2.08 - The Eighth Betrayal

Once again, we find ourselves in Italy and on the trail of The Mole. Many of the players are upset as their prime suspect for the Mole has just voluntarily left the game.

"Elavia! Why did you do it!" moans Dorothy in frustration. "I'm never forming another Coalition again." Then, she pauses and adds "Not that I have many choices left."

"For the first time in my life," says Katie, "I'm at a loss for words."

Bill seems almost impressed by the turn of events. "Boy, you guys are diabolical." he says. "I am telling you."

Bribs is also stunned. "That blew my freakin' mind." he tells us. "Absolutely floors my ass and knocks me to the ground."

Al, however, is looking ahead. "This game is now going to become one of backstabbing and shrewd play." he says, then adds "Kids, if you're watching at home, beware. Dad may have to do some things that aren't going to be too nice.

It is day 25 of the game and the players are still in Lucca, Italy. As they arrive for lunch they find another message from the Mole. This one shows a group of seven people holding newspapers in front of their faces. "What is missing in this picture?" asks the caption, which is signed "With Love, the Mole."

"Has the Mole ever said 'With love'" asks Dorothy.

"Their faces are missing." says Bribs, helpfully.

Anderson appears and tells them that he has some good news. Today they are going to get the chance to spend some time with their loved ones, who have been flown over to Italy to meet them. Heather's boyfriend Nathan is here, as is Al's sister Janine, Darwin's wife Lindsey, Bill's brother-in-law (?) Blair, Dorothy's mother Kathy, Brib's mother Terri and Katie's Dad Ron.

However, in order to see the person who has been brought to meet them, they will have to play a game. (Of course.)

Anderson explains the rules. Each player will have to select another player to be their "eyes". They will then have thirty seconds to describe their loved one to their eyes. The player who is the eyes will then look out of an upper story window (looked to be second or third) which is overlooking a piazza full of people. They will have to locate the loved one based on the description they were given. They will have two minutes in which to locate them.

If they successfully locate the described person, then the first player will be able to spend the evening with their loved one and 5 thousand dollars will be added to the pot. If they fail, no money is earned and the player does not get to see their visitor.

Katie goes first and chooses Heather to be her eyes. Heather tries to locate her dad but is having trouble since she isn't wearing her glasses. Katie is upset, she knew Heather wore glasses but thought they were just for reading.

Eventually Heather picks someone and Katie is led down to meet the person she picked. A man walks around the corner, but it is not her dad. Katie breaks down and cries and worries that she may have entered a Coalition with the Mole.

Next up is Dorothy who also selects Heather. Dorothy tells us that she showed Heather a picture of her family while they were still in Switzerland and so thought she could recognize her mother.

Because of this her description is a bit vague; she basically only says that her mother would probably be the only Asian woman in the square. Unfortunately, the woman Heather picks isn't even Asian and Dorothy goes to sit dejectedly with Katie.
"I think Heather is playing the naive card too much." she tells us.

Katie, meanwhile, has been examining the picture that they got from the Mole and realizes that the people in the picture are their relatives. She recognizes the shirt her father is wearing.

It is now Bribs' turn and he picks Darwin as his eyes. Darwin selects a woman from the square and, when she comes around the corner Bribs happily identifies her as his mother. The two hug and his mother asks him if he has been eating well.
"It's Italy!" he tells her. "How could I not be eating well?"

Katie and Dorothy are still sitting alone on a curb. Katie tries to call a dog over to her but it ignores her and starts to walk away, then gets sick in the middle of the road. Katie is a bit grossed out but she and Dorothy laugh.

Bill is next and he also picks Darwin. He tells Darwin that his brother-in-law has a handlebar mustache, which should make him fairly obvious. Darwin fairly quickly locates who he thinks is Bill's brother-in-law. Bill and Anderson go down to meet him.
"If it's not my brother-in-law and he kisses me, I'm going to thump him." says Bill. He then thinks a bit and adds "If it is my brother-in-law and he kisses me, I'm going to thump him."

"I've never seen that guy before in my life." says Bill as his brother-in-law appears. "Take him back to jail." But it is his brother-in-law and they casually greet each other then leave to join the others.

"That was emotional" says Anderson with mock seriousness. Bill asks Blair why Shirley, his wife, didn't come and Blair tells him that she couldn't find her passport. Bill expresses some disappointment that he didn't get to see his wife.

