Kim gave this episode a grade of
C+
10 users have given this episode an average grade of
A-
The show opens with an explanation of how the game works, which I'm sure you all know by now. They started with ten people working together to complete tests to earn money. One of them is a Mole, trying to sabotage. Each week, one of them is eliminated via a quiz about The Mole. The last one left gets the money.
Last week, Jennifer threw a hissyfit, Wendi couldn't hear, and Afi got eliminated.
Anderson stands in the desert and tells us that the players are getting to know each other, and personalities are clashing. Charlie tells the camera that he's relieved it was Afi and not him. Jennifer tells the camera that she wishes Henry were gone. Why don't we get a shot of someone saying that they wish Jennifer were gone? Also, it kind of cracks me up how they have assigned a persona to each player, and always refer to said persona in the on-screen text. "Jennifer the Jock," or "Charlie the Retired Detective," for example. Henry tells the camera that he still feels "really confident." Wendi thinks this is all a dream. Steven claims that he's "just a simpleton," trying to "get through one round at a time." I love that he called himself a simpleton on national television.
It's Day Ten and the group is in Avignon, France. There is $135,000 in the pot. They leave France to go to Spain, and the Carmen Sandiego map shows us where France is in relation to Spain. I would make a crack, but actually most American probably don't know. Anderson voice-overs that the group's confidence is waning since they have failed two out of the last three tests. Montage of Spain while Spanish music plays in the background. I expect them to have a toreador and a woman in a mantilla with a rose clenched between her teeth or something.
Charlie, Kate, Wendi, and Henry are in a van. Anderson tells us that Charlie is getting tired and cranky. We see Charlie asking if they can crack a window and get some fresh air. Henry offers to turn on the air conditioning. Kate says her window is cracked as much as she is going to crack it. Because she's The Mole. Charlie accuses Kate of being "the window police." Heh. Kate says that Charlie got up on "the wrong side of the bed," and Wendi admits that Charlie was "a little snappy" to her this morning. Charlie just lies there and thinks, "I am in hell. HELL!" That's what the look on his face was saying to me.
At 11 PM, the players arrive at their hotel. Over dinner, Anderson tells us that they discuss friendship in the face of the game. Anderson asks the table how they can form friendships, knowing that they are based on lies. Aw, who cares! Show more Mole stuff! Jim says that everyone came to the table with the same expectations. Steven is afraid that he will lose friendships as the game goes on. Jennifer says that she applauds anyone who outwits her, and pointedly says, "You did your job, Steve!" and then laughs and laughs at her audacity at calling Steve the Mole. Jennifer is so the Richard of this show. They want us to hate her. It makes me not want to hate her, just to be contrary, but I do. I hate her. Shut up, Jennifer. Random shot of Charlie guffawing for no reason.
The morning, the players are "whisked away in a van, secreted to a country location." They get dropped off and have to hike up a dirt road. We see the group walking down the road, interspersed with shots of what is a calf at best, and surely not a mature bull. A toreador walks into a stadium as the camera pans from feet up to head. He's not wearing the cool little hat! We've all seen this challenge before on Road Rules Latin America.
The group arrives at the arena as the toreador dodges the charges of a slightly bigger bull. It's still not that big, though. Anderson announces that the bullfighting test could be worth $75,000. Each person has to go in the ring and face the "bull." Each time the "bull" touches the cape, it counts as a pass. Each player needs to get two passes. The players watch the "bull" and proclaim how vicious it is. Anderson's not done -- they can earn an additional $25,000 if five of them complete a tienta, which is basically pulling the "bull"'s tail until its butt touches the ground.
Henry is up first. Two random guys in tuxedos play the trumpet and snare drum. So sad. Henry's "bull" is tiny. Henry gets some instruction from the toreador, and successfully completes two passes. Then he grabs the tail and gets the tienta as well, before running behind a barrier.
Charlie is up , but he's a little nervous. Wouldn't you be? He's older and his reflexes are likely not as quick as Henry's. Plus, Kate wouldn't give him any air in the car. Charlie says he's "confident," but then admits that he's only saying that. Kate tells Charlie to pretend the bull is her. Charlie gets one pass. Charlie holds the cape right in front of his body. Hold it out to the side a little bit! Predictably, the bull rams right into him and knocks his legs out. That's why I was telling him to hold it to one side! Have these people never seen Madonna's Take A Bow video? We go to commercial before we can find out if Charlie died or what.
After the break, they replay Charlie getting knocked down about three times. He's got a scrape on his arm, which is hardly a big deal. The paramedics clean him up. Steven whispers to Jennifer, "I just want to go last to make sure everybody goes." Jennifer teases him about it and says that she still think he might be The Mole.
Kate is out in the ring now. She quickly gets one pass, but like Charlie before her, holds the cape right in front of her legs, and then looks surprised when the bull takes out her legs. After getting her two passes, she heads for safety. Kate claims that she has "a bruise on [her] rib." Whatever. She barely fell.
Jennifer is up . On the second pass, the bull takes out her legs too, and she ends up on top of the bull. Kate yells, and Anderson takes off quickly out of frame, like, what is he going to do? Jennifer is hanging onto the bull, going for the tienta, which she eventually gets. If I was the bull and everyone was yanking on my tail like that, I'd be pissed too.
Wendi claims that this is getting too intense. Anderson lets slip the information that all of them have to face the bull for the tientas to count. Hey, they didn't tell us that before! Anyway, Wendi is up . She somehow persuades the bullfighter to help her, and they jointly hold the cape. That seems like cheating somehow. Wendi gets her two passes, and everyone cheers.
Jim is up , and on the first pass he ends up straddling the bull's head. The second pass goes better, and he's done. Kathryn gets knocked down on her first pass, and asks if it counted. Anderson yells out, "Yes, it counts! Good job! I love you!" Okay, maybe he didn't say the last part, but he's clearly thinking it. Kathryn gets her two passes and Steven is the only one left.
Anderson tries to build up suspense by reminding us that Steven has to complete the task for the tientas to count. Everything goes slow motion. Seriously, the "bull" is so young that it's actually fuzzy and cute. They insert a silly mooing sound as the bull charges Steve. He gets a pass and a tienta in one shot. On the pass, he gets knocked down and asks if he's allowed to get two tientas. Show off. The sad trumpet/drum combo plays again. Steven is welcomed back to the group. Anderson informs them that they made $50,000, and then an additional $15,000 for the tientas, for a total of $65,000. The pot is now at $200,000. That's a lot of money! Anderon informs them that they'll be "camping in the bullring tonight." Setting up tents montage. They're roughing it.