We’re nearing the end, Mole fans! The players can see the finish line in their sights, but there are still a few more missions left for the chance to win money.
But if The Mole Season 6 Episode 9 was any example, players will have to keep their eyes on each other at all costs.
Between sabotaging from The Mole and the players sabotaging themselves, a complex web of lies was weaved. Everyone is trying to make themselves look suspicious; some are more blatant than others.
“Cold Hard Cash” was a tension-filled round that ramped up the drama and suspicions for all players.
Splitting up the players during a mission gives them all, especially The Mole, more opportunities to sabotage without the others watching. Sometimes it’s blatant like Kesi losing the ice blocks, or it’s subtle like Will delaying time. It’s the small pieces that add up.
When there’s a lot of money on the line, competitors get more focused on getting the job done. And pairing it against climbing up a giant snowy mountain didn’t help either!
Plus, two eliminations in one episode doubled the tension than what we’ve had in the past.
Speaking of the elimination, were you shocked to see Jacob get executed?
I wasn’t surprised he wasn’t The Mole. Despite the suspicions coming from Joi and Avori, Jacob never seemed like a strong Mole candidate.
Sure, he contributed to his team’s loss during The Mole Season 6 Episode 5, and he failed at lying during The Mole Season 6 Episode 7. Those losses came across as accidents or poor lying than direct sabotaging. Regardless, he had never been a strong liar throughout most of the game.
Jacob was the type of player who focused on the challenges and tried to blend in with the group. However, if he couldn’t find The Mole, he’d fall as a casualty.
The big mission of climbing up the snowy mountain looked like a tough challenge. This task could push anyone to the limit between the freezing weather and carrying the ice blocks.
You wouldn’t even have to sabotage much. Simply needing a rest from the cold would be enough to put suspicion on a player.
That’s why the combination of Will and Avori seemed the least suspicious.
[In confessional] Nothing’s ever sat right with me the way she goes about missions. You eventually have to ask yourself, “Can it really be this obvious, or could this girl be The Mole?”
Will
Both players set their sights on winning money and braving the cold weather. Avori’s issues with her snow shoes were small compared to everything else, and Will was too focused on not letting anything derail the mission. The pair were the most consistent.
Come on, Will carried a giant ice block in his arms! Either his acting skills are so good that he’s fooled everyone, or he’s not The Mole based on his competitive side.
On the other hand, Kesi and Joi’s combination was full of Mole-ish behavior. The edit couldn’t go a few minutes without something questionable happening on their mountainside.
Like, why would they trust Joi with navigation again?
[In confessional] We found the block. Joi wasted so much time already. It seemed very Mole-like.
Kesi
Since The Mole Season 6 Episode 1, Joi has shown that navigation hasn’t been her strongest suit. She’s probably a great pilot, but she’s never gotten the handle of things like a map or a beacon. Giving her the beacon only further delayed their time searching on the mountain.
It was heavily suspicious why she would do it again and for Kesi to assign her that task. She knew the issues that would come up.
In Kesi’s case, she made the most blatant sabotaging out of everyone on The Mole Season 6. The show couldn’t hide it; she owned up to all her sabotaging this round.
Is she The Mole or a calculated player?
Dropping the ice blocks without Joi seeing and then trying to get her to backtrack was a bold move. The audacity to feign ignorance was fully displayed; no one would’ve agreed to the idea of going back. Joi knew exactly what Kesi was trying to do.
Avori: You do not think you’re going home!
Kesi: I never said that I thought I was going home. No one here thinks they’re going home.
Avori: It just makes no sense.
Kesi: It doesn’t have to make sense to you, actually.
But it was the moment when Kesi tried to slide the giant $6,000 ice block off the raft that truly took the cake. Why did she think she’d get away with that?!
Joi was not willing to be played the fool again. If Kesi is The Mole, her weakness is subtly. She made it very obvious what her intentions were and what she wanted to do.
Like, the decision to change up the order of the briefcase mission.
The entire group ironed out who was getting what dollar value, but Kesi came in to throw a wrench into the plans. Either she was told by the producers she couldn’t leave that table without the zero-dollar briefcase, or she wanted to further make herself look suspicious.
Both options work depending on what strategy the player is hoping to do. So, it was a success in her book regardless of the outcome.
We can’t ignore that Kesi loves to play these types of games. She went for the exemption and left everyone in a cold warehouse; she’ll do whatever it takes to win this game, regardless if she’s a player or The Mole.
Avori’s execution was a sad turn of events. Her mind was so focused on the game that Jacob’s elimination turned everything around.
When your biggest suspect gets executed, a player has to devise a new strategy to split the votes or go all in on a new suspect. Avori said that two of her biggest suspects were gone, so she had to try something new. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out for her.
She was someone I had guessed would make it to the finals.
[In confessional] He’s not listening to me. And I found that very suspicious because it would be the perfect opportunity for us to not move forward or bring any money home.
Avori
Her edit made it seem like she was playing mind games and working up to a big winner reveal. However, the edit fooled us! If there’s ever a season of The Mole All-Stars, we need Avori to come back.
She’s willing to play both roles and go for the jugular. We need more competitive and complex players like this in a reality TV competition.
Last Thoughts From The Mole:
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Do you think Alex Wagner has figured out The Mole? Hosts typically don’t get that information, but she’s probably working out the identity too, as the players are moving through the game.
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Suppose Will wins this game, kudos to him! He carried that money up the mountain. He deserves every cent he earned for the group pot.
- Bring Joi back for a future season of The Mole All-Stars too. She’s calling everyone out and playing mind games with the best.
Now, over to you, Mole fans.
What did you think of “Cold Hard Cash”?
Was Kesi’s sabotaging too blatant, or was it wise? Which player do you think will win? Are you sad to see Avori get executed?
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
The Mole is now available to stream on Netflix.
Justin Carreiro is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.