Cerro San Cristóbal
: The "uphill battle" team were given a tandem bicycle
to ride, while the "goal-oriented" team were to ride up by gondola lift
, but had to first score a goal in a soccer match against a children's team to earn their tickets. After twenty minutes of play, the team was allowed penalty kick
s to score. They would then have to travel on foot to the lift. If they beat the "uphill battle" team to the summit, the team would add $35,000 to the pot. If they did not, the "uphill battle" team would earn exemptions from the quiz.
The bike's chain slipped off its gears several times, causing Mark to decide to walk the bike for part of the trip. Jon Kelley waited partway up the hill with pisco sour
s for Mark and Kristen, and offered them the opportunity to take a taxicab
for a $5,000 deduction from the pot, which Mark quickly refused.
The "goal-oriented" team finally scored with penalty kicks, and made their way to the gondolas. The faster players raced ahead and took the first gondola, while several slower players lagged behind and took a second gondola. Upon arrival at the top of the hill, they found that Mark and Kristen had beaten them.
When Pigs Fly: The players split into three groups of three and one group of two. The groups of three had to search the town for 50 hidden clay pigs with a Mole thumbprint on them. They then had to return to an outdoor arena with the pigs and use a large slingshot
to launch the fragile pigs towards the two-player team, who had to catch the pigs with a blanket
without damaging them. For each unbroken pig returned, $1,000 was added to the pot. Jon Kelley started the group off by leaving one free pig on the scoring table, worth $1,000. The time limit was set by two local potters creating clay pigs at the arena. Once they had finished 12 new pigs (a timeframe of roughly an hour), the mission ended. An additional exemption was also announced, but was left for the players to figure out.
Liz and Paul were the group of two. While waiting for the others to return, Paul smashed open the one free pig, forfeiting $1,000. Inside he found a chip which earned him an exemption. Two of the groups brought back 18 and 26 pigs respectively. Bobby could not run and was carried in his team's wheelbarrow
for the entire task; his team did not recover any pigs. Twenty-eight pigs were successfully launched and caught, for a total of $28,000 added to the pot.
Fruit of the Luge: The players were asked to split themselves into two groups of five who "can't trust anyone" (Paul, Victoria, Kristen, Clay, Alex) and five who "trust blindly" (Bobby, Ali, Craig, Nicole, Mark); then they were asked to get into pairs of one player from each group. Each pair would two-person luge
down a steel luge course. The "can't trust anyone" player would be in front, controlling the braking lever blindfold
ed, and the "trust blindly" player would be in back, telling their partner when to slow down. In addition, seven drawings of different fruits were arranged along the course. The "trust blindly" player had to relay each fruit to their partner, before the finish line. After the finish line, the teams couldn't talk. After the luge, the "can't trust anyone" player had to arrange actual fruits in the same order as the images, choosing from a table full of fruit. Each fruit in the correct position added $2,000 to the pot.
Clay got 5/7 correct, only flipping the order of two fruits despite Bobby's failure to relay the color of several fruits, and mistaking an avocado
for a pear
; Paul got 5/7 correct from Ali, also flipping the order of two fruits; Victoria got 7/7 from Craig; Kristen got 7/7 from Mark; Alex got 1/7 by placing the first fruit twice, having heard Nicole repeat it, thus pushing all the remaining fruits back one spot. The team totaled 25/35 and would have added $50,000 to the pot; however, both Clay and Bobby, and Victoria and Craig discussed the fruits after crossing the finish line and the $24,000 they earned was negated. The team ultimately added $26,000 to the pot.
Dress Code: The team was brought to a spa to relax. While they were enjoying the services, Kelley took their clothes other than their shoes to be dry cleaned
. The team was told to split into two groups of three and two groups of two. The groups were then given the address of a restaurant across town and informed they had less than two and a half hours to get there. Players, dressed only in underwear, also had to meet the restaurant's dress code of a dress shirt, tie, and pants for men, and two shirt layers with a skirt or pants for women. The team had to get clothes from locals en route to the restaurant. Each player that arrived properly dressed added $5,000 to the pot.
Clay and Mark opted not to participate at the start of the mission. Alex used his fluency in Spanish to get clothes for himself and Paul, and Paul completed their outfits when he met some fellow New Yorkers. Ali, Kristen, and Victoria got shirts from several men and found a lady with three spare pairs of pants. Craig noticed a laundromat and saw envelopes with the players' names on them, realizing that the shop had their dry cleaned clothes. He, Bobby, and Nicole thus wore their own clothes and brought the others' clothes to the restaurant. All eight players that participated arrived, adding $40,000 to the pot. (Kelley then revealed that the cards bearing the address of the restaurant also had the address of the laundromat printed, in Roman Numeral "code," at the bottom, where a copyright statement would normally be present.)
Execution Bribe: Just prior to the quiz results being read, $20,000 was offered to the first player who would agree to quit the game. No one accepted the offer, and Kristen's, Mark's, and Victoria's results were read (though Paul's thumbnail was also outlined in green, indicating his result was already read as safe). Then, an increased bribe of $30,000 was offered to all players, including those who were already shown their safe results. Ali ultimately accepted the second bribe. The group was informed Ali would have been safe, but that the execution would continue; Bobby became the Mole's third victim.
Midas Rush: The teams were asked to split into teams of four "selfish" players and four "selfless" players. The players were given 50 minutes to carry as many of 200 five-pound gold-colored bricks as possible approxiamtely 2,800 feet up to the top of the 10,000 foot mountain they were brought to, provided only with backpacks. The mission was inspired by the Spanish
conquistador
s who historically forced the Incas to transport gold to Spanish ships for shipping back to Spain. Each brick transported added $250 to the pot. Each team had to arrive together at the same time to complete the mission. The team that arrived first would also receive an exemption.
The Selfish team (Victoria, Nicole, Clay and Kristen) took a light load of 23 bricks, hoping to finish faster. The Selfless team (Paul, Alex, Craig and Mark) took a fuller load of 38 bricks, with Mark explaining that they already knew they were the weaker team and would probably finish last. At the halfway point, Kelley waited along the path to tell the teams they also needed to carry a scale. The Selfish team arrived first and had a choice of scales. Without the benefit of lifting the scales, they chose the one that weighed ten pounds, leaving the twenty pound scale behind for the Selfless team. Mark had to leave four bricks behind to carry the scale, reducing the team to 34 bricks.
The Selfish team reached the top first, while the Selfless team arrived with only half a minute to go. The teams brought up 57 bricks for a total of $14,250 out of a possible $50,000. Kelley then announced that the Selfish players would have to unanimously decide which of them would get the exemption; if they could not decide, both the exemption and all of their money would be forfeited. The initial inclination was to vote Kristen, but Clay argued that he had not had an exemption, and the group relented after he agreed to return the favour to Kristen in the future. Craig was taken by ambulance to hospital after the mission when he experienced symptoms of altitude sickness
and hypothermia
. He returned to the team later with orders to rest.
Before the next mission began, Kelley added $750 to the pot to round up the awkward value from this mission.
Who Said That: During dinner, Kelley took the players' journals and wrote down seven of the comments written in them which referred to another player. He then returned the journals, and began reading the comments one at a time. The player who the comment referred to had to guess which player had written the comment without any signalling from the other players. Each correct answer was worth $2,000. Players were not told the correct author when they guessed incorrectly. Craig did not participate in this mission.
The team correctly guessed 4/7 questions, and earned a fifth question after Kelly offered the opportunity for the author of the final comment (Victoria) to identify himself or herself. However, the team lost one question because Nicole made signals by coughing and fluttering her eyelashes for the comment that she authored. Nicole also initially offered no guess at the author of her comment, saying only "I don't know" before Kelley asked her to guess. The team thus earned $8,000 out of a possible $14,000.
After dinner, Kelley took the team (without Craig) outside to a bonfire and asked if any player was willing to sacrifice their journal. He told the team to agree on one player. Several players offered their journals, believing the reward would be an exemption. Paul, Alex and Nicole played "rock, paper, scissors" and Alex won. He offered up his journal, but Kelley instead burned the remaining players' journals. Mark, who had been rigorous about writing every detail in his journal was visibly upset. Craig was later revealed to be able to keep his journal in compensation for not having details about the mission he missed.
All for One: The players were taken to an abandoned train station, and were chained together to the outside of a barred cell by their ankles. Across from them was another cell which held the key to their chains, and would open once every ten minutes. By leaning against the bars they were chained to, the players could allow enough slack in the chain for one of them to reach the key.
The player who reaches the key was only allowed to free themselves, leaving the remaining players to wait for the next time the cell opened. If all of the players escaped before sunrise, $25,000 would be added to the pot. However, the cell with the key also contained an exemption card. If the player getting the key also took the exemption card, no money would be added to the pot, and the remaining players would have to remain chained all night. Players who were unchained received a meal and comfortable bed, while players who remained chained had to spend the night in the cold.
The team allowed Craig to go first, due to his poor health. They then allowed Kristen to go, with Clay having promised her to return a favor after letting him have exemption in the Midas Rush mission. Paul was allowed to go after he swore on his daughter. Clay went next after he couldn't get Mark to promise not to take the exemption. Nicole left after she convinced Mark she was being honest. Alex let Mark decide whether he wanted to leave first, and Mark told Alex to go. Finally, Mark weighed the two options, and ultimately decided not to take the exemption.
