35.20-Winning is my job

Last episode,

Hykel: "I'm in the finale. I seriously cannot believe this. I didn't even dare to dream about being here but here I am. Does this mean I'm right? Or will I end up being the fool?"

***

Douglas: "All the doors are locked. I can't get out."

Douglas: "Why do this to me?"

Douglas: "Please, I beg you, set me free. I'll be good. I promise."

***

Morris: "Oh, hey. Shall we work together?"

Douglas: "Yes please."

***

Morris: "This is my starting location."

Douglas: "That's not good. We're going in circles."

Morris: "I think it's very good. This means we can now figure out which doors to enter and exit."

***

Douglas: "Wait for me!"

Douglas: "I was so scared it would close before I got in."

Morris: "Let's try that other door then."

***

Morris: "He's such an emotional wreck today."

Hykel: "About time."

Douglas: "Aah! Did that door just close behind me? And lock? Morris, are you there? Morris?"

***

Douglas: "This door is open. I'm freed!"

Time elapsed: 24 minutes 33 seconds.

***

Morris: "He must have escaped through the ladder."

Morris: "This mission doesn't really involve logic or anything. All it needs is a whole lot of luck."

***

Hykel: "Oh no."

Hykel: "They're all locked."

***

Hykel: "I'm going crazy in here!"

Hykel: "Oh gosh...don't lose it."

Hykel: "Breathe...breathe..."

Hykel: "I'll just go back in for now and catch myself."

Hykel: "Hmm? Wasn't this door locked just now? Or did I imagine things?"

Hykel: "This must be the way out."

By luck or otherwise, the final three succeeded in making it out in time, thus earning the last 250 points to make the pot 850/1500 points. Now, the only thing left is to answer the perennial question: Who is the Mole? 

***

Morris: "Oh dear. Let me try and pop this pimple."

Morris: "It's important to look good for the camera no matter what. Image is important. It's everything. That's what Monique would tell me. It's all about the branding. Sigh. To think I've done so many stupid things and made her worry for me all the time. I promise to study hard and really carefully. I'll be a good boy from now on."

***

Morris: "I did a lot of stupid things in the past because I didn't consider the consequences. I was naive."

Douglas: "I still can't believe that nearly happened to you."

Hykel: "I'm glad I stayed out of that industry."

Morris: "It's not all that bad. I like being on TV."

Hykel: "Do you ever think that you're not cut out for it?"

Morris: "I want to give it a try. If this fails, then maybe I'll believe it. But until then, I'll do my best. I know that I won't always have someone to cover my ass for me so I'm grateful whenever someone is there to look out for me."

Hykel: "Oh. I see. I was actually kind of a rebellious punk as a teenager. I never listened to my parents and in the end I got into a lot of trouble. It was at my lowest point in my life did I realise how much my parents loved me and cared for me, and how much they had to worry. So I decided to pick myself up. I liked driving so I became a taxi driver. It's stable and I don't have any skills to speak of so it's a good enough job for me."

Douglas: "That's good. If only my parents cared for me like that."

Morris: "I'm sure they do. There's no parent in the world that hates their kids."

Hykel: "I agree. Maybe they weren't the best at expressing it but deep down they must have loved you."

Morris: "All this talk about parents is making me miss mine. Out of all of us mine are the only one still around, though they're very old and don't live in Bridgeport. They've always wanted to see me make it and do what I love. What about you, Douglas? Do you love your parents? Have you ever wanted to make them proud?"

Douglas: "Do I love them? Maybe...but I have wanted to make them proud. They just never seemed to appreciate it. But now they're gone so it's not like it matters. Like I'm here now just to make me proud. I'm sorry. That must sound stupid. It doesn't make sense."

Morris: "Actually it does. I get what you mean."

Hykel: "It's good that you're thinking that way. Just remember that you can never be a replica of someone else. You will never be a shadow of them because each one of us is unique. You might change but you will always be you. So there is no need to fear or worry. That's something I learned from my 40 years of experience."

Morris: "Anyway, good luck."

Hykel: "I will miss all of you when this is over. I'm glad to have been able to meet you."

Douglas: "Funny enough, I feel the same way, even though at the start I was so afraid of you two."

