Part the Eighth

Now, they're driving down the road. Kathryn is sitting closer to the others. She remarks that she thinks there is "at least one person in this car who's getting played -- possibly two." After some time passes, Jim says that he doesn't envy whichever one of the others is The Mole.

They're in Montejacque, Spain. Anderson waits for them to arrive. When they do, he congratulates them, and reminds them that there is $490,000 in the pot. Anderson continues by saying that they've all been observing each other for weeks, including the color of each other's underwear -- then he makes a crack about it being easy in Jim's case, since his pants ride just above his knees. Ha! I love that Anderson is loosening up now that they're near the end. Anderson notes that they've already answered a series of questions about each other, and that "some of those questions were embarrassing, and some of them, frankly, were downright offensive." The test is based on how they answered those questions. Ooh, offensive? Count me in! Anderson tells them that the test will determine how well they know each other, but also what they think about each other.

Now, the rules. There are three parts to the test. In the first part, Steven will be taken to a house somewhere. The others will have to answer three questions correctly to get directions to the house. Each round is worth $10,000. Steve takes off and Jim and Kathryn get ready to start.

Anderson reads the first question: A deadly snake has bitten Jim and Kathryn, but they only have enough anti-venom for one person. Would Steve give it to Jim or Kathryn? Kathryn thinks that it's a terrible question. Jim reasons that he would tell Steve to give it to Kathryn anyway, and Steve knows that, so he would just give it to Kathryn in the first place. Kathryn thinks that Steve would give it to her because she's a girl. Wait, that didn't come out right. Replace "it" with "the anti-venom" and it's marginally better. Also, how sexist. Their final answer is Kathryn, and that leads them to the right.

The question is whom Steve would NOT trust with his most valued secret. Jim notes that Kathryn is constantly telling stories, and mentioning people by name. Jim votes that Steve would not trust Kathryn. Kathryn agrees, and they go off to the left.

The third question is: Who would Steve say is more likely to lie to your face? Kathryn and Jim both think it would be Kathryn. She's kind of offended, but Jim points out that he's trying to figure out how Steve would answer it. Kathryn says that she would "lie and cannot keep secrets." This leads them to a door. They knock, but Steve isn't in there. Anderson tells us that they answered one question incorrectly, so they failed this round. Steve joins them. Anderson asks Steve to tell them how he answered the questions. Anderson reads the anti-venom question, and Steven says that he answered, "Jim." Anderson tells him that's wrong, and then voice-overs that "it turns out Steven paid no attention to his own answers." Steve explains that he just alternated between Jim and Kathryn all the way down the list. Anderson says, "Steve's rraaandom answers just cost you all $10,000." In an interview, Kathryn points out that what Steve did is the only way to guarantee that the others would get the answers wrong. Or, and I'm just floating a theory here, Steve is making a last-ditch effort to convince the others that he's The Mole. It just seems way too stupid. Steve is not that stupid, I don't think. It's got to be part of a strategy.

They rejoin Anderson. Jim asks Kathryn what's wrong. Jim can't believe that Kathryn is mad about this. Jim explains his rationale: Steve is already married and Kathryn isn't, so he chose her because she hasn't taken her vows yet. Makes sense to me. Kathryn says that she might as have well have taken vows. Jim reiterates that he doesn't think Kathryn would cheat and Steve wouldn't, necessarily. Kathryn starts crying and walks off. In an interview, Jim says that he thinks it's silly to let the game get to you, because that's the producers' intention, and you can't let them win. Anderson starts to recap the winnings, but Kathryn interrupts him and tearily says, "Do we have to do this right this second?" Anderson tenderly tells her that they don't have to do anything, and leads her away from the cameras. Aw, they are so in love. Steve explains to Jim how Kathryn thought that all bad things were being ascribed to her. Jim walks off to talk to Kathryn alone. Jim tries to explain to Kathryn that he had to choose one. She is taking this way too personally. Or, she's The Mole, and she's trying to make them think that she's not, because they're onto her. See, I can always turn it around. Kathryn says that it's okay, but Jim says it's not, and that she's going to make him cry. You know, I hated Jim in the first episode, but I think that I just didn't get his sense of humor at first. I really like him now. I think. Ask me after the finale, I guess. Jim tells Kathryn not to let the "horrible test" get under her skin.

