WIDM aftertalk: the Mole creates a battlefield

Maybe you should just pretend you’re not reading this, but… the anniversary season of ‘Who is the Mole?’ is really almost over. Sorry, I don’t like bringing bad news either. With only six candidates left, you wouldn’t say we’re already this far, but in this game, things can go fast. To avoid a group finale, the Mole clearly had to step it up — and there was nothing Portuguese about it. We can safely call this episode a battlefield; with a capital B.

A journey through WIDM's past… full of chaos

Rik immediately treats us to a reality check: 25 years of ‘Who is the Mole?’ means over 600 assignments. I know, take a moment. But there’s little time to recover, because the next chaos is already ready. Over the years, hundreds of props have been collected, and they are now scattered throughout a gigantic water park. The candidates have the task of finding the right items from their seasons based on old clips. One item per person; a detail that in WIDM-land is apparently often forgotten.

Nathan, you’re making it hard for us to suspect you. He’s off like a shot again; you won’t find anyone more enthusiastic. If he is the Mole… really, hats off. Anne-Marie shares that enthusiasm a bit less: one phone call and poof, she’s gone. Kim follows soon after; because a nostalgic trip to the past can be dangerously appealing.

With two fewer people, making money becomes a drama. Especially if Merel and Loes park the details back in the forget-me-not corner. Take one item? No way, we’ll just take two. Luckily, Jurre is paying attention, otherwise this would have been another painful failure. And while the meager yield is slowly laughed away, one question lingers: where have Kim and Anne-Marie gone?

A reunion with a bitter aftertaste

The candidates are curious, but we almost shouted at the TV: who called Anne-Marie? It turns out to be none other than a WIDM legend: former presenter Pieter Jan Hagens. At their secret meeting, Kim also joins, but is she really happy with this reunion? Pieter Jan makes three offers of jokers. Kim gets to choose: keep, give away, or eliminate. She just can’t see what he’s offering her. Her only guide? Anne-Marie’s advice. And let’s be honest: in this game, that might be the least reliable compass.

We can call it a miracle that Kim is still in (or not, of course), because her intuition is letting her down quite a bit. Anne-Marie leaves the meeting with a joker, Kim herself with empty hands; and there could have been three jokers in there. As if that’s not enough, Pieter Jan comes with a less festive announcement: a double elimination is on the way.

No time to sulk, the poker faces need to be back on immediately. The rest absolutely must not know what they have experienced. Knowledge is power, remember?

A recipe for conflict

Now that the group is complete again, it’s time to roll up our sleeves. A lunch needs to be prepared: orange cake, mimosas, and marmalade; just need to free up the supplies. That can be done by aiming freshly squeezed orange juice into the right tubes, so keys shoot up. Sounds simple. Turns out it’s not.

While Jurre and Anne-Marie explore the kitchen, the others are straining themselves to avoid a tennis elbow. Well, almost all of them. Merel ‘delay’ Westrik finds discussing which tube is good more important than just getting on with it. Loes should get as little responsibility as possible, because: untrustworthy. That feeling turns out to be mutual. It culminates in a sort of cross between a wrestling match and a catfight. Well, that’s not going to get anything done.

No one from this WIDM cooking club is relaxed, but: mission accomplished. All dishes are approved and €2,500 goes into the pot. That has thus doubled in one go. The lunch probably tastes a bit bitter for the Mole.

A hard blow from the Mole

Sometimes you just feel it: something is about to happen. The candidates are really not taking their test in a room full of mirrors for the fun of it. Even before they can fill in the first question, the Mole breaks in with a surprisingly friendly message: exceptionally, the mole books may be used during the test. Allowed to peek, something we could only dream of in the past.

But of course, it doesn’t stop there. Another offer follows: with the press of a button, the candidates can catch a glimpse of the Mole. If only one person does that, it also earns money for the pot. But let’s be honest, that detail is forgotten in no time. The temptation is simply too great. Only Nathan (of course) thinks of the group’s interest (or does he just not need that glimpse?). The rest learns the hard way that the Mole doesn’t show up that easily. And those mole books? Bye bye. They’re not getting those back.

And then… the moment we knew would come, but still hurts: double elimination. Just recovered from the shock that Jurre has to leave, Anne-Marie is also sent away right after him. The group is immediately significantly thinned out; only Nathan and his Charlie’s Angels are left. But which of those four has more than one role to play?

Photo credit: Joy Hansson