***

Time to take the final quiz.

Q1: Does the Mole have a mole?

A: Yes

B: No

Q2: How old is the Mole?

A: 25

B: 26

C: 40

Q3: What is the Mole's occupation?

A: Taxi Driver

B: Actor

C: Unemployed

Q4: Where is the Mole from?

A: Bridgeport

B: Malaysia

C: None of the above

Q5: What colour is the Mole's hair?

A: Brown

B: Blonde

C: The Mole does not have hair

Q6: What is the Mole's favourite colour?

A: Red

B: Blue

C: Green

Q7: Describe the Mole.

A: A young city slicker who's got a lot to learn about the dark side of the world

B: A modest man who is trying to live life despite his anxieties

C: A young man who has been scarred by his past and hopes to walk out of this shadow

Q8: In what order was the Mole introduced in Episode 1?

A: 1st

B: 2nd

C: 3rd

Q9: Is the Mole bespectacled?

A: Yes

B: No

Q10: Name a coalition the Mole had this season.

A: A coalition with Monique Plaita

B: The Mole did not have a coalition

Q11: Before Mission 10, what did the Mole eat for breakfast?

A: Apple Pancakes

B: Goopy Carbonara

C: Mac and Cheese

Q12: Before Mission 10, during breakfast, what did the Mole wear that nobody else wore?

A: Socks

B: Slippers

C: Nothing but red underwear

Q13: In Mission 10, what truck did the Mole drive?

A: White truck

B: Orange truck

Q14: In Mission 10, did the Mole drive?

A: Yes

B: No

Q15: In Mission 10, what kind of room was the Mole initially stationed in?

A: A wooden room

B: A blue room

C: A white room

Q16: In Mission 10, in what order did the Mole escape?

A: 1st

B: 2nd

C: 3rd

Q17: In Mission 10,  how much time did the Mole take?

A: 24min 33s

B: 47min 51s

C: 69min 00s

Q18: In Mission 10, did the Mole enter another contestant's starting room?

A: Yes

B: No

Q19: In Mission 10, did the Mole bump into another contestant?

A: Yes
B: No

Q20: Who is the Mole?

A: Morris Delven

B: Hykel Asrulfi

C: Douglas Chip

Douglas: "It's really weird. I just feel so funny sitting here, answering all these questions about the Mole, one of the contestants here. Like Hykel Asrulfi. I don't dare say anything bad about him because he is so nice but he has made mistakes before. He hasn't always been earning points but sometimes you forget that because he's just so good at this. I still remember how surprised I was when he was one of the bad guys in that mission where there were Moles and Producers.

And Morris Delven, I know him less so he's more frightening and mysterious. He is an actor so I will not be surprised if he was chosen for the Mole because he is suited for it. I am sure he has also not earned points. He was very eager to help me in the second last mission. I don't know. He also survived but his best friend Monique didn't."

Hykel: "So it all comes down to this. Fortunately I'm warm enough to think straight. Morris Delven has the energy and aspirations of a young man. But he's struck me as suspicious as each mission passed. I realised that in the final mission, Douglas was with him but in the end they got separated. How is that possible unless it was deliberate?

As for Douglas Chip, he may just be putting on this facade that he's dumb and timid and shy. He isolates himself from the group which is what the Mole would tend to do, surely. Because it's easier to sabotage when nobody is watching. For instance, we only had 3/5 of the globules correct. And the 2 mistakes came from his side. It's also a surprise to see him make it so far when he doesn't seem to be smart. Face it. He sucks at missions. There's that possibility that he has been the Mole all the while, which is why he survived."

Morris: "Douglas Chip is like the Rupert Horrowitz this season. He's lucky but he won't win. Why? Because winning is my job. Also, there is the chance that he's the Mole. He found that Rupert is very close to his personality so that he doesn't have to act as much which may give away some clues. So by becoming Rupert #2 he wants us to think he's not the Mole when in actual fact he could be. He always claims to be stupid so he can't help earn points and has a beautifully woven sob story to make us sympathise with him and think he's not the Mole as a result. I believed him but rationally speaking it could be a devious ploy. It's been done before.

