No Mo' Mole

Without giving too much away, 2 of my 3 favorite players have been executed from THE MOLE. Sadly, I barely care. THE new MOLE isn't as good as THE real MOLE. The producers have really watered down the original show and made it too predictable. The editing is pretty lame compared to shows like SURVIVOR. During the last 20 minutes of SURVIVOR even if I know who I think is going home, the editing makes me second guess myself. It builds drama toward a climax. One flaw with THE new MOLE is that the Execution Ceremony (why does that sound horrible?) isn't really dramatic. Viewers of THE new MOLE can see what's coming down the pike a looong way off. Or if they can't it doesn't really matter since the quiz is so random that it's like picking lotto numbers. Was the mole wearing spandex in the 'We're All Wearing Spandex' challenge?

You Should Have That Mole Looked At

Monday night on ABC THEMOLE aired its second episode. Many reviews of THEMOLE keep "bitching" about how complicated THEMOLE is, but frankly it's not half as smart as it used to be, and it's still a lot more entertaining than many other shows out there. It's really too early to tell who the mole is, but I doubt it's Nicole who threatened to actually kill Paul in his sleep and leave no forensic evidence. ABC is ruthless, but I think they draw the line at publicly pre-announced murder. Nicole's one step away from crazy, and Paul wants to push her there. Bobby would be my lead candidate for the mole, but he's just too obvious. Like I said, no one really sticks out. The editing really sticks out in THEMOLE but not for the right reasons. When the show first aired, it was among the first serial reality game shows. The viewing public wasn't as aware then of the gross manipulation of the proceedings of the reality game shows by editors and producers. The old Mole made me think. So far, THEnewMOLE has kept my attention, but it's not making me think (except about Anderson Cooper).

Don't Get Jealous, Joel

Yes, Joel McHale, you are foxy too. Don't get jealous of my other straight-man crush, Mmmmmorgan Spurlock. There's enough of my misguided love to go around.

My favorite SOUP quotes from this week are:

About David Cook, "There's an American Idol contestant I'd like to have a baby with!"

About the following assortment of items somehow related to a challenge on THE MOLE: an antique battery, a bowler hat, a Bunsen burner, a Victrola, and a goat; Joel said, "Now all we need is a safe word and we can get this party started. Alright!" I love it when Joel talks dirty!

"A SHOT AT LOVE WITH TILA TEQUILA is like FEAR FACTOR if Joe Rogan was a bisexual Asian midget chick... where's my plate of goat taint?!"

I love that he calls Denise Richards: It's Complicated "Denise Richards' Colon... It's Complicated"!

My favorite moment of every week's show is when Joel "takes some E!" and dances around to hot, gay dance beats. I would actually watch a 30 minute show of just that. But, enough about me.

This Mole's For You

I'm happy to report that THE new MOLE is pretty good. It's usually tough to judge a "new" reality show from the first few episodes, but I enjoyed last night's premiere. They've traded a little bit of the intrigue and mystery of the previous incarnation of THE MOLE for "new millennium" drama. There's more "dun dun DUUUN" and less "hmmmmm." The new host is better than I thought he would be, but I will always miss my little Anderson Coopster who was the best MOLE host ever! The show also suffers from the FOX-syndrome where they rush through sections of the show too quickly and drag other sections out too long. Perhaps the pace will self-correct as more players are eliminated. I have NO idea who the mole is, but the following players are my favorites. Contetant bios from ABC's THE MOLE site.

"Paul has the accent and demeanor that clearly reveals he's an Italian New Yorker from Yonkers. Paul works 9 to 5 as a machinist for a utility company and as a wedding DJ on the weekends."

Liz rocks!! "Liz has more energy than people half her age. She lives life to the fullest and does not let age stand in her way. She won't hesitate to shock people with her outlandish sense of humor. Liz is a widow. When her husband passed away, she decided to adopt two children and raise them on her own." 6/9/2008 update: Liz was executed on the second episode.

"Bobby [is a fox,] loves games, competing, and winning, though you may not know it from his low key exterior. He is a hardcore fan of The Mole and used to host Mole watching parties in his basement. He knows the game well and has a solid strategy to form coalitions with less intelligent players that he can lead astray."

Yes! Yes! YES! The Mole Is BACK!

Praise be unto Disney for bringing back the BEST REALITY SHOW EVER! On Monday June 2, THE MOLE returns to ABC. Sadly, this incarnation is sans Anderson Cooper. That fact bums me out in a BIG way, but I'll sacrifice my sweet Coop for the return of at least ONE intelligent show on TV. BIG BROTHER this ain't! I am SO excited, and YOU should be too. The ABC website explains,

"Dubbed television's smartest reality show, ABC is bringing back "The Mole," featuring all-new missions, locations and music, plus online and mobile interactivity, enabling more viewer participation during the 10 episodes. Jon Kelley ("Extra," "The National Sports Report," "Baseball Today") is host.

"The Mole" follows a group of 12 players as they try to figure out who among them is The Mole, a saboteur trying to keep them from winning money. Players must decide who they think The Mole is and then learn as much about him or her as they can, because, at the end of each one-hour episode, the player who knows the least about The Mole is immediately eliminated from the game. In the final dramatic episode, The Mole is revealed and one of two final players wins a substantial cash prize.

"The Mole," based on the hit Belgian format, will be produced by Stone & Company Entertainment. The original series, produced by Stone Stanley Entertainment, was hosted by Anderson Cooper.

So, we'll see about this Jon Kelley character. He's got some mighty big track pants to fill. Cooper was really what made the show so smart. He really had to play the role of omnipotent tease and impartial guide on a crazy maze of clues and misdirects. I hope the new version doesn't dumb-down the razor sharp show for America's plummeting national average IQ. If it's 7/8 as good as the original there will FINALLY be a reason to watch TV until the next PROJECT RUNWAY in 3 years.