23.01-New season, new beginnings, let's do it!

Will a second chance turn things round?

Welcome to the Smole, Season 23! It’s your host again. This season will be a redux of the previous season. Everything is kept the same: the cast, the missions, the house…all except the Mole. Can the past winners win a second time? Will the ex-Mole be able to sniff out the new Mole (assuming it’s changed)? Will the group fare better now that they know what to expect? Watch on to find out!

Who will be the Mole this time?

Will it be Blair McAtthewe, 27, fitness instructor?

Or will it be Ingrid Faller, 40, self-employed writer?

Could it be Judith “Portia” Longbow, 34, model?

Maybe it’s Ronald Parker, 23, chef?

Is it Ruby Green, 30, guidance counsellor?

How about Theresa Jeanette Parker, 24, unemployed?

Is it possibly Ulysses Wayne Dez, 33, fashionista?

Or perhaps Xavier Portmanteau, 45, clerk?

***

Ronald: “It feels so good to step back into this house. New season, new beginnings, let’s do it! As long as I’m not out first again.”

“Welcome back everyone. We hope that the tables can turn this time. It’s time for your first mission. In case you forgot, in this mission, two of you will have to memorise a list of furniture, then drive to the nearby furniture shop and transport the furniture back to the other contestants. The rest of you will have to arrange the furniture based on a memorized floorplan. For every piece of furniture correctly placed, 10 points are earned. This is worth 200 points. You have three hours. Good luck, and be wary of the new Mole.”

Blair: “I think we can keep the things the same as last time. I’ll volunteer again.”

Judith: “I don’t think that’s a good idea. For all we know, you may be the Mole this time!”

Ruby: “Yes, it is probable.”

Xavier: “Portia is right. Even if you’re not, we can’t risk it. You like to sabotage.”

Ronald: “Oh! I just realised the Mole is new!”

Xavier: “Took you long enough.”

Judith: “How about I go? I really want to prove myself since I was out so early last season.”

Blair: “Well, fine, but Ulysses can’t go with you.”

Ulysses: “Hey! That’s not fair! I’m not the Mole this time!”

Ingrid: “We can’t be sure. Producers would like to pull a fast one on us. Remember Skye Lowe, back-to-back Mole?”

Ronald: “I’m not going. I must stay and protect Theresa.”

Ingrid: “I want to try something new this time.”

Xavier: “I’ll go with Judith then. It’s settled.”

Blair: “You guys are making such a big mistake. Wouldn’t putting everyone in their previous roles mean we’re more familiar and thus have a higher chance of scoring better?”

Xavier: “I now know why Blair wanted to go to the shop again. I saw that at the bottom of my list, there was a chance at a hidden exemption. This explains his behaviour last season. Maybe the second mission had one too. But now I’m faced with a dilemma. I want the money, but I want to be secure too. I don’t want to end up like last season where I slogged so hard but couldn’t win that money.”

The six of them visit the house. Judith and Xavier go to the shop. The items and floorplan have changed to prevent cheating.

Judith: “The truck is here waiting for us already. Let’s not keep it waiting for too long.”

Xavier: “Then we split up. You memorized the list already?”

Judith: “As far as I could.”

Xavier: “Groan. Well just try your best.”

Judith: “What was it again?”

Blair: “There goes my exemption…”

Ruby: “I think we should strategise and plan.”

Ingrid: “Boo. There’s no fun in that. I want spontaneity.”

Ruby: “Please.”

Ingrid: “Hey, what’s that on the floor?”

Ronald and Theresa: “Where?”

Ruby: “Guys the truck is here!”

Judith: “Help us unload!”

Judith: “Our fatal mistake last season, other than sending Blair to do the job, was to stay and help arrange the furniture. That isn’t our job. Time is too valuable. This time Xavier and I will just drop the furniture by the house and then go off to the next part. He suggested doing it systematically, tackling one portion of the house at a time.”

 

Ulysses: “When I was the Mole, I wanted to slack off and supervise so that I wouldn’t be blamed. That was my strategy. I don’t think the Mole would be that stupid to copy blatantly my strategy, but I’ll keep my eyes peeled. Hopefully my experience will give me an advantage.”

Ronald: “Ow!”

Blair: “Oh, did I drop the sofa on your foot? So, so sorry. Not.”

Ronald: “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

 

Ruby: “I believe the toilet was here.”

Ingrid: “Is this made of gold? It’s so heavy!”

Ulysses: “Speak for yourself. I had to drag this shower all the way here myself! My arms hurt!”

Ronald: “Perfect! Or was it to the right a bit? No, wait, it’s here. I’m sure.”

 

Theresa: “Let me help, Blair.”

Blair: “You’ll only get in the way, bit…I mean, Theresa dear, you shouldn’t have to lift a finger. By the sounds of it, you’re still sick.”

Theresa: “I made a mistake last *cough* season by being fooled by Blair. I won’t let that happen again. *cough* Ronald didn’t watch last season yet but he’ll *cough* know eventually.”

Theresa: “Sigh…if *cough* only I wasn’t sick. I don’t *cough* want to seem like a *cough* slacker. Oh! They’re back!”

 

Ronald: “One…two…three…down. Easy there.”

 

Ulysses: “My arms are jelly.”

Ingrid: “Stop whining.”

Ruby: “Err, who put this TV here? It doesn’t make sense, considering the sofa and coffee table are on the other side.”

Ronald: “Oh, I did. Sorry about that. I must have gotten muddled up. I’ll move it over.”

Ingrid: “This table is aligned here, I believe. Directly under the light.”

Ingrid: “Excuse me.”

 

Xavier: “I’ve got our last item! There we go. Now time to check everything’s in its place.”

“Time’s up! Unfortunately, it’s off to a bad start, worse than before. A total of 0/200 points have been earned because none of the furniture is correct.”

Theresa: “What?”

Ulysses: “This is preposterous!”

Blair: “That’s why you should have sent me. At least I didn’t screw up.”

Ruby: “We need to nip this in the bud. Someone here is sabotaging.”

Ronald: “I bet the Mole is one of the two that went to the shop. How else would we have gotten none of the furniture correct?”

Ulysses: “Indeed. It’s such a waste of our efforts.”

Judith: “I am offended.”

Ingrid: “Did you have something to do with it?”

Blair: “I bet it’s you!”

Judith: “Me? Stop pointing your finger at everyone else every time something goes wrong! I’m not going to be your scapegoat!”

Blair: “How else would you explain all this, Mole?”

Judith: “I’m not the Mole! The Mole last season stayed here! It could be one of you for all I know!”

Judith: “And why suspect me, not Xavier?”

Xavier: “Excuse me? I worked hard, as always.”

Ulysses: “I smell a rat.”