Hykel Asrulfi, on the other hand, is a more capable Douglas Chip. He's also got anxiety issues but he's earned more points although he doesn't seem to try as hard as Douglas. Is it because he knows how to win the challenges so he gives in at strategic moments to throw us off? I won't deny or dismiss that. He's proven he's good at lying in that mission with the fake Moles, which runs contrary to his usual self of wearing his heart on his sleeve. He got eliminated in the mission in the former graveyard very early on so that he couldn't help to find the bags. He was the first one in the bag relay race and look how well that turned out--only 8 bags. You don't need to be an actor to be the Mole; you just need a distraction. And both of them have done it."

***

"Welcome to the finale ceremony for the 35th season of the Smole. We are currently expecting our former contestants this season to return for a reunion."

"Let us first welcome Pierre Oak!"

Pierre: "I wanted an excuse to put on this rocker getup."

"Let us put our hands together for Vincent Welding!"

Vincent: "You flatter me. I was the second to be out. I'm not remarkable nor memorable."

Pierre: "Just accept the applause and move on, bro."

"A round of applause for Astrid Dyke-Kant!"

Astrid: "Yodelayheehoo! I am here to tear down the Mole and gobble him up like I did to Phoebelius."

"Let us now welcome Grace Gina Pierce!"

Grace: "I should have worn this dress more often. That way I would not have been executed so quickly."

"Here comes Ian Ryder!"

Ian: "It feels great to be back."

"And also Courtney Ball!"

Courtney: "Aloha everybody. The party ain't starting without me."

"Let us give a warm round of applause to Sylvia Platt!"

Sylvia: "Thank you."

"A hearty clap for Ryenn Picardo!"

Ryenn: "Hello all! I'm so happy to be here and it's so nice to be reunited."

"And our last P girl is Monique Plaita!"

Monique: "Such a shame. Oh well."

"We know who our finalists are but what do the others have to say about them? Let's hear your opinion on the finalists."

Astrid: "I have a lot to say. Let me begin with Douglas. He sucks at missions. Even a narwhal can do better. But he's played the main game really well and found the Mole. That is what matters."

Grace: "So you think he'll win? I'll throw a fit if he does. It's already bad enough that my goddess lost."

Astrid: "Oh no no no. I think he is a loser like the rest of us. The winner will also know who the Mole is."

Ryenn: "And who do you think the winner is?"

Astrid: "Morris Delven. He comes from a shady city with a lot of technology and time to watch TV. And he has also appeared on it."

Ryenn: "Well, personally I believe Hykel would win. He's down-to-earth and I admire that. A humble and simple taxi driver from Southeast Asia coming all the way to Twinbrook and winning an international TV show! He deserves it. He's an amazing guy who doesn't let anything get him down."

Pierre: "Pfft. I should win. I don't know much about any of them but I must say that that Douglas Chip impressed me. A scrawny kid making it to the end? My. If he's not the Mole then he's a damn good player."

Courtney: "Hykel is good at various missions, be it physical or missions of deception. And he can have fun too, unlike someone...coughMoniquecough."

Ian: "Nobody's talked much about Morris yet. He could be an underdog. He's fitter and more photogenic and highly adaptable in my book."

Monique: "As someone who knows him personally, Morris has played a good game but he's too fresh and immature. He doesn't know a lot of things and the dangers that lurk around. The Smole was good exposure for him."

"Thank you. Let us now view the sabotages that each finalist did, starting with Morris Delven:

Mission

1. No sabotage.
2. No sabotage.
3. Morris fell and thus did not earn any points.
4. No sabotage.
5. No sabotage.
6. He did not use his veto, thus allowing Ryenn to proceed and fail the round and lose points.
7. He got a few questions wrong.
8. Morris put Monique's favourite colour wrongly. He also guessed on Douglas's favourite colour at first.
9. He hid a dictionary that contained common foreign words. He also pronounced a few words wrongly on purpose to confuse the rest and matched some answers wrongly. He also tried to throw others off the right answers.
10. He got separated from Douglas despite being right behind him. He also did not think of waiting to help Hykel who was still inside.

