(S05E01) "What's wrong with being smart and gorgeous at the same time?" - Nicole

Oh, it's so good to have The Mole back on the air.

I realized how much I loved the show the minute I heard the first notes of the theme song (at least I think it's the same as before) and the opening scenes. I haven't seen any full episodes since the last Anderson Cooper episode in season two (the celeb editions didn't interest me at all), but all of the good feelings I had about how entertaining the show was came flooding back.

But how did the rest of the episode hold up?

The Contestants:

Victoria - 24
Mark - 42
Bobby - 25
Marcie - 31
Nicole - 33
Paul - 29
Alex - 31
Liz - 60
Ali - 24
Clay - 32
Craig - 30
Kristen - 35

I think the contestants this time around a little more reality-show savvy and there are a lot more "controversial" players. But overall, this is a fine mix of the brash, the quiet, the athletic, the out of shape, the beautiful, the conniving.

The Host:

So far, I think Jon Kelley is a little bland. Maybe it's my memories of Cooper being so cool in the role, but Kelley just seems like he's narrating everything he says for a segment on Extra. But we'll see how he is in the coming weeks.

The Game:

The first task for the players? Pick a player they think is the Mole! Well, that was quick. The group, for some reason, picks Marcie (I would have loved to have seen the trip to Chile...was she wearing an "I'm The Mole" T-shirt or something?). Marcie then has to pick several players to grab a bag of cash before they go over a waterfall. Some of the bags have fake money and some have real money (the total at the end of the season is how much the winner gets). I have to say that I've seen a lot of challenges on reality game shows, but this waterfall stunt...I honestly think that someone could have gotten seriously injured or even killed. Sure, they're wearing a harness, but they're regular Joes and Janes going over a raging waterfall. At night. Yikes.

The players who succeed are Kristen, Bobby, Liz, Nicole, and Mark. The total they get is $20,000. Of course, the players question why Marcie would pick shorter or older players for such a dangerous assignment (though Liz, the oldest at 60, actually grabbed a bag).

Marcie also has to pick which four players have to stay outside all night (I guess there's not enough room in the cabin). One of the players she picks is Nicole, who doesn't want to stay outside because there are no butlers or fireplaces. She comes up with a loophole in the rules: "Hey, they said one of us had to sleep outside. If I don't sleep, I can stay inside!" That's odd logic, but it works. I just hope - really, really hope - that other players bring this up later in the season when they have to do something. "Hey Jon, you said the first one to make it to the top of the mountain wins...you didn't say we couldn't use a helicopter!"

Clearly, everyone hates Nicole already. When Jon asks the gang who the biggest whiner is, they all pick Nicole. When Jon asks her "may I call you Whiner?" she answers "Doctor Whiner," which I have to admit is a pretty good line.

The last challenge is a scavenger hunt, which Nicole sits out because she's Doctor Whiner. The players have to find buried items on a beach that the real Robinson Crusoe used centuries ago. One person picks a vacuum cleaner. I wonder if the producers have played a Roomba or an iPod in the sand they would have picked that? The team ends up getting three right, which equals $15,000. Nicole has to spend the night on the beach alone, just like Crusoe.

At the end, the 11 contestants take The Quiz. That's right, 11. Nicole doesn't have to take the test because she's on the beach and safe from elimination. Oh, the players don't like that at all. The 10 questions range from general questions ("Who is the Mole?") to more specific questions that only refer to a few people ("Was the Mole wearing a hat when you met?").

And who is the first sent home? Marcie, the person everyone thought was the Mole at the start. Obviously, these players aren't good on first impressions so they'll have to write a lot in their official Mole journals.

Observations:

- This show is well cast. Anyone could be The Mole for different reasons: Liz, because no one would suspect the older player; Victoria, because she blends in; Nicole, because she's ambitious and alienating. It's not easy to figure this out, though I would guess that players that survive each week will remember how they answered various questions and how it kept them in the game.

- Players start to make "coalitions" with each other: Paul with Marcie, Alex with Paul. Did the word "coalition" replace "alliance" in the reality show world?

- The Mole is probably the first reality show where I might consider buying a DVD of the soundtrack.

- Can I get a Mole journal or duffel bag? Thanks.

My first guess on who the Mole is:

For the entire episode I think it's Nicole, because it would be rather brilliant for the producers to create this typical reality show "bitch" and have everyone think she's a real player who will do anything to win. It was also convenient that Jon asked the team who the biggest whiner was, knowing they'd pick Nicole. But then at the end when she's on the beach alone, safe from elimination, I figure it's way too obvious that she would be the Mole. But then again, maybe ABC wants us to think it's obvious and not think she's the guilty one. These people are tricky, damn it.

Instead, I'll pick Mark. I'm suspicious of his whole "my wife works two jobs and I want her to spend time with the kids" sob story. Or maybe I'm just being cynical. Either way, I'm going to see if he has a wedding ring on next week (in past seasons, The Mole has often used visual clues like this).

I'm already hooked on this show.