Al's turn is next and he selects Bribs, telling him that his sister looks a lot like him but is even louder. Bribs tries to locate Al's sister but fails. Al is noticeably disappointed and Bribs is a bit concerned but Al tells him he doesn't blame him.
"Even if you are the Mole, you wouldn't screw me." he tells him. "No worries, bro."

The next player is Darwin, who also selects Bribs. After describing his wife Bribs locates her fairly easily and the two happily greet each other. Lindsey asks Darwin if the game is stressful and he tells her "It's fun then stressful then it's fun then it's painful then..."

Finally, it is Heather's turn. She too picks Bribs and describes her boyfriend as being handsome with "piercing blue eyes". Bribs admits that Heather is second on his list to be the Mole but searches anyway. He is successful and Heather emotionally greets Nathan and is in tears as they embrace.

Anderson tells them that since they succeeded four times they have added 20 thousand to the pot, which now stands at $286,000. He also tells them that those who did succeed get to spend the evening with their loved ones.

Bill comments on how the other three reacted. He says that Dorothy shows very little emotion but that Katie "...cried copious tears." He then pauses and adds, "Of course, that's a normal state of affairs for Katie." He also says that Al seemed to be a bit mad and that if it had been his wife there instead of his sister he would probably have gone to see her anyway and walked out of the game.

That evening, we see Heather and Nathan at dinner, which Nathan tells us is the most romantic dinner he has ever had. Then, (you know what is coming, right?) he tells her he loves her and (on national television) pulls out a ring and proposes to her. Though tears of joy, she accepts.

The next morning, everyone meets Anderson in an open field. After pointing out that their loved ones are watching from the other side of the field he tells them that they will have another chance to spend time with them.

He points out a bungee jump platform in the middle of the field and says that they have asked each of their loved ones one question; will the players bungee jump? The players can jump or not as they choose and if they make the choice their loved one said they would, then they will get the chance to spend that evening and the next day with them as well as earning another 10 thousand for the pot. If they do not make the same choice they do not get to spend more time with them and do not win any money.

Dorothy, obviously nervous, starts to analyze the situation. She says that her mother knows that she would not normally do something like this but wonders if she thinks she will do something different because of the circumstances.

On the other side of the field, Nathan has his own worries. "Did they say 170 feet?" he asks. "Hope she hangs onto that ring."

Heather is the first player this round and chooses to jump, screaming the whole way down. "That was not fun." she tells us as she is unhooked. Anderson shows her a tape where Nathan says she will jump and she and Nathan are happily reunited.

The next player is Darwin. He also jumps, yelling "I'm getting sick up here" while waiting to be detached from the bungee. Lindsey had said he would jump so he gets to spend another evening with her.

Al is up next. Katie and Dorothy are cheering "Give me an A! Give me an L!" as he ascends the tower. He jumps but has a bit of a problem afterwards. "Oh my God!" he yells "Why am I spinning so much?" Janine had said that he would jump so Al finally gets to meet his sister.

In an interview, Janine tells us that Al never got in trouble whenever they did anything and he always said he was king of the house. "Now the whole world knows I'm King Al", he says.

Back at the field, Katie is worried that she might bounce back up and hit the platform but Bribs assures her that she won't.

Bill is the next to make his jump. He comments that he feels like the "older generation" but admits that he always wanted an excuse to bungee jump. He seems to have a good time, yelling "I want a high one next time, not one of these little things." (Wrong show Bill.) His brother-in-law had said he would jump so they too get to see each other again.

Bribs is the next up and he comments to the operator on the top that the city is beautiful. Meanwhile, Katie is still worried.
"So," she asks Anderson, "if the bungee broke, would the impact kill you?"
"Yes." says Anderson seriously.
"OK." says Katie. "That's good to know."
Bribs prepares to jump and she asks another question. "A quick and painless death?"

With a yell of "Oh man!" Bribs makes his jump as his mother said he would. "He'll be thrilled." she says on the tape. Bribs gets to meet his mother again.

Next it is Dorothy's turn. She says that normally she wouldn't jump but wonders if her mother thinks she would under the circumstances. She decides to go with her first instinct and says she will not jump. Unfortunately, when Anderson shows her the tape her mother said she would. Dorothy makes a face.

