The Mole (2022– ) User Reviews

A lot of copy paste from the mole Belgium season 9

[uzkngeweb · 9/10 · 8 October 2022]

I am a huge fan of the original series: The mole Belgium (De Mol), that is running since 1998 and has 10 seasons and more to come.

Also I like the Dutch version (with celebrities), Wie is de mol? Which has done 20+ seasons.

Now I am enjoying this Netflix version set in beautiful Australia. The landscapes and locations are great, the group not so much. They are a bit to sporty, goodlooking and "in to it" for my taste. I would have loved a more diverse group, different body types etc.

The games and missions look very familiar is you're a The Mole Belgium fan, a lot is copied from season 9, which was set in Germany.

The part that's missing for me is the interaction between the contestants on location, that is we're the original series is so strong, you really live with the kandidates and can do your own mole search.

Enjoyable but pointless

[sissyjer · 7/10 · 23 October 2022]

Let me start off by saying that the show has a great hook and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

My problem came around half way through when I realized that the mole didn't really have a role. The mole can't be eliminated, the mole can't win, and the mole doesn't have to sabotage because 1. They gain nothing from it and 2. Everyone else is already busy sabotaging to draw attention to themselves. There's no point keeping track of who might have sabotaged consistently because the motives are all wrong.

The most frustrating thing is that the mole literally CANNOT win or lose, NOTHING is at stake. Someone is just going to walk away with a bunch of money at the end.

Lastly, I wish they would show more of the conversations between the characters so that we as viewers can feel closer to them and develop favorites etc. Nothing is at stake for the viewers either, because we don't get to care about the characters.

Entertaining but obvious

[vishaldevan · 8/10 · 17 October 2022]

The show is entertaining. Unique concept and execution has made it something I found interesting to watch. It's also interesting for the psychology of people and how it plays out amongst them.

For me though it became obvious at episode 3 that the mole is Kesi.

It's amazing how all the players failed to call out all of her sabotage whether she is the mole or not they were unable to spot it through the whole show. Not wanting to reveal Kesi as the mole was due to the directors/editors not wanting to spoil the show as obvious though and hence showing or manipulating scenes to suit but that would not explain the sheer lack of airtime given to Kesi and the lack of accusation thrown at her

If Kesi is the mole then the directing failed If Kesi is not the mole, then the show deserves a much higher rating.

The best reality show in years

[mikeyunsworth · 10/10 · 21 October 2022]

Loved every minute of this show.

What makes this show stand out from others is how engaged you get in it. Instead of passively watching, I found myself making notes during each episode.and got totally hooked into this world of trying to work out who the mole is. I don't believe it's obvious at all. My mind was changing with every episode and there were a few gasping in shock moments throughout.

The contestants are fun and have personality. The scenery is beautiful and the challenges are interesting and make you think. I don't watch much reality tv but this was my favourite by far. Really hope they make a 2nd season! Give it a go. You'll probably know by the end of the first episode if you'll like it or not.

Engaging and easy to watch

[brittanyclark-07351 · 9/10 · 9 October 2022]

I remember watching the original mole with my parents as a kid. The nostalgia made me start watching, although admittedly I don't remember the details of the original show.

This show was easy to watch, little drama outside of the details of the show and the escape room games are engaging brain teasers.

I really like the characters they chose and the games are fun. The only thing I don't really like is how they all have to work together to win any money at all. It makes it extremely easy to sabotage and they hardly win anything significant. Hopefully that changes as we move on since they've only released up to episode 6 as I'm writing this.

I like that you can take the same quiz that the cast took by scanning the QR code at the end of the episode. The interactive component is nice and makes me hopeful that the mole is someone different than the obvious choices.

My hunches right now are Jacob or Joi. The most unexpected mole to me would be Avori.

I was initially glad to see a revival, but there's some issues

[burgerman93 · 6/10 · 15 October 2022]

The revival doesn't hold a candle to ABC's Season 1 & 2. I feel a lot of the cast members are caricatures and the production team's edits are very suspect (such as the countdown clocks, contestant confessionals, and how the missions are structured). In contrast to earlier seasons, we really don't get a full sense of the competitors' motivations. I really can't say that I'm rooting for any particular player to bring home the prize money. The show is a way to eat up my time; I'm not as fully engaged in it as I thought I would be. This is because very few of the missions are exciting. Many of the games have ambiguous rules or just seem downright impossible. I felt lost when I tried to make sense of some of them, especially the Detonator mission and the bank heist mission.

