2.09 - The Ninth Betrayal

Still in Lucca, Italy, the six remaining players are still in pursuit of the Mole. It's confessional time and Al tells us that he has so little direction as to the identity of the Mole that it's horrible. Darwin is worried that Al, his Coalition partner, is spending a lot of time with Bill and worries that he may be giving his secrets away and comments that there is "no honor among thieves". Bribs, for his part, says he liked the game better the way it was because now it is beginning to pit the players against each other.

The players arrive at breakfast on the 28th day of the game to find the Mole has left them another message. "Four more losers, which will you be? I'm counting down, dwindling numbers are key." The players look over the message but can't make anything out of it. Darwin says that it is pointless to try to figure out the clues in advance and Al suggests that it may refer to a combination and have something to do with the number of remaining players.

Bill looks at the clue longer than the others, remaining at the table after the others have left to study it but admits that he did not learn anything from it. After he returns to his room (Number 143, we learn) Anderson pays him a secret visit. Anderson tells him he was selected for a special game because he was the last player to leave the table.

Anderson gives him a small sticker of a Mole thumbprint. He tells Bill that he has to place the sticker inside of any other player's Journal without any other player finding out about it. If he is able to do so then that player will be Neutralized and unable to gain an Exemption during this round of the game. However, if he is unable to successfully plant the sticker, then he will be Neutralized. Bill looks a bit confused but takes the sticker and Anderson leaves.

We next see the players as they arrive outside of a greenhouse. A few moments later, an old green Citroen pulls up outside and Anderson and a driver get out. Anderson asks for two players who like to drink wine and Al and Heather immediately volunteer. He sends them down the road.

He then turns to the remaining players, Bill, Bribs, Darwin and Dorothy, and tells them that their game has nothing to do with wine. Instead, their task is to get his car inside of the greenhouse. The greenhouse has a double door but one side of it is locked and the car will not fit though the other door. Anderson tells them they have two and a half hours to get the car inside of the greenhouse. When he returns he will try to start the car and it will have to start but they are not allowed to test start the car before he returns.

If they succeed, they will add 20 thousand to the pot. He also says they are not allowed to damage the greenhouse in any way. He points out a set of tools and tells them that everything they need to disassemble the car is there. He then tells them their time has started and leaves.

The four players immediately start looking the car over. Dorothy suggests taking the top off of the car and turning it on its side to get it through the door. Darwin says that they should lay out all of the parts they remove on the inside so they can get the car back together again while Bribs says they need to avoid taking apart any mechanical parts if they can. They start taking the car apart.

Meanwhile, Anderson has joined Al and Heather where several bottles of wine are sitting on a table. He offers them some wine and tells them that they are in the Vittirio di Tessa vineyards. Al and Heather look at each other, shrug, and drink their wine. "This is great!" says Al.

Anderson then describes their game to them. Nearby is a large vat filled with grapes. They will have to stomp the grapes to get juice which they will then use to fill five wine bottles. They will have 90 minutes to do so, working in fifteen minute shifts. If they are able to fill all of the bottles in that time, they will earn 10 thousand for the pot.

Al comments that it should be easy since he has size 14 feet. Anderson laughs and says that he shouldn't be allowed to participate in the game because of his feet. Al removes his shoes, climbs into the vat, and starts stomping.

Meanwhile, back at the greenhouse, the other four are still at work. Bill is thinking they need to remove the tires while Dorothy repeats her earlier suggestion of turning the car on its side. They are making some progress on their disassembly; the top has been removed as well as the doors and the back seat. Dorothy tells us that she doesn't know how to use most of the tools and that she isn't very mechanically inclined but that she thought it would be fun to take something apart and put it back together again.

Darwin comments that he felt they were on the wrong track and that "the car wasn't the game, the greenhouse was the game." He and Bribs briefly walk through the greenhouse and examine it and Darwin tries the locked door but they all eventually return to working on the car.

Bill measures the car and they find out it still won't fit through the opening. Bill again mentions removing the tires and suggests that they may have to remove the engine. As he is talking, the camera pans across them working on the car and we see the door of the greenhouse is locked with a combination lock.

In the vineyards, Al is still stomping the grapes. He takes time to stop and strain some of the juice into a bottle and manages to fill the first one. Heather suggests that since he has the advantage of foot size that he should stomp while she strains.

Al comments to Heather that if they had to drink the juice for another 20 thousand then they would be out 20 thousand. Anderson takes a sniff of the bottle and comments "Smells like your feet, Al."
Al disagrees, saying his feet don't smell. "I shower all the time." he responds.

Al and Heather switch places and Anderson offers Al some more wine. Heather observes that Al is "slamming" his glasses of wine but that she knows something is up and so is trying to drink conservatively.

