Episode 9

OK, to start with, the last 3 weeks have just been outstanding, with outstanding games. Tonight's games were both excellent and fun to watch; the bomb game was the best yet. If the entire season measured up to the last 3 weeks, I think the viewership would be up markedly.

What haven't I liked? The bickering and antagonism between the players. We can get ugly bickering on shows on all channels. I turn them all off. I truly think "The Mole" has so much more to offer than that. I'm really sorry that it was made such an integral part of this season. I have noted before that one of the most frequent positive statements I have heard from more people since "The Mole II" was that it was a family show; there wasn't any ugliness or excessive bickering and the players seemed to like each other. (Truth) I realize that almost every show on television seems to have to have the standard ugliness between the contestants; shoot, folks, we have a political campaign to watch if we want that kind of interplay. The Mole has far more to offer than that.

I like Jon OK; far better than Ahmad. But, he still needs an edge. Maybe if we come back again for another season he will develop one.

Tonight in the Defuse the Bomb game, those of you who like Nicole as the Mole should have been happy. She made the standard number of mistakes, almost costing them the money. Both Craig and Mark were the heroes in the game, though Craig seemed to pick up on what needed to be done the quickest. In the end both Craig and Nicole realized that the purple wire needed to be cut...and the game was won. Who was most suspicious? Nicole. Mark stalled quite a bit, but in the end it made no difference.

Once they won that $50,000, I told my wife that the Mole would not then allow money to be added to the pot in the last game. Period. We all saw the obvious mistakes being made. Again, Craig did an excellent job on his clues. Nicole was clueless...either by design (as the Mole) or to attract suspicion. Or, just because she is Nicole? On the other hand, as the Mole she should have been hustling to get to the finish line first. She was not interested. Lots of mis-steps by both Craig and Mark, but Mark got to the bridge first. And selected the dossier. If he is not the Mole...perhaps that was a good step. If he is the Mole...it was even better.

A good season, overall. We all deserve another! I still think Mark is the Mole. He has done so many little things that I did that I just can't get past them. Again, Nicole or Craig could be the Mole and I would not be disappointed. Boy, if Mark is the Mole, who wins? I think Craig, just because he never lost his journal and had more information at hand than Nicole. If Craig is the Mole, I think Mark is the winner. If Nicole is the Mole, Mark still wins.

Bill
The Mole II