Travelers: The group split into teams of two and had to travel five and a half miles to the Cerro de la Gloria statue in 45 minutes. Each team which arrived added $10,000 to the pot. Each team had to travel using a different form of transportation. The seventh player was the "captain" in charge of splitting up the groups and assigning the form of transportation. Craig won the position by being the first player to say the word "exemption" during breakfast. He was also promised an exemption if none of the teams arrived in time.
Craig was shown a variety of transportation methods, from difficult to use stilts to relatively quick scooters. Craig decided to go for the exemption; he assigned Mark to wear a scuba outfit and Alex to dress up as a conquistador and bring a donkey he couldn't ride; he teamed Clay on a unicycle with Kristen on stilts; finally, he teamed Nicole and Paul to make the trip in a llama
costume, with fierce rivals Nicole (whose vanity had annoyed the group) at Paul (whose rudeness had annoyed the group) asked to team up as the llama's head and rear, respectively. Clay later said in an interview that the move was "almost Shakespearian."
Mark and Kristen did not want to be humiliated and tried to get everyone to opt out of the challenge; Paul and Nicole agreed, and with their teammates refusing, Clay and Alex had no choice. Jon Kelley and Craig waited at the midpoint for the players, with a possible offer, but the teams never arrived. The players ultimately took their vans to the statue, and Craig received an exemption.
weekend and to provide additional airtime for The Bachelorette
season finale. The series resumed July 14 with a doubleheader. A special hour-long episode subtitled Take A Closer Look aired just prior to Episode 6. It featured a recap of the first half of the season, and various never-before-seen footage from the first five weeks.
The Grapes of Cache: The players were taken to a vineyard
and asked to split themselves into two groups of three "Runners" (Mark, Alex and Clay) and three "Thinkers" (Nicole, Craig and Paul). The Runners chose Mark as their best athlete, and the Thinkers chose Paul as the best communicator. Seven bottles of Malbec
wine
were hidden throughout the vineyard, each worth $10,000 for the pot if found and returned.
The two remaining Thinkers had to answer seven multiple choice brain teaser
s; each answer correspond with multiple options of GPS
coordinates where a bottle was located. The Thinkers had to tell Paul, who could them tell the two remaining Runners (armed with GPS devices
) the coordinates via mobile phone
. The time limit for the challenge was controlled by Mark who had to run on a treadmill. Every time a bottle was found, the treadmill would increase speed. The mission ended when Mark stopped running. Paul was not allowed to help the Thinkers, but Mark was.
Mark ended up answering most of the questions correctly while running on the treadmill, with Nicole offering several wrong answers. The Thinkers answered all of the questions within 22 minutes, but it took more time to find each bottle than to answer the questions. The Runners took almost 30 minutes more to find the remaining bottles, and managed to return with them after 53 minutes to add $70,000 to the pot.
Swing Out: The group was brought to a 90-foot high bridge over the Mendoza River
. Each player, one at a time, had to bungee jump off the bridge and throw a bag of Mate leaves
onto a target on the shore below. The square target had rings worth $4,000, $6,000, and $8,000, with a $10,000 bullseye; the team could add up to $60,000 to the pot by each hitting a bullseye.
Each player was also asked before their jump what they thought the group total would be; the player who guessed closest without going over earned an exemption. All players decided to jump, but the only player to hit the target was Alex for $4,000. Everybody's guess for the group total was over $4,000, so no one earned the exemption.
Go Figure: The players were asked to split themselves into two groups of three "smart" players (Paul, Clay and Mark) and two "dumb" players (Craig and Nicole). Each team was given a set of clues leading to various locations around the city of Mendoza. Information found at the locations would be used by the players to compute several numbers. The teams had to return to the starting point and enter the numbers into a computer from memory, without writing them down. The three smart players had three numbers to remember, while the two dumb players (who were deemed dumb for having chosen the dumb team) had to remember five. If all of the answers were entered correctly, the team added $30,000 to the pot. The team had 70 minutes to complete the task.
Paul got the smart team lost but they managed to return in time to enter their numbers. One of the dumb team's numbers, however, was incorrect. One of the players was permitted 20 minutes to recalculate that number and reenter it. The team chose Nicole to go, but when she returned with another answer, the team knew it was incorrect, based on which digits were shown to be incorrect in the previous guess. However, Clay managed to deduce a pattern in the numbers, and determined the correct number. (Although it was not explicitly stated, the numbers were all numbers in the Fibonacci sequence.)
Ticket to Ride: The players were each asked which other player they trusted the most. They were then told that one of their friends or family members were in the city. The players were taken to the Los Incas
Metro
station to await their loved ones, and perform the mission.
One at a time, each player was given three minutes to go over the answers to thirty questions about their loved one with the player they chose as "most trusted". Kelley then asked that player five of the questions; if they could give the correct answers to at least three questions, their partner got to see and spend time with their loved one, and they added $10,000 to the pot. All five players succeeded, and the team added $50,000 to the pot.
How's the View: The players were asked to choose two players who consider themselves "Young at Heart", (Paul and Craig) and then asked to split into two pairs, each having one Young at Heart member. (Paul with Mark and Nicole with Craig). The Young at Heart player wore goggles which displayed a live video image from a camcorder
operated by their teammate. The cameraperson had to guide their teammate through a series of challenges designed for children. The teammates were always positioned opposite each other, so the goggles would display a mirrored image of the task at hand. The cameraperson also could not speak to their partner.
Each team's first task was to put three shaped blocks into a cube with correspondingly shaped holes, each cube was worth $1,000; each team completed six cubes, but Nicole responded to a question Craig asked, which resulted in a penalty; the total earned was $5,000. The second task was to kick two soccer balls into a goal. Each ball was worth $4,500; but neither team scored. The third task was to fill up four teacups to a given level without spilling any tea outside the saucer. Each cup was worth $2,500; Paul filled three, but spilled a drop on one cup and Craig filled three, but spilled on two, for a total of $7,500. The final task departed from the kid's level; the Young at Heart player had to cross a plank from one rooftop to another, pick up a piece of chalk at the midpoint, and copy a phrase on a chalkboard at the other side. Only Paul succeeded, adding $10,000 to the pot.
Cell Out: The players were each sequestered in a different locked cell. On the wall of each cell were the words "cell" and "mole", forming a doublet
puzzle. The players had to change one letter in "cell" to form a new English word, and do the same to the resulting word to get third word which was one letter away from "mole". The first player to solve this puzzle was released from their cell and became the "sniper" in a paintball obstacle course. The remaining players, once they completed the doublet puzzle, had to complete the obstacle course without getting shot; doing so added $15,000 to the pot each. However, if the sniper shoots the player carrying the game's exemption (not told to the players in advance), they earn an exemption; otherwise, no one earned it.
Mark ended up figuring the puzzle out first in under a minute; he managed to snipe Craig and Nicole, but Paul got through the course, adding $15,000 to the pot. The player holding the exemption, which was determined by the players' choice of cell, was held by Craig, meaning Mark earned an exemption.
Tick Tock Boom: The players were led to a room containing $50,000 in a bulletproof glass box. The box also contained a bomb which was set to detonate in one hour. The team had to defuse the bomb before it detonated in order to add the money to the pot. Also in the room were pieces to a puzzle which would tell the players how to defuse the bomb. Most of the pieces were in plain sight, but the players had to discover one hidden clue: A map of the world showing the time zone
divisions. Two players were required to hold down ropes behind the map to cause it to lower from the ceiling, so only one player could read the map at a time.
The team used the map to determine what the time would be in a provided list of 24 cities based on a time of 12:00 GMT
. A giant clock in the room shone a laser pointer
at a spot on the wall determined by the time the clock was set to. The team had to set the clock to each of the times found for the cities to cause the laser to point to 24 of the different letters on the wall. The letters could then be unscrambled to fill in a hangman
-style puzzle with punctuation and spacing given. The completed puzzle was "Clue: Cut the wire that is red + blue".
Nicole was the first to read the map, and made several errors. Mark attempted to correct them, but the team was running out of time. Having noticed that the bomb had several colored wires, and a pair of wire cutters were provided, Mark reasoned that the clue would tell them which wire(s) to cut. On that assumption, the team deduced that the only two colors that could be made from the letters they found were "red" and "blue". However, they did not have the correct letters for the word "wire", so were unsure if they should cut two wires, red and blue, or cut the purple wire. In the end, the team cut the purple wire, which was correct, and added the money to the pot with 21 seconds to spare.
Three to Tango: The three players each received an envelope containing a clue, a map, and a mobile phone. Each had to determine a different item or food from the clue, and call Kelley to confirm it. One they were correct, Kelley assigned them a task to do at the given location or with the given food. They had to take a photo with their phone confirming their completion and send it back to Kelley in order to be given their next clue. This process repeated for three different tasks for each player. After they solved all three clues, Kelley sent the player a photo of their final destination, the Puente de la Mujer
. The first player to arrive was offered a choice: To add $75,000 in the pot, or to be allowed to view "the Mole's dossier", which might or might not contain information that could help on the final quiz. Mark finished first, and decided to read the dossier. Kelley then added $1,500 to the pot, rounding the final total up to an even $420,000.