Anderson gives Dorothy five minutes with her mother then her mother gets into a bus and is driven away. Dorothy waves goodbye as she does.

Later, in an interview, Dorothy expresses frustration. "Mom!" she says. "Whatever made you think I would want to bungee jump!".
She also apologizes for not jumping. "Sorry to the other players." she says. "I screw up the easiest games."

Finally, it is Katie's turn. She decides to jump but has second thoughts once she gets to the platform. "Oh god, I'm scared right now." she says. "I'm afraid of heights."

Al is talking with Katie's father and trying to decide if she will jump or not. Her father thinks she will and Al agrees. "She'll be crying" he says "but she'll be jumping."

Katie hesitates then jumps, screaming "Oh my God!" repeatedly the whole time. "Did I scream really loud?" she asks after she is lowered to the ground, and there is general laughter. Checking the tape, we see that her father said she would jump. Katie comments that she was glad her father had faith in her and wishes she could have more faith in herself.

Anderson comes up and tells everyone that they have won another 60 thousand for the pot, which now stands at $346,000. "And now," he says, "on to the next event."
"The next event?" asks Bill.

We never find out what Anderson meant, as we next see the players at dinner with their loved ones. Dorothy, the only one who is there alone, comments that it was good because everyone else let their guards down and was talking more freely than they usually did. Anderson gives her a new journal since she has completely filled up her old one and asks if anyone else needs a new one.

Anderson asks all of the relatives if they think the player they are with could be the Mole. Janine says that Al could be the Mole and Blair thinks that Bill would be a good one. Lindsey says that Darwin would not be the Mole and Katie's father says that he doesn't think she is either, which seems to make Katie upset.

Dorothy says that she obviously isn't the Mole since she screwed up. Finally, Nathan tells us that Heather is "deceitful" and could be the Mole.

With that out of the way, it is now time for the Quiz.

During the quiz, Dorothy says that she finds Bill suspicious because he is always around listening and observing but doesn't say much himself. Bill says he is suspicious of Heather. Dorothy also says she thinks Bribs is trying hard to act too naive while Bribs says he isn't naive. Finally, Al is suspicious of Dorothy since she never got to see her mother.

Everyone files in for the Execution, this time accompanied by their loved ones. Anderson gives his usual pre-Execution speech and tells everyone that this time there was a tie so the player with the slowest time would be Executed.

Anderson begins entering names and Bill, Dorothy, Darwin and Bribs all come up with green screens. Anderson reminds us that only three players are left, then continues. Al gets a green thumbprint but Katie's comes up red. Katie is Executed. She and her father stand up and Anderson helps her with her bag. She waves and gives a quiet "Bye" to the other players, then leaves.

Outside, she tells Anderson that she was glad to meet him and hang out with him. Dorothy comments that she was sad to see Katie leave since she had told her that she wanted to stay until at least the ninth Execution and she failed to make it by one. Katie echoes this by telling Anderson that she was sad to leave.

Heather comments that Katie was funny to have around and talks about her jelly phobia and Meadow Muffin. Darwin also says he will miss Katie. Outside, Katie says that the last few weeks had been hard on her. As she talks, we see the scene where she stormed out of Dorothy and Heather's room after the Blueberry Game.

Al starts talking about how the stress of the game had been affecting Katie and that the more stress she was under the quirkier she got and "the quirkier she got the more stress I was under".

The other players start laughing as Al keeps trying to say something nice about Katie when it is obvious that he was not at all sad to see her go. Finally, he cuts himself off and simply says "Goodbye, Katie." He then rubs his face and moans. "What a disaster I am."

We see scenes of Katie in the Gladiator Game and of her doing her Bungee Jump, then it is time for her to leave. She tells Anderson she will send him a picture of Meadow Muffin then gets into the car and is driven off.

In an interview, she delivers one last comment. "Heather, if you are the Mole and you screwed me over here day one, I'm gonna be pissed."

The Mole has claimed another victim. Who will be next?

Very little obvious Mole-like activity this episode.

Heather fails both times she is chosen to be the "eyes" in the Relative Disguise game.

Heather's boyfriend proposes to her, with a "much bigger" ring than they had planned.

Dorothy is the only player who chooses not to jump in Relative Bungee.

Be seeing you...