Liz becomes the second fifth-season 'The Mole' player executed

Liz, a retired 60-year-old from Whitefish, MT, became the second player executed from The Mole's fifth season during last night's broadcast of the reality competition series on ABC.


"I wouldn't trade [the experience] for $1 million.  Well, maybe $1 million," said Liz after her execution.  "They got me.  The mole got me."

The Mole's second fifth-season episode began following the previous execution of Marcie Ciscel, with a total of $35,000 currently in the pot.

The 11 remaining players then traveled to Metropolitan Park in Santiago, Chile for their next mission.  Before it commenced Nicole, a 32-year-old OBGYN doctor from Chicago, IL, rejoined the group after being exempt from the previous quiz and execution.

"After the first execution I decided to change my strategy," said Nicole, who was exempt after she labeled the biggest "whiner" of the group.  "I'm going to be a little but quieter and a little bit more stealthy."


The Mole host Jon Kelley then explained the rules for the mission.  The players would be split into two groups -- nine for the "goal-oriented" team and two for the "life is an uphill battle" squad.  The team of two would race to the Park's summit via a tandem bike, while the nine-person team would travel via a 10-minute gondola ride.

However for the goal-oriented team to get tickets for the gondola, they'd have to earn them in a Chilean soccer match.  They'd have to score a goal against one of the country's soccer teams.  Once they scored they'd immediately receive tickets to the gondola, could head back to the station and take trip up the mountain.

If the goal-oriented team beat the tandem bikers to the summit, $35,000 would be added to the pot.  However if the bikers got there first, no money would be added and the two would instead be exempt at the impending execution.  Kristen, a 35-year-old neuroscientist from Santa Monica, CA, and Mark, a 42-year-old high school history teacher and soccer coach from Mukwonago, WI, rode the tandem bike.

"When Jon told me that we were riding for an exemption, I was pumped," said Kristen.  "What a great surprise."

The mission began with Mark and Kristen biking up the hill and the goal-oriented team hopping in a van to travel to the soccer field.  Alex, a 31-year-old musician from Haverford, PA, and Bobby, a 25-year-old restaurant manager from Philadelphia, PA, were both confident since they previously played soccer.


Mark and Kristen immediately hit a snag when the chain on their tandem bike kept dislodging, hindering their progress.  The goal-oriented team arrived at the soccer field, where they'd have 20 minutes to score a goal.  If they were unable to score in the allotted time period, it would go to penalty kicks.  The team they'd be playing against was then revealed, and it consisted of a bunch of grade-school kids.

Despite being initially confident, it quickly became clear the goal-oriented team had their work cut out for them.

"I wish I was on their team," opined Ali, a 24-year-old model from St. Louis, MO, after the youth scored the first goal.

However it wasn't exactly easy going for Mark and Kristen, as the chain continued to come loose whenever they started to make progress. They eventually decided to hoof it up the hill.

"I don't care if I have to put the bike on my back," said Mark.  "I'm going to get the exemption.  Period."


Back on the soccer field the match was getting out of hand, with the youth building a 10-0 lead.

"I can't do this," said a physically exhausted Bobby, who also had problems during a previous mission.  "I can't do this running stuff."

Bobby replaced Nicole in goal but it really didn't matter as the youth built a 14-0 lead and Paul, a 29-year-old machinist from Yonkers, NY, laid-down in the middle of the field.  The 20-minute time limit expired.  Alex missed the first penalty kick but Ali drilled her shot and the goal-oriented team departed on foot for the gondola station. 

While the group began in unison it didn't stay that way long as they argued about the correct direction to head in.

"There was either major mole sabotage or the mole was just sitting back laughing like, 'I don't need to do anything today,'" said Victoria, a 26-year-old retail manager from Bishop, TX.


Liz quickly took a seat and looked winded, as she also complained about having to go to the bathroom.  Realizing that there was no way to win the mission unless she also made it to the summit, Paul and Ali stayed behind with her.  Craig, a 31-year-old, 300-pound graphic designer San Diego, CA, and Bobby also were members of the slower group.

Mark and Kristen continued to make their way up the hill until they were met by Jon, who offered them a drink, a snack and a taxi ride to the summit at a cost of $5,000 out of the current pot.  Mark said no deal and continued up the hill with Kristen.

Alex, Victoria and Nicole were the first group to the gondola station and began their 10-minute assent to the summit.  Just as they reached the top, the final group of goal-oriented players began to make their assent.  Once all nine members were there, it appeared that Mark and Kristen were no where in sight -- until Jon had them reveal themselves.  No money went into the pot and Mark and Kristen both earned exemptions.

With the mission in the books, Victoria complained about nobody knowing how to play soccer and the lack of unity on the goal-oriented team.  Paul reminded her that they're not teammates and verbally abused Bobby as to why he was basically a waste of space on the soccer field.  Bobby pouted and Victoria defended her friend.

"If Bobby was faking, it would be a good strategy for the mole because it would be an easy way to sabotage the missions," said Craig.