The players finally get back in the van. Anderson voice-overs that the day is far from over. Kathryn cries in the back seat of the van.

In an interview, Kathryn says that she hated the "three-question test," both answering the questions and hearing the answers of others. Steven tells us that Kathryn thinks that he and Jim are "teaming against her," but they're not. Jim tells us that he doesn't think that Kathryn was "having a good day to begin with."

Now the group is in Ronda, Spain. They enter a hotel as Anderson voice-overs that they are not just "checking into another hotel," but that this is their final test, and a chance to earn $75,000 for the pot. As the bellhop shows each player into his or her room, the door shuts with a resounding clank. Anderson tells us that each player is being locked in his or her room, and they will need each other's help to get out -- this is the final test.

The players have ninety minutes. Anderson explains that the players have to "get out of their locked rooms," and meet Anderson down in the lobby as a group. Each player has clues in his or her room that will help the others to escape, and "to share the clues, they all must find a way to communicate."

Techno music plays as the words "The Rules" flash on the screen. Anderson voice-overs that Kathryn's room has a television set and two videocassettes: the movies Psycho and Scream. We see Kathryn watching them in fast forward. Anderson continues that Kathryn also has "binoculars, a key, and attached to a cable, a stationary bike." Anderson tells us that Steven has a laptop computer, a briefcase, and a refrigerator. The latter two are locked.

Jim's room is completely dark, but we can see him with the night vision camera. So, do they know that this is a test? Like, does Jim know that the camera is there, or does he think there was just a power outage or something? Because wouldn't he itch his butt or something? We see three squares on the screen, one per player. Jim finds a xylophone in his room and starts playing. Kathryn gets on the bike and starts pedaling. A black light comes on in Jim's room, and there is all kinds of stuff written on the walls of the room. Jim says, "Cool," and then the light goes off. Jim says, "More!" Hee! Jim is funny. Anderson voice-overs that Jim "gropes his way to the phone and tries to contact hotel reception." We see Jim dialing as Anderson tells us that no one at the hotel speaks English. Jim tries to talk to the guy at the front desk, and succeeds in getting Steven's room number. We see Steven's phone ring. I don't like the night vision camera -- it makes Jim's eyes look all freaky and weird. Like, the pupils are white. Make it stop! Jim babbles about his "Franglish," and tells Steven his room number. Jim reveals that he doesn't have any lights in his room.

Meanwhile, Kathryn calls the front desk to try to find out Jim's room number. Who knew Jim's last name was Morrison? That's funny. Kathryn struggles to communicate with the guy at the front desk while Jim and Steve discuss what they have in their rooms. The door lock is apparently a keypad with a flashing red light. Kathryn gets Steven's room number and writes it down. Of course, when she tries to call, it's busy because Steve and Jim are like teenage girls on the phone. Steve tells Jim that his laptop won't stay on -- he turns it on and then it powers down. Kathryn starts riding the bike again, and Jim's black light comes on. Gee, do you think there's a connection there? Kathryn stops pedaling, and the light goes out. They have seventy-five minutes left. Steven unlocks the briefcase in his room. Kathryn goes into the bathroom and looks into the shower, but misses the huge numbers written on the inside of the shower curtain -- 1019. If she were inside the shower, she would see them. She continues to look through the bathroom when her phone rings -- it's Steven.

There are fifty minutes left. Kathryn tells Steven that his phone's been busy. Steven lies and says that he was trying to get a hold of her, but it was busy. Interesting. Steve describes the contents of his room to Kathryn and she writes it down. She explains that she was looking in the shower because of "the whole Psycho thing," but that she didn't find anything. Steve tells Kathryn about Jim's dark room and then asks about her stationary bike. He tells her to get on the bike and stay on it for a while. Kathryn does. Steve calls Jim and asks if the lights are on -- and they pop on. Jim starts reading the stuff written on the walls to Steve. One part says, "Find one: Juan Guerrero, Juan Carlos, Juan Valdez." Steve explains to Jim that Kathryn is controlling his lights with her bike. Steve hangs up and calls Kathryn back and explains the lights to her. Steve asks Kathryn to ride the bike for a while so that Jim can read him everything from the walls. Steve calls Jim back and Jim starts reading a bunch of stuff. Most of it is meaningless. I do notice that it says "Jim is The Mole" and "Steven is The Mole," but not that Kathryn is The Mole. At least that I can see with my crappy pause on my VCR. Jim reads one line that says, "You have the key." Steven tells Jim that Kathryn has a big key in her room. Kathryn continues to ride the bike. Jim reads the Juan names to Steven again.