Alex Wagner is a fair host. She has a good mixture of motherly warmth and seriousness. I can't rate her as highly as host Anderson Cooper, who incidentally also is a journalist.

The aforementioned ABC seasons were set in France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, and Monaco. This season in Australia simply doesn't have that same spark.

It's just another scripted reality show. Watch at your own leisure but be prepared to be let down.

The Mole Has Returned With A Vengeance

[brownjoea · 9/10 · 22 October 2022]

Back in the day of roughly 20 years ago, two of my favorite shows on US TV were The Amazing Race and The Mole. While The Amazing Race has continued to have tremendous success for the past two decades, The Mole was sadly cancelled after only a few seasons. So I was pleasantly surprised to see it pop up on Netflix recently after not knowing ahead of time that it would be returning.

So how did it turn out? Overall I'm happy to say that it had plenty of intrigue and fun challenges. The contestants were hit and miss in terms of entertaining to watch, but that is true of all reality and game shows. There were some nice surprises along the way as well. Of course, nothing is perfect. The identity of The Mole became undeniably clear to me with about 3 episodes to go, and there were too many obviously scripted interviews with the contestants during each episode, particularly with contestants making mole accusations. I would have liked to have seen more natural interaction among the contestants in between challenges instead.

That said, it's hard to complain too much about what we got. Even with its flaws, this is still a far superior reality show compared to much of the trash reality shows that are on modern TV. It's not quite up to The Amazing Race standards, but then again that's not a realistic expectation. It's a quality season one reboot, and I'm hoping for another season with a few adjustments in the right direction to make season two even better.

Addictive Concept but Missed Connection

[jmrx-242-218325 · 6/10 · 26 October 2022]

First let me say I've come to love "reality" television - that while it's over-the-top at times, the sense that a real human is behind the screen draws me into their story. I also love spy shows and mysteries. So I was pumped about this show, and the first several episodes had me hooked. There were so many characters sabotaging, the Australian views were incredible, and there was a fun energy in the cast. Above all, I wanted to see if my prediction about the mole was right, so I kept watching.

But, a small missing piece grew into a gaping disconnect when I realized that 6 or 7 episodes in, I knew NOTHING about these people. I saw no footage of them interacting during down times that weren't missions or quizzes to see their personalities come to life. Their confessionals were SOLELY about the mole and the missions, nothing else, so I knew nothing about their lives outside of the game. We didn't get to watch them interact off-script, and that started to feel empty.

"The Mole" needed Survivor-esque moments where a player catches two people forming an alliance, or finds them plotting. What about times where characters get to read letters or watch video from their family? Why are these people on this show? The "real" drama was just missing here, as was character building. By the end, I found I didn't care who won the money. And once it became more obvious who the mole was, the show dragged - it appeared the contestants felt that as well.

I hope they continue and build the concept, but if it continues as only a game show without any "real" people or vulnerability, I don't see this lasting beyond another season.

The best reality show today!

[TheWatcher17 · 10/10 · 23 October 2022]

As a huge fan of the original The Mole series, I was so excited to find out that Netflix brought it back. Of course, I was also worried that they would screw up the show like most reboots these days, but thankfully they didn't. The new host (Alex) is both enjoyable and fun, and the diverse set of contestants were all likeable and all suspicious at some points. Also, it was interesting how it was in Australia this time, which broadened the scope of the game. Unlike other reality shows, this show makes the viewers suspicious and play along, and the producers do a good job at throwing us in various directions to throw us in various directions.

I really do hope we get more seasons and that Netflix promotes this show more, because it's really well made and it's a fan favourite and I didn't even know it was back until a friend mentioned it.

My only feedback for (hopefully) next season - is I hope they get a better actor/actress for the Mole, and that they give the Mole some stake in the game as well (e.g. Maybe the money that's lost from the pot, actually goes to the Mole, which gives them better incentive to be more discrete and shady lol)

Great job Netflix, the producers and the cast!