Hykel Asrulfi:

Mission

1. No sabotage.
2. No sabotage.
3. He only did three tricks out of five.
4. He was eliminated very early, thus he could not help to find the bags.
5. Hykel did not check how many points was in each bag beforehand, so there were a few wasted trips as bags worth 0 points were brought to the end.
6. He sacrificed some points for an exemption.
7. He got a few questions wrong.
8. Hykel eliminated the contestants early before knowing what their favourite colours were.
9. He chose to pigeonhole himself and think that all answers they had already gave in were correct. This meant that he only looked at the remaining unused answers for the rest of the questions instead of all the answers.
10. No sabotage.

Douglas Chip:

Mission

1. No sabotage.
2. He failed to mimic the song being played well enough for the next player to recognise it.
3. He did not stop despite hitting 5 tricks and as a result lost the points by falling.
4. Douglas did not even participate in the mission.
5. No sabotage.
6. No sabotage.
7. He got a few questions wrong.
8. Douglas was too slow in changing the colour of the globules. As a result some globules changed to the wrong colour when the mission was over.
9. He didn't help much but didn't really sabotage either.
10. No sabotage, but he spent some time waiting for Morris instead of getting out."

"Here are who each contestant thinks the Mole is.

Pierre: "Douglas has gotta be the Mole. He's such a dumbf*** that there's no way he's smart enough to know who the Mole is."

Vincent: "I think it's Douglas. His try-hard attitude and timidness is just a farce. He's a charlatan."

Astrid: "I vote for Hykel Asrulfi. There is a stereotype that Muslims are dangerous. He is also a very good sabotager who is not too obvious compared to the other two."

Grace: "Morris is the Mole. There are things he's done that give me that feeling."

Ian: "It's Hykel, man. He makes himself seem like a nervous wreck who is trying to hide that when in actual fact he's hiding the fact that he's a Mole. Like the whole thing with him running off during an execution was so fishy. A cover-up. A distraction."

Courtney: "I never really looked at Douglas. He's never really contributed to the pot no matter how hard he seems to try. So I think it's him."

Sylvia: "It should be Morris. Just look at how much he's sabotaged towards the end. It's as though he's trying to compensate for being too cautious at the start. And it is very possible and very likely that Monique lost because she trusted him."

Ryenn: "The Mole is Morris. He got cocky towards the end and made some brazen moves but from the start he wasn't really noticeable, which is what a Mole would do. He started off with simple inconsequential things like taking forever to find a tent before finding one with 20 points to lessen his suspicion, knowing that someone will run into the bomb."

Monique: "It is clearly Douglas. I had been surviving for so long because I split my answers between Douglas and another contestant. But it was Morris who confused and misled me. I should not have listened to him. Initial instincts are hardly wrong for me."

"It is now time to see how many of you are correct. The Mole is currently walking here right now. Who is the Mole?"

Sylvia: "Oh! It really is him!"

Ryenn: "Not bad. Not bad at all."

Astrid: "Him! That rascal."

Pierre: "I knew it all along."

"Let us give a warm round of applause to our 35th Mole, Douglas Chip!"

Douglas: "So...er...hey. I'm really not sure what to say. I don't think I'm a very good Mole. I didn't even want to be the Mole but I couldn't refuse them. So I decided to be someone who would be able to hide from everyone. From what I heard just now most of you suspected me...It was stressful, very stressful. It was so hard to hide my identity because I'm not very smart or good at doing this. So I kept my mouth shut a lot to not accidentally say the wrong things or that I'm the Mole. I also decided that since I did not want to be the Mole, I was going to play like an actual player and not get any special information to play this role more convincingly. I believe that the others will either sabotage or mess up without me anyway. I hope you all don't blame me for deceiving you or not being a good Mole."

"Thank you for stepping up to the plate, Douglas. You have earned 650/1500 points, or 65,000 Simoleons for now."

Ian: "No wonder I didn't suspect him. He didn't have any special info so he couldn't sabotage and he knew just as much as any of us. That's actually a very smart move, Douglas. Good job."

Monique: "I knew it. I knew it all along. I really should have listened to myself instead of Morris. He didn't know as much. The Smole is just as much a solitary game as it is a social one. That is what I've come to conclude."

Sylvia: "His story was really pitiful and I sympathised with him that it affected and clouded my judgement of him."