Ten minutes have gone by. Kathryn tries to call Steve, but he's still on the phone with Jim. On first viewing, I thought this was really suspicious, but it makes sense that it would take at least ten minutes to get all that stuff written down. Maybe. Or maybe they both think that Kathryn is The Mole, so they don't want to involve her in the test. Jim lies on the bed and tells Steve that he thinks the solution has something to do with the three Juan names. Steve finds the name "Juan Carlos" in the directory. Meanwhile, Kathryn is back in the bathroom, and she finds the number on the inside of the shower curtain. She dashes out and tries to call Steve again, but the line is still busy. It's about five minutes since the last time she called. We see Jim babbling some more about "Juan Carlos." Kathryn tries the shower curtain number on her door, but it doesn't work. Five minutes later, Kathryn calls again, but it's still busy. Now Jim and Steven have been on the phone for twenty minutes, and they only have thirty minutes left. Steve found a newspaper in his briefcase that had the date "10/19" -- the same number that was on Kathryn's shower curtain.

Anderson voice-overs that both Kathryn and Steven found the same number, but she can't get through to him on the phone to share information. Kathryn finds a book in her nightstand drawer, and the title is A Room With A View. Kathryn rushes over to the window and uses her binoculars to see what's written on a van parked far away. She tries to call Steven again -- still busy. Okay, I can't make any more excuses for them. They really are teenage girls with the chatting and the busy signals. Do they think that they have call waiting? Kathryn writes down what she saw on the side of the van -- September 22, 2000, or 0922, which is also the date that they started the show. Kathryn tries that number on her door and it totally works! She runs off down the hall.

Kathryn returns to her room and calls Steve to tell him that she's out. She tells him to try the number that she just used, but it doesn't work. She asks if Jim has a keypad too, and Steve says he does, so he suggests that Kathryn get on the bike and Steve will call Jim and tell him what number to try. They have twenty minutes left. I'm getting a bad feeling about this.

As Kathryn pedals, Jim answers the phone. Steve explains how Kathryn found out the combination for her room. Steve also suggests that Jim try 1019. Steve says he'll hang on. If you were Kathryn, wouldn't you have told Steve to call you back after like five minutes? They're running out of time and she doesn't want those two Chatty Kathies to get stuck on the phone again, giggling over how cute Anderson is or something. Jim tries the numbers, but none of them work, which he reports to Steve.

Steve calls Kathryn back to tell her that the numbers don't work. Kathryn points out that 1019 must mean something, because it wouldn't just be random. Unless it's a red herring. Steve suggests that Kathryn come downstairs and talk to him through his door as they have sixteen minutes left. Kathryn runs down there. She tries her key in the lock on Steve's door, but it doesn't work. Steve tells her what he found in the briefcase: a mirror, some sunglasses, a sickle (?), a newspaper, and the "cultural guide" that he's looking at. She asks if he has a safe in his room. She did, but never got it open. Steve doesn't think there's anything useful in his safe. Kathryn urges him to try the two numbers that they have on the safe. Steve gets the safe open and pulls out a statue of the Virgin Mary. Kathryn is puzzled. Steve slides his "cultural agenda" (they never call that thing the same name twice) under the door so that Kathryn can look at it, and gives her the newspaper too. Steve goes to answer his phone as Kathryn flips through the paper. Kathryn finds some sheet music inside the paper, and figures that it must be for Jim's xylophone. Neither Steve nor Kathryn knows how to read music. Steve suggests that Kathryn shove the sheet music under Jim's door. Kathryn does just that. Jim confesses that he doesn't "read music that well," and tells Kathryn that he'll need light to do anything. Kathryn tells him that they have about seven minutes left, and takes off to ride the bike so that he can see.