This episode uses the same format from The Mole 2: The Next Betrayal
and Celebrity Mole: Yucatán
but this time, the keys were replaced by key cards for the three locked doors with the three finalists.
Craig Slike is revealed as the Mole. Mark Lambrecht is shown to be the winner of the grand prize of $420,000, having correctly answered 17 questions on the final quiz to Nicole's 13. Moreover, Kelley revealed that examining the dossier did not materially affect the outcome: while the show did not reveal exactly what Mark saw, Kelley stated that the dossier held the answer to exactly one question on the final quiz and that both Mark and Nicole answered the question correctly.
Robinson Crusoe: Craig attempted to bury one of the correct items in the sand. He also saw, but did not pick up, the other correct item in the rocks near the beach.
Race to the Summit: Craig was to try to get into the "uphill battle" team, as to eventually take the exemption mid-route and deny the pot money, but was blocked. He proceeded to try to delay the soccer game as much as possible.
When Pigs Fly: Craig told Bobby to ride in the wheelbarrow after Bobby complained of a leg cramp. This meant his team did not have a place to carry the pigs.
Fruit of the Luge: Craig specifically got Victoria to talk after they were not supposed to at the end of the course, disqualifying their portion of the money (Victoria, being blindfolded, never knew when they had crossed the finish line and thus, could not have sabotaged in that manner).
Travelers: Craig chose modes of transportation for the players that would not allow them to reach the goal in the allotted time. After single-handedly ruining that mission, only Paul selected Craig as the mole on that episode's quiz.
How's the View: Craig got Nicole to inadvertently speak when she was not supposed to, thus preventing some money from entering the pot.
Cell Out: Craig had the answer to the doublet puzzle ahead of time and was to use this information to get out of the cell first and become the shooter. However, he took his time in trying to solve the puzzle (to prevent suspicion from being cast upon himself), which allowed Mark to solve it first. Using a backup plan, Craig positioned himself to be shot in order to deny money from entering the pot, as well as earn Mark an exemption.
Episode 1: In the "Crusoe" mission, Craig delivered a clue from "the Mole", and only the Mole himself could know where it was.
Episode 2: Beautiful models were moles in the two celebrity seasons, and Ali is a model. The producers wanted to clue the viewers in that this season, the model wasn't the Mole. During the map zoom-in, there was a one-frame clue with letters reading "NOT ALI".
Episode 3: In the main title, the code next to "D.O.B." read "619262312", referring to the area codes of the final three players. 619
is San Diego (Craig), 262
includes Mukwonago (Mark), and 312
is Chicago (Nicole).
Episode 4: Three audio clips were played throughout the episode, again pointing to the final three. The first one, heard after Midas Rush as Craig's ambulance drove away, was a school bell ringing, referring to Mark's profession as a school teacher. The second, during Who Said That?, was a baby crying, indicating Nicole, who's an OBGYN. The third, Craig's distinctive laugh, was heard as the players left dinner, which Craig did not attend due to being rushed away in an ambulance earlier.
Episode 5: In All for One, there's graffiti on the wall behind Mark (coincidentally underlined by Mark's arm) reading "CRG," which stands for Craig.
Recap: All clues from the first five weeks were replayed, as well as an additional one. During the map zoom-in, the geographical coordinates for San Diego, Craig's hometown, are displayed for one frame.
Episode 6: All of Clay's interviews had the same background, two "i" sculptures, except for one interview, where he speculated that Mark was the Mole. This interview had a digitally edited background that was changed to four "i"'s. Four eyes
is a nickname for someone who wears glasses, and the only such player was Craig.
Episode 7: In the Act 4 bumper, the words "Roja Corbata", Spanish for red tie, are hidden in the Mole thumbprint. Craig was wearing a red tie at the execution. It was revealed through additional footage on ABC's The Mole website that this tie was delivered to Craig from the producers shortly before the execution. Also, a barrel that said 'N2O' was shown in the background, referring to Craig's birthday, November 20.
Episode 9: An audio clip is heard during one of the bumpers. When played backwards, it says "Craig buried Paul", a play on the Paul is dead
theory referring to the previously executed player.
All episodes: Craig's name was never called during the execution ceremonies that end each episode.
for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music. The recipient of the nomination was the composer, David Michael Frank.
Despite doing poorly overall in the ratings, The Mole averaged third in most-increased views each week that it was on the air from DVR additions. The Mole's official website finished in the Top 10 of the most visited U.S. broadcast network TV show websites for the week ending August 16, 2008.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
version of The Mole
The Mole (US TV series)
The Mole was an American reality game show that aired on ABC. It was based on The Mole franchise of programs that have aired in numerous countries. The Mole was produced by Stone Stanley Entertainment for its first four seasons. It was cancelled but was later picked up again after a four year...
began airing on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
on June 2, 2008, after being pushed back a week by ABC. Casting information was announced online.
After the fourth season
The Mole (U.S. Season 4)
Celebrity Mole: Yucatan was the fourth overall season of the American version of The Mole and aired from January 7 to February 18, 2004. It was filmed on the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, and based primarily at the Occidental Grand Flamenco Xcaret Resort...
in 2004, ABC declined to pick up The Mole, and Stone Stanley Entertainment
Stone Stanley Entertainment
Stone Stanley Entertainment was an American television production company founded by TV producers David G. Stanley and Scott A. Stone, who both began their careers working at Lorimar-Telepictures in the 1980s....
lost the rights to the show from Belgian company TTTI. In August 2007, Scott Stone of Stone & Co. Entertainment (the new name for Stone Stanley Entertainment after David Stanley left in 2004) re-secured the rights to the program, and with ABC in January 2008, announced the show's return to U.S. television.
Show Details
The show returned to its original civilian format for the fifth season. The winner could win a maximum of $United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
500,000 (compared to $1,000,000 of the first two civilian seasons), and the total offered in all of the missions exceeded $850,000, although the team only earned $420,000.
Jon Kelley
Jon Kelley
Jon Kelley is an award winning American sports journalist, author, producer, and television personality. Born and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska, Kelley played four seasons as a running back for the University of Nebraska before graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in broadcast journalism...
was hired as the new host, and filming began the week of March 23, 2008 in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
.
Contestants
| Player | Age | Hometown | Occupation | Education | Game Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Craig Slike | 30 | San Diego, California San Diego, California San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round... |
Graphic designer | B.A. Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both... Graphic Art, PLNU Point Loma Nazarene University Point Loma Nazarene University is a Christian liberal arts college. Its main campus is located on the Point Loma oceanfront in San Diego, California. It was founded in 1902 as a Bible college by the Church of the Nazarene.-History:... |
The Mole |
| Mark Lambrecht | 42 | Mukwonago, Wisconsin Mukwonago, Wisconsin -Geography:Mukwonago is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 4.8 square miles , of which, 4.7 square miles of it is land and 0.1 square miles of it is water.It is situated at the southwestern flank of the sprawling Vernon... |
High school history teacher Soccer coach |
B.A. Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both... , University of Wisconsin–Whitewater |
Winner |
| Nicole Williams | 33 | Chicago, Illinois | OBGYN doctor | MD, Loyola University Loyola University Chicago Loyola University Chicago is a private Jesuit research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1870 under the title St... Stritch School of Medicine Stritch School of Medicine Stritch School of Medicine is the medical school affiliated with Loyola University Chicago. It is located at the heart of the Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois. The medical campus includes Foster G... |
9th Executed |
| Paul Grassi | 29 | Yonkers, New York Yonkers, New York Yonkers is the fourth most populous city in the state of New York , and the most populous city in Westchester County, with a population of 195,976... |
Utility Public utility A public utility is an organization that maintains the infrastructure for a public service . Public utilities are subject to forms of public control and regulation ranging from local community-based groups to state-wide government monopolies... worker On-air talent |
Attended Pace University Pace University Pace University is an American private, co-educational, and comprehensive multi-campus university in the New York metropolitan area with campuses in New York City and Westchester County, New York.-Programs:... |
8th Executed |
| Clay Cauley | 32 | West Grove West Grove, Pennsylvania West Grove is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,854 at the 2010 census.-History:The village of West Grove derived its name from the Friends Meeting House on Harmony Road built in 1787 several miles west of the Friends Meeting House in the village of... / Philadelphia Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,... |
Criminal litigation attorney | Law Degree, Howard University Howard University Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States... |
7th Executed |
| Alex Jacobs | 31 | Haverford, Pennsylvania Haverford, Pennsylvania Haverford is an unincorporated community located partially in Haverford Township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, USA, but primarily in Lower Merion Township in Montgomery County, about west of Philadelphia. It is on the Main Line, which is known historically for its wealth. As of August 2009,... |
Musician Musician A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession.... |
Attended University of Colorado University of Colorado at Boulder The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado... |
6th Executed |
| Kristen Willeumier | 35 | Santa Monica, California Santa Monica, California Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and... |
