Belgian Mole 3
Episode 7

They won 2,500 €, because Shadia indeed got eliminated. The group's money is now up at 20,100 €.
Sandra had an exemption. Shadia left. Four people are left, two women and two men. And they all have one goal left in this episode: survive this episode to get to the finale where the Mole will be unmasked.

Before I start with the episode's summary, it might be fun to point out something else: on the internet, the fans of The Mole kept looking for clues everywhere. In every detail of the episode and the website of the show. After episode 6, you could hear a morse code on the website... people started translating it and an Italian sentence appeared. Putchar made a translation of it on this site.

Day 16 - Ferentillo, Umbria
Stijn awakes and is enjoying nature from his tent. Turns out he wrote his own name on the list too.

Foligno, Umbria
They go to a small airport. Suddenly a stunt plane appears,making loops and screw drivers and lots of other tricks in the air. They have to go in the plane one by one and the pilot will do a stunt. They have to guess what the stunt was. If they guess 3 out of 5 correct, they win 4,000 €.
In the hangar nearby, they see 9 stunts described. All stunts are named after a cocktail. They get half an hour to study the stunts. They won't be told if they have the stunt correct, until all stunts are done. In order to win, they have to get 3 out of 5 correct, so they have to do 5 stunts, meaning that one of them will have to do 2 stunts, because there are only 4 contestants left.
They all discuss and explain and study the stunts, waving their hands through the air to show how the plane flies.

Marc has to go first. They take off... High up in the air, the plane makes a looping and starts spinning as it goes down. Marc thinks it's the Tequila Sunrise he just did. The others on the ground also think so. Marc is correct! But the contestants aren't told about it yet.

Inge goes next. She lets out some screams as the stunt is being performed. The plane falls down really fast. She thinks they did a Gin Fizz. Marc on the ground, thinks she's right. But she isn't...

Stijn is up in the air next. "Fucking great!!" he yells. The people on the groudn think it's a Martini. Stijn yells out loud through the microphone:"Martini!!!"
But it's wrong!! He did another stunt!

The group lets Sandra do the two stunts. They don't know it, but she will have to guess both stunts correctly to win the 4,000 €. (funny note: for Sandra's stunt, music from USA Mole got used, namely Heroic Jump from the Mole soundtrack CD)
They take off and do the first stunt. On the ground, they all think a Martini is done again. Stijn:"Another Martini!" Inge:"Yeah, Martini again, huh?"
Sandra tells the name of the stunt she thinks she just did:"Daiquiri!!" The others look puzzled.
Time for the second stunt. Sandra is enjoying it a lot. She thinks she did a Margarita and the others on the ground cheer, because that's what they thought too.

Time to see if they have 3 out of 5 correct.
Marc's Tequila Sunrise was CORRECT.
Inge had guessed Gin Fizz, but the pilot says it's WRONG. They did a Margarita. All contestants are puzzled and Sandra already doubts whether they have 3 correct.
Stijn's Martini was WRONG, it was a Bloody Mary.
So it all depends on Sandra. Both her stunts have to be correct in order to win. Her last stunt was indeed a Margarita, so that's CORRECT.
Her first stunt: everyone thought she did a Martini. But Sandra said Daiquiri. The pilot tells her she's WRONG. She did in fact do a Martini.
No money won again! The contestants say they are all losers, because they lost again! Inge is glad they got at least 2 right. They're discussing the stunts in the car.

At dinner, they wonder what the next challenge will be. Then the host arrives, telling them he has one challenge left. It's evening already and this assignment might take them a long time into the night.
The host gives them each 4 cards. One is an exemption, one has 5 correct answers on the questionnaire, one has 2,500 € personal money and one empty card. Later that evening they each have to give the card they want to have. If all four cards are different, they win 5,000 €. However, if two people give the same card, there won't be money, but the other two do get what's on the card. So suppose later on, one goes for the exemption, one goes for the 5 correct answers and 2 go for the personal money, then only the exemption and 5 correct answers will be given and no personal money, nor money for the group pot.
They can't talk to each other all at once anymore. They each have to go to a room where they can think about what to do.
In their rooms, they tell the camera what they're going to do:
Inge:"The personal money is for Stijn, we'll convince him to choose the money. The 5 correct answers are for Sandra and Marc. I hope they will both go for that. And then only one thing remains for me: the exemption."
Marc:"It'll be difficult, but I think I'll go for the exemption. Either I get it, or no one gets it."
Sandra:"I don't know... I think someone else will go for the exemption, but if they  all think like that, the exemption is free again... so I don't know. Maybe the 5 correct answers are safer?"
Stijn:"I don't know. I feel like if I go for the exemption, it won't work nor will it work to choose the 5 correct answers..."
Marc:"I'll try to convince Stijn to take nothing. Yesterday he was unselfish (when he chose not to hunt Sandra down in the journal game so he wouldn't get an exemption) so maybe he wants to do it again."
Inge:"Stijn's the only one who didn't win any money. He's a poor student and it's about time he has to prove his qualities of being generous."
Marc:"I don't know about Inge. I don't think she'll say what she'll do. So I have to be careful with her."
Sandra:"If I had to choose between Marc or Inge, I'd choose Marc for the personal money."
Inge:"Sandra already got an exemption too, so we could say she could take the 5 correct answers and tell her to let someone else get the exemption this time."
Stijn:"I know it's a nasty game, but I'm too good for this game."
Inge:"If the exemption goes to someone else, I don't see myself in the finale..."
Marc:"I think we won't win any money today."

