For dessert, the kids get creme brulée. The chef brings out the dishes and sets them aflame, the significance of which was lost on me the first time around, so nice job, show. I mean Jon. Jon, who so clearly pulls the strings of everything around here. Go, puppetmaster, go!
Jon, now crazed with power, drags the players out to some remote river. He tells them that risks are a huge part of this game, and that he needs someone to volunteer to sacrifice their journal. The players squabble for a moment, but it is eventually decided (by odds and evens) that Alex will give his up. Jon asks Alex to gather the remaining journals and place them on a table. Jon then summons the power of his own personal god, Jeff Probst, and lights a torch on fire. He touches it to the ground, and the flame quickly travels over to the table and begins to incinerate the journals. HA!
Burn the Harry Potters! They're teaching our children about friendship!
Mark, losing it, desperately asks if he can retrieve his. Haha. Cremating both of your hands isn't going to help your family, genius. "That's just mean!" he cries. "You gave us ONE thing to write in!" Mark continues his breakdown while Jon, or as known by his new nickname He Who Wields The Fire, explains that since Alex took the risk, his journal was spared, and he gets to keep it. Mark, now out of his mind, flees the scene, running so far away that it takes an entire commercial break for everyone to find him.
The next night, Craig rejoins the players for the pre-quiz dinner. Jon explains that since Craig wasn't present last night, he gets to keep his journal, because that will balance out with any key observations he could have made last night. Mark complains in interview that this is an unfair advantage, and I have to agree with that a little. But what can you do? Maybe the producers - I mean, uh, Jon - just realized that Craig was too damn likable, so they needed a reason for the other players to start hating him and his multiple chins.
Quiztime. No passive-aggressive questions this weeks, sadly. Best question: "During the "Midas Rush" mission, what color pants was the Mole wearing?" Because pants are funny, I guess. I think the quizmasters were asleep this week. A couple of the questions are even the same, more or less. I could make a better quiz. ABC, call me. I'm ever so broke.
At the quiz result ceremonies, Jon announces that there is a tie. So whoever completed the quiz slowest will be executed, and this week there was only a difference of five seconds. Ouch. The execution begins, and jeez, Alex. Either grow a mustache, or don't. No such thing as a happy medium.
Make a decision, dude.
So the executed is...Victoria. She says that she knew it. Then we get a shot of a visibly relieved Nicole, who was probably the other half of the tie, since earlier she said that her strategy was to go as fast as she could on the quiz in the hopes that someone was slower than her if she was all wrong. The group eulogizes the perky little retailer, and Clay smarms that he's thankful he had the exemption. Smoke and mirrors, my friends.
Farewell, Victoria. We'll miss your hooker boots and...well, that's about it.
So. What do we think? Again, not a huge shock, never really considered Victoria. Clay has further cemented his position at the top of my list, with Kristen right alongside him. I think Alex is still a fairly strong candidate as well, but I didn't feel much from him this week, except for the journal thing. Craig, for me, has been knocked out of the running. I just don't believe that the producers would take a risk on such an obviously out-of-shape guy who might not be able to stick the whole thing out. But what do I know? I still can't even decipher what this rock on my finger means. I think I found it in a box of Frosted Flakes.
What do we think, kids? Should we poison Nicole with antifreeze, or iocane powder?
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Comments (12)
Congrats on the rock Scream - this is my first Mole season - and it's your fault I'm hooked! Thank's for the great recaps!
1 of 12 | Posted by msmooshka | Posted on June 25, 2008 10:45 AM
isn't there anything more excruciatingly more painfull to poison Nicole with? (p.s. this is the question that got me to register :) )
2 of 12 | Posted by lunababi | Posted on June 25, 2008 10:47 AM
I'm glad SmugJon is growing on you!
I agree with Lunababi, Nicole deserves to die in a very painful way. She's one of the most annoying people I've ever been forced to watch on TV. Your line about her being an Omarosa Wanna-Be made me laugh so loud my boss looked at me funny.
I'm not sure Mark isn't the Mole, but I agree Clay, Alex and Kristen are up there on the list. I can't see it being Paul or Craig, and please not Nicole in any way, shape, or form!
Congrats on your engagement! :)
3 of 12 | Posted by lonebutterfly | Posted on June 25, 2008 11:12 AM
Loved the Legends of the Hidden Temple reference =)
Clay is still at the top of my suspect list, but Mark is starting to look more moley.
Am I the only one thinking that they may have copied their journals and will be getting them back? I remember the first episode of the second season, where some challenge had the players thinking they had all their stuff burned - but in reality they got their stuff back unharmed. You don't really know how long SmugJon was away, so its possible.
4 of 12 | Posted by BlackieChuu | Posted on June 25, 2008 12:54 PM
I, too, am leaning towards Mark being the Mole. If so, he is a great actor.....last night wasn't the first time he squeezed out some tears. Remember in one of his first interviews...crying because he wanted to win so his wife wouldn't have to work anymore?
Everytime Nicole came onscreen, I said to my kids "I hate her." They concurred. You're right, she IS an Omarosa wanna-be. Ew!
