Treacherous pedometers and the image of the season: this was episode seven of ‘The Mole’

The episode was set in idyllic Palermo. Or at least largely, but more about that later. In the morning the four remaining were divided into two groups. Senne and Bernard took a step into the world, as self-proclaimed lovers of drama, Charlotte and Michaël went to one of the last traditional puppet theaters in the city. The plan was for them to give a performance there.

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Bernard and Senne had to deliver the star of the show: Pinocchio, who was waiting for them in a puppet museum three kilometers away. They were given two hours to do this, but of course there was a catch. With every step they took, their profit dropped by 1 euro. That produced some funny images: the duo striding through the streets with gigantic steps. “People think we are crazy.”

This was also evident from the furrowed eyebrows of the passers-by. Most painful of all: the assignment did not raise much money. In the doll museum they had to answer a few questions to find the right room. Four times they ended up in the wrong place, causing the yield to drop drastically. When rolling the dice for a vehicle to reduce their steps. another 1,400 euros was deducted.

Truth or lie?

Of the more than 5,000 euros, 820 euros remained in the pot at the end of the ride. Michaël and Charlotte were able to add another 3,000 euros. As brand new puppeteers, they had to perform six specific actions during the performance, at specific times. During practice, Michaël showed himself to be an accomplished puppeteer. But once it was showtime, the stress became too much at times. Or he was fooling around, of course.

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Two of the actions were unsuccessful, but the puppet show did raise an amount of 2,000 euros. The day ended with 18,160 euros in the group pot, but there was no time to celebrate. Four separate cars were waiting for the candidates. Their paths parted during the evening rush hour in Palermo. They didn’t see each other again until 24 hours later for the second assignment. They each took turns telling what they had experienced. It’s up to the other three to find out if they were telling the truth or just plain lying. If they were right, that money went to the pot. If not, the narrator was asked two pass questions. Handy, just before a final.

The mole meets The three wise men, Who would have thought? The stories were sometimes of such an absurd level that they would not have been out of place in the iconic game program. Michael started the effort by attempting to swim across the Strait of Messina. Senne didn’t believe a word of it, and that turned out to be a correct assessment. Unfortunately, Charlotte and Bernard went along with the lie, and Michaël was allowed to pocket two passport questions.

Charlotte descended Mount Etna, one of the most active volcanoes in the world, by mountain bike. Once again Senne suspected her of a lie, but Charlotte’s self-made images proved otherwise. The other two believed her. No passport questions for Lolo, 1,000 euros to the group pot.

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Hello, Lukaku

Bernard told a chaotic story about taking the sleeper train to Rome to visit the hairdresser and play football with Romelo Lukaku. Really no one believed him, but yes he did. The footballer made an appearance and showed a lot of interest in both Bernard and the program. “I know it, but I never understand the concept.”

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However, Senne’s story provided the image of this season. “I took a bath with Bernard’s mother.” Uh, what? Yes. Senne flew more than 1,600 kilometers to Melle via Cologne, to take a bath with his mother in Bernard’s house. In case anyone is wondering, like Michäel and us, both were wearing swimsuits.

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Charlotte and Michael couldn’t believe it, but Bernard thought his answers were far too specific. So no money in the group pot, but ask for a pass for Senne. And a hilarious head wash from Bernard. “What are you doing in the bath with my mom, buddy? Serious!” During the elimination, the laughing stopped. Charlotte already felt the mood coming, because she was the only one who had not gathered any passport questions. She returns home just before the final.