Ryenn: "Same! I felt so sorry for him and that the poor boy couldn't be the Mole. We weren't objective enough."

"Let us now welcome our runner-up to join us. Who do you think it is, Douglas?"

Douglas: "I think it's Hykel."

"We shall see if your prediction is correct."

"The runner-up of the Smole, Season 35 is..."

"...Hykel Asrulfi!"

Hykel: "It was an enjoyable but intense journey. I faced many obstacles, both internally and externally, but I carried on. I'm happy to be here on stage and receive the red carpet treatment because I will never get such an experience ever again. But when I came in and saw who was in front I was shocked. I didn't put Douglas as the Mole."

Sylvia: "You didn't? That means you were fooled too."

Astrid: "Disappointing. Not to be expected from a finalist. The standards have dropped nowadays."

Ryenn: "I was actually rooting for you to win."

Ryenn: "But come on now guys, he did a splendid job. We're seated down here while he gets to take the stage for a few minutes. That's something to be proud of and we should be happy for him."

Grace: "Hmph. Should I have expected something more from a Muslim boor?"

"Thank you, Hykel. Please take your seat."

Ryenn: "Oh, he's seated like the rest of us. But my point still stands."

"We now know by elimination who the winner is. What are your thoughts about him winning?"

Sylvia: "I am happy for him but I too was hoping Hykel would win. I would love to see more success stories like his in the news."

Ryenn: "You too? I was rooting for him as well."

Astrid: "You two babbling fishmongers are stealing my limelight. I have something to say from earlier before I was rudely interrupted. Morris is a very motivated player who knows what he wants. He is a deserving winner."

Vincent: "I have no comment. I wasn't invested enough in this."

Courtney: "Well, Morris wins, whatever. It's not me. But he's cool, so yeah."

Ian: "I think it's not someone who I foresaw when I first joined, but he did a great job. I salute him on being able to win and beating many of us here and not being fooled, or rather distracted, by Douglas's tragic past."

"The question now is whether Morris did put Douglas down as the Mole in the final quiz. If he did, he earns 85,000 Simoleons and more. If he didn't, Douglas wins all the money this season. Shall we now invite him in?"

Monique: "Yes. He better have gotten the right Mole."

Hykel: "Amen."

Sylvia: "I hope he did."

Astrid: "Of course everybody hopes he did."

Pierre: "Not me. I'm kinda curious to see another big fat flop."

Astrid: "To make you feel better?"

Morris: "Hey everyone."

Pierre: "You nearly knocked the door into me."

Morris: "It's been fun. This has been said a million times already but it still must be said. Truly, you get to do so much awesome stuff that you don't usually get to do with all kinds of people from all walks of life. You form uncanny bonds with each other. But I do want to apologise to Monique. Things got...awkward. And towards the end I started to suspect her when I shouldn't have. So I decided to become a fake Mole to fool everyone. But you were fooled too, apparently. I suspected you when I shouldn't have, and I didn't suspect the one I should. That's right. I thought Hykel was the Mole."

Ryenn: "Oh no."

Pierre: "Oh yes."

Astrid: "Oh shut up."

Hykel: "Oh no. That sucks."

Monique: "I am slightly disappointed but I understand where you were coming from. You don't need to apologise. You had every right to suspect me. It's your prerogative."

Ian: "Can I say something? I think the end result doesn't matter. He had fun. He said so himself. And so did I. We take risks in life knowing that we may fail. So just accept it with grace and dignity and move on."

Hykel: "Well said."

Courtney: "Are you crazy? But he wins nothing but shame! He's the 'winner' but he didn't win a single nut."

Monique: "It does hurt, knowing that Douglas keeps all 150,000 Simoleons, but he deserves it for not being suspected at the finale."

"Let us then review the clues that point us to Douglas. It seems that all of you need it.

Right from Episode 1 there was a clue. There was a task involving collecting 25 Simoleons in tips. Douglas is 25 years old.

Ian: "Play for tips and get at least 25 Simoleons. I say we let someone else handle this."

