The Mole (American TV series) season 7

The seventh season of the American version of The Mole, which is the second instalment by Netflix, premiered on June 28, 2024. The season was produced by Eureka Productions, with Ari Shapiro as the new host, and was filmed in Malaysia during July and August 2023. The cast were revealed on Tudum on 31 May 2024.

Format
Following a similar format as several versions of the franchise, twelve players are gathered to complete assignments to earn money for the group pot. However, one of the twelve is the titular "Mole", a player selected by production to secretly sabotage the assignments and cause the group to earn the least amount of money for the winner's pot as possible. Every few days, players would take a multiple choice test about the identity of the Mole and the Mole's actions over the course of last few days. Once the test is complete, the players await their results in an elimination ceremony. The player with the lowest score is eliminated from the game, while in the event of the tie the player who completed their test the slowest is eliminated. Contestants are eliminated until there are three remaining players (two genuine contestants and the Mole themself), where they must complete a final test about the identity and actions of the Mole throughout the season.

Elimination chart
The chart reflects the results of each quiz, and not reflective of which episode it took place in. Key {{Legend|blue|outline=darkgray|The player won the game}} {{Legend|yellow|outline=darkgray|The player was the Mole}} {{Legend|lightgrey|outline=darkgray|The player finished as the runner-up}} {{Legend|white|outline=darkgray|The player completed the quiz and was safe}} {{Legend|lime|outline=darkgray|The player won an exemption for the quiz}} {{Legend|darkblue|border=darkgray|The player won a correction on the quiz to correct a wrong answer and was safe}} {{Legend|red|outline=darkgray|The player scored the lowest on the quiz and was eliminated}}

Episodes

 * Notes

Season summary
Missions are listed in this section in chronological order.

Episode 1
After the 12 contestants meet for the first time at a clearing within a grassfield, it is announced that five "intruders", applicants who missed out on being selected for the season, will attempt to cross an assault course within 30 minutes to earn a place on the season. For the mission, the contestants must fire paintballs at intruders crossing the course, eliminating any intruders they hit. If the group hit all five intruders, $20,000 is earned for the pot. However, the first intruder (if any) to enter a car earns a place on the season, replacing one of the current 12 contestants.
 * Intruder Mission

Before the intruders run the course, the group have five minutes to select a leader to coordinate the mission. If an intruder reaches the end of the assault course, the leader's place on the season is taken by the successful intruder. The group earns a bonus $10,000 for the pot if they select a leader within five minutes, otherwise a leader is chosen randomly with no money earned. The group selected Neesh as the leader within the time-limit, earning $10,000 for the pot.

To cross the course, intruders must solve a clue to unlock themselves from a chain, then cross the three Zones without getting hit. At Zone 1, the intruders must cross a series of obstacles while four contestants use two slingshots to fire paintballs at them. At Zone 2, the intruders, now armed with smoke bombs and shields, must collect a key from the top of a tower before proceeding to the next zone. Meanwhile, four contestants swivel a platform to aim the paintball gun mounted to it and fire at the intruders. At Zone 3, the intruders must cross a series of obstacles while three group members use a paintball gun, loaded with only 10 paintballs each, to fire at them. Nearby is also a screen with a birds-eye-view of the course where one contestant can communicate information to others via walkie talkie.

The group successfully eliminated all five intruders, earning $20,000 on top of the $10,000 earned by choosing a team leader.

The group must select the three contestants they deem to be the "most trustworthy," who each privately receive an offer from host Ari Shapiro via phone. They can either dial "1" on the phone to potentially add $5,000 to the pot, or to dial "2" to earn a Correction, an advantage which corrects an incorrect answer on their next quiz. If all three selected contestants dial "1," $5,000 is added to the pot. Otherwise, the contestant(s) who choose the Correction earns it for themselves.
 * Phone Booth Mission

Deanna, Muna and Tony were selected as the most trustworthy contestants. Deanna and Tony dialled "1" while Muna dialled "2" meaning she received a Correction for the quiz and no money was earned for the pot.

Episode 2
The group have two hours to use a map to find a clue leading them to two treasure chests on Tioman Island and build a raft to transport the chests to a buoy offshore.
 * Buried Treasure Mission

The group can find each half of the clue at two locations on the map: "Smashing Rock" and a shipwreck. At Smashing Rock, contestants must figure out that they must follow numbered rocks to find their half of the clue in a hanging cargo net. At the shipwreck, contestants must dive to collect a first aid kit from a sunken ship and collect their half of the clue inside.

After combining both halves of the clue, the group must figure out that it requires them to fold the map to reveal an "X" where the chests are buried. After finding the treasure chests, the group must then transport them to a buoy using a raft which they must assemble using items along the beach. If they bring the treasure to the buoy within two hours, $15,000 is added to the pot.

