Previously on The Mole: Charlie was reunited with his wife, Bernadette. Steven was reunited with his wife, Angie. Jennifer commented that her friend Jim has been spending a lot of time with Steven lately. Kathryn accused Steven of being The Mole. Kathryn and Steve had to sleep in the car, after making a pact that they would work together. Jennifer was executed, and Jim said that she was his friend.
Man, the credits just keep getting shorter, don't they? Anderson tells us that Jennifer went home "in the company of a trusted friend," and then there were five. In an interview, Steven says that he's been reduced to playing the game "at a level that is below my moral and ethical standards." Kathryn has been hanging out with Jim and Steve a lot in the last week, and she enjoys being friends with them as much as you can be friends "in the context of the game." Jim rubs the back of his head and looks like a big monkey while he claims that it's fun playing the mind games, and it's interesting "how people are so easily scammed and suckered in."
It's day twenty. After dinner, the players are sent to their rooms and told to stay there alone. A surprise bed check finds Kathryn and Steven in Jim's room. Anderson says that it's "a clear violation of the game's rules." Man, every show I recap has people breaking the rules tonight.
The morning, Anderson speaks to the assembled group. He tells them that rules were broken, and they'll be assessed a $20,000 penalty, making the pot $350,000. Wow, that was lenient. Ayanna was kicked off! Steven looks sad. Kathryn says that it's lonely in their hotel rooms, and after a while, she's willing to be fined just to have some "human contact." What exactly was going on in that hotel room, anyway? Charlie says something about "troublemakers" and "comeuppance."
Anderson tells us that "what none of the players know is that Jim and Steven have had a secret coalition ever since the third day of the game." They what? That is big news. Jim says that he "wouldn't characterize it as a conspiracy but more as a pooling of resources for mutual benefit." Steven explains that they "struck a deal" and "the last execution was a result of that." It was? How? I need more details here! I guess they can't tell us anything else, or we would know who The Mole is.
The group arrives at an old fort. Anderson explains that this test will be "a variation of the game Capture the Flag." He tells the group that at some point that night, the fort will be attacked by four aggressors. The team has to guard a water-filled bowl, which will be illuminated by two spotlights mounted on the roof. The aggressors can win in two ways: turn off both spotlights OR move the bowl of water out of the lights. The home team has to either keep the bowl illuminated from sundown to sunup OR they can shoot and hit all four of the aggressors. Shoot? With real guns? This is getting serious! Oh, Anderson explains that they get paint guns, but the aggressors will be unarmed. Anderson adds that there is a large white circle around the fort -- a perimeter -- beyond which they cannot move. The prize for this test is $60,000.
As the team moves out to strategize, Anderson voice-overs that it's critical for the players to work as a team, and decide who will guard each position, since one of the players cannot be trusted. Anderson demonstrates the use of the paint gun. He spends a lot of time demonstrating the safety feature, so that will probably be important later. The players take target practice. Kathryn looks uncomfortable with the gun. Steven and Jim try to give her some help, but she doesn't hit any of the targets. Charlie and Steve do a little better, which makes sense since they have training. Anderson lists off all the other things that the team gets to use, including night-vision viewers and tools. After showing off the booty, Anderson leaves them to form their strategy since sunset will be in just under two hours.
At the strategy meeting, Jim suggests sealing up one entrance. Charlie suggests just giving up one target entirely. I guess I didn't explain this above, but the spotlights are controlled by a power source on the ground. Since both spotlights have to be turned off for the aggressors to win, Charlie thinks that the team could give up one of the power sources and concentrate their resources on protecting the other power source and the bowl of water. Charlie explains that he wanted to "give up the battle to win the war." Jim thinks it's a contingency plan, and that they should defend as much as they can. Kathryn agrees with Charlie. In an interview, Charlie explains that he was voted down, and they came up with a consensus plan, but Charlie wasn't happy about it. Steven tells us that the final strategy was devised by Jim and Steven. Interesting. Steven gives the team some final instructions. He tells them not to chase the aggressors and to stay at their posts.