They all get back to the table and can each already put the card on the table they want. It's not decisive yet, but just to show what they would like to have.
Stijn goes for the exemption.
Inge the 5 correct answers.
Marc also the exemption and Sandra also goes for the 5 correct answers. In this case, no one would get anything and there would be no money for the pot.

Now they get the chance to talk to each contestant separately. On a monitor they can see the other two talking to each other. Every talk lasts exactly 5 minutes.
Round 1
Sandra talks with Marc
Stijn talks with Inge.

Sandra:"What did you figure out as to who gets what?"
Marc:"I thought, the exemption for me, you could have the 5 answers, Inge the 2,500 € and Stijn nothing."
Sandra:"Why did you think Stijn would go for nothing?"
Marc:"Because yesterday, he went for nothing too."

Inge:"So Stijn, where's your generosity of yesterdya gone to?"
Stijn:"Because I wanted to make my chances to get into the finale bigger."
Inge:"Don't you think someone else deserves the exemption? You already got 2, damnit."
Stijn:"I got 2 already indeed. It's every man for himself. I find it weird that you're not going for the exemption. Why?"
Inge:"I could have several reasons for that."

Marc:"Would you go for nothing?"
Sandra:"No I wouldn't, would you?"
Marc:"No, not at all. So what are we going to give the others?"
Sandra:"I was thinking about convincing Stijn to take the money."

Inge:"But that doesn't mean anything for you?"
Stijn:"Nope, money doesn't mean anything for me."
Inge:"Everyone already got their personal cheque, so I thought, another for Stijn."
Stijn:"Nope, money doesn't mean anything for me."

Sandra:"But you're sure you'll stick to the exemption?"
Marc:"Yes I'm sure of it. And you keep the 5 answers?"
Sandra nodds. "Yep."

Stijn and Inge are watching the other two on screen.
Inge:"Sandra seems more confident of her choice than you do."
Stijn:"Nah, I don't think so."
Inge:"Why doesn't she go for the exemption then?"
Stijn:"Because she wants to make us believe she wants to have the 5 answers."
Inge:"So according to you, everyone is going to go for the exemption?"
Stijn:"Absolutely!"

Round 2
Sandra goes to Stijn and Inge goes to Marc.

Sandra:"Did you make an agreement with Inge or not?"
Stijn:"No, not at all."

Inge:"I just spoke to Stijn and he absolutely wants to go to the final, absolutely wants the exemption, absolutely doesn't know who The Mole is. He won't change his mind. I think the only one who'll change his mind is you."
Marc:"Ah?"

Sandra:"You're not going for the money. Do you think anyone will go for it? Do you think Inge will go for the money? I'll be honest with you, I told Marc I would try to convince you to go for the money."
Stijn:"Really?! I don't believe you. I don't believe you at all!"

Marc:"So you're willing to go for nothing?"
Inge:"Yes. I'm so certain I'm prepared to go for nothing."
They laugh.
Inge:"No, it's true. Although I'm doubting about going for the money."

Stijn:"And you're sticking to the 5 answers?"
Sandra:"Yeah, I'm not going for the exemption."

Inge:"OK, so I'd better go for the money then, not? Although... that means Sandra would get 5 correct answers..."

Stijn:"I'm not sure of Marc..."
Sandra:"Marc will stick to the exemption, he's not going for the money. You can talk to him after this, but he'll take the exemption."

Inge:"Are you sticking with the exemption?"
Marc:"Yes I am."
Inge:"I don't believe anything of it. I don't believe you're sticking with the exemption."
Marc:"I'm sticking with the exemption. Absolutely."

Round 3
Last round. The stakes are high: an exemption means a ticket to the final round. The guys talk together now and the girls too in the other room.

