The Molewas a competition reality series on ABC in 2001. It ran for several seasons, some of which involved celebrity versions before it was canceled in 2009. Netflix revived the series for a sixth season, which became available to stream in October after the streamerconfirmed the release datein September.
The premise is straightforward. Among a group of people who are trying to add money to a pot is a mole. This individual’s goal is to prevent the group from earning money in the challenges. While only one person will win the prize money in the end, the group wants to put as much money into it because it could be them winning it. As the game progresses, each contestant tries to figure out who the mole is based on actions, attitudes, and what they learn about the other contestants. The person who knows the mole best at the end of the competition is the winner.
While it might sound like any other reality competition series out there,The Moleis a welcome change from other shows (though it can’t compare to thecooking competition shows).
The Mole Isn’t About Popularity
Many reality competition shows revolve around popularity in some way.The BachelorandThe Bachelorettedefinitely do, as the individual that spends the most time with the bachelor/bachelorette tends to go far in the game. Any competition show that involves voting, likeBig BrotherorSurvivor, is also about how well someone gets along with the rest of the group. There is inevitably one player that can swing a big stick and convince everyone else to vote a certain individual off the island, even if that player is well-liked or contributes to the greater good.
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The Molemakes contestants take a quiz. They have to answer questions about who they believe the mole is, which can change from week to week depending on what’s happened during challenges. But the person with the most incorrect answers is sent home.
It’s always a surprise who goes home, and the rest of the contestants usually display shock because it’s never who they expect. They have no control over who is going home. It’s a nice change of pace to see people eliminated from the competition because of their own actions and thoughts and not from the strategizing of others.
There’s No Romance Involved
While some competition shows are strictly about romance, others usually end up with a romantic subplot coming out through the edit. EvenSurvivor, which features contestants on an island with no modern amenities, ends up with a romantic storyline in most seasons. Is it used to manipulate people or sway the vote their way? Yes, but it still happens.Boston Rob and Amberare a well-known couple that met throughSurvivorand are still happily married.
The Molehas no inkling of romantic relationships across the season. Because everyone is trying to figure out who the mole is, it’s harder to trust their peers than it would be in another reality competition series. This means they are only getting as close as they need to, nothing more. The quiz asks questions about the mole’s personal life, like how many siblings they have, so the contestants do have to get to know each other, but there is a line.
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Without romance, audiences watch them try to make alliances and get to know each other while also searching for the mole based on everyone’s performance in challenges or the decisions they make in the game.
The Mole’s Challenges are Engaging
While it is fun towatchSurvivorcontestantssolve puzzles that spell their tribe name or fill up a pipe with water to drop a flag, these kinds of challenges get repetitive as the season moves along. There are only so many ways for those challenges to take place. While they always look a bit different, several are rotated through as the episodes go along.
The Moleturns this idea on its head. In the Netflix version, they have tried to recover crates from the ocean floor, hoped they took the correct backpacks across a mountain, and broke out of prison. Each challenge always requires splitting the group up in some way, sometimes leaving people behind as the challenge moves into different stages. WhileSurvivororThe Amazing Racemay require a member of the team to sit out, usually due to uneven tribe numbers or because only one member of the duo can complete the task.
However, having people sit out inThe Molecan cost the group money. In Episode 6, the contestants must decide who will continue the mountain challenge. Each time they leave someone behind is a chance that they are leaving $10,000 behind. Rather than just picking someone because you don’t think they would do well shooting a ball into a hoop, the contestants have to decide if leaving that person behind or having them sit out would result in lost money.
If you haven’t watched the new season ofThe Mole, you can now on Netflix. If you already have and are looking for another show to binge, check out the other showsreleased on the streamer this month.