Montage of the team trying to use lumber and hay bales (hay bales?) to block off some of the entrances. Anderson explains that the power supplies are important and that the lines and the distribution box both have to be guarded, along with the glass bowl in the courtyard. The distribution boxes are set away from the fort itself, and then the lines run from the box to the spotlight, so they're long. I guess they aren't allowed to move the distribution boxes.
Kathryn, Jim, and Kate are in the courtyard. It looks like Jim is eating a sandwich, but I'm not sure what the rest of them are doing. Kathryn asks Jim if he feels comfortable with the positions. I hear that's what she asked Anderson last night in his hotel room. Bah dum bump. Jim wonders why she's asking that. Kathryn says that she'd like to see Steve and Charlie put together. Kathryn voice-overs that she wanted The Mole to be in a position where there were two people. Jim voice-overs that Kathryn is "the perfect Mole candidate so anything she tells me is suspect." We see a funny shot of Jim wrinkling his nose at Kathryn. Kathryn practices firing her gun. The players don their helmets and load their guns with paint pellets.
As the sun sets, a helicopter appears on the horizon, flying low over the water. It's so very Apocalypse Now, that I expect the Wagner to strike up any second. I have to admit, on first viewing, I was excited at this point. It's a good mission. The players scramble to their positions. The aggressors are standing on the landing rails of the helicopter, dressed all in black. The helicopter hovers close to the ground, and they jump off and run away. Anderson voice-overs that the aggressors set up camp "several hundred yards outside the perimeter." Anderson goes on to explain that the players only know that the attack will happen after sunset, so now they have to sit and wait. The sun sets and we go to commercial.
It's 10 PM. Anderson tells us the players' positions. Jim is guarding the power box in the front. Charlie is also in front, guarding the only door that's not barricaded. Steven is guarding the power box in back. Kate is operating the spotlight on the roof, and she's unarmed. I don't know if they didn't have enough guns, or if they didn't trust her with one. They don't explain. Kathryn is inside the courtyard, guarding the water bowl. Anderson calls her "the last line of defense" which sounds a little intimate. At 10:50 PM, Kathryn tells Steve over the radio that she bets ten bucks that the first attack doesn't come until after 2 AM. Steve takes the bet, saying that he thinks the first attack will come before then. We don't hear if this was part of an ongoing conversation, or just something Kathryn said out of the blue. After a shot of the orange full moon, and a few shots of the players sitting around. Anderson tells us that the aggressors are planning their attack, and they'll use distraction. Anderson also tells us that the aggressors know the players' strategy, information supplied by The Mole. Hmm. Could that be what Kathryn was talking about with the ten and two reference? We see a map of the fort. The aggressors' camp is off to the right of the fort, where there are no players. Remember -- Charlie and Jim are in front, Steven is in back, Kathryn is inside on the left with the glass bowl on the right, and Kate is on the roof in front. I guess they assumed that the aggressors would attack the front, since that's the only entrance. Anderson refers to "a secret line of communication" that The Mole uses to transmit information. Based on their positions, it seems like Kathryn and Steven are the only ones who could secretly transmit information -- all of the others are too close together to be talking unheard.
Kate sees the aggressors approaching and points out their jeep with her spotlight, telling the others via the radio. The aggressors shoot off flares from the jeep. Kate spots a guy starting a fire in the bushes and points him out with the spotlight. A guy in the jeep throws a flare over the wall and into the courtyard. Yikes! Kathryn had better watch out! Steven leaves his post to try to open the door of the jeep and shoot someone, with no luck. The jeep leaves and all is quiet again.
Now it's 12:50 AM. The players wait. Steven informs the others that he thinks there are three guys in the jeep, possibly four. We see the fourth guy belly-crawling through some brush. Kate thinks that the jeep might have dropped someone off. Steven claims that he sees four people standing behind the jeep. Kathryn says, "I just want to reiterate again how weak we are on the inside here." Is she warning her teammates that she's going to need help, or giving clues to the aggressors? Jim asks Kathryn if her safety is off, and she says that it is.