Switching back to the greenhouse we see the players are still working on the car. Darwin stops to take another look around the greenhouse and this time he notices the combination lock and points it out to the others. They check the license plate on the car and find it to be LM5601EO but entering the numbers from the plate doesn't seem to work.

Darwin and Bribs talk and decide that the lock is the key to the game, not the car. They say that since they can't turn the car on its side, they can't split it in two and they can't take the engine out then they should start putting it back together again. Dorothy starts working on the lock while the others work on reassembling the car.

Dorothy feels the combination will have something to do with the number of players remaining or of those Executed, because of the message left by the Mole that morning. Darwin gets his Journal and they try entering combinations based on the players who have been Executed. As they do, the camera pans across the car again, this time showing the odometer, which reads 65430.

By this time, Al and Heather have filled their third bottle. Anderson sniffs it and announces that "It's a find blend of Heather and Al toe jam." Still, Al and Heather are easily able to fill the bottles in the time allowed and win the 10 thousand.
"That was way too easy." says Heather. "What's going on?"

Dorothy is still working on the combination and starts discussing her thought processes. She says that she had tried 6543 since there were six players now and there would be three at the end but that it didn't work. She starts to enter 0000 but realizes that there would never be zero players in the game and for some reason decides to enter 3456. The lock clicks open.

She announces to the others that she has opened it and Darwin asks what the combination was. She tells him and he repeats the numbers in disbelief. She says that she knew the answer had to have something to do with the number of players remaining; six now and three at the end.
"Dwindling numbers" says Darwin.
"But, that's an ascending number." says Bill in confusion.

All four players start working on the car again when Bill suddenly starts laughing. He points out the odometer to them and all of them groan in frustration, Dorothy letting out a mock scream.

Anderson reminds us in a voice-over that Bill still has to complete his Neutralizer Game.

Going back to the vineyards again, Anderson tells us that by this time Al has had seven glasses of wine while Heather has had four, all in the space of an hour. He then tells us that they will now have a game to test their judgment and coordination.

Anderson proposes a wager to Heather and Al and offers to double their winnings. He says that if they can fill four glasses with wine, stack one glass on top of the other three, then pick up the tray the glasses are on and carry it to a table some distance away all without spilling even a drop of wine then they will each win another 5 thousand. However, if they fail, they will lose 5 thousand. They will both have the chance to try.

"I think we should do it." says Heather immediately.
Al agrees. "Ten thousand isn't going to make or break the pot."

Al goes first and starts filling his glasses. However, he dribbles some wine before even filling all of them and Anderson tells him he has lost.

Al is frustrated and says that shouldn't count since it's impossible to pour wine without spilling a drop or two.
Anderson disagrees. "As someone who was once a waiter I could certainly show you how to pour it without spilling."
All calls him on it. "OK, Mr. Professional. Show me."

Anderson tries to pour the wine but spills a drop or two of his own. Al starts laughing and jumping up and down while Anderson yells "I've been drinking with you guys!"

Heather gamely tries to pour the wine herself but she too spills some. They have lost the 10 thousand they just won.

Anderson then offers them a chance to get their money back again. If the two of them can convince the other four players to drink an entire bottle of the wine they just stomped then he will add the 10 thousand back to the pot. However, they cannot tell the other players that money is at stake.
"You might not want to mention you made it with your gnarly, stinking feet either." he tells them.
"Oh yeah!" says Al, obviously drunk. "Then I'll make a lot of new friends!"

Back at the greenhouse, the others are finishing up the reassembly of the car. Bill briefly takes a moment while the others are busy to pull someone's Journal out of their pack and place the Mole thumbprint within it. He then joins the others in helping push the car into the greenhouse.

Anderson arrives and comments that Bill has grease on him. Bill says that is what happens when you split a car into quarters. Anderson smiles and hands the keys to the driver who attempts to start the car. The starter strains for several seconds but eventually the engine catches and the car starts. With the car running and inside the greenhouse, Anderson tells them that they have won the 20 thousand.

He also tells them that he knows they tried to take the car apart first and failed. He points out that there are numbers on the car in only two places; the odometer and the license plate. The numbers on the odometer are descending and he reminds them of the "dwindling numbers" clue, which he says should have told them the odometer was the answer. Still, he congratulates them and they return to the hotel.

Meanwhile, Al and Heather, still drinking, are walking along a road. Both are obviously drunk but are trying to come up with a plan to get the other players to drink their wine. They decide to tell that they lost the money but that they didn't want their efforts to go to waste and wanted the others to share in their winemaking. Agreeing on this plan, they head back to the hotel as well.

Dinner is in the wine cellar and Al and Heather are having trouble keeping a straight face as the others file in. They fill in the others on what happened to them and ask that the others drink their bottle of wine. Al says that we will be happy, stretching out the "we" to hopefully clue in the other players as to what is going on.

