The Mole (U.S. Season 2) - Hidden Clues

Hidden Clues

At the start of each episode, host Anderson Cooper encouraged viewers to keep an eye out for a hidden clue to the Mole's identity. One clue was revealed in each episode, ranging from straightforward references to Bill's background to highly esoteric wordplays. Some clues were presented to the players, while others were available only to the home audienc.

Episode 1:

• Burn Bags Burn: All outdoor shots of the night sky were absent of stars, except for one digitally-enhanced shot. This shot, taken outside the cabin where the players stayed shortly before the next game, featured the constellation Pisces, Bill's Zodiac sign. Viewers could have used Bill's biographical information on the ABC website to deduce this.

Episode 2:

• Pre-Execution: In the opening montage, two pictures of Zodiac signs are shown. The first is Virgo, Ali's Zodiac sign, and she was the Mole's second victim. The second sign is Pisces, a reference to episode one's clue.

Episode 3:

• Journal Switch: A journal written ostensibly by the Mole was planted for the other players to discover and read it. In it, the Mole explains how eliminating his first victim, Bob, was "too easy", as he had spent all of his time "schmoozing the ladies". This should have ruled out any female from further suspicion.

Episode 4:

• The Telegram: Upon arriving in Italy, the players are welcomed with a telegram sent by "La Talpa", which is Italian for "The Mole". Patrick thought there was a clue to this (although he couldn't figure it out), and he was correct. There was a fake telephone number given at the bottom, 0024-5500. When using a telephone keypad as a decoder, the line reads "BILL". When decoding the numbers preceding the name, 843-665347, the sentence reads "THE MOLE IS BILL".

Episode 5:

• Think or Sink: Anderson talks about how many believe that William Shakespeare was a "scoundrel" for plagiarizing the story of Romeo and Juliet from a local playwright. (The Italian translation of the play's title, "Giulietta è Romeo", served as the solution to the game.) This was to point out that the Mole was a scoundrel, and Bill's real name is William.

Episode 6:

• Wine Delivery: At the midway point of the course, Anderson would hand the rider a bottle of La Mole wine, while eating an apple (first to Al, and then Elavia). The apple was a symbol of Bill's home state, Washington.

Episode 7:

• Player Ranking: Prior to execution the player were each (again) instructed to rank their fellow players in order from favorite to least favorite on a dollar bill. This was intended as a clear reference to the name of the Mole, Bill.

Episode 8:

• The Quiz: No picture were featured in the other quizzes except for this one. In the back, there was a portrait of a large schooner was prominently shown on the wall, referring to Bill's former background as a Navy admiral.

Episode 9:

• Opening: During the Matrix-like grid of letters that flashed on the screen during the opening title sequence, the word "AdMiRaL" is displayed in the top-left corner for a split-second. The clue is a reference to the clue in episode 8.

Episode 10:

• Morality Game: A local man visits the team's table and leaves behind a book and money. The book was Romeo and Juliet, a reference to the clue made in Episode 5. Both Al and Bribs noticed the coincidence, but neither made the correct connection from it.

• Post-Execution: After Bribs is executed and leaves, Anderson asks all the players if they are the mole, and they all deny it. Then, the viewer sees each person, one by one, along with a word of the question "Who is the Mole?". Bill is shown when word is Mole appears.

Episode 11:

• Anderson's Fun House: A montage of three model ships were shown as lightning flashed, referring to episodes 8 and 9's clues.

• Pre-Quiz Dinner: The players are treated to a dinner consisting of fast food from McDonald's. Anderson mentions the dinner is a "courtesy of 'Mickey D's'". Mickey D's is a nickname for the fast food franchise, but it also serves as a clue to Bill's last name, McDaniel.

Episode 12:

• Opening: Much like the clue in Episode 9, a message is concealed among the letter grid in the opening title. This time, however, the message is far more blatant, as "Bill is the Mole" is spelled out along the top of the screen.