Neuroscientist Neuroscience Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system. Traditionally, neuroscience has been seen as a branch of biology. However, it is currently an interdisciplinary science that collaborates with other fields such as chemistry, computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics,... , Model Model (person) A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art.... , Equestrian Equestrianism Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses... |
PhD Doctor of Philosophy Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities... , UCLA University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses... |
5th Executed |
| Victoria Garza | 26 | Bishop, Texas Bishop, Texas Bishop is a city in Nueces County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,305 at the 2000 census, but decreased to 3,126 by 2009. Located on U.S... |
Retail manager | B.A. Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both... , Texas A&M University–Kingsville Texas A&M University–Kingsville Texas A&M University–Kingsville is a U.S. national university with a multicultural student body that is 62 percent Hispanic and includes students from 35 states and 43 foreign countries... |
4th Executed |
| Bobby O'Donnell | 25 | Manayunk, Philadelphia Manayunk, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Manayunk is a neighborhood in the northwestern section of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States. Located on the banks of the Schuylkill River, it contains the first canal begun in the United States . The area's name comes from the language of the Lenape Indians... |
Restaurant manager | B.A. Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both... , Penn State Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service... |
3rd Executed |
| Ali Sonoma | 24 | St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St... |
Spokesmodel/Actress Former UFC octagon girl |
A.A., St. Louis Community College St. Louis Community College St. Louis Community College is the Missouri two-year college supported by the Junior College District of St. Louis City – St. Louis County. The three original campuses were built simultaneously in 1964: Florissant Valley , Forest Park , and Meramec . A fourth campus, Wildwood opened in August 2007... |
Bribed |
| Liz Cain | 60 | Whitefish, Montana Whitefish, Montana Whitefish is a city in Flathead County, Montana, United States. The population was 5,032 at the 2000 census. It is home to a ski resort on Big Mountain called Whitefish Mountain Resort. Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer hails from Whitefish.... |
Retired | Associate's degree Associate's degree An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years... , New Mexico Tech New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology is a university located in Socorro, New Mexico.... |
2nd Executed |
| Marcie Ciscel | 31 | Corona, California Corona, California Corona is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 152,374, up from 124,966 at the 2000 census... |
Stay-at-home mom Homemaker Homemaking is a mainly American term for the management of a home, otherwise known as housework, housekeeping or household management... |
West High School West High School (Torrance) West Torrance High School is a public high school in Torrance, California, United States. The mascot is the Warrior.-History:West Torrance High was established in 1962. It serves area bounded by 190th Street, Hawthorne, Sepulveda and west city boundary. The school colors are brown and gold. The... , Torrance, California Torrance, California Torrance is a city incorporated in 1921 and located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Torrance has of shore-front beaches on the Pacific Ocean, quieter and less well-known by tourists than others on the Santa Monica Bay, such as those of neighboring... |
1st Executed |
Execution Chart
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 - 10 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | WINNER | |
| Craig | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | MOLE | |
| Nicole | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | OUT | |
| Paul | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | OUT | ||
| Clay | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | OUT | |||
| Alex | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | OUT | ||||
| Kristen | IN | IN | IN | IN | OUT | |||||
| Victoria | IN | IN | IN | OUT | ||||||
| Bobby | IN | IN | OUT | |||||||
| Ali | IN | IN | OUT | |||||||
| Liz | IN | OUT | ||||||||
| Marcie | OUT | |||||||||
- Blue indicates the player won the game
- Yellow indicates the player was the mole
- White indicates the player was safe
- Green indicates the player won an exemption
- Tan indicates the player tied with the executed player for lowest quiz score but took the quiz in a faster time
- Red indicates the player scored the lowest on the quiz and was executed
- Gray indicates the player accepted a bribe and left the game
Episode 1
| Episode 1 recap | ||
|---|---|---|
| Original airdate: June 2, 2008 Location: Los Ángeles, Chile Chile Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far... |
||
| Mission | Money earned | Possible earnings |
| Over the Falls | $20,000 | $60,000 |
| Robinson Crusoe | $15,000 | $25,000 |
| Current Pot | $35,000 | $85,000 |
| Exemption | ||
| Nicole | Stranded after "Crusoe" mission | |
| Execution | ||
| Marcie | 1st player executed | |
Over the Falls: The players were asked, by secret ballot, who they thought the Mole was based on first impressions. Marcie was chosen and it was revealed that she would have control over the upcoming game. While wearing a safety harness, the remaining players each rode a raft over Laja Falls
Laja Falls
The Laja Falls is a waterfall located in the Laja River in southcentral Chile. It lies next to the old Pan-American Highway, between the cities of Los Ángeles and Chillán. It flows into a rocky canyon which has become very commercialized because of its location.-External links:*...
and had to try to grab a bag hanging over the edge of the falls. Of the eleven bags, six had real money, while the other five had worthless paper. It was Marcie's task to secretly assign which six players would be jumping for real money. Each bag of real money grabbed added $10,000 to the pot. Of the six players who successfully grabbed a bag, only two had real money, so $20,000 was added to the pot. Marcie then had to choose four players to sleep outside, rather than in a cabin with the other eight. Nicole, who was chosen to sleep outside, complained about the decision, and decided to stay awake all night inside the cabin to avoid breaking the rules.
Robinson Crusoe: The players were taken to a beach and told the story of Alexander Selkirk
Alexander Selkirk
Alexander Selkirk was a Scottish sailor who spent four years as a castaway when he was marooned on an uninhabited island. It is probable that his travels provided the inspiration for Daniel Defoe's novel Robinson Crusoe....
, who was stranded in Chile in 1704, and inspired Robinson Crusoe
Robinson Crusoe
Robinson Crusoe is a novel by Daniel Defoe that was first published in 1719. Epistolary, confessional, and didactic in form, the book is a fictional autobiography of the title character—a castaway who spends 28 years on a remote tropical island near Trinidad, encountering cannibals, captives, and...
. The goal of this mission was to find five items that Selkirk had with him. Nicole, who was voted the "whiniest" player, divided the remaining players into three groups: six "scavengers" who searched the beach for as many of 45 hidden items as they could find, a group of three "appraisers" who decided which of the found items were correct, and two "timekeepers" who could give the others more time by refilling a giant hourglass
Hourglass
An hourglass measures the passage of a few minutes or an hour of time. It has two connected vertical glass bulbs allowing a regulated trickle of material from the top to the bottom. Once the top bulb is empty, it can be inverted to begin timing again. The name hourglass comes from historically...
with sand as it ran down; when it was empty, the mission ended. The appraisers were allowed three guesses at the five items, and were told after the first two guesses how many items were correct, but not which ones. For each correct item found, $5,000 was added to the pot. Three correct items were found for a total of $15,000. Nicole, as "whiniest", was then "stranded" on the beach while the remaining contestants went to their hotel. This caused her to be exempt from execution, as she could not take the quiz while she was "stranded".
Episode 2
| Episode 2 recap | ||
|---|---|---|
| Original airdate: June 9, 2008 Location: Santiago Santiago, Chile Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level... & Pomaire Pomaire Pomaire is a Chilean town in the commune of Melipilla in Melipilla Province, Santiago Metropolitan Region. Abundant natural clay in the hills surrounding the town bolstered a thriving pottery industry in the community.... , Chile Chile Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far... |
||
| Mission | Money earned | Possible earnings |
| Race to the Summit | $0 | $35,000 |
| When Pigs Fly | $28,000 | $50,000 |
| Current Pot | $63,000 | $170,000 |
| Exemptions | ||
| Mark & Kristen | Won the "Summit" mission | |
| Paul | Exemption found in "Pigs" mission | |
| Execution | ||
| Liz | 2nd player executed | |
Race to the Summit: The players were asked to split themselves into groups of nine "goal-oriented" people, and two who see life as an "uphill battle" (Mark and Kristen were chosen as the latter). The two teams had to race to the top of Cerro San Cristóbal
Cerro San Cristóbal
Cerro San Cristóbal is a hill in northern Santiago, Chile. It rises 880 m AMSL and about 300 m above the rest of Santiago; the peak is the second highest point in the city, after Cerro Renca. Its original indigenous name was Tupahue...
: The "uphill battle" team were given a tandem bicycle
Tandem bicycle
The tandem bicycle or twin is a form of bicycle designed to be ridden by more than one person. The term tandem refers to the seating arrangement , not the number of riders. A bike with two riders side-by-side is called a sociable.-History:Patents related to tandem bicycles date from the late 19th...
to ride, while the "goal-oriented" team were to ride up by gondola lift
Gondola lift
A gondola lift is a type of aerial lift, normally called a cable car, which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel cable that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supporting towers. The cable is driven by a bullwheel in a terminal,...
, but had to first score a goal in a soccer match against a children's team to earn their tickets. After twenty minutes of play, the team was allowed penalty kick
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
s to score. They would then have to travel on foot to the lift. If they beat the "uphill battle" team to the summit, the team would add $35,000 to the pot. If they did not, the "uphill battle" team would earn exemptions from the quiz.