Great recap!
5 of 12 | Posted by KikiC | Posted on June 25, 2008 2:42 PM
Good thing I'm not in a pool in this game, Victoria was at the top of my list.
6 of 12 | Posted by EZ Rider | Posted on June 25, 2008 4:03 PM
Is it just me? Still trying to like this season. I feel it is so yaaawwnnn! The challenges are so mundane and lack the flair of past seasons. I'm bored by the end of each episode. I read the boards and everybody is into it. I guess I've just outgrown the show. Or expected it to grow on me eventually, with the changes.
Why God Why? I just dont find it interesting?
7 of 12 | Posted by mangopepper | Posted on June 25, 2008 10:22 PM
for MANGOPEPPER:
You might think about turning off the TV. There are other things to do in life besides watching TV shows that you don't like. Have you ever considered reading a book?
For Screampillar:
Did you get engaged to a man or a woman? I only ask because you have this man crush on Anderson Cooper and now that gays can get married in California....
Congrats regardless. Best wishes to you and the wife (or husband).
8 of 12 | Posted by weasel dearest | Posted on June 26, 2008 8:48 AM
I am pretty sure the Mole is Craig.
First episode:
#11 on the journal put that number in our heads so we would get this right
E_E_E_
11th person in intro was Craig. After going over the waterfall Craig said: "the rope just goes taut and chokes me like a hanged man.
E_E_E_ = hangman
mobile clue:
NIC @ IT = NICATIT = TITANIC
On the boat on the way to the island for scavenger game, Craig is in the very front of the boat with his arms stretched out like in the movie Titanic.
During the scavenger hunt game, the host mentioned that Robinson Crusoe was based on Alexander Selkirk. If you google that name you will find that his name at birth was Alexander Selcraig. Pretty big coincidence there.
And don't forget who brought over the big sign that said someone was going home that night. Craig.
Episode 2:
Everyone was on Bobby for being in the wheelbarrow (where he never should have been at all) but it was Craig that suggested it. In his confessional thing Craig says: I noticed Bobby limping so I told him to get in the wheelbarrow.
The mole would do this to slow the team down so that only 2 teams were looking for pigs. I have yet to figure out why he helped when they got back and took over for Victoria, unless it was to ease a little suspicion from himself or maybe he figured they needed SOMETHING in the pot or people would start giving up. IDK
At all other times in both episodes, Craig has been wearing his glasses, but he did not have them when they arrived for the pig challenge and did not have them the entire time. He did have them back on later though. Maybe they are just clear lenses and doesn't really need them? This could be lying with his eyes.
I haven't went through the second episode good enough yet to have any ideas about the new clues but hopefully I will be back to post something.
In the first episode intro Craig is the only one without any type of graphics(the circly things) next to his name or hometown. The text doesn't change either. Plus he's a graphic artist. Now the episode 2's intro DOES have the circles and animation on his intro, it all but proves they knew it was different from the rest and purposely made it that way.
Episode 4
Text clue:
cf(11)8 = See if 11 ate.
Craig didn't eat... and he is linked to "11"
9 of 12 | Posted by asmaj | Posted on June 26, 2008 10:06 AM
Do you think that this mole's scrapbook/journal is meant to contain clues for us because if so it certainly eliminates several players(as sailorswife was saying)?
for example:
1)"Those kids really ran us all over the field..." Eliminates: Mark, Kristen
"Being blindfolded while flying 40 mph..." Eliminates: Nicole, Mark, and Craig. (Bobby and Ali were also blindfolded.
This Leaves Victoria, Clay, Paul, and Alex (who is supposedly going home this week). I really don’t like this... but Clay was in my top three anyways as well as Victoria. It seems like to much information for then to give us straight out!
hmmmmmmmmmm
10 of 12 | Posted by asmaj | Posted on June 26, 2008 10:07 AM
asmaj,
I think you are way overanalyzing things. I would be really surprised if Craig was the mole. Perhaps you are right, but what if they are giving you all those clues to make it look like Craig, when in actuality it is someone else similar to him? Ever heard of the element of surprise? I don't think they would make it as obvious as you seem to think.
11 of 12 | Posted by JustJesse | Posted on June 26, 2008 1:54 PM
hey weasel I am pretty sure scream is a woman..just never heard a guy being surprised about a proposal before..Congrats Scream.. Have to say though Weasal it did make me smile at the irony that you could not from Screampillar's writing figure out she is a woman, and you are watching a show trying to guess who the Mole is.. ;)
Enjoyed the recaps Scream I just started watching this season because of you.. and I don't know they guys name with the NY accent, lemonhead guy, but I betcha he is the mole.. just my guess..
(scream wrote great recaps for my favorite show last season"Friday Night Lights" and now I will watch any show you think worthy of viewing. FNL sidenote new 3rd season on DirectTv ch. 101 only starting in October, than the series repeats and airs for the first time on NBC Fridays nights after the superbowl in January)
anyway love your writing Scream and congrats on the upcoming marriage..!!
12 of 12 | Posted by User Name | Posted on June 27, 2008 7:09 PM