Room for improvement

[krissa75 · 6/10 · 30 October 2022]

I don't think it's bad. I do think they fall into some of the same pitfalls that plague so many other reality shows.

The weird thing is that this version is very clearly based on the latest Belgian run (some games are almost literal copies) but they don't quite get why that version is superior.

* You barely see people interacting when not playing a game.

* The constant skipping to the interviews/contestant voice overs make it seem very scripted. They need to limit those. Let the action and interactions speak for itself.

* Notebooks! Bring back the notebooks!

* Diversity. What you have is a group of people from a fairly narrow age range (25-40) who all look like they could start a modelling career and whose hobby is cross fit. Diversity is more than a bunch of attractive millennials with a different skin color. The Belgian runs have people between 18 and 50+. It's their personalities and different experiences that bring so much more to the game.

* I do like the use of cell phones instead of the large screen they use in the Belgian version.

* I didn't like the "ending on a cliffhanger" of the episodes. Why does everything have to end on a cliffhanger? Just finish after the selection. It destroys the pacing of the episodes because the elimination should be the emotional high point of the episode. Not the lead in.

* More of a personal note but the Belgian presenter, Gilles de Coster, has a very dry, factual way of interacting with the contestants during the games. I think that works better than Alex Wagner's.

If you want to see how good it can be, try and find the current Belgian version (especially series 9 (Germany) ).

What a setting...!

[craigrmckendrick · 9/10 · 1 November 2022]

Having not watched The Mole before and not being that big on Reality shows I was pleasantly surprised by just how good this was. From the casting, production value, concept and intrigue, it really was great and worth a recommendation. Travelling around Australia was absolutely beautiful too!

A fantastic premise that will have you loudly guessing who The Mole is from start to finish and you won't know who it is till the very end.

Here's hoping we get another season with a similar budget. The on location filming really made this a spectacle for both Australia as a travel destination but also as a way to really emphasis the adventure they're all on.

I'm ready for season 2!

No catch phrase?

[em_giovanni · 6/10 · 15 October 2022]

No one saying "Who is...the Mole?"

It's okay. But missing some of the elements that made the first ones so great. A better host to amp the suspense. Where are their handy dandy little notebooks they were always writing in?! I remember them always writing notes in their little notebooks. Also the phones instead of a big screen is a bad choice. The huge screen was fun to see turn color.

Overall I am glad it is back. But don't ditch the things that made it so good the first time.

I really miss Anderson Cooper, though I get her has other things to do. But the host could really do a better job of saying things to build suspense, etc.

Poor Choices by Producers

[loganps · 3/10 · 14 October 2022]

I love nearly all competition reality shows including previous versions of The Mole and I'm usually an easy audience. I also worked for years as a reality tv and game show producer. With that said, this show is disappointing to me for two main reason.

First, it's an unusually unlikable cast. I'm struggling to find anyone to root for. The only person I like is the host.

Second, nearly all commentary throughout the show are just contestants accusing each other of being the mole for any reason. This would be fine if it felt sincere, but it doesn't. It's like the producers decided that constant, empty, accusations without substance would be an easy way to produce the show. It's exceptionally hollow...even by reality show standards.

I REALLY wanted to like this.

Second season please

[jpismyname · 30 October 2022]

I really, really enjoyed watching The Mole. The fun part is not only the challenges, but also deciding who the mole is. I thought this show is inspired by Among Us but actually, it's a revival of the same 2001 reality contest show of the same name.

First, the challenges are fun except for that lame Two Truths and One Lie episode.

The host is really fun and great, and almost all of the contestants are suspicious and it's really quite hard to determine who the mole is because everyone can screw up during missions and it's either an honest mistake or a mole behavior.

I do want a second season and hopefully the challenges can be as fun and challenging as the first season.

The best

[edenvassallo · 10/10 · 1 November 2022]

I normally hate reality shows or game shows but this was so engrossing I watched it within 2 days. I loved it! All the players were perfect for the show and it had me guessing the whole time. I constantly was changing who I actually thought the mole was. I need another season! I highly recommend watching this show if you need something to watch, are bored or love mystery/psychological shows! Best game show I have watched in years. The winner also deserved it, they put their all in every challenge. My favourite on the show was Joi, I won't spoil if she won or not or was the mole but she was the best!

