The Mole season 2: Prize fund reduced to zero in episode 5

The Mole season 2 premiered on Friday, June 28, 2024. The show saw 12 people from different walks of life take part in the Netflix reality show as they competed in tasks and challenges to figure out who among them was the saboteur.

In the five episodes that are currently available to stream, the cast members took part in tasks to win money but also participated in games to win an exemption. The exemption gave them the opportunity to opt out of taking the quiz at the end of each episode, which meant they couldn't be eliminated.

Episode 5 saw one cast member make a huge gamble as they bid in an auction to win an advantage. The prize fund stood at $59,500, and they bet the entire amount to win an exemption, bringing the money down to zero.

The episode ended on a cliffhanger, and the person in question wasn't revealed.

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The Mole season 2: The cast participates in an auction for three possible advantages

In The Mole season 2 episode 5, titled Special Delivery, the remaining eight contestants, i.e., Michael, Hannah, Muna, Neesh, Sean, Ryan, Deanna, and Quaylyn, won $49,500 by competing in a contain yard challenge.

However, they were supposed to complete another task before the elimination process began. The cast members gathered in a room full of chairs, where three boxes, a TV, and a gavel were placed before them.

The host, Ari Shapiro, explained to the cast that they were set to take part in a bidding war to win advantages, but they could only bid on an item, which they would decide after the item was revealed. If the cast didn't bid for the items, each item would earn them an additional $5,000.

The first item was Information, and The Mole season 2 cast could bid to read another cast member's file for 15 minutes. Nobody bid on the team, and the prize fund remained intact.

The next item was Correction, which meant that whoever successfully bid on the item, one of their answers in the upcoming quiz would be corrected. While nobody chose the advantage either, the third advantage up for grabs was an Exemption, which meant they would be exempted from taking the quiz altogether and would be safe from elimination.

The Mole cast members deliberated ahead of bidding for exemption, and the prize fund stood at $59,500. In a confessional, Neesh said that The Mole season 2 contestants added 10,000 dollars in 30 seconds, but he felt that the third box was going to "break" them apart.

Quaylyn described the exemption as the "golden ticket," besides winning the reality competition. He predicted that it wasn't going to "go well." Ari explained that since none of The Mole season 2 cast members bid on the previous two items, everyone was eligible to bid, and only the highest bid would win the exemption.

"I'm tired of playing the good guy. I do it in real life all the time and I get screwed over. I want the exemption. If it means losing a little money, you know, that's what I gotta do," Neesh added.

Hannah suggested that they all keep their bids low so they don't lose out on a lot of money. However, in a confessional, the cast member said that it was "definitely a challenge" that was made for her. She added that she would have to do "something big," stating that "sometimes the reward is worth the risk."

"You need to spend a little to make a little," Hannah told the cameras.

Michael also expressed his interest and contemplated going for a higher number, but feared that people were going to be annoyed with him. The Mole cast member added that it would look suspicious.