The Mole (TV series): Difference between revisions

Content added Content deleted
VisualWikitext
m (update links)
m (update links)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{work}}
{{work}}
[[File:Mole_Thumbprint_4688.jpg|frame]] A spy-themed [[Reality Show]] that first aired in Belgium (on VRT) in 1999, hosted by Michiel Devlieger, and premiered on ABC in 2001. Nicknamed "the smartest reality show ever," it's considered to its fans as unique for its emphasis on brain rather than brawn, beauty, or sociability, as well as its audience interaction through hidden clues to The Mole's identity. The premise was simple: the contestants worked together to complete various tasks to earn a cash prize--usually up to $1,000,000--that only one of them would win. One of the contestants, however, was [[The Mole]], a double agent hired by the ''producers themselves'' to sabotage the group's missions and keep money from the pot. (That's where the spy drama part got [[Fridge Logic|fridgy]]. It's like the CIA hired a spy to take out ''its own agents''. Let that sink in for a moment...okay.) The winner was the player who survived all elimination rounds and figured out who The Mole was.
[[File:Mole_Thumbprint_4688.jpg|frame]] A spy-themed [[Reality Show]] that first aired in Belgium (on VRT) in 1999, hosted by Michiel Devlieger, and premiered on ABC in 2001. Nicknamed "the smartest reality show ever," it's considered to its fans as unique for its emphasis on brain rather than brawn, beauty, or sociability, as well as its audience interaction through hidden clues to The Mole's identity. The premise was simple: the contestants worked together to complete various tasks to earn a cash prize--usually up to $1,000,000--that only one of them would win. One of the contestants, however, was [[The Mole]], a double agent hired by the ''producers themselves'' to sabotage the group's missions and keep money from the pot. (That's where the spy drama part got [[Fridge Logic|fridgy]]. It's like the CIA hired a spy to take out ''its own agents''. Let that sink in for a moment...okay.) The winner was the player who survived all elimination rounds and figured out who The Mole was.


Originally a Belgian show, the USA version had five seasons and three hosts, the first and probably most popular one being CNN reporter Anderson Cooper. It has quite a dedicated fan base that made two attempts to revive it: one by sending "lemon heads" (a season five reference) to ABC, much like what was done with the CBS show ''[[Jericho]]'', and also by posting "Save The Mole" videos on [[YouTube]] to help advertise the show. Some former contestants and season five host Jon Kelley also got involved; a compilation of their videos can be found [http://abcsavethemole.com/ here].
Originally a Belgian show, the USA version had five seasons and three hosts, the first and probably most popular one being CNN reporter Anderson Cooper. It has quite a dedicated fan base that made two attempts to revive it: one by sending "lemon heads" (a season five reference) to ABC, much like what was done with the CBS show ''[[Jericho]]'', and also by posting "Save The Mole" videos on [[YouTube]] to help advertise the show. Some former contestants and season five host Jon Kelley also got involved; a compilation of their videos can be found [http://abcsavethemole.com/ here].
Line 8: Line 8:
* [[Adventure Towns]]: The players are always on the move, traveling from town to town (and occasionally country to country) to complete their various tasks.
* [[Adventure Towns]]: The players are always on the move, traveling from town to town (and occasionally country to country) to complete their various tasks.
* [[Adult Child]]: During The Mole 2's Three Questions Game, Dorothy describes herself as one of these in relation to the question of who would be a worse babysitter (between her and Heather) to Bill's kids.
* [[Adult Child]]: During The Mole 2's Three Questions Game, Dorothy describes herself as one of these in relation to the question of who would be a worse babysitter (between her and Heather) to Bill's kids.
* [[Asian and Nerdy]]: Dorothy.
* [[Asian and Nerdy]]: Dorothy.
* [[The Cameo]]: The Mole from the first season makes a brief appearance towards the end of the second season.
* [[The Cameo]]: The Mole from the first season makes a brief appearance towards the end of the second season.
* [[Carried by the Host]]: The Anderson Cooper seasons are by far more beloved by the fanbase than the Ahmad Rashad/Jon Kelley seasons, and a large part of that has to do with Cooper.
* [[Carried by the Host]]: The Anderson Cooper seasons are by far more beloved by the fanbase than the Ahmad Rashad/Jon Kelley seasons, and a large part of that has to do with Cooper.