Disappointing

[lanecdc-33345 · 6/10 · 7 October 2022]

Unfortunately, this reboot isn't a patch on the Australian version from the 2000s. Whilst very attractive, the cast blatantly ticks off boxes to attract/ repel certain demographics and are blandly portrayed (to their detriment). The over produced, slick vibe doesn't allow the viewer to feel like they're "working out" who the mole is but instead, careful editing tells us who we should be suspicious of. The Daintree setting is just gorgeous.; fingers crossed that more Australian communities recently damaged by flood and fire will be featured to bring more visitors to those areas. It's a great time to revisit "The Mole" but sadly the magic is lacking in this US version.

Great psychological challenge of who done it

[dreamscholar · 10/10 · 21 October 2022]

I work in sales and like reality TV shows to test my understanding of human behavior.

Most reality TV shows I watch are team sports with the audience solving who is going to work together and who isn't. The mole involves team dynamics too but is more an individual sport based on knowing who the mole is.

That means the players and the audience really have the same goal and are playing the same game.

That said, its pretty hard to catch someone in a lie, from what I've read we only have 50/50 odds on reading truthful behavior. Even if we catch the lie, someone could be pretending to be the mole and now we're trying to read intentions too. I believe the odds are against the audience figuring who the mole is. But its fun trying so I give this show 10/10.

Entertaining and Addictive

[Mabkid · 7/10 · 6 November 2022]

The Mole is a reality game show where contestants compete for cash prizes. Just one catch, there is a mole trying to sabotage missions. The mole doesn't win money, but the finalists who can identify the mole wins the cash pot.

It's addictive, I watched it in one day... mainly driven by the desire to know who is the mole. The contestant commentaries were well-balanced. The games ranged from great to average, some games were more entertaining to watch. The mole was kept off the radar snd got less commentary time, so perhaps future seasons can remedy that. The cliffhangers of the first few episodes were more effective, I felt. The contestants were a good blend of personalities, and didn't really have an a--hole standout unlike other reality shows... perhaps one or two might drive up the drama. A bit obvious, at times, as to what the show wants you to think. But all in all, well-played.

Surprisingly good!

[pieralexrousseau · 8/10 · 24 October 2022]

I was originally planning to hate watch this series because it was in Netflix top 10 and I was sure it would be like any other tv reality show, boring.

And... the first episode hooked me. I watched like 5 episodes until 4am because I couldn't stop (probably because of the cliffhangers). The concept is simple, each episodes have games played in teams, if they win the game, they had money to the pot. The catch is that a mole was chosen at the beginning of the show, and their goal is to lower has much as possible the pot money without getting caught. That's where sabotaging happens. After each episode, a quiz is taken about the mole, the person with the most wrong answers is eliminated. This goes on until there are 3 players, including the mole. The person that has the rightest answers about the mole wins the pot.

The games are fun, the elimination method was cool and there were little events between the actual big game of each episode so that the show wouldn't be too repetitive. The cast was ok, some were a little boring, some you would just simply hate, others you would root for, but the fact that there is a mole makes this way more interesting. Are they being nice to make others believe there in for the pot or are they genuinely hiding in plain site. Some players are also doing mole behaviors because it's better for them in the long run. But aare they doing it to keep their place in the game, or to lower the pot money.

It's great, I would recommend.

But... I'm actually curious on how the mole works. What are the advantages of sabotaging the mission, are they rewarded with money at the end for the money that they sabotage? If so, what's limiting them to just sabotage has much as possible since they cannot get eliminated from the show? Is it something like they get a part of the money they sabotage, but for each of the last contestant that identifies them, they lose a part?

Some of this doesn't add up

[testbed · 7/10 · 29 October 2022]

It's hard to know whether some of these people are just ridiculously thick, or if they are the mole. You spend a lot of the time thinking "if there's only one mole, why did 2 people simultaneously make the dumbest possible choice?".

