The Mole

The Mole. Throughout history, moles have been used successfully to worm their way into empires, nations and dynasties... only to cause dissention, mistrust, and paranoia. What a great idea for a TV Series.

The hype that is "Survivor" is mixed with the format of MTV's "Road Rules". Take 10 strangers, 9 real contestants and 1 that is working for the producers. In the end, one person will win the money, one person will be "executed", and one will be unmasked as "The Mole".

I tuned into this fantastic series about 1/3 the way through, and I've been hooked. Every time I think I have the Mole figured out, That person gets executed. And it makes for great "reality TV". Unlike Survivor, where everyone is backstabbing each other, "The Mole" is sabotaging the "tests" and the other players know it. The amount of paranoia is great. Who can you trust, when the mole is out to get you?

A fantastic series, and I hope and pray It's picked up for another season.

Obviously, some of the previous negative posters have probably watched only one or two shows in the series and have casted judgement on that. Heck, in 2001, they only showed THREE episodes of Mole 2! Well, The Mole is back and it's getting better! If you like a smart and engaging game that'll keep you guessing who the Mole could be, then this is for you! If you want a game that'll keep you a couch potato, then this might be way too much for you. Disregard the previous comments because they've only seen PART of the series. It's like watching the first 5 minutes of a movie and saying whether you hate it or not. We're halfway through and I love it!

I quite enjoyed "The Mole" the first time it was on TV, and eagerly looked forward to watching "The Mole 2." After a rocky start in which ABC pulled it from their primetime schedule late in 2001, before all the episodes had aired, they started it up again with a better timeslot (Tuesday evenings) and I'm glad that they did.

I'm not a huge fan of the "reality" genre. About the only "reality"-type shows I watch are "Survivor" and "The Mole." I actually prefer "The Mole" to "Survivor" (don't get me wrong; I LOVE "Survivor") because of the cerebral aspect of it. The games are interactive; you find yourself in the place of the contestants, trying alongside them to solve the various riddles that they are presented with, and trying to analyze fellow players' actions, wondering "Who is the Mole, and how can I get other people to think that I am?" With the exception of just a couple of games (the "fashion sense" game comes to mind), most of the games and challenges don't involve having the players stoop to the lowest common denominator to earn money for the pot.

When players are eliminated from "The Mole," it's not so because the rest of the players found them unpopular or too much of a threat. If you haven't been paying attention to the clues or haven't sorted fact from fiction, then you effectively eliminate yourself if you score the lowest on the execution quiz. "The Mole" isn't a popularity contest that can be sabotaged easily by overzealous fans (remember Brittany from the first "Big Brother"?) or vengeful losers; the best player does indeed win.

Another thing that I found so appealing about "The Mole" was how much more affable and interactive host Anderson Cooper was with the contestants. Cooper isn't just your aloof host that shows up only for challenges and elimination rounds. Cooper has a wicked sense of humor that manifests itself often during the games. He also joins the contestants for dinner, which further humanizes him. One of the most memorable moments of the second season came when contestant Rob, a magician, showed Cooper a card trick. Right after Rob revealed the outcome of the trick, Cooper immediately slugged him playfully in the arm. Imagine Rich Hatch trying to pull something like that with Jeff Probst on Pulau Tiga!

Because "The Mole" hasn't racked up the same kinds of ratings that "Survivor" or even "American Idol," a lot of people are quick to count it out for another go-round. I certainly hope not. Apparently, the ratings for "The Mole 2" were high enough for ABC to consider yet another installment. If that's the case, I hope to try out for it, because it's the only "reality" show that I would ever consider being on. If ABC decides not to bring it back for a third installment, it'll be a crying shame. In this age of trashy soap operas and lowbrow humor, "The Mole" is a shot of fresh air that most anyone could benefit from.

Honestly, I love this show. I think this show is better than Survivor and Temptation Island. The thing I like about it is that people don't vote other people off, I find that stupid. They must take a test everyday to see who stays and who goes. If your the person who gets the most questions wrong, your outta there. The challenges are instreasting to watch to. I hope they make a lot of seasons because I'm getting tired of Survivor!

The Mole is an exciting game of chance and suspense. A group of 14 people are taken to a very picturesque location in Europe, however one of the group is a special agent, a mole, hired by the show to prevent the group from gaining money. Each week the players compete in games to win money for the group, while being constantly vigilant for signs of sabotage from the mole. At the end of each episode the players must answer a ten question quiz as to the identity of the mole. The player who scores the lowest on this quiz is executed and must leave the show immediately.

Although it is not as good as the first installment of the mole, it is exciting because it is the only reality show that makes you think. The viewers can play along to try to find the identity of the mole. It is easily the most fun and exciting show to watch on television and I would not miss a week of it for anything.