In Episode 2, Question 10 of the quiz had the contestants arranged in reverse alphabetical order and descending length of their last name. Additionally, if the first letter of their last name is even, there would be a +1 to their length and if it was odd, there would be a -1. Only Douglas's name doesn't follow this rule as he uses "Mole" as his last name. M is the 14th letter hence, +1 so his last name is treated to be 5 letters.

Q10: Who is the Mole?

A: Astrid Dyke-Kant  (9-1=8, including the hyphen)

B: Ryenn Picardo (7+1=8)

C: Monique Plaita (6+1=7)

D: Grace Gina Pierce (6+1=7)

E: Morris Delven (6+1=7)

F: Vincent Welding (7-1=6)

G: Ian Ryder (5+1=6)

 H: Sylvia Platt (5+1=6)

I: Hykel Asrulfi (7-1=6)

 J: Douglas Chip (MOLE: 4+1=5)

K: Courtney Ball (4+1=5)

L: Pierre Oak (3-1=2)

(I just realised there was a mistake, or so I think. I can't remember what I was thinking at that point in time but Astrid should come after Ryenn)

Jumping to Episode 12, it was said that there were 3 Moles in the mission. One of the bad guys was called 'Cameraman' instead of 'Mole' (versus the other two who are called 'Mole' and 'Super Mole'). This implies that the actual Mole was not one of the bad guys. (Notice how the phrasing does not necessarily imply that the Cameraman is considered a Mole) Also, there was one round, which was called a 'mission', where the 3 Moles (1 real and 2 fake) were together.

There were three Moles in the mission and three exemptions had been awarded, at the cost of the pot. With 60/150 points earned in the mission, the pot rose to 340/800 points. Can the group catch up to the Mole in time? Or will the Mole catch up to one of them first?

***

"The mission has succeeded. There was absolutely no sabotage in this mission. 30 points have been earned."

Douglas: "Phew."

Sylvia: "I knew it."

***

"Ryenn is the Mole, Sylvia is the Super Mole and Hykel is the Cameraman. These three have earned an exemption."

Also in Episode 12, the bookshelf had a book by Bernard Hunter from Season 24. He was said to be the son of Kat and Doug Hunter. The name Douglas is sometimes shortened to Doug.

Courtney: "All of these are Twinbrook books...'The Truth About Swamps' by Eva Drudge, 'Your Mind is Lying to You' by Bernard Hunter...oh, wasn't he that guy from the Smole?"

Also in Episode 12, there was a picture of the Mad HATter in the bookshelf. Douglas is the only one to wear a HAT every day.

Courtney: "Hmm...what's down here? Oh, there's a picture of the Mad Hatter. Must've dropped out of an 'Alice in Wonderland' book. 'The Great Fire' by Juan Darer...all these don't interest me."

In Episode 14, the bomb was said to have gone off at 2 minutes and 52 seconds. 52 is Douglas's age reversed.

When the bomb went off at 2 minutes and 52 seconds, 50/100 points had been earned, making the pot 390/900 points. Sylvia was the unlucky one in the mission but will she be the unlucky one in this execution, or will it be someone else?

Finally, in Episode 19, the light globules of the lava lamps in the vacant room were pink, black and blue. These were the colours of the globules Douglas put in Episode 15, Mission 8.

Douglas: "I like blue."

Douglas: "I remember that this light was black."

***

Douglas: "There was also...pink, yes! There was pink. I actually remembered!"

***

Notice the three colours at the base of the lamps?

And those are the clues."

Ryenn: "They make it seem like it was so obvious that Douglas was the Mole."

Ian: "Oh Ryenn, I hope we get the chance to clear the air today."

"Something worth noting this season is that Douglas had not been put down as the Mole a single time throughout this season. Even though there were suspicions, nobody was confident enough to give his name as the answer to the question, 'Who is the Mole?' This has never happened in history so a tremendously good job to you, Douglas, for fooling everyone the entire way."

Hykel: "What? Seriously? Wow, Douglas is good. I think we underestimated him."

"This marks the end of the ceremony. A big thank you to all of you who have been a part of the Smole in one way or another."

***

• Red means executed, black means not in game, green means exemption earned, italics means player scored the lowest.
• Douglas's name was never put down.
• Please ignore all the red squiggly lines below some of the names.