The Mole 6/30- Craig Says Paul Is A Llama's Ass

Previously on The Mole, Craig got hypothermia, Mark wandered into the Argentinean wild, and Victoria got sent packing. Nicole wonders why everyone who she suspects keeps getting executed. When you think about it, that’s actually a very good question. Jon welcomes them to a roofless train station for their first mission. The whole team is chained together and they have to work together to get a key. There’s a timed component and coldness (which Craig is worried about) and an exemption at stake (which will take money out of the pot. And since everyone needs to work together, this is gonna take a while. Craig tries to convince everyone that he just wants to get out of the cod and won’t take an exemption. Clay and Mark are hesitant, but they are willing to trust him. And it’s good that they do, because Craig takes the key and leaves the exemption. Surprisingly, Paul and Alex seem to be the most trusting, and Kristen uses her favor with Clay and goes second. Trust rewards them again, as Kristen also takes the key over the exemption. Paul, swearing on his daughter, is allowed to go next (even though Mark and Nicole seem very hesitant). We go into the commercial break as Paul’s hand hovers over the exemption.

We come back, and Paul, in a surprising move, is not a douchebag, taking the key instead. The remaining four players, though, are left bickering. Mark no longer trusts anyone, since his journal was burned and he’s a whiner. Mark goes so far as to say he no longer trusts himself. Seriously, this guys kind of off the deep end. Clay convinces them to let him go next, and he rewards them by taking the key. Mark, Alex, and Nicole are left, and, for no foreseeable reason, they let Nicole go next. And in an even more surprising move, Nicole takes the key, not being the bitch we’ve come to know her as. Mark lets Alex go next and also takes the key, leaving Mark there alone to ponder exemptions. He goes over and we go to commercial.

We come back and the group is discussing whether or not Mark will take it. They don’t seem to have a good opinion of him, and, when he comes in, he wants to know their opinion on whether or not he took it. He, however, took the key, meaning that the team adds $25,000 to the pot. Now that he didn’t take the exemption, Mark has entered my list of Mole suspects. Jon gives everyone a brand spanking new journal and I can only hope that this will make him less curmudgeonly. There’s some information exchanging, but Paul is proving to be a douchebag and is holding back information about himself. Paul and Clay start bickering at one another. Paul calls Clay’s whole life a “hypocrite.” I’m getting really tired of Paul (as if you couldn’t already tell). The car that doesn’t have Paul seems very pleased about their situation. Clay hit the seat and throws a lemon at Paul, and Paul is all up in arms. He says he’d kill Clay if they were on the streets. Clay and Kristen switch cars and I feel bad for Kristen. The other car sings a song about not having to deal with Paul. If only I could join in.

The players arrive in Mendoza, the Argentinean Napa Valley, but the drama from before arrives as well. Although it’s all under the surface now. When told that their mission will be stress relieving, Nicole asks if they’re gonna shoot something. Nicole is my favorite player, because she’s hilarious. Their next mission is called “Travelers” and involves them working in teams to get to a statue. Craig lucks into a role of getting to divide everyone up (well, not really lucks. He’s the first to say exemption at breakfast). Plus, if no one makes it to the checkpoint, Craig gets an exemption. Craig wants the exemption and he tells the team such. He pairs Alex (dressed as a conquistador, complete with Burro) with Mark (dressed in scuba gear). Kristen (on stilts) is paired with Clay (on a unicycle). Oh, and Nicole and Paul have to share a llama costume, with Paul as, fittingly, the ass. Everyone rebels against him, the whole team opting out. Jon tries to plant seeds of suspicion by questioning about who fomented the Mole Revolution. Mark is starting to seem too obvious. Craig gets his exemption, and the whole team hates him.

DIGRESSION: In my opinion, the Mole HAS to be someone who is not being edited as moley. Because ABC would have to be idiots to make it obvious. Which is why Kristen, and, very much increasingly, Alex are my biggest suspects. They haven’t done anything outrightly sabotage-like, but there’s something that doesn’t sit right to me about those two.

At dinner, Craig tries to make peace (it seems mildly successful). Nicole calls $30,000 a paltry sum, which kind of upsets Alex. Mark talks about how difficult it is to be away from home. Paul is also having a tough time, resorting to talking to a lemon. Everyone seems worried about the execution.

QUIZ SUSPECTS
I suspect Kristen and Alex (as stated above)
Alex suspects Mark
Clay suspects Nicole (maybe)

It’s executin’ time, and, since Craig is exempt, that means it’s a one in six shot for the rest of them (and a 1/3 chance that one of my suspects is going home). It’s a tie again tonight, and the time difference was one second, to which everyone, including me, goes Wow. Alex is first, and he’s safe, making me 1 for 2 on my suspects. Paul is next, and he’s safe too. Kristen is up, and she’s executed, meaning that I was only 1 for 2 on my suspects. My mole-dar goes fully to Alex now. I’m OK with it though, since I was leaning hardcore to Alex tonight and away from Kristen (and No, that’s not just me compensating for being wrong about the mole’s identity. Next week, Clip Show! Apparently followed by a new episode, with bungee jumping!