The bike's chain slipped off its gears several times, causing Mark to decide to walk the bike for part of the trip. Jon Kelley waited partway up the hill with pisco sour
Pisco Sour
A Pisco Sour is a cocktail containing pisco, lemon or lime juice, egg whites, simple syrup, and bitters- Culture :The national origin of the pisco sour is debated. Both Chile and Peru lay claim to the drink. In both countries, the variety of lime used is what North Americans would call Persian lime...
s for Mark and Kristen, and offered them the opportunity to take a taxicab
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
for a $5,000 deduction from the pot, which Mark quickly refused.
The "goal-oriented" team finally scored with penalty kicks, and made their way to the gondolas. The faster players raced ahead and took the first gondola, while several slower players lagged behind and took a second gondola. Upon arrival at the top of the hill, they found that Mark and Kristen had beaten them.
When Pigs Fly: The players split into three groups of three and one group of two. The groups of three had to search the town for 50 hidden clay pigs with a Mole thumbprint on them. They then had to return to an outdoor arena with the pigs and use a large slingshot
Slingshot
A slingshot, shanghai, flip, bean shooter or catapult is a small hand-powered projectile weapon. The classic form consists of a Y-shaped frame held in the off hand, with two rubber strips attached to the uprights. The other ends of the strips lead back to a pocket which holds the projectile...
to launch the fragile pigs towards the two-player team, who had to catch the pigs with a blanket
Blanket
A blanket is a type of bedding, generally speaking, a large piece of cloth, intended to keep the user warm, especially while sleeping. Blankets are distinguished from sheets by their thickness and purpose; the thickest sheet is still thinner than the lightest blanket. Blankets are generally used...
without damaging them. For each unbroken pig returned, $1,000 was added to the pot. Jon Kelley started the group off by leaving one free pig on the scoring table, worth $1,000. The time limit was set by two local potters creating clay pigs at the arena. Once they had finished 12 new pigs (a timeframe of roughly an hour), the mission ended. An additional exemption was also announced, but was left for the players to figure out.
Liz and Paul were the group of two. While waiting for the others to return, Paul smashed open the one free pig, forfeiting $1,000. Inside he found a chip which earned him an exemption. Two of the groups brought back 18 and 26 pigs respectively. Bobby could not run and was carried in his team's wheelbarrow
Wheelbarrow
A wheelbarrow is a small hand-propelled vehicle, usually with just one wheel, designed to be pushed and guided by a single person using two handles to the rear, or by a sail to push the ancient wheelbarrow by wind. The term "wheelbarrow" is made of two words: "wheel" and "barrow." "Barrow" is a...
for the entire task; his team did not recover any pigs. Twenty-eight pigs were successfully launched and caught, for a total of $28,000 added to the pot.
Episode 3
| Episode 3 recap | ||
|---|---|---|
| Original airdate: June 16, 2008 Location: Santiago Santiago, Chile Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level... , Chile Chile Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far... |
||
| Mission | Money earned | Possible earnings |
| Fruit of the Luge | $26,000 | $70,000 |
| Dress Code | $40,000 | $50,000 |
| Current Pot | $129,000 | $290,000 |
| Bribe | ||
| Ali | $20,000 (declined), $30,000 (accepted) | |
| Execution | ||
| Bobby | 3rd player executed | |
Fruit of the Luge: The players were asked to split themselves into two groups of five who "can't trust anyone" (Paul, Victoria, Kristen, Clay, Alex) and five who "trust blindly" (Bobby, Ali, Craig, Nicole, Mark); then they were asked to get into pairs of one player from each group. Each pair would two-person luge
Luge
A Luge is a small one- or two-person sled on which one sleds supine and feet-first. Steering is done by flexing the sled's runners with the calf of each leg or exerting opposite shoulder pressure to the seat. Racing sleds weigh 21-25 kilograms for singles and 25-30 kilograms for doubles. Luge...
down a steel luge course. The "can't trust anyone" player would be in front, controlling the braking lever blindfold
Blindfold
A blindfold is a garment, usually of cloth, tied to one's head to cover the eyes to disable the wearer's sight. It can be worn when the eyes are in a closed state and thus prevents the wearer from opening them...
ed, and the "trust blindly" player would be in back, telling their partner when to slow down. In addition, seven drawings of different fruits were arranged along the course. The "trust blindly" player had to relay each fruit to their partner, before the finish line. After the finish line, the teams couldn't talk. After the luge, the "can't trust anyone" player had to arrange actual fruits in the same order as the images, choosing from a table full of fruit. Each fruit in the correct position added $2,000 to the pot.
Clay got 5/7 correct, only flipping the order of two fruits despite Bobby's failure to relay the color of several fruits, and mistaking an avocado
Avocado
The avocado is a tree native to Central Mexico, classified in the flowering plant family Lauraceae along with cinnamon, camphor and bay laurel...
for a pear
Pear
The pear is any of several tree species of genus Pyrus and also the name of the pomaceous fruit of these trees. Several species of pear are valued by humans for their edible fruit, but the fruit of other species is small, hard, and astringent....
; Paul got 5/7 correct from Ali, also flipping the order of two fruits; Victoria got 7/7 from Craig; Kristen got 7/7 from Mark; Alex got 1/7 by placing the first fruit twice, having heard Nicole repeat it, thus pushing all the remaining fruits back one spot. The team totaled 25/35 and would have added $50,000 to the pot; however, both Clay and Bobby, and Victoria and Craig discussed the fruits after crossing the finish line and the $24,000 they earned was negated. The team ultimately added $26,000 to the pot.
Dress Code: The team was brought to a spa to relax. While they were enjoying the services, Kelley took their clothes other than their shoes to be dry cleaned
Dry cleaning
Dry cleaning is any cleaning process for clothing and textiles using a chemical solvent other than water. The solvent used is typically tetrachloroethylene , abbreviated "perc" in the industry and "dry-cleaning fluid" by the public...
. The team was told to split into two groups of three and two groups of two. The groups were then given the address of a restaurant across town and informed they had less than two and a half hours to get there. Players, dressed only in underwear, also had to meet the restaurant's dress code of a dress shirt, tie, and pants for men, and two shirt layers with a skirt or pants for women. The team had to get clothes from locals en route to the restaurant. Each player that arrived properly dressed added $5,000 to the pot.
Clay and Mark opted not to participate at the start of the mission. Alex used his fluency in Spanish to get clothes for himself and Paul, and Paul completed their outfits when he met some fellow New Yorkers. Ali, Kristen, and Victoria got shirts from several men and found a lady with three spare pairs of pants. Craig noticed a laundromat and saw envelopes with the players' names on them, realizing that the shop had their dry cleaned clothes. He, Bobby, and Nicole thus wore their own clothes and brought the others' clothes to the restaurant. All eight players that participated arrived, adding $40,000 to the pot. (Kelley then revealed that the cards bearing the address of the restaurant also had the address of the laundromat printed, in Roman Numeral "code," at the bottom, where a copyright statement would normally be present.)
Execution Bribe: Just prior to the quiz results being read, $20,000 was offered to the first player who would agree to quit the game. No one accepted the offer, and Kristen's, Mark's, and Victoria's results were read (though Paul's thumbnail was also outlined in green, indicating his result was already read as safe). Then, an increased bribe of $30,000 was offered to all players, including those who were already shown their safe results. Ali ultimately accepted the second bribe. The group was informed Ali would have been safe, but that the execution would continue; Bobby became the Mole's third victim.
Episode 4
| Episode 4 recap | ||
|---|---|---|
| Original airdate: June 23, 2008 Location: Uspallata Uspallata Uspallata is a village, and an administrative district, in Argentina in a scenic location on the road which crosses the Andes between Mendoza and Santiago in Chile. It is located west of Mendoza and was once served by the now disused Transandine Railway which passed through the town on its way... , Argentina Argentina Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires... |
||
| Mission | Money earned | Possible earnings |
| Midas Rush | $14,250 | $50,000 |
| Bonus (see text) | $750 | — |
| Who Said That | $8,000 | $14,000 |
| Current Pot | $152,000 | $354,000 |
| Exemption | ||
| Clay | Agreed by his team in the "Midas Rush" mission | |
| Execution | ||
| Victoria | 4th player executed (tie quiz score, slower time by five seconds) | |
Midas Rush: The teams were asked to split into teams of four "selfish" players and four "selfless" players. The players were given 50 minutes to carry as many of 200 five-pound gold-colored bricks as possible approxiamtely 2,800 feet up to the top of the 10,000 foot mountain they were brought to, provided only with backpacks. The mission was inspired by the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
conquistador
Conquistador
Conquistadors were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
s who historically forced the Incas to transport gold to Spanish ships for shipping back to Spain. Each brick transported added $250 to the pot. Each team had to arrive together at the same time to complete the mission. The team that arrived first would also receive an exemption.
The Selfish team (Victoria, Nicole, Clay and Kristen) took a light load of 23 bricks, hoping to finish faster. The Selfless team (Paul, Alex, Craig and Mark) took a fuller load of 38 bricks, with Mark explaining that they already knew they were the weaker team and would probably finish last. At the halfway point, Kelley waited along the path to tell the teams they also needed to carry a scale. The Selfish team arrived first and had a choice of scales. Without the benefit of lifting the scales, they chose the one that weighed ten pounds, leaving the twenty pound scale behind for the Selfless team. Mark had to leave four bricks behind to carry the scale, reducing the team to 34 bricks.