Line 17: Line 17:
* [[Death by Genre Savviness]]: In US season 5, one of Bobby's perceived "gives" to the Mole's identity was the fact that host Jon Kelley had earlier greeted the players while eating an apple: Bobby interpreted this as signifying [[New York City|"The Big Apple"]], thus pointing toward Yonkers resident Paul. In fact, Paul was not the Mole, and Bobby paid for his error by getting executed in fairly short order. The punchline, though, is that the host's eating an apple ''was'' used as a clue back in season 2: it indicated true Mole Bill, a resident of Washington, whose state fruit is the apple. Bobby, a professed fanatic of the show, might very well have remembered that old clue and thought it was being recycled here, to his downfall. (However, the apple-eating incident wasn't mentioned in the season finale, leaving it unclear whether that was a mere coincidence or a deliberate [[Red Herring]].)
* [[Death by Genre Savviness]]: In US season 5, one of Bobby's perceived "gives" to the Mole's identity was the fact that host Jon Kelley had earlier greeted the players while eating an apple: Bobby interpreted this as signifying [[New York City|"The Big Apple"]], thus pointing toward Yonkers resident Paul. In fact, Paul was not the Mole, and Bobby paid for his error by getting executed in fairly short order. The punchline, though, is that the host's eating an apple ''was'' used as a clue back in season 2: it indicated true Mole Bill, a resident of Washington, whose state fruit is the apple. Bobby, a professed fanatic of the show, might very well have remembered that old clue and thought it was being recycled here, to his downfall. (However, the apple-eating incident wasn't mentioned in the season finale, leaving it unclear whether that was a mere coincidence or a deliberate [[Red Herring]].)
* [[Oddly-Named Sequel 2: Electric Boogaloo]]: Ignoring the celebrity seasons, season two is the biggest oddball -- ''The Mole 2: The Next Betrayal''. The other civilian seasons were simply called ''The Mole'', although the fifth season is referred to on TV.com as ''The Mole 3.0'' because of its being the third civilian season.
* [[Oddly-Named Sequel 2: Electric Boogaloo]]: Ignoring the celebrity seasons, season two is the biggest oddball -- ''The Mole 2: The Next Betrayal''. The other civilian seasons were simply called ''The Mole'', although the fifth season is referred to on TV.com as ''The Mole 3.0'' because of its being the third civilian season.
* [[Eliminated From the Race]]: At the end of each episode, the contestants take a quiz on The Mole's identity. The player with the lowest score is "executed."
* [[Eliminated From the Race]]: At the end of each episode, the contestants take a quiz on The Mole's identity. The player with the lowest score is "executed."
* [[Elimination Houdini]]: The winners of seasons two and five, Dorothy and Mark, definitely had luck on their sides. In ''The Next Betrayal'', Elavia accepted a $50,000 bribe to leave the game in place of an elimination. This spared Dorothy, who scored the lowest on the quiz that night and would have been executed. Mark failed the quiz ''three times'' and only escaped execution by finishing faster than the eliminated players.
* [[Elimination Houdini]]: The winners of seasons two and five, Dorothy and Mark, definitely had luck on their sides. In ''The Next Betrayal'', Elavia accepted a $50,000 bribe to leave the game in place of an elimination. This spared Dorothy, who scored the lowest on the quiz that night and would have been executed. Mark failed the quiz ''three times'' and only escaped execution by finishing faster than the eliminated players.
* [[Fair Play Whodunit]]: The series always gave clues as to the identity of The Mole. Some were ridiculously obscure, but some were legitimate hints. For example, Jon Kelley never called Season 5 Mole Craig's name during the execution ceremonies.
* [[Fair Play Whodunit]]: The series always gave clues as to the identity of The Mole. Some were ridiculously obscure, but some were legitimate hints. For example, Jon Kelley never called Season 5 Mole Craig's name during the execution ceremonies.
* [[Final Exam Finale]]: The last quiz covered The Mole's activity from the entire season.
* [[Final Exam Finale]]: The last quiz covered The Mole's activity from the entire season.
* [[Four Is Death]]: Four was often used as a secret number in clues because of there being four letters in the word "Mole." For example, season one Mole {{spoiler|Kathryn Price was the fourth player to arrive at the starting location in episode one}}.