It's not scripted, but it's not entirely real either. Netflix keeps pumping out this sort of show, 70% reality, 30% people being told what to say or do, or at the very least being guided in a specific direction.

There's a specific challenge right near the beginning where it's clear the dude knew where to look for an object that really changed the game up. Without him finding it there would have been very little drama, and it just seemed implausible to me he would have found it unless told "go check over there" by a producer.

It's great fun, but infuriating at times. At one point there is entirely self destructive behaviour for absolutely no reason, and you do keep asking yourself "does anyone here actually deserve this money?". I started to really enjoy it once I started rooting for everyone to fail, which I'm not sure was the shows intention.

So happy this is back!

[soulistic · 10/10 · 25 October 2022]

I know you're all probably reading my review and wondering about the title! I know during the horrific events that happened on September 11th, 2001 Anderson Cooper was hosting the show the mole! I was so excited about the show back in 2001 but of course understandably when 9/11 happened the show was cut from the air and really I never got to see the ending in fact I don't even know if the show ever ended!?

Anyways I am so stoked to see that the show is back on Netflix I mean I don't even know if it is a continuation from the old production. After we see who the mole is I will dig deeper. Please please continue this show!!!!

Are you the mole?

[d_penn · 7/10 · 16 December 2022]

Watched the season in about 2-3 days. What an absolutely amazing show! It had suspense , drama, adventure, comedy and great build up throughout the season. I had no idea who the mole was even until the Finale. Loved it!!!

Absolutely love this TV show and hope it is revived. Hopefully all seasons and variations become available to watch on Netflix as I have really enjoyed watching them. Love it! Suspense, drama, treachery, disloyalty! And it ain't Game Of Thrones! Great challenges and and always changing let's make this show highly addictive.

***SPOILER ALERT*** The mole is Kesi.

They need another season.

Half of those people are actors

[jonaldar · 1/10 · 10 November 2022]

If you look up those so called contestants, half of them are legit actors. You can look it up yourselves right here on imdb. Has tv really got so bad that producers think people will just eat up every trash thats thrown at them. Where is the ambition?

Everything on this show feels so over the top and completely out of touch with how real people talk. Even the acting is just ridiculously bad. The audacity to think anyone would think this is okay just baffles me.

Hopefully canceling this show will show future producers that trying to use real people for a reality show might be worth the risk. Even tho the drama wont be as forced.

Love It!

[NicoleCorrin · 8/10 · 1 February 2024]

This was an exciting and dun for our whole family (ages 12-46).

The games make me want to host a party for an exit room or murder mystery.

It keeps you guessing and second guessing your own thoughts on who you think is the mole.

With twists and shocking turns of events it keeps you wanting more.

We hope that this continues into a second season.

I would want to play both roles. As just playing to win is exciting but to be the mole would be a fun challenge.

If you want a show with fun games but also focus on those games not the social aspect before and after the games this is a good choice.

Absolutely fantastic game show / mind bender / jaw dropper

[gridoon2024 · 9/10 · 24 November 2022]

This is without a doubt one of the best game shows, and game show concepts, of all time: a double whodunit. Similar to the concurrent "Snake in the Grass", but with several differences (10 episodes =/ 1 episode a game), the most crucial being that in this one people (at least those who think most strategically) actually WANT others to think they are the Mole, so that they will answer their quiz wrong and get eliminated. I loved everything about this: the host is terrific, the contestants are charismatic, the Australian surroundings are beautiful, the missions are super fun, the "moral" dilemmas are genuinely intriguing and reveal a lot about human nature, the eliminations are surprising. Another fascinating aspect to think about is that 11 people (excluding the mole) are trying to build a money pot that only 1 of them will win - a collective effort for individual gain. The Mole does a superb job - doing just enough to sabotage the missions but covering their tracks as well - and I almost couldn't believe it even when it was revealed; as further proof, even after the Mole's major act of sabotage, the other players are often choosing this person as the most trustworthy on later missions! What makes this show - and "Snake In The Grass" - so cerebrally engaging is that in every single scene you have people who are lying and people who are telling the truth and you almost have to become a quantum mechanic, keeping multiple realities / combinations straight in your head. They are the thinking person's game shows. Easy 9/10.