Marc:"We've got a problem here... we both want the exemption. That means we won't get one, if we do it like that."
Stijn:"True. Either I've got the exemption, or no one has it."
Marc:"Don't you think it's a pity we miss out on the money for the pot then?
Stijn:"No! No... not at all!"

Inge:"Euhmmm... Stijn will stick with his exemption."
Sandra:"Yes, that's what I think too."
Inge:"Marc will change his mind, he'll have some surprise at the last moment."
Sandra:"You think so?"
Inge:"Yes. Absolutely sure."

Marc:"I think Inge won't go for the 5 answers."
Stijn:"I think she's going for the exemption."
Marc:"Or maybe the money."

Sandra:"And what are you going to do?"
Inge:"If he changes his mind I can make sure he doesn't get his exemption, or I can make sure you don't get your 5 answers."

Stijn:"But then again... who's playing a double game here?"
Marc:"Yeah..."

Inge:"You think Marc will stick to his idea?"
Sandra:"I think so yeah."
Inge:"He told me he wouldn't."

Marc:"Why did you want to go for nothing at first?"
Stijn:That was a wave of generosity again. I'm too good for this game. I really want to take the exemption out of play."
Marc:"Aren't you being contrary to yourself then?"
Stijn:"No not at all. This game is full of controversy. At the moment I feel this is the right decision. We'll see."
Marc:"We'll see."

Time to see what everyone decided to take. They go back to the host, who's sitting at a green table in a dark room, with only one light burning above the table. He asks the contestants to put the card of their choice face down on the table. One by one they have to reveal their choices.
Stijn wants 2,500 € personal money.
Marc goes for the exemption.
Sandra took the 5 answers.
Inge also took the 5 answers.
So there's no money won and the girld don't have any free answers. Stijn gets 2,500 € for himself and we know the first finalist! Marc gets the exemption and is sure of a place in the final round! They congratulate him. Inge turns to Stijn and says:"There goes your generosity!"
On their way back to the hotel, they're talking about it in the car.
Inge:"I immediately said Stijn had to go for the money!"
Sandra (to Stijn):"I also thought you'd go for the money."
Marc:"I thought he wouldn't do that."
Sandra:"But when he explained he did it to play the game, I did find it logical. But I would also find it logical if..."
Inge (cutting her off):"I'm a bit angry at Stijn that he didn't let us make our choices. If Stijn had just been honest to me, I would have known what to do. Whether I should take away the exemption, or..."
Sandra:"But you haven't been entirely honest either, Inge."
Inge:"I have been honest all the time, I said I would go for the 5 answers and I went for it."
Sandra:"But you told me Marc would change his mind, I knew he wouldn't do that."
Inge:"It was either Stijn or Marc."
Sandra:"You told me Marc would have some kind of surprise in stall."
Inge:"Stijn, why didn't you just say you were going for the money? We would all have granted it to you."
Stijn (obviously tired and fd up) takes a smoke from his cigarette and sighs:"You'll see."
Sandra:"I'm happy you've got the money."
Inge:"I'm happy for Stijn too. I'm not so happy for Marc though..."

CC
Sandra:"I'm glad Marc has the exemption and not Inge. I'm going to be honest about it, I'm glad she hasn't got anything either. And I'm also glad for Stijn that he's got the 2,500 €. I wasn't surprised of it and am glad for him."
Stijn:"I don't like to lie and it's the first time I lied in this game. If I have to lie, I'm able to do so and I tricked Inge well."
Inge:"I don't think I'm made for this game, because it does hurt after all. People did lie and it's annoying and... yeah... I really think I'm not made for this game..."
Marc:"The true nature of the players is starting to show. I like Stijn, but turns out he does have some hidden sides to him. He suddenly goes for the money."
Stijn:"I wanted to go for the money from the start of the challenge. 2,500 € is a lot for a student. I have to work long and hard for it."
Inge:"Maybe I'll be home tomorrow and then I would be happy. If I do get into the final round, I'll need a lot of courage to continue to the end."
Stijn:"I'm tired, people... important days ahead... good night."

Day 17 - Viterbo - Umbria
Everyone is silent at the breakfast table.
But on their way to the next challenge, they're singing along to the radio. Then they arrive in a small village, with narrow passages. Very slowly, Marc has to drive through a very narrow passage. Inge:"Now I know why they all drive such small cars here!"
Stijn and Sandra put their heads through the windows and tell Marc to slowly continue driving. They make it through eventually. Stijn:"Wow that was a challenge on his own already!"