The Selfish team reached the top first, while the Selfless team arrived with only half a minute to go. The teams brought up 57 bricks for a total of $14,250 out of a possible $50,000. Kelley then announced that the Selfish players would have to unanimously decide which of them would get the exemption; if they could not decide, both the exemption and all of their money would be forfeited. The initial inclination was to vote Kristen, but Clay argued that he had not had an exemption, and the group relented after he agreed to return the favour to Kristen in the future. Craig was taken by ambulance to hospital after the mission when he experienced symptoms of altitude sickness
Altitude sickness
Altitude sickness—also known as acute mountain sickness , altitude illness, hypobaropathy, or soroche—is a pathological effect of high altitude on humans, caused by acute exposure to low partial pressure of oxygen at high altitude...
and hypothermia
Hypothermia
Hypothermia is a condition in which core temperature drops below the required temperature for normal metabolism and body functions which is defined as . Body temperature is usually maintained near a constant level of through biologic homeostasis or thermoregulation...
. He returned to the team later with orders to rest.
Before the next mission began, Kelley added $750 to the pot to round up the awkward value from this mission.
Who Said That: During dinner, Kelley took the players' journals and wrote down seven of the comments written in them which referred to another player. He then returned the journals, and began reading the comments one at a time. The player who the comment referred to had to guess which player had written the comment without any signalling from the other players. Each correct answer was worth $2,000. Players were not told the correct author when they guessed incorrectly. Craig did not participate in this mission.
The team correctly guessed 4/7 questions, and earned a fifth question after Kelly offered the opportunity for the author of the final comment (Victoria) to identify himself or herself. However, the team lost one question because Nicole made signals by coughing and fluttering her eyelashes for the comment that she authored. Nicole also initially offered no guess at the author of her comment, saying only "I don't know" before Kelley asked her to guess. The team thus earned $8,000 out of a possible $14,000.
After dinner, Kelley took the team (without Craig) outside to a bonfire and asked if any player was willing to sacrifice their journal. He told the team to agree on one player. Several players offered their journals, believing the reward would be an exemption. Paul, Alex and Nicole played "rock, paper, scissors" and Alex won. He offered up his journal, but Kelley instead burned the remaining players' journals. Mark, who had been rigorous about writing every detail in his journal was visibly upset. Craig was later revealed to be able to keep his journal in compensation for not having details about the mission he missed.
Episode 5
| Episode 5 recap | ||
|---|---|---|
| Original airdate: June 30, 2008 Location: Uspallata Uspallata Uspallata is a village, and an administrative district, in Argentina in a scenic location on the road which crosses the Andes between Mendoza and Santiago in Chile. It is located west of Mendoza and was once served by the now disused Transandine Railway which passed through the town on its way... & Mendoza Mendoza, Argentina Mendoza is the capital city of Mendoza Province, in Argentina. It is located in the northern-central part of the province, in a region of foothills and high plains, on the eastern side of the Andes. As of the , Mendoza's population was 110,993... , Argentina Argentina Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires... |
||
| Mission | Money earned | Possible earnings |
| All for One | $25,000 | $25,000 |
| Travelers | $0 | $30,000 |
| Current Pot | $177,000 | $409,000 |
| Exemptions | ||
| None | Not taken during "All For One" | |
| Craig | Prevented success in "Travelers" mission | |
| Execution | ||
| Kristen | 5th player executed (tie quiz score, slower time by one second) | |
All for One: The players were taken to an abandoned train station, and were chained together to the outside of a barred cell by their ankles. Across from them was another cell which held the key to their chains, and would open once every ten minutes. By leaning against the bars they were chained to, the players could allow enough slack in the chain for one of them to reach the key.
The player who reaches the key was only allowed to free themselves, leaving the remaining players to wait for the next time the cell opened. If all of the players escaped before sunrise, $25,000 would be added to the pot. However, the cell with the key also contained an exemption card. If the player getting the key also took the exemption card, no money would be added to the pot, and the remaining players would have to remain chained all night. Players who were unchained received a meal and comfortable bed, while players who remained chained had to spend the night in the cold.
The team allowed Craig to go first, due to his poor health. They then allowed Kristen to go, with Clay having promised her to return a favor after letting him have exemption in the Midas Rush mission. Paul was allowed to go after he swore on his daughter. Clay went next after he couldn't get Mark to promise not to take the exemption. Nicole left after she convinced Mark she was being honest. Alex let Mark decide whether he wanted to leave first, and Mark told Alex to go. Finally, Mark weighed the two options, and ultimately decided not to take the exemption.
Travelers: The group split into teams of two and had to travel five and a half miles to the Cerro de la Gloria statue in 45 minutes. Each team which arrived added $10,000 to the pot. Each team had to travel using a different form of transportation. The seventh player was the "captain" in charge of splitting up the groups and assigning the form of transportation. Craig won the position by being the first player to say the word "exemption" during breakfast. He was also promised an exemption if none of the teams arrived in time.
Craig was shown a variety of transportation methods, from difficult to use stilts to relatively quick scooters. Craig decided to go for the exemption; he assigned Mark to wear a scuba outfit and Alex to dress up as a conquistador and bring a donkey he couldn't ride; he teamed Clay on a unicycle with Kristen on stilts; finally, he teamed Nicole and Paul to make the trip in a llama
Llama
The llama is a South American camelid, widely used as a meat and pack animal by Andean cultures since pre-Hispanic times....
costume, with fierce rivals Nicole (whose vanity had annoyed the group) at Paul (whose rudeness had annoyed the group) asked to team up as the llama's head and rear, respectively. Clay later said in an interview that the move was "almost Shakespearian."
Mark and Kristen did not want to be humiliated and tried to get everyone to opt out of the challenge; Paul and Nicole agreed, and with their teammates refusing, Clay and Alex had no choice. Jon Kelley and Craig waited at the midpoint for the players, with a possible offer, but the teams never arrived. The players ultimately took their vans to the statue, and Craig received an exemption.
The Mole: Take a Closer Look
The series took a week off due to July 4Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
weekend and to provide additional airtime for The Bachelorette
The Bachelorette
The Bachelorette is a spin-off of the American competitive reality dating game show The Bachelor. In its January 2003 debut on ABC, the first season featured Trista Rehn, the runner-up date from the first season of The Bachelor, offering the opportunity for Rehn to choose a husband among 25 bachelors...
season finale. The series resumed July 14 with a doubleheader. A special hour-long episode subtitled Take A Closer Look aired just prior to Episode 6. It featured a recap of the first half of the season, and various never-before-seen footage from the first five weeks.
Episode 6
| Episode 6 recap | ||
|---|---|---|
| Original airdate: July 14, 2008 Location: Mendoza Mendoza, Argentina Mendoza is the capital city of Mendoza Province, in Argentina. It is located in the northern-central part of the province, in a region of foothills and high plains, on the eastern side of the Andes. As of the , Mendoza's population was 110,993... , Argentina Argentina Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires... |
||
| Mission | Money earned | Possible earnings |
| The Grapes of Cache | $70,000 | $70,000 |
| Swing Out | $4,000 | $60,000 |
| Current Pot | $251,000 | $539,000 |
| Exemptions | ||
| None | Unearned during "Swing Out." | |
| Execution | ||
| Alex | 6th player executed | |
The Grapes of Cache: The players were taken to a vineyard
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
and asked to split themselves into two groups of three "Runners" (Mark, Alex and Clay) and three "Thinkers" (Nicole, Craig and Paul). The Runners chose Mark as their best athlete, and the Thinkers chose Paul as the best communicator. Seven bottles of Malbec
Malbec
Malbec is a purple grape variety used in making red wine. The grapes tend to have an inky dark color and robust tannins, and are long known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine. The French plantations of Malbec are now found primarily in Cahors in the South West...
wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
were hidden throughout the vineyard, each worth $10,000 for the pot if found and returned.
The two remaining Thinkers had to answer seven multiple choice brain teaser
Brain teaser
A brain teaser is a form of puzzle that requires thought to solve. It often requires thinking in unconventional ways with given constraints in mind; sometimes it also involves lateral thinking. Logic puzzles and riddles are specific types of brain teasers....
s; each answer correspond with multiple options of GPS
Global Positioning System
The Global Positioning System is a space-based global navigation satellite system that provides location and time information in all weather, anywhere on or near the Earth, where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites...
coordinates where a bottle was located. The Thinkers had to tell Paul, who could them tell the two remaining Runners (armed with GPS devices
GPS navigation device
A GPS navigation device is any device that receives Global Positioning System signals for the purpose of determining the device's current location on Earth...
) the coordinates via mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
. The time limit for the challenge was controlled by Mark who had to run on a treadmill. Every time a bottle was found, the treadmill would increase speed. The mission ended when Mark stopped running. Paul was not allowed to help the Thinkers, but Mark was.
Mark ended up answering most of the questions correctly while running on the treadmill, with Nicole offering several wrong answers. The Thinkers answered all of the questions within 22 minutes, but it took more time to find each bottle than to answer the questions. The Runners took almost 30 minutes more to find the remaining bottles, and managed to return with them after 53 minutes to add $70,000 to the pot.