The other players are naturally suspicious and Bribs asks if they stomped the juice themselves, which Al denies. Heather also repeats the request, again emphasizing the "we".

Darwin tells us in an interview that Al and Heather were "basically drunks". Dorothy says she won't drink the wine and Bribs says he can think of five or six things that may be going on. Bill says in an interview that he knew there were only two possibilities; either Al and Heather would get an Exemption or the group would get money added to the pot. Dorothy says she doesn't like the taste of wine and that it makes her face flush.

Bribs takes a sip of the wine and fakes being poisoned as the others laugh. Everyone discusses what may be going on but eventually everyone takes a sip. Then, Al asks them to finish the bottle.

Darwin and Bribs openly discuss that they may be giving away an Exemption but all of them eventually drink the wine and are happy when they are told that they have gotten their 10 thousand back. Al also admits that they did stomp the wine and Bribs comments that later all he could think of was "Al and his disgusting feet." Darwin adds that the "wine" tasted like fruit juice and didn't taste like feet.

Anderson then asks everyone for their Journals and, mystified, they pass them over. Anderson starts flipping through them and Dorothy expresses concern that Heather and Bribs were sitting next to Anderson and could read what she had written.

Anderson stops and holds up one Journal, open to a page with the Mole thumbprint sticker on it. "That's a Mole print!" says Darwin, shocked.

Anderson asks who Journal 15 belongs to and Dorothy identifies it as hers. He tells her that the Mole print meant that she has been Neutralized for this round and so she would not be able to receive an Exemption. He also tells her the sticker was placed there by one of her fellow players. "Holy mackerel." says Al.

Later, in an interview, Al says "I was like 'Whoa, how did that happen?' Journals are sacred."

Dorothy is more upset with herself. "Such an idiot." she says. "I will never leave my Journal unattended again. Serves me right."

Anderson points out to them that the pot is now at $376,000 and bids them goodnight. Everyone returns to their rooms and go to sleep, except for Dorothy who we see sitting in her bed and examining her Journal.

At 12:15 am, Anderson starts knocking and entering the player's rooms, telling them to get up and that it was time for another game.
"Oh my God." says Heather. "Are you serious?"
"He usually doesn't wear a suit when he sneaks into my room." Darwin tells us. "He comes in his pajamas. Just the bottoms, usually."
"I knew it!" says Bribs upon being awakened.
When Anderson tells him it is time for a game, Al disagrees. "No it isn't. It's time for sleep."
Dorothy meets Anderson at the door, still dressed.
Bill is extremely groggy when Anderson awakens him. "It's sort of a 'come as you are' game, he tells him."

Anderson watches the groggy players descend in an elevator then leaves to follow them.

The players find themselves in a large, oddly lit room with pillows scattered around and a ball hanging from a rope in the middle. Darwin starts to lie down on the pillows but Anderson stops him.

Anderson explains that this game simply requires that they keep the ball moving all night. One player at a time can hit the ball to keep it moving but the players must maintain the same rotation when hitting the ball. If the players can keep the ball moving until 6:00 am without hitting it out of order then they will win another 30 thousand for the pot.

Al suggests that they hit the ball in alphabetical order since it will be easy to remember and they arrange themselves around the ball and start hitting it. Heather says that she knows an Exemption will show up at some point during the game since Dorothy was Neutralized for some reason. They try to keep the ball swinging in a circle and Al is frustrated because Heather keeps hitting the ball away from him, making him move to hit it.

Anderson returns at 1:00 and asks who is the most tired. Al immediately says he is, partially because of all the wine he drank. When no one objects, Anderson tells him to leave and go to bed.
"Sleep well, Al." Darwin calls after him.
"Oh, don't worry." says Al. "I'm going to win that game!"

The ball continues to move and Heather once again says an Exemption is involved. Anderson enters again at 2:00 am and again asks who is the most tired. This time Heather volunteers and Anderson sends her off to bed.

Now Bill mentions that he knows an Exemption is at stake. Dorothy comments that this game would be very easy to sabotage and make it seem like an honest mistake and Darwin says he suspects the Exemption will go to whoever can last the longest.

At 3:00 am Anderson enters once again and once again asks who is the most tired. This time Bill says he is and, when no one objects, Anderson makes another offer. If Bill will hit the ball out of sequence then he will get an Exemption. Bill thinks about this a moment while watching the ball circle then sticks out his hand and hits it.
"Let's go home." he says.
"What a colossal waste of time." says Darwin as they all crowd back into the elevator.