They have one  challenge left until the questionnaire, which will decide who will be in the final round. They walk up to a street and see four cardboard people. Two on the left and two on the right. As they come closer, they see that the people have a picture of their heads on it and they start laughing. A while later they see Shadia's head on a cardboard person and Corry and Walter and a bit further there's Bruno and Nicole and Christophe. They're all standing somewhere in the street.
Next they see a kind of parking lot with some cars on it. This challenge is based on the game called Rush Hour. You can play an online version of it on this site.
But the contestants play it with real cars. They have to try to get the marked car out of the grid. The white car (marked with an arrow) is blinded. It has a camera on it and the people sitting in the back, can see where the car's driving to. They have to get the car out of the grid and then drive through the streets, past the eliminated contestants, without touching them and then through their own cardboard figures.
They get an aerial view of the grid for 30 seconds. Next they have to gues how long it will take them. If they think they can manage it within 20 minutes and they succeed, they'll get 6,000 €. If they bet on 30 minutes, they could win 4,000 €. For 40 minutes, they can win 2,000 €. They go for the 30 minutes, i.e. 4,000 €. If they don't make it to the finish within 30 minutes, they win nothing. Inge stays behind with the monitor which shows the aerial view and helps the other three.
The game starts. Inge tells the others where to drive through. She says things like "The black car has to be moved to the right." Sandra asks to just say whether the car has to go back or forth. They shuffle a few cars and then Inge is quite and tries to find out what should be the next move... 22 minutes 30 seconds left. She tells them to move the central car, which is a special one. Sandra sits in the back, where she can see where the car is driving to. (the rest of the car is blinded). Stijn has to steer the car and Marc has to occupy the gas pedal and brakes and shift the gears. They aren't allowed to hit any of the other cars. They carefully drive two meters forward.
After 9 minutes and 10 seconds, they have the car out the grid. So they've got 20 minutes, 50 seconds left and Inge runs downstairs to join the others in the car.
The car can not hit any of the cardboard players which are put in the street. If they do, it will cost them 5 minutes penalty time. The girls are sitting in the back, watching the monitor to see where they're going to and they instruct the others. Stijn is steering, Marc is still occupying the pedals.
They drive past cardboard Nicole. Inge and Sandra are both talking through each other. They drive on and are nearing a wall. Inge yells to stop, because they almost hit the wall. Acoording to her, they're only 20 centimeters from the wall, though in fact they have 2 meters of space left.
The guys tell them to warn them earlier next time, because they can't see anything. Both Inge and Sandra start talking through each other again, but luckily, Stijn understand what he has to do.
They've driven past Bruno, but the car is standing almost sideways in the street. They carefully drive on and the girls tell Stijn to turn right and then start screaming slowly. Their screaming gets higher and louder as they get nearer to the wall, but they don't say stop or anything, so Marc hits the brakes. "Don't scream, just say stop!"
They change places. The guys go in the back, Sandra takes the pedal and Inge the steering wheel. All four find it strange to do and Sandra lets the engine fall out without even having moved anything. They decide to change places again and are now sitting back the way they started.
Marc tells the girls it's not as easy as it looks:"You just have say stop instead of 'Aaaaaaaaah!' though!"
They start off again and can get the car straight in the street perfectly. Sandra:"A little bit to the left." Inge:"No straight ahead, keep on going straight ahead!"
They've reached Shadia already and drive past her. They have 15 minutes left and the girls are tlaking through each other again. One says straight ahead, the other one says left. Marc hits the brakes again and tells them to calm down.
Inge explains them that they're standing in the middle of the road and only have to drive through the narrow passage that's formed with the cardboard people with their own faces on. If they tell them to go left or right, it means it's just a little bit left or a little bit right.
They drive ahead and stop in front of the four cardboard people. They carefully drive through it and barely miss the cardboard Marc with the left mirror.
They've reached the finish and still had 12 minutes and 17 seconds left. They could have done it in 20 minutes and could have won 6,000 € instead of 4,000 € but are still happy. They now have 24,100 € in the group's pot. The host informs them that they will have some exciting moments later on.
In the car:
Marc:"Hmmm so we've can rest for the rest of the day."
Inge:"No we don't, we have an elimination."
Marc:"Well yeah, but that's after dinner."