The group successfully transported both chests to the buoy within two hours, earning $15,000 for the pot.

While recreating at a bar, it is revealed that one contestant has the chance to win an Exemption (immunity from the next Quiz). During the mission, the value of the pot ($45,000) is displayed on a screen begins to depreciate. The pot only stops losing money when only one player remains in the room. However, the last player remaining in the room also receives the Exemption for the next quiz.
 * Countdown Mission

Hannah was the last contestant remaining and received the Exemption. The pot's value depreciated to $9,870, which host Ari Shapiro rounded to $10,000, meaning that overall $35,000 was removed from the pot.

Episode 3
Contestants travel in two cars, which form their group for the assignment, to an apartment complex in Forest City. Along the way, each group must select one member who is "most capable of performing under pressure" to be their group leader.
 * Tower Heist Mission

Upon arrival, each group has one hour to complete a "heist" by entering a specific apartment, unlocking a safe and "stealing" the jewellery inside. For each group that successfully opens their safe and steals the jewellery, $10,000 is added to the pot.

To do so, each group leader must rappel down the side of the building to identify their group's designated apartment, distinguished with a red chair on the balcony. After finding the apartment, they must enter through the balcony and open the front door for their remaining group members to enter with a bag of supplies. Afterwards, each group must search their apartment for a safe, determine the combination to unlock it and steal the jewellery inside. To determine the code, groups must figure out that they must input batteries from the apartment into the UV flashlight in their supply bag, then use the UV flashlight to find two two-digit numbers on household items which illuminate when shone upon. These numbers form the four-digit code to the safe, and teams only have three attempts to input the correct code. Inside each apartment is also a clue which groups can open at the cost of $5,000.

One group opened their safe within the time limit, however one clue was also opened, meaning that in total $5,000 was earned for the pot.

Each contestant chooses one fortune cookie at random. Five fortune cookies contain slips worth varying amounts of money ($50,000 in total) while the other five contain an exemption slip.
 * Fortune Mission

Each round, the group must discuss and vote for one contestant to eliminate from the mission. This process repeats until only five contestants remain. Each contestant who was not voted out then reveals the contents of their fortune cookie. If their fortune cookie contains money, the money is added to the pot. However, if the cookie contains an Exemption, that contestant receives an Exemption for the upcoming quiz.

Hannah, Michael, Neesh, Quaylyn and Tony remained by the end of the mission. Michael had an Exemption, earning it for himself for the next quiz, while the other four contestants had fortune cookies containing money, with a combined value of $45,000, which was added to the pot.

Episode 4
Before the season began, each contestant filmed a casting interview talking about their strategy if they were selected as the Mole. For the mission, each contestant is privately given the chance to watch another contestant's interview, at the cost of $5,000 from the pot. If all contestants decline the option to watch an interview, the group earns $25,000 for the pot.
 * Movie Night Mission

Eight contestants viewed an interview, deducting $40,000 from the pot.

As waitstaff, the group attends a gala at the Petronas Twin Towers where three out of sixty guests (an artist, a doctor and a pilot) have brought a cash donation of $10,000 each, while the remaining guests brought other gifts. The group has one hour to determine which three guests brought the cash to earn the money for the pot. For the mission, the group must select four members to be at the back of house and five members to attend to guests at the front of house.
 * Gala Mission

The contestants at the back of house are given photos of each guest, their table number, access to their belongings in the cloakroom, and RSVP cards detailing guests' dietary requirements/preferences and gift/donation choices. The contestants at the front of house must serve food and beverages to the guests to determine which guests do not match the dietary criteria of those who brought cash and communicate the information to the back of house team so they can eliminate the incorrect guests. Additionally, the front of house team can identify guests' cloak tag numbers for the back of house team to match with their belongings in the cloakroom to identify guests who match the occupations of the three who brought money. For each guest who brought a cash donation correctly identified by the team at the back of house, $10,000 is added to the pot.

One guest was correctly identified, earning $10,000 for the pot.

Episode 5
Contestants have 60 minutes to search the North West Shipping Depot for U.S. shipping containers containing boxes worth varying amounts of money, which add up $50,000 in total. They must then divide the boxes between three trucks, each labelled with the name of a contestant (Michael, Muna and Sean), in any way they wish. However, only boxes loaded into the truck labelled with the contestant most selected as the Mole during the previous quiz add money to the pot. Additionally, inside one shipping container is a "Doubler" box which doubles the earnings of the truck it's loaded in, if that truck is correct.
 * Money Shipping Mission

After the mission, it was revealed that Michael was most selected as the Mole during the last quiz, adding the $19,500 from his truck into the pot.