* [[Four Is Death]]: Four was often used as a secret number in clues because of there being four letters in the word "Mole." For example, season one Mole {{spoiler|Kathryn Price was the fourth player to arrive at the starting location in episode one}}.
* [[Grumpy Old Man]]: Charlie from Season 1.
* [[Grumpy Old Man]]: Charlie from Season 1.
* [[Hollywood Atlas]]: Thankfully, this is mostly averted.
* [[Hollywood Atlas]]: Thankfully, this is mostly averted.
* [[How We Got Here]]: Many foreign versions of the show open this way, with the host/announcer saying that the finalists just took their final quiz ''now'', but the results won't be known [[No Fourth Wall|until you, the viewer, have watched the entire season]].
* [[How We Got Here]]: Many foreign versions of the show open this way, with the host/announcer saying that the finalists just took their final quiz ''now'', but the results won't be known [[No Fourth Wall|until you, the viewer, have watched the entire season]].
* [[Incessant Music Madness]]: "Tiny Bubbles" in a task near the end of the second season.
* [[Incessant Music Madness]]: "Tiny Bubbles" in a task near the end of the second season.
Line 57: Line 57:
* [[Secret Test of Character]]: Every civilian season has had this in one fashion or another. Most famously was the second season, when the team travelling on bus were stopped first by a pair of pretty ladies, then later by an older woman, to fix a flat tire. They fixed both cars, and were rewarded. Had they just fixed the pretty ladies' car, they would've lost money.
* [[Secret Test of Character]]: Every civilian season has had this in one fashion or another. Most famously was the second season, when the team travelling on bus were stopped first by a pair of pretty ladies, then later by an older woman, to fix a flat tire. They fixed both cars, and were rewarded. Had they just fixed the pretty ladies' car, they would've lost money.
* [[Sitcom Arch Nemesis]]: Season 5's Paul and Nicole were this to each other.
* [[Sitcom Arch Nemesis]]: Season 5's Paul and Nicole were this to each other.
* [[Straight Gay]]: Jim from Season 1.
* [[Invisible to Gaydar]]: Jim from Season 1.
** Bobby from Season 5 as well. The only way you could tell he was gay was when he explicitly mentioned it in an early [[Confession Cam|behind-the-scenes interview]], stating that his "Gaydar" senses will help him get a feel of peoples intentions. Otherwise, it isn't telling.
** Bobby from Season 5 as well. The only way you could tell he was gay was when he explicitly mentioned it in an early [[Confession Cam|behind-the-scenes interview]], stating that his "Gaydar" senses will help him get a feel of peoples intentions. Otherwise, it isn't telling.
* [[Too Soon]]: The reason why Season 2 had a lengthy hiatus after its first three episodes aired in early September of 2001. The dreadful ratings didn't help. The whole season was run in its entirety the following summer.
* [[Too Soon]]: The reason why Season 2 had a lengthy hiatus after its first three episodes aired in early September of 2001. The dreadful ratings didn't help. The whole season was run in its entirety the following summer.
Line 67: Line 67:
* [[Wrong Genre Savvy]]: Corbin Bernsen and Stephen Baldwin in ''Yucatan'' were constantly looking for clues that weren't there.
* [[Wrong Genre Savvy]]: Corbin Bernsen and Stephen Baldwin in ''Yucatan'' were constantly looking for clues that weren't there.
** Indeed, Corbin actually caught on to one of the clues (seven candles on the dining room table indicating that Journal #7 was held by the Mole), but he was such a scatterbrain that he didn't act on it.
** Indeed, Corbin actually caught on to one of the clues (seven candles on the dining room table indicating that Journal #7 was held by the Mole), but he was such a scatterbrain that he didn't act on it.
** Darwin from the second season fits this trope big time. While a smart player, he ultimately got all of his coalition partners as well as himself executed for targeting every single person on the quiz EXCEPT The Mole.
** Darwin from the second season fits this trope big time. While a smart player, he ultimately got all of his coalition partners as well as himself executed for targeting every single person on the quiz EXCEPT The Mole.
* [[Wire Dilemma]]: Done in the season five challenge "Tick, Tock, Boom!"
* [[Wire Dilemma]]: Done in the season five challenge "Tick, Tock, Boom!"


Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/The_Mole_(TV_series)"