Unfortunately for Bill, while he was deciding what to do about the Exemption, Bribs hit the ball twice. Outside of their rooms, he tells Darwin and Dorothy what he did and says that he technically ended the game before Bill took the Exemption. He says they will see what happens in the morning and enters his room. Dorothy walks away looking pleased.
"If I can't have it, no one can have it." she says.

The following evening, everyone gathers outside for dinner. Anderson greets them and talks about the All Night Ball Game. He tells them that Darwin told him about Bribs' hitting the ball twice but wanted to check the tapes before he did anything. He points out that the entire game was being recorded by multiple camera.

He starts playing a tape and points out that Bribs did indeed hit the ball twice in a row. He reminds Bribs that he passed on his chance for an Exemption during the Gladiator Game because of his moral code and asks if it has changed. Bribs says no, that it is the game that has changed.

Anderson then tells the players he found something else interesting on the tapes. He shows them another clip, this time from earlier in the game and around the time Heather left. We see Bribs hit the ball. Darwin should have hit it next but instead he motions for Dorothy to hit it and she does. The game had really ended over an hour earlier.
"Why didn't you let us go to bed?" asks Bill.

Darwin protests his innocence and claims it was a mistake but it doesn't seem as if too many people believe him. Anderson says that since the game was really over by then that Bill does not get his Exemption. He then wishes the players luck and sends them off to take the quiz.

As they take the Quiz, Heather thinks it is odd that Al made a point of mentioning his shoe size before a question about shoe size appeared on the Quiz. Darwin comments that Bill had previously made a point out of his honor but that it apparently went out of the window when an Exemption was offered. Bribs is surprised that Al volunteered for the wine tasting instead of the Assembly Line Game since he had previously said he was good with mechanics.

Dorothy says that she had peeled up the Mole thumbprint sticker from her Journal and found a white hair under it, leading her to think Bill planted it. Al, meanwhile, wonders if Dorothy planted the thumbprint herself.

Finally, Bribs says he finds it suspicious that Dorothy has now saved them at the last minute in two different games and Heather comments that she has never been suspicious of Darwin before that night.

The players arrive in the Catacombs of Lucca to find Anderson waiting for them, standing under a green light. He tells them the pot now stands at $376,000 and gives his standard pre-Execution speech. He then begins to enter the players names.

Bill, Dorothy (who smiles) and Heather (who breaths a sigh of relief) all get green thumbprints. Anderson then comments that there are only three players left; Al, Bribs and Darwin.

Al gets a green screen and gives a big sigh of relief, as does Bribs. Darwin shifts uncomfortably in his seat. Only one name has yet to be entered and the red screen has not appeared.

"Darwin" says Anderson in a monotone as he types in his name. As expected, the red thumbprint comes up and Darwin is Executed.

Anderson helps Darwin with his bags and they exit the catacombs. Outside, Darwin comments "The most difficult part of the game is trying to figure out what is real and what is not real." He says that he decided that evening to go with his gut instinct, which apparently turned out to be wrong.

Dorothy tells us that she is surprised to see Darwin leave because he was a fast thinker and very observant. Al says the group will be missing his energy and him pushing them. Bribs agrees, saying he was a fierce competitor but also, as much as anyone can be in the game, a friend.

We see scenes of Darwin from earlier games; wearing the bunny suit, treading water in the pool and finally taking his bungee jump. As we do, Al comments that even though they were in a Coalition, Darwin spent more time talking to Bribs than he did to him and wonders if he was being played. On the other hand, he comments, maybe Darwin was the one being played.

Outside, Darwin says his final goodbye to Anderson then enters the car and is driven away. Inside, the Mole has three more victims to go.

Bill spends a long time analyzing the note from the Mole, getting a chance to Neutralize another player.

Bill, Bribs, Darwin and Dorothy all are slow to notice that the door to the greenhouse is only locked with a combination lock during the Assembly Line game and waste a good deal of time trying to disassemble the car.

Bribs and Darwin search the greenhouse twice before noticing the lock.

Bill encourages the players to try to remove the engine, even though it very probably could not be done in the time available.

Dorothy manages to figure out the combination to the lock.

Bill notices the numbers on the odometer only after Dorothy has figured out the combination.

Bill neutralizes Dorothy.

Heather is very quick to suggest that she and Al gamble the money they won in the Grape Game.

Al and Heather both fail when pouring the wine, causing them to lose the money they won in the Grape Game.

Dorothy does not want to drink the wine Al and Heather produced after the Grape Game.

Darwin encourages Dorothy to hit the ball out of sequence, causing them to lose the All Night Ball Game. (Darwin is, of course, Executed and so can't be the Mole.)

Bribs hits the ball twice, causing the players to lose the All Night Ball Game and preventing Bill from earning an Exemption.

Bill tries to earn an Exemption by causing the players to lose the All Night Ball Game.

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