That night, the contestants have to go back to the green table with the one light hanging over it. The host is waiting for them and tells them he promised them some exciting moments. "And here's one of them. I have a proposal for you. You can, if you all want to, go to the final round with all four of you. That means there won't be an elimination tonight. It also means you will have to hand in the personal things you won yesterday. For Stijn that's the money and Marc has to give up his exemption. That way everyone will go to the finale with equal chances. It's your choice and the proposal will only be done if you all agree."
They get some time to think about it and are then called to the host one by one...
Sandra is called in first and the host asks what she thinks about it.
Sandra:"It would be good for me. I don't have anything to lose. So it's only an advantage for me."
Stijn:"I don't know... I'd like to talk to the group about it, but if it's my personal decision I wouldn't give my money back."
Inge:"If I would have the money, it wouldn't be a problem for me to give it back, but if I4d have an exemption... I don't know."
Marc:"I got my first exemption yesterday. Some others already got two and it's an important decision. I don't think I'll just hand it back in... no."
Stijn:"If I would be eliminated now, I would have gotten a unique experience plus 2,500 €. If I give up and I'm in the finale, I've got less chance of winning and I might get sent home with a unique experience, but without 2,500 €. I'm not ashamed for really wanting to have that money."
Host:"Do you think there are ways to convince Stijn of chaning his mind?" Sandra:"I think that'll be very difficult. I'm not going to try my best anyway."
Host:"Can't you make some kind of proposal for him?" Inge:"Yes we could suggest to split the personal money we won and give it to him, for example."
Stijn:"The two girls don't have any argumentations. But if Marc decides to give up his exemption, I'm going along with him."
Marc:"I was happy, I was in the finale. It's not easy to just let that go and give everyone the same oppotunities. No, I think not I would do that..."

The contestants are back at the tabl with the host.
Host:"Dear friends, the proposal has been made, it's up to you to discuss it now."
Stijn:"I've got to be honest: I  don't really want to give up my personal money."
Both girls turn to Marc to hear what he has to say.
Marc:"Why should I give it up?"
Inge:"For the group maybe?"
Marc:"And let my changes go down."
Inge:"You never were in it for the money and now you're proving the opposite. I don't think it matters whether you go to the final round with three or with four people. I don't think it will diminish your chances, if you're on to the wrong Mole, you won't win anyway. But I would also love to have gotten that exemption."
Marc:"Would you let go of the exemption?"
Inge:"Euhmmm.... I think I would. In all honesty."
Sandra:"I've got the same idea as Inge. I'm thinking 'Why not?'. The personal money is something else. All three of us already got personal money."
Inge (turning to Stijn):"But the reason why we all got that personal money is... ?"
Stijn:"I've said from the beginning I wasn't going for the money, but now that I've got 2,500 € in my hands, I have to say it's not easy to give it up. But I said if Marc gives up his exemption, I will too, but Marc is probably thinking the same of me."
Inge (to Marc):"Are you prepared to give it up?"
Marc:"I might be..."
Inge:"We're no super contestants, there's only one super contestant here and that's you, Marc. So that's not only Intelligence Quotient, but also Emotional..."

The host tells them that was there chance to talk things over. He gives them time to think and hands each of them a card. On it, they have to write down 'yes' or 'no'. 'Yes' means they agree to go to the final round with four people. The answers will be entered into the computer. They will only go the final with all four people if they all agree...

The answers are given into the computer... like the elimination procedure, we'll see what each of them answered. A green screen means the person said 'yes', a red screen means he/she said 'no'.

Suspicious in this episode
Inge, Stijn and Sandra each had a stunt wrong.
Stijn told everyone he was not choosing the money, but then did choose it after all.
Inge and Sandra both chose the 5 correct answers, resulting in not winning any money for the group's pot.

So all four of them got into the final round. The girls thank the guys for giving up the money and exemption...
CC
Sandra:"It was great of Stijn and Marc. Especially of Stijn. So all four of us are in the final round and I'm really happy."
Inge:"I'm so happy! But the rest of the people had a weird reaction. Stijn seems a bit stupified by his decision, but I promise that if I ever win the final round, Stijn will get his money back."
Stijn:"I just sacrificed 2,500 € so all four of us could go to the final round. I've got a double feeling abou it... I'm a bit emotional because of it... it was so much money!!" (sighs)
Sandra (almost crying):"I'm just so lucky I guess, I don't know... but then again (she leans over and cries)... I will be happy if those three weeks are finally over because... (starts crying some more and can't say anything anymore) shit..."
Inge:"Sandra has secluded herself a bit. I don't think she cried, but it was a weird way to show her victory... she was a bit odd, I don't know what's wrong."
Marc:"They're great sympathetic people who I really want to see again afterwards. Stijn, a great young guy. I'm twice his age, but still... he's a special guy, with surprising twists, but has a very rich and sensitive personality. Sandra and Inge are really fun people. I'm glad I got to know them and happy they can play the finale."
Inge:"Being able to play the final round is fantastic. I'm really going for it. We're going to have two great days and we'll see how it will end..."

Episode 8

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