Kate spots the jeep moving toward the fort again. We see that one of the guys has gotten out and is lying on the ground. Steven warns Kate to watch behind them, thinking that they might attack from behind while creating a distraction in the front. Kate reports that the guy in the back seat is missing. Kate reports that she shined the spotlight on some rocks to the left, and two guys ran back into the rocks. The music is very suspenseful. A flare goes off very high in the air. Charlie reminds everyone that the "bad guys" will be on the ground, so don't be distracted by the flares in the air. Kathryn asks if she should move forward, but Kate suggests that she "cover the back." The jeep starts driving around and tossing flares into the courtyard again.
Kate reports that she has spotted a guy running along the wall behind the building. Steven starts to leave his post to check it out, but then thinks better of it and radios that he's not going to chase. Kate keeps giving reports on where the guy is. Jim reiterates that they have the targets covered. Kate points out the guy to Kathryn, who says that she can't get a shot at him because there are no windows there. Kate keeps pointing him out, but Kathryn says she's not going to chase because she can't get a shot off. There are an awful lot of windows in that courtyard, but since I don't know where the guy is in relation to Kathryn, I don't know if she's telling the truth.
Kate starts bugging Charlie, since Kathryn won't help her. She uses the spotlight to tell Charlie where to go. Charlie follows the light, but not as much as Kate would like. Charlie protests that he thinks the guy ran off into the field. Kate insists that the guy is still there, just around the corner. Steven yells to Charlie to "watch the fucking thing!" Well, that was specific and not confusing at all. While Charlie is away from his post, one of the aggressors gets into the building. Kate tells everyone that the guy is in the building. The aggressor leaps through an open window into the courtyard. Kathryn springs into action, but guess what? Her safety is on. She struggles to turn it off while the aggressor tips over the bowl of water, and then ineffectually fires a few shots at him. Oops.
Kate says, "That was the guy, Charlie!" She sighs and kind of chuckles before announcing that they just lost it. Then, she announces that the game's over and she "pointed to him for Charlie and Charlie ignored him." Man, lighten up, Kate! Oh, but then it gets bad. Charlie starts yelling, saying, "Listen, you bitch!" and "You don't know what the hell you're talking about." Then, he calls Kate a "fat [bleep]." Since we didn't see him while he was making the statement, I couldn't read his lips, but I'm sure you can fill something in there. And how freaking uncalled for is that? Yes, maybe Kate shouldn't have been such a nag, but that was totally unnecessary.
It's time for more blame game. Jim comes into the courtyard and asks Kathryn what happened. She explains how the guy came through the window, and where she was when he entered. Charlie keeps babbling about "the guy that ran straight out" which is so unimportant. What about the guy who ran straight in -- to the water bowl? Everyone argues. Steven laughs and says, "We suck." Kathryn asks Kate how the guy got in. Kate blames Charlie some more. Charlie babbles about the guy who ran "straight out" again. Steven asks Kathryn what she saw from the inside. Kathryn explains that from Kate's directions, she was looking for someone to come over the wall, and then she heard someone come in behind her. Kathryn voice-overs that she feels bad that it was in her territory, but she doesn't know what more she could have done. Maybe had the safety off? Just a thought. She mentions the safety issue, saying that she was told to keep the safety on until she was ready to fire. With a real gun, under normal circumstances, sure. But with a paint gun? While you are waiting for an ambush? That just doesn't make sense. Charlie says that he doesn't know why Kathryn didn't have the safety off, and he thinks that Kate might have misdirected him. Steven supposes that Charlie got "caught up in the heat of the moment and didn't realize that he was leaving his post until it was too late." Kate thinks that Jim could have seen the aggressor going in the door, since it was on his side. Hey, yeah! Where was Jim while Kate was directing Charlie around? He's only about thirty feet away from the fort -- easily within seeing distance. He was strangely absent from the whole thing. Food for thought. Steven says that Jim was the backup for that doorway, and Steven doesn't understand where Jim was either.