The next morning the 11 players traveled to Pomaire, Chile -- which is known for its pottery and ceramic work.

Jon then explained the next mission.  Spread throughout the town were 50 ceramic piggy banks.  The players would split into three groups of three and one group of two.  The three groups of three would have to locate the pigs throughout the town before bringing them back to the arena, where they'd use a large sling shot to fire them into the arena.  The two-person team would catch the ceramic pigs using a blanket.

Each pig successfully caught would add $1,000 to the pot, and to get the players started they were given one ceramic pig that was already counted.  The players would have approximately one hour -- or the time it took to make 12 ceramic piggy banks -- to complete the mission.  In addition, Jon also said there was an exemption to be found, however he failed to say where it was.

The three teams consisted of Alex, Victoria and Nicole; Ali, Mark and Clay, a 32-year-old criminal litigation attorney from Philadelphia, PA; and Bobby, Craig and Kristen.  Liz and Paul would serve as the catchers.

The challenge commenced with Bobby immediately complaining he was unable to run through the city, so Kristen had to cart him a round in a wheelbarrow.  While it slowed the threesome, Craig pointed out they wouldn't have moved very quickly anyway due to his weight.  Alex found he had an advantage because he spoke Spanish and was thus able top sweet-talk the town's residents into pointing out where the pigs were.

Bobby, Craig and Kristen further slowed the mission when they began to check locations where the pigs had already been removed.  As the two teams that actually collected pigs began to make their way back to the arena, Bobby suggested they hand them off and continue to look for the rest.  Alex refused since he didn't trust Bobby.


"He's just so cocky and arrogant," said Bobby about Alex. 

With roughly 20 minutes left in the challenge, Paul couldn't stop himself from playing with the free $1,000 pig the players were given at the start of the mission.  He could hear something rattling inside, however all of the pigs seemed to contain something.  He decided to take his chances and smashed the $1,000 pig, which yielded the exemption.

"What an idiot!  Exemption did not even cross my mind!" opined Liz as she watched Paul celebrate.  "I'm disappointed that I wasn't sharp enough to figure it out because I would have wrestled him to the ground and beaten him to a pulp to get that exemption."

Alex, Victoria and Nicole were the first to arrive and began firing the pigs into the arena -- however Alex took control and his technique was off, resulting in the destruction of several pigs due to trial and error.  The other two teams arrived and Craig took control of the slingshot from Alex.

"I don't think he's the mole," said Craig about Alex.  "I just think he's kind of dumb.  He tries to take the lead in everything and he doesn't have the ability to.  It's really screwing us up."

Pigs started to fly and Liz and Paul got the hang of catching them.  Time subsequently expired and Jon revealed the results.


Alex, Victoria and Nicole retrieved 26 pigs; Ali, Mark and Clay recovered 18 pigs; and Bobby, Craig and Kristen retrieved none.  Of the 44 pigs recovered by the players, Liz and Paul successfully caught 28 -- adding $28,000 to the pot and bringing it to a total of $63,000.  Paul then explained how he found the exemption.

That night prior to dinner, Bobby wrote "I love Alex" in Alex's journal -- which he had left in the room the previous night.  Bobby mocked Alex for being so careless with his journal.

"I'm actually crossing my fingers to hope that I outlast Alex," said Bobby.  "It's one of my goals."

Craig suggested Alex might have purposely left his journal in the room as a strategy.

"No, he's really a moron," replied Bobby.

However Alex subsequently revealed Bobby fell right into his trap.


"I think I might have left my journal in a room for someone to take a look at, maybe throw some questions or doubts in their minds and see if they take bait," said Alex.  "They may think I'm the mole."

After they enjoyed dinner, The Mole's second fifth-season quiz took place -- with each player answering 10 questions about the mole.  The player who scored the lowest on the quiz would be executed and would be required to leave the game immediately. Mark, Kristen and Paul were exempt and would not be taking the quiz.

"Going into this execution, I have a lot more anxiety than I did the last time," said Liz.  "We have three exempt people, and odds are not good.  I want to stay all the way to the end, or at least a respectable departure.  I want to know who the mole is."

The 10 questions on the second quiz were is the mole male or female; how did the mole arrive at the summit in the "Race to the Summit" mission; did the mole earn an exemption in "Race to the Summit;" which group did the mole join in "Race to the Summit;" did the mole grab a wheelbarrow at the start of the "When Pigs Fly" mission; how many pigs did the mole's team find; what did the mole do after returning from Pomaire; did the mole wear protective headgear during "When Pigs Fly;"  was the mole transported in a wheelbarrow for the majority of time in the mission; and who is the mole.

Once the quiz was complete, Jon revealed Clay, Alex, Victoria and Bobby were all safe before Liz became the second player executed.

The Mole's next fifth-season episode will air Monday, June 16 at 10PM ET/PT on ABC.

(Photo credit ABC/Adam Larkey)






About The Author: Christopher Rocchio