Contestants take part in an auction, bidding money from the pot, for three advantages: (1) 15 minutes to read another contestant's dossier, (2) a Correction for in the next quiz and (3) an Exemption. Each contestant may only bid for one advantage, with the highest bidder claiming the item. For each advantage not bid for, $5,000 is added to the pot.
 * Advantage Auction Mission

The first two advantages were not bid for. Neesh bid $59,500 (the entire pot at the time, including the $10,000 earned from the first two advantages) for the Exemption, claiming it for himself and meaning that overall $49,500 was removed from the pot for the assignment.

Episode 6
Following his elimination after Quiz 5, each contestant is given the chance to individually vote on whether they want Quaylyn return to the game, with $20,000 on offer if Quaylyn returns to the game. Unbeknownst to the contestants, Quaylyn's potential return would not be decided by a majority vote. Instead, after the votes are cast, it is announced that Quaylyn has five minutes to guess how many contestants voted for him to return. If Quaylyn guesses correctly, he returns to the game and adds $20,000 to the pot; otherwise, he remains eliminated and no money is earned.
 * Re-Entry Mission

Quaylyn correctly guessed that three out of seven contestants voted for him to return, which awarded him a place back in the game and earned $20,000 for the pot.

Contestants divide themselves into a "River" and "Rope" group for the mission. Each group has 60 minutes to navigate through their assigned cave system (a confined cave along an underwater river, or a steep descending cave) to reach a chamber at the end which contains three fake idols and one idol worth $20,000. Along each cave are three "puzzle chambers" where groups have 90 seconds to solve a puzzle to earn a stone totem, which eliminates an incorrect idol from the final chamber. Upon reaching the final chamber, groups can use their totems to eliminate incorrect idols before choosing an idol to leave the cave with. For each group that leaves the cave with the correct idol, $20,000 is added to the pot.
 * Cave Raid Mission

One group selected the correct idol, earning $20,000 for the pot.

Episode 7
Contestants divide themselves into three groups for the mission, with each group responsible for defusing one of three bombs within 60 minutes.
 * Money Bomb Mission

First, groups must figure out how to measure exactly 6 kg of tin using a conversion chart between various measurement units, a 4 l and 9 l jug of water, and a balance scale. Each group can also open a clue for this part of the mission at the cost of $5,000 from their earnings.

Groups must then place the measured tin on a scale to open the bomb's detonator before cutting one of two colored wires inside, only one of which defuses the bomb. Each group's wire they must cut is a different color, so teams must walkie-talkies inside the detonator to communicate with each other and figure out their correct wires. For each bomb diffused, $10,000 is added to the pot.

One group successfully defused their bomb, earning $10,000 for the pot.

Contestants travel in two cars, which form their group for the mission, to the town of Papan. There, each group must select their "best negotiator" for the mission. Each negotiator is given the dilemma of selecting $50,000 for the pot or Exemptions for their entire group for the next quiz. If both negotiators select the $50,000, the money is added to the pot. If one negotiator selects the $50,000 and the other selects the Exemption, no money is earned and the negotiator who selected the Exemptions wins them for their group. Before making their decision, the negotiators are given time to discuss with each other, as well as with their respective groups.
 * Negotiation Mission

Both group's negotiators, Muna and Sean, selected the Exemptions. Therefore, no money was added to the pot and the Exemptions were not earned for either group.

Episode 8
Early in the morning, Deanna and Ryan were randomly selected to be taken from their hotel room to an unknown destination, a temple on a jetty; there, they are chained to the floor. During breakfast, it is announced to the rest of the group that they must find and free Deanna and Ryan within two hours to earn up to $50,000 for the pot.
 * Search and Rescue Mission

The group are given a phone and a map marked with several potential locations around Penang. They can make 15-second phone calls to Deanna and Ryan for information, at the cost of $5,000 per call. Upon reaching the gate of the jetty leading to the temple, the group find a sign instructing them to collect keys to unlock the gate and the temple doors from a nearby address. If the group manage to unlock the temple doors to free Deanna and Ryan, up to $50,000 is added to the pot, depending on the number of phone calls made.

During the mission, Deanna and Ryan must use items within reach to collect a distant set of keys to unlock themselves from the chain, while also answering any phone calls from the rest of the group to provide them with information.

The group successfully released Deanna and Ryan in time, but made three phone calls during the mission, meaning that $35,000 was earned for the pot.