Jim points out to Steven the marks on the wall from Kathryn's paintball gun. In an interview, Jim says that it's probably Kathryn's fault, and that she's either "a bad shot or she purposely missed." Or she didn't get the safety off her gun before the guy tipped the bowl over. We see Jim chastising Kathryn for not keeping "the globe in [her] sights." Kathryn wonders how she's supposed to keep the door, the wall, and the globe in her sights all at the same time, and adds to Jim, "Fuck you!" She's kind of joking but kind of not. She reminds Jim that she told him that she felt weak in there, but they wanted to keep their "macho asses outside." Kathryn sarcastically re-enacts what happened for Jim and Steven. In an interview, Steven says that there was "some concern" about Kathryn being alone in the middle, because as The Mole, she could've just tipped the bowl over herself, but Steven thinks that might have been too obvious. Kate points out the shots on the wall. I don't understand what purpose all this finger pointing serves. Once you have the information about who did what, and their stories as to why, you can make your judgments about The Mole. Assigning blame isn't going to make anyone feel better. I think I'm too emotionally involved with this show. Charlie actually says what I just said. Scary. I don't want to share a mindset with Charlie.
Kathryn sits alone, crying. Jim says that he's "totally pissed off" and that his post was covered. Kate comforts Kathryn, telling her that Kathryn had warned them that she was least comfortable with the guns. Kathryn sniffles, but as someone on the forums pointed out, no tears are coming out of her eyes and her face is not at all wet. When Kate came over, Kathryn put her head in Kate's lap -- was she that upset, or was she trying to hide her poor acting skills? Kathryn voice-overs that this game "gets under your skin." Charlie says that people were very dejected after that exercise, and that it was a low point. Yeah, we got that from all the standing around and pouting.
A horse-drawn carriage makes its way through the streets of San Lucar, Spain. Anderson voice-overs that the players got very little sleep before making their way to a public library for their test. Anderson tells them that the test is based on their knowledge of literature, and teases Kate who has claimed that she's "not a big reader." Anderson tells them that a carriage is entering town, and to pass the test, all five of them have to get onto the carriage. To get on the carriage, they need a ticket, which has printed on it a stop number, and the time it will take them to get from the library to the stop. There are eight tickets hidden in books in the room. Anderson will ask them questions, with the answer to the question being a book title. If they find the book, they find the ticket. If they find the ticket, they go to the appropriate stop and get on the carriage. Anderson voice-overs that you can only board the carriage at one of the eight stops, and only if you have the ticket for that stop as we see a map of the carriage's winding route. Anderson tells the team that the books are arranged by author, and they're in Spanish. The test is worth $60,000.
The first question is "Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins starred in the film based on this book." They all mutter the answer, Silence of the Lambs and Kathryn busts out with Thomas Harris as the author. The second question is "This title is out of order. It's the 666th book in the novel section." That doesn't even make sense. None of the players says anything. Kathryn takes off to grab the Thomas Harris book. Steven and Charlie check out the map. Kathryn finds the ticket, and Kate agrees to go to the stop, which is twelve minute away. As the crow flies? Walking? Running? They could have been more specific about that. Steven finds the stop on the map, and Kate takes off.
question: "Find the novel based on the character of a scientist and his violent alter ego. A hint: kids like this one too." Jim yells out that the answer is Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Kathryn runs over to the card catalog. Aw, card catalogs with actual cards. How quaint. Kate runs down the street. Kathryn asks Jim what the word is for "doctor" in Spanish. Jim tells her that it's "medico" but if it's a "university doctor," then the title is still "doctor." Interesting. Sadly, I knew that the author was Robert Louis Stevenson, because I'm a nerd. Kathryn can't find it, probably because the title is sometimes listed as The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Okay, that part I looked up on Amazon. Kate is still running to her stop.
Charlie counts his way through the novel section, trying to answer question number two. I would just estimate which case the book should be in, based on the number of books per case, and then search that one case for the book that's out of order. Or is that too simple? Kathryn and Jim find the Stevenson book and the third ticket. Charlie takes it and heads out to find the stop. Kate is still running. She makes it to her stop, and gets on the carriage successfully. The carriage driver makes a big X with chalk on the sidewalk.