Swing Out: The group was brought to a 90-foot high bridge over the Mendoza River
Mendoza River
The Mendoza River is a river in the province of Mendoza, Argentina. It is formed in the Andes range between the Aconcagua and the Tupungato, by the confluence of the Vacas, the Cuevas and the Tupungato Rivers, the last being its major tributary....
. Each player, one at a time, had to bungee jump off the bridge and throw a bag of Mate leaves
Mate (beverage)
Mate , also known as chimarrão or cimarrón, is a traditional South American infused drink, particularly in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, southern states of Brazil, south of Chile, the Bolivian Chaco, and to some extent, Syria and Lebanon...
onto a target on the shore below. The square target had rings worth $4,000, $6,000, and $8,000, with a $10,000 bullseye; the team could add up to $60,000 to the pot by each hitting a bullseye.
Each player was also asked before their jump what they thought the group total would be; the player who guessed closest without going over earned an exemption. All players decided to jump, but the only player to hit the target was Alex for $4,000. Everybody's guess for the group total was over $4,000, so no one earned the exemption.
Episode 7
| Episode 7 recap | ||
|---|---|---|
| Original airdate: July 21, 2008 Location: Mendoza Mendoza, Argentina Mendoza is the capital city of Mendoza Province, in Argentina. It is located in the northern-central part of the province, in a region of foothills and high plains, on the eastern side of the Andes. As of the , Mendoza's population was 110,993... & Buenos Aires Buenos Aires Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent... , Argentina Argentina Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires... |
||
| Mission | Money earned | Possible earnings |
| Go Figure | $30,000 | $30,000 |
| Ticket to Ride | $50,000 | $50,000 |
| Current Pot | $331,000 | $619,000 |
| Execution | ||
| Clay | 7th player executed (tie quiz score, slower time) | |
Go Figure: The players were asked to split themselves into two groups of three "smart" players (Paul, Clay and Mark) and two "dumb" players (Craig and Nicole). Each team was given a set of clues leading to various locations around the city of Mendoza. Information found at the locations would be used by the players to compute several numbers. The teams had to return to the starting point and enter the numbers into a computer from memory, without writing them down. The three smart players had three numbers to remember, while the two dumb players (who were deemed dumb for having chosen the dumb team) had to remember five. If all of the answers were entered correctly, the team added $30,000 to the pot. The team had 70 minutes to complete the task.
Paul got the smart team lost but they managed to return in time to enter their numbers. One of the dumb team's numbers, however, was incorrect. One of the players was permitted 20 minutes to recalculate that number and reenter it. The team chose Nicole to go, but when she returned with another answer, the team knew it was incorrect, based on which digits were shown to be incorrect in the previous guess. However, Clay managed to deduce a pattern in the numbers, and determined the correct number. (Although it was not explicitly stated, the numbers were all numbers in the Fibonacci sequence.)
Ticket to Ride: The players were each asked which other player they trusted the most. They were then told that one of their friends or family members were in the city. The players were taken to the Los Incas
Line B (Buenos Aires)
Line B of the Buenos Aires Metro runs from Leandro N. Alem to Los Incas/Parque Chas . Line B opened to the public on 17 October 1930....
Metro
Buenos Aires Metro
The Buenos Aires Metro , locally known as Subte is a mass-transit system that serves the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The first station of this network opened in 1913, the first of its kind in South America, the Southern Hemisphere and the entire Spanish-speaking world...
station to await their loved ones, and perform the mission.
One at a time, each player was given three minutes to go over the answers to thirty questions about their loved one with the player they chose as "most trusted". Kelley then asked that player five of the questions; if they could give the correct answers to at least three questions, their partner got to see and spend time with their loved one, and they added $10,000 to the pot. All five players succeeded, and the team added $50,000 to the pot.
Episode 8
| Episode 8 recap | ||
|---|---|---|
| Original airdate: July 28, 2008 Location: Buenos Aires Buenos Aires Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent... , Argentina Argentina Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires... |
||
| Mission | Money earned | Possible earnings |
| How's the View | $22,500 | $64,000 |
| Cell Out | $15,000 | $45,000 |
| Current Pot | $368,500 | $728,000 |
| Exemption | ||
| Mark | Sniped Craig in "Cell Out" | |
| Execution | ||
| Paul | 8th player executed (tie quiz score, slower time by four seconds) | |
How's the View: The players were asked to choose two players who consider themselves "Young at Heart", (Paul and Craig) and then asked to split into two pairs, each having one Young at Heart member. (Paul with Mark and Nicole with Craig). The Young at Heart player wore goggles which displayed a live video image from a camcorder
Camcorder
A camcorder is an electronic device that combines a video camera and a video recorder into one unit. Equipment manufacturers do not seem to have strict guidelines for the term usage...
operated by their teammate. The cameraperson had to guide their teammate through a series of challenges designed for children. The teammates were always positioned opposite each other, so the goggles would display a mirrored image of the task at hand. The cameraperson also could not speak to their partner.
Each team's first task was to put three shaped blocks into a cube with correspondingly shaped holes, each cube was worth $1,000; each team completed six cubes, but Nicole responded to a question Craig asked, which resulted in a penalty; the total earned was $5,000. The second task was to kick two soccer balls into a goal. Each ball was worth $4,500; but neither team scored. The third task was to fill up four teacups to a given level without spilling any tea outside the saucer. Each cup was worth $2,500; Paul filled three, but spilled a drop on one cup and Craig filled three, but spilled on two, for a total of $7,500. The final task departed from the kid's level; the Young at Heart player had to cross a plank from one rooftop to another, pick up a piece of chalk at the midpoint, and copy a phrase on a chalkboard at the other side. Only Paul succeeded, adding $10,000 to the pot.
Cell Out: The players were each sequestered in a different locked cell. On the wall of each cell were the words "cell" and "mole", forming a doublet
Word ladder
A Word Ladder is a word game invented by Lewis Carroll. A word ladder puzzle begins with two words, and to solve the puzzle one must find a chain of other words, where at each step the words differ by altering a single letter.-History:Lewis Carroll says that he invented the game on Christmas day...
puzzle. The players had to change one letter in "cell" to form a new English word, and do the same to the resulting word to get third word which was one letter away from "mole". The first player to solve this puzzle was released from their cell and became the "sniper" in a paintball obstacle course. The remaining players, once they completed the doublet puzzle, had to complete the obstacle course without getting shot; doing so added $15,000 to the pot each. However, if the sniper shoots the player carrying the game's exemption (not told to the players in advance), they earn an exemption; otherwise, no one earned it.
Mark ended up figuring the puzzle out first in under a minute; he managed to snipe Craig and Nicole, but Paul got through the course, adding $15,000 to the pot. The player holding the exemption, which was determined by the players' choice of cell, was held by Craig, meaning Mark earned an exemption.
Episode 9
| Episode 9 recap | ||
|---|---|---|
| Original airdate: August 4, 2008 Location: Buenos Aires Buenos Aires Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent... , Argentina Argentina Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires... |
||
| Mission | Money earned | Possible earnings |
| Tick Tock Boom | $50,000 | $50,000 |
| Three to Tango | $0 | $75,000 |
| Bonus (see text) | $1,500 | — |
| Final Pot | $420,000 | $853,000 |
Tick Tock Boom: The players were led to a room containing $50,000 in a bulletproof glass box. The box also contained a bomb which was set to detonate in one hour. The team had to defuse the bomb before it detonated in order to add the money to the pot. Also in the room were pieces to a puzzle which would tell the players how to defuse the bomb. Most of the pieces were in plain sight, but the players had to discover one hidden clue: A map of the world showing the time zone
Time zone
A time zone is a region on Earth that has a uniform standard time for legal, commercial, and social purposes. In order for the same clock time to always correspond to the same portion of the day as the Earth rotates , different places on the Earth need to have different clock times...
divisions. Two players were required to hold down ropes behind the map to cause it to lower from the ceiling, so only one player could read the map at a time.
The team used the map to determine what the time would be in a provided list of 24 cities based on a time of 12:00 GMT
Greenwich Mean Time
Greenwich Mean Time is a term originally referring to mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London. It is arguably the same as Coordinated Universal Time and when this is viewed as a time zone the name Greenwich Mean Time is especially used by bodies connected with the United...
. A giant clock in the room shone a laser pointer
Laser pointer
A laser pointer or laser pen is a small portable device with a power source and a laser emitting a very narrow coherent low-powered beam of visible light, intended to be used to highlight something of interest by illuminating it with a small bright spot of colored light...
at a spot on the wall determined by the time the clock was set to. The team had to set the clock to each of the times found for the cities to cause the laser to point to 24 of the different letters on the wall. The letters could then be unscrambled to fill in a hangman
Hangman (game)
Hangman is a paper and pencil guessing game for two or more players. One player thinks of a word and the other tries to guess it by suggesting letters.-Overview:...
-style puzzle with punctuation and spacing given. The completed puzzle was "Clue: Cut the wire that is red + blue".