The group must select one player to attend a special lunch; they selected Hannah. There, Hannah is presented with five steamer baskets arranged by the Mole, each containing a specific item: (1) $1,000 for the pot, (2) $20,000 for the pot, (3) a Correction, (4) an Exemption, and (5) a "game over." Hannah is given the chance to open baskets one at a time. She can either end the mission and keep the contents of the opened basket, or reject it and open another basket instead. However, if she opens the "game over" basket, the mission automatically ends and all items are forfeited. During the mission, host Ari Shapiro also presents potentially misleading statements from the Mole about the contents of certain baskets.
 * Item Basket Mission

Hannah opened the basket containing $20,000 and decided to end the mission there, adding the money to the pot.

Episode 9
The group have one hour to "break in" to the Penang City Hall to reach an art exhibition which contains two authentic artefacts among dozens of forgeries, surrounded by a security system. There, they must identify and collect the two authentic artefacts, with each correct artefact adding $30,000 for the pot.
 * Museum Heist Mission

The group must figure out that the correct artefacts are marked with a stamp matching a symbol on a nearby painting. Then, one group member is suspended in a pulley system above the exhibition while the remaining three group members must operate ropes to maneuver the pulley so they can collect the correct artefacts without setting off the security system. Each time an artefact is dropped or knocked over, the security system activates and $2,000 is lost from the total earnings, and the mission automatically ends if the system activates three times.

After collecting one authentic artefact, the group knocked over three other artefacts, ending the mission and meaning that $24,000 was earned for the pot.

Episode 10
The group had 30 minutes to cross three "mined" grid zones along a road without stepping on any live "mines" to earn money for the pot. The first grid is worth $10,000, the second grid is worth $15,000 and the third grid is worth $25,000. Before crossing each grid, the group have 20 seconds to memorize a map of the safe path, and the money for a grid is lost if they step on a live mine while crossing.
 * End of the Road Mission

The group successfully crossed the third grid, earning $25,000 for the pot and bringing the final pot to $154,000.


 * Notes

Mole activity
As the Mole, Sean was briefed about missions beforehand. The following acts of Mole activity were revealed in the finale or in Sean's post-season interviews:
 * Intruder Mission: While firing the slingshots, Sean missed all of the intruders crossing the zone.
 * Buried Treasure Mission: As one of the contestants tasked with assembling the raft, Sean cut the rope into lengths which were too short to properly tie knots and also punctured holes in the wood during the mission.
 * Tower Heist Mission: As a nominated group leader tasked with rappelling down the tower, Sean feigned having a fear of heights to reduce any suspicion on him during the rappel. Later, he also read out numbers on items which were not relevant in finding the code for the safe, hid several batteries from the apartment in his boot, and pressed incorrect buttons on the safe before the rest of his group attempted to enter the code.
 * Movie Night Mission: In his casting interview which several contestants watched, Sean revealed that he was formerly an undercover cop (a fact he did not mention when introducing himself to the contestants), in hopes that other contestants would believe that an undercover cop would not be selected as the Mole.
 * Gala Mission: While in the back of house team, Sean replaced one of the guests' photos. Additionally, knowing that Michael suspected him of being the Mole at the time, Sean switched another photo right in front of Michael to try and mislead him.
 * Money Shipping Mission: Sean pushed for the Doubler box to be placed in Muna's truck, which ended up being the incorrect one.
 * Advantage Auction Mission: Before the advantages were revealed, Sean announced that he would bid for an Exemption if it came up, in order to encourage a "bidding war" among the other contestants.
 * Money Bomb Mission: Sean suggested for his group to open the clue (although they ended up not doing so).
 * Museum Heist Mission: While operating the pulley, Sean abruptly pulled a rope which resulted in an artefact being knocked over. He also pulled the ropes in the opposite way that Hannah and Muna were to ensure that the pulley would not move.
 * End of the Road Mission: Sean stepped on a live mine in one of the grids, losing the money of that zone.

Hidden clues
The following hidden clues were revealed during the show's post-season reunion or on the show's website.
 * Buried Treasure Mission:The name of the ship at the shipwreck was the "Padang Rumput," which means "the meadows" in Malay. "The meadows" is also the meaning of "Las Vegas" (Sean's hometown) translated from Spanish.
 * Countdown Mission: The bar where the mission took place had a sign warning about jellyfish which displayed the words "STING WARNING." These words were also a reference to Sean's (former) occupation as an undercover cop.
 * Tower Heist Mission: One of the items around the apartment were poker chips from Las Vegas, a reference to the Sean's hometown.
 * Money Bomb Mission: The balance scales which groups used to compare weights were a reference to Sean's zodiac sign: Libra.
 * Museum Heist Mission: One of the fake artefacts at the exhibition was a sculpture of two hands. It was revealed that these were actually a sculpture of Sean's hands, including his broken knuckle, which he had cast before the mission. Additionally, the symbol which contestants had to find to distinguish between artefacts was of a monkey, which is also Sean's Chinese zodiac sign.