(S05E02) "I'll kill you in your sleep...I can do it and not leave any forensic evidence." - Nicole, to Paul

Uh...wow. That's one of the more provocative statements made in the history of The Mole. Of course, if this show was on CBS Nicole would have said, "...I can do it and not leave any forensic evidence and even the CSI: Miami team wouldn't be able to prove I did it." The funny thing is, Nicole wasn't totally out of line in saying it. Just when you think Nicole was the "evil" one on this reality show, another strong contender shows up: Paul. I don't know which one I'd rather talk to less, though Paul pulled ahead of Nicole tonight in many ways.

The players are still in Chile. The first challenge had two different teams trying to make it up a hill to a statue. Mark and Kristen were on a bike, and the rest of the group had to make their way to gondolas, after getting their asses kicked by talented soccer kids. Despite a bike chain that keeps on breaking (hmmmm), Mark and Kristen make it first and got an exemption.

The second challenge tonight is one of the oddest challenges I've ever seen on a reality show. Three different groups have to go into town and find ceramic pigs and bring them back to the arena, where they will be catapulted into the air and caught (hopefully) by two other players using a blanket. They get $1000 for each pig and have to only have until workers create 10 other ceramic pigs by hand. It's different, that's for sure.

The team ends up getting several pigs back to the arena and actually a bunch caught. There's also an exemption chip inside one of the pigs, found by Paul after he smashed it. Hmmmm...was Paul just lucky (heck, it could have been a loose ceramic piece inside the pig) or did he know it was inside because he's the Mole?

Bobby finds Alex's journal in his room. Did Alex leave it on purpose because he's the Mole (or not the Mole but still wanting to throw players off) or did he really forget it? Bobby writes "I [heart] Alex" on a piece of paper.

At the execution ceremony, the player saying bye-bye is...Liz! Those of you who thought that the sweet older player could actually be the Mole are wrong. It's too bad that she's gone. This game needs an older player. She'll be missed.

At the end of the ceremony, Paul mouths off again, saying that Bobby is lame because a woman had to push him around, and he also insults Nicole, who responds with the quote that opened this review.

Some observations:

- Some readers said in the comments last week that it's way too early to try to figure out who the Mole is. While I understand this thinking, I also think that these reviews would be lacking if I didn't at least try to figure out who the bad guy is every week. Last week I guessed it was Mark, and nothing this week strayed me from that thinking (some of his lines seem badly delivered, like he's acting), though I think Victoria is a strong candidate too. She was more up front this week (I liked her line about Paul: "I'm used to dealing with people like him, I work in retail!"), but she's still a bit under the radar.

- Last week a very obvious (though I had to watch the episode twice) Mole fingerprint logo appeared on only one helmet in the raft challenge, Victoria's. Did anyone catch any other possible clues tonight? I'm always looking for a shirt that someone is wearing or something they might say in the confessional camera moments that might be a hint.

- Jon Kelley offered Mark and Kristen a taxi in the middle of their bike trip, but Mark was very adamant about saying no, though Kristen wasn't as sure. Even though Mark was clearly trying with the bike and wanted to win, this sounds like a very Mole-ish decision.

- One thing I want answered by ABC is this: is Bobby OK? I mean physically. Last week he almost keeled over just by walking on the beach looking for trinkets. This week he practically collapses not only from playing soccer but also from, um, simply walking looking for pigs in stores. Kristen actually has to push him around in a wheelbarrow for the entire challenge, which is one of the more comical scenes in the history of this show. Did the contestants have to pass some medical/physical tests before they signed on the dotted line? Bobby is either the Mole and sabotaging all the games or he's a thin, frail man, the male Olive Oyl.

- They have to start mixing things up in the executions. As it stands now, you know that the first three players that they check on the screen are going to be safe. It's usually the 5th or 6th or 7th player who is eliminated. I'd love to see the very first player who they check be eliminated, to keep viewers on their toes.

- More Mole merchandise: soccer uniforms!

- I might start using Kristen's line of "a wheelbarrow full of Bobby," though I don't know in what context yet.