Nicole was the first to read the map, and made several errors. Mark attempted to correct them, but the team was running out of time. Having noticed that the bomb had several colored wires, and a pair of wire cutters were provided, Mark reasoned that the clue would tell them which wire(s) to cut. On that assumption, the team deduced that the only two colors that could be made from the letters they found were "red" and "blue". However, they did not have the correct letters for the word "wire", so were unsure if they should cut two wires, red and blue, or cut the purple wire. In the end, the team cut the purple wire, which was correct, and added the money to the pot with 21 seconds to spare.
Three to Tango: The three players each received an envelope containing a clue, a map, and a mobile phone. Each had to determine a different item or food from the clue, and call Kelley to confirm it. One they were correct, Kelley assigned them a task to do at the given location or with the given food. They had to take a photo with their phone confirming their completion and send it back to Kelley in order to be given their next clue. This process repeated for three different tasks for each player. After they solved all three clues, Kelley sent the player a photo of their final destination, the Puente de la Mujer
Puente de la Mujer
The Puente de la Mujer is a footbridge in the Puerto Madero district of Buenos Aires, Argentina that spans dock 3 . It is of the Cantilever spar cable-stayed bridge type and is also a swing bridge, but somewhat unique in its asymmetrical arrangement...
. The first player to arrive was offered a choice: To add $75,000 in the pot, or to be allowed to view "the Mole's dossier", which might or might not contain information that could help on the final quiz. Mark finished first, and decided to read the dossier. Kelley then added $1,500 to the pot, rounding the final total up to an even $420,000.
Episode 10
In this episode, all the contestants reunite, and both the winner and the Mole are revealed. The show also reveals the Mole's attempts at sabotage, and the hidden clues to the Mole's identity.This episode uses the same format from The Mole 2: The Next Betrayal
The Mole (U.S. Season 2)
The Mole: The Next Betrayal was the second season of the American version of The Mole produced by Stone Stanley Entertainment. The second season featured a team of 14 players, one of whom was the Mole.The season debuted in September 2001 on Friday nights on ABC...
and Celebrity Mole: Yucatán
The Mole (U.S. Season 4)
Celebrity Mole: Yucatan was the fourth overall season of the American version of The Mole and aired from January 7 to February 18, 2004. It was filmed on the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, and based primarily at the Occidental Grand Flamenco Xcaret Resort...
but this time, the keys were replaced by key cards for the three locked doors with the three finalists.
Craig Slike is revealed as the Mole. Mark Lambrecht is shown to be the winner of the grand prize of $420,000, having correctly answered 17 questions on the final quiz to Nicole's 13. Moreover, Kelley revealed that examining the dossier did not materially affect the outcome: while the show did not reveal exactly what Mark saw, Kelley stated that the dossier held the answer to exactly one question on the final quiz and that both Mark and Nicole answered the question correctly.
Mole Sabotage
Over the Falls: Craig purposely dropped the bag as he went over the falls.Robinson Crusoe: Craig attempted to bury one of the correct items in the sand. He also saw, but did not pick up, the other correct item in the rocks near the beach.
Race to the Summit: Craig was to try to get into the "uphill battle" team, as to eventually take the exemption mid-route and deny the pot money, but was blocked. He proceeded to try to delay the soccer game as much as possible.
When Pigs Fly: Craig told Bobby to ride in the wheelbarrow after Bobby complained of a leg cramp. This meant his team did not have a place to carry the pigs.
Fruit of the Luge: Craig specifically got Victoria to talk after they were not supposed to at the end of the course, disqualifying their portion of the money (Victoria, being blindfolded, never knew when they had crossed the finish line and thus, could not have sabotaged in that manner).
Travelers: Craig chose modes of transportation for the players that would not allow them to reach the goal in the allotted time. After single-handedly ruining that mission, only Paul selected Craig as the mole on that episode's quiz.
How's the View: Craig got Nicole to inadvertently speak when she was not supposed to, thus preventing some money from entering the pot.
Cell Out: Craig had the answer to the doublet puzzle ahead of time and was to use this information to get out of the cell first and become the shooter. However, he took his time in trying to solve the puzzle (to prevent suspicion from being cast upon himself), which allowed Mark to solve it first. Using a backup plan, Craig positioned himself to be shot in order to deny money from entering the pot, as well as earn Mark an exemption.
Hidden Clues
Episodes included clues to the Mole's identity, the final three, or who wasn't the Mole. Some were subtle clues meant for die-hard fans to find, while others were meant to be obvious.Episode 1: In the "Crusoe" mission, Craig delivered a clue from "the Mole", and only the Mole himself could know where it was.
Episode 2: Beautiful models were moles in the two celebrity seasons, and Ali is a model. The producers wanted to clue the viewers in that this season, the model wasn't the Mole. During the map zoom-in, there was a one-frame clue with letters reading "NOT ALI".
Episode 3: In the main title, the code next to "D.O.B." read "619262312", referring to the area codes of the final three players. 619
Area code 619
North American area code 619 is a California telephone area code which was split from area code 714 on November 5, 1982. This area code currently covers the southern half of the city of San Diego and its eastern and southern suburbs....
is San Diego (Craig), 262
Area code 262
North American telephone area code 262 is a state of Wisconsin area code which covers much of Southeastern Wisconsin, and was created on September 25, 1999 when it was split from Area code 414...
includes Mukwonago (Mark), and 312
Area code 312
Area code 312 is the telephone area code for the Chicago Loop and surrounding areas of the city of Chicago, Illinois. Prior to the split on November 11, 1989, forming 708 , 312 area code originally served much of Greater Chicago...
is Chicago (Nicole).
Episode 4: Three audio clips were played throughout the episode, again pointing to the final three. The first one, heard after Midas Rush as Craig's ambulance drove away, was a school bell ringing, referring to Mark's profession as a school teacher. The second, during Who Said That?, was a baby crying, indicating Nicole, who's an OBGYN. The third, Craig's distinctive laugh, was heard as the players left dinner, which Craig did not attend due to being rushed away in an ambulance earlier.
Episode 5: In All for One, there's graffiti on the wall behind Mark (coincidentally underlined by Mark's arm) reading "CRG," which stands for Craig.
Recap: All clues from the first five weeks were replayed, as well as an additional one. During the map zoom-in, the geographical coordinates for San Diego, Craig's hometown, are displayed for one frame.
Episode 6: All of Clay's interviews had the same background, two "i" sculptures, except for one interview, where he speculated that Mark was the Mole. This interview had a digitally edited background that was changed to four "i"'s. Four eyes
Glasses
Glasses, also known as eyeglasses , spectacles or simply specs , are frames bearing lenses worn in front of the eyes. They are normally used for vision correction or eye protection. Safety glasses are a kind of eye protection against flying debris or against visible and near visible light or...
is a nickname for someone who wears glasses, and the only such player was Craig.
Episode 7: In the Act 4 bumper, the words "Roja Corbata", Spanish for red tie, are hidden in the Mole thumbprint. Craig was wearing a red tie at the execution. It was revealed through additional footage on ABC's The Mole website that this tie was delivered to Craig from the producers shortly before the execution. Also, a barrel that said 'N2O' was shown in the background, referring to Craig's birthday, November 20.
Episode 9: An audio clip is heard during one of the bumpers. When played backwards, it says "Craig buried Paul", a play on the Paul is dead
Paul Is Dead
"Paul is dead" is an urban legend suggesting that Paul McCartney of the English rock band The Beatles died in 1966 and was secretly replaced by a look-alike....
theory referring to the previously executed player.
All episodes: Craig's name was never called during the execution ceremonies that end each episode.
Awards
"The Mole" was nominated for a 2009 Emmy AwardEmmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music. The recipient of the nomination was the composer, David Michael Frank.
Ratings
| # | Air Date | Rating | Share | 18-49 | Viewers [Live] (m) | Viewers [DVR+7] (m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | June 2, 2008 | 3.4 | 6 | 2.0/6 | 4.73 | 5.36 |
| 2 | June 9, 2008 | 2.7 | 5 | 1.6/5 | 3.96 | 4.44 |
| 3 | June 16, 2008 | 2.7 | 5 | 1.5/4 | 3.89 | 4.33 |
| 4 | June 23, 2008 | 2.9 | 5 | 1.6/5 | 4.11 | 4.67 |
| 5 | June 30, 2008 | 2.8 | 5 | 1.6/5 | 3.94 | 4.32 |
| Special | July 14, 2008 | 2.0 | 4 | 1.1/3 | 2.96 | N/A |
| 6 | July 14, 2008 | 2.3 | 4 | 1.6/5 | 3.62 | N/A |
| 7 | July 21, 2008 | 2.2 | 4 | 1.4/4 | 3.34 | N/A |
| 8 | July 28, 2008 | 2.0 | 3 | 1.2/3 | 3.05 | N/A |
| 9 | August 4, 2008 | 2.1 | 4 | 1.2/4 | 3.06 | 3.58 |
| Finale | August 11, 2008 | 2.0 | 3 | 1.2/3 | 2.97 | 3.09 |
Despite doing poorly overall in the ratings, The Mole averaged third in most-increased views each week that it was on the air from DVR additions. The Mole's official website finished in the Top 10 of the most visited U.S. broadcast network TV show websites for the week ending August 16, 2008.