04 June 2008

Returning Series: The Mole

Watchin' it or ditchin it'?

You can't call The Mole a new series exactly, since this show first aired a few years ago and was canceled. I never got to watch the first few seasons, with Anderson Cooper as host. This renewed series though has someone else hosting (Jon Kelley). Right off the bat I'd say he's not as gravitating on screen, but I could get used to it.

What I like about it: It's a new reality series I could get addicted to, especially since it's that kind of game which involves, for the most part, the mind --- putting pieces together, observing each other's behavior, deducting from this to form an opinion about that other person.

The mole has to keep his or her identity intact while the rest of them have to expose him or her as early as possible.

Every player is either innocent or the suspect.

So when there is a task that needs to be completed, players have to be on their toes, making sure that they don't act suspicious and be tagged as the mole. At the same time, they also have to keep an eye on the other players and determine who the mole is based on how they played the task.


What I don't like about it: What's up with the journal? And the quizzes? One of them said that the journal was important because they have to make notes about each other. With so many things going on, they could forget important details.

Alright...that sounds like a practical thing to have. Sherlock Holmes had a notebook, too...did he not? But it reminds me so much of high school.

But the quizzes? Boring! That whole 5-10 minutes of it was bland. Can they make it more interesting?

What I can compare it to: It's partly Survivor/Big Brother, minus being stranded on an island or being isolated inside a house. The contestants are whisked off Chile and may be in different locations from time to time.

Contestants "connive" ("alliance" if you're a Survivor viewer). In this series though, the term is "coalition" --- I laughed when I heard that one. I don't know why but it sounded funny to me.

Verdict: Watchin' it and see how the show develops. I have no clue who The Mole is yet and I'm gonna try and play this game and guess, too!