Back in the library, Jim clarifies that they haven't skipped the second question. Charlie runs off to find the third stop. Anderson asks the question: "This famed murder-mystery queen wrote Un Cadaver en la Biblioteca." Before he can even finish reading the clue, Kathryn blurts out "Agatha Christie!" She takes off and finds the book and the fourth ticket. Charlie runs around in the streets. Anderson gives them a Polaroid and says that the question is to find the book pictured. Jim and Kathryn search the picture for clues. Charlie flags down the carriage, and then goes to Stop #2. He tries to get on the carriage, but he's denied and has to go back to the library, because his ticket is for Stop #3. I don't know why he can't just go to Stop #3 now. I would just follow the carriage until it got to the stop. Oh, maybe that's why he can't just go to Stop #3 now.
Back in the library, Kathryn and Jim search for the book in the picture. Where is Steven? Jim puts his hand on a book and says, "It's not this one." Kathryn comes over and looks at the book. It's the book in the picture. Jim acts surprised. The ticket inside indicates that the travel time is seven minute. In an interview, Kathryn says that it seemed odd that Jim found the correct book and dismissed it. Anderson gives them the question: "Find the classic book featuring a blood-sucking predator who loves the nightlife." Jim says, "Dracula," in a manner that suggests that any idiot knows that. Kathryn takes off to look it up in the card catalog and finds out that the author is Bram Stoker. Meanwhile, the carriage driver puts an X at the latest stop, and Charlie runs around in the streets.
Kathryn finds the ticket and hands it to Steven. They check the map and take off. Kathryn has to find Stop #4 and Steven is headed to Stop #5, while Jim is going to Stop #6. Kate is still riding in the carriage. Charlie is still running.
When we return, Charlie runs back into the library. Anderson tells him that there are two questions left, and gives him an excerpt from a book "that became a hit Broadway musical." The book is in Spanish, but the words "Jean Valjean" leap prominently off the page, and I yell at the television, "Les Miserables! Victor Hugo!" and my cats look at me funny and then resume cleaning themselves. We see Kathryn, Jim, and Steven looking for their stops. Kathryn and Steven part ways.
Charlie looks at the book excerpt for a while and then asks if there are any other questions left. Anderson reads him the last question: "Find the children's version of the book about a giant monster assembled by a mad doctor." Charlie jogs over to the card catalog. Kathryn gets picked up by the carriage. Kate explains how Charlie got on at the wrong stop while the carriage driver makes his chalk X on the ground.
Steven asks a group of schoolchildren (mostly female) for directions, and convinces them to show him the way. Steven walks off, surrounded by about ten twelve-year-old girls. Hee! Charlie's still looking for the book. He knows that he's looking for Frankenstein. Charlie says, "S," so he has the right author too. I think the problem is that he's looking in the adult novels, and the question specified a children's book. Jim walks down the street. Steven continues to get directions from his entourage. Charlie looks for the book, and can't find it. Kate and Kathryn, on the carriage, go by a church where a wedding is taking place and the people start throwing rice at them. Steven gets picked up at his stop. Kate explains what happened to Charlie.
Charlie keeps running around the library. The editors kill us by showing the case that Charlie just ran by, where the book is. Jim gets on the carriage. They discuss how far away the stops are from the library. They decide that if Charlie took question seven, they're in trouble, because that stop is far away, and stop eight is very close. Charlie finally finds the right book, asking Anderson, "How'd I miss that ten times?" Charlie gets his ticket, checks the map, and takes off. The carriage stops at Stop #7 as Charlie leaves the library at a full sprint, or as much of a full sprint as he can manage. Charlie stands on the street, looking around confusedly. On the carriage, Kathryn explain that if Charlie missed the carriage at Stop #7, he won't have time to go back to the library, answer the question, and make it to stop #8. Jim says that Charlie was "instrumental in messing up the test last night, so if he messes up this one, I'm going to be pissed." Charlie stands on a corner, looking around confusedly some more. The carriage driver makes a big X on the sidewalk somewhere.
The carriage pulls up and Anderson greets them, saying that they passed the test. They did? Oh, Charlie did get on the carriage -- they just didn't show it. They win $60,000, which brings the pot to $410,000. Anderson points out that Kathryn got most of the answers. Anderson recommends that they spend more time in their public libraries, except Charlie, who just shouldn't go to the library ever. Charlie laughs. Kate points out that it was a better day than yesterday. So far, anyway. Anderson reminds them that after dinner, they face an execution.
At dinner, Steven voice-overs that he thinks "The Mole took a day off" because they're "such a pitiful group" and The Mole felt sorry for them. The Mole feels no sorrow or pity! The Mole is merciless! Jim voice-overs that the money they made doesn't "mean jack if you don't get past the execution." Kate says that she's "almost disappointed in how it may come out," and that there's "been a lot of verbal abuse by one of the players." We see the footage of Charlie swearing at Kate after they failed to defend the fortress. In an interview, Charlie tells us that he didn't apologize to Kate because he meant what he said. Dude, that's just wrong. Kate says that if she leaves and Charlie stays, it doesn't seem right. Jim says that if Charlie goes, he won't be around to "annoy people with his nasty comments about Kate. That's a good enough reason right there." Kate cries a little and apologizes. At dinner, Charlie offers up a toast.
It's quiz time. Jim wonders if Kathryn really made a mistake in not turning her safety off. Charlie thinks that Kate could have been acting as The Mole during the test. Kathryn wonders why the two police officers didn't help them do better. Steven says that early on, a coalition made sense, but now Jim may turn the tables on him. Kathryn thinks that Jim pointing out the book and then ignoring it was "clearly odd" behavior. Jim says that Steve could "still be The Mole," but Jen's execution makes him think that it's not Steven. Jim says that if Steven duped him, then Steven played the game better and deserves to win. Charlie gives a message to his teammates in case he is executed, as he did last week. He thinks everyone did a good job, and he's still not sure who The Mole is.
The players file into the room to hear the results of the quiz. There's only one row of seats now! Sad. Anderson announces that the group pot is at $410,000. Anderson acknowledges that as the group gets smaller, the executions get harder for everyone. Anderson explains the green thumbprint / red thumbprint thing that we all know by now. Anderson asks a volunteer to go first, and Jim hesitates before raising his hand: green thumbprint. Steven goes : green thumbprint. When Kate is called third, I know that I am in for a world of trouble. All along, I've been insisting that she is The Mole, and the third person is always the red thumbprint. I start crooning, "Oh no, oh no, oh no!" And I'm right -- she is executed. Everyone else looks relieved. I cry for a few minutes, and briefly contemplate just leaving the country rather than facing my detractors in the forums.
As Kate walks out, she says that she knows for sure who The Mole is. Kathryn says that she isn't terribly surprised because she and Kate suspected two different people, so she thought that one of them would leave, and it tells Kathryn something that Kate was the one executed. Jim smiles broadly and says he's happy to be there. Charlie says that he thought he'd be the one to go tonight. Steven is the only one with something nice to say about Kate. We see the Sad Kate Leaving montage, which doesn't include Charlie bitching at her every five seconds, sadly. I never really liked Kate anyway. I feel bad that Charlie was so mean to her, but she should have stood up for herself and told him that his behavior was unacceptable. And she was annoying.
Kate tells Anderson that she was "following the wrong lead" and her "backup was probably the answer." Anderson tells her that she was a good player and bids her farewell.
So, I guess I need a new pick. I'm going with Kathryn. But my heart isn't in it anymore. I was so sure it was Kate! I just think Kathryn's done many weird things, and she's smart. And then there's the completely weird relationship with her "fiancé." So, my new pick is Kathryn.
week: An announcer intones solemnly, "They said it was just a game." We see Steven leading a blindfolded Jim along, and Jim sadly voice-overs, "Because I trusted you." The announcer says, "They said nothing bad could happen." Charlie stands blindfolded on a plank of some sort. The announcer says, "They were wrong." Kathryn blindfolded. Someone crumpled on the ground. Anderson looking alarmed. Someone kneeling over the person crumpled on the ground. The person crumpled on the ground in Kathryn. Blurry shot of Kathryn looking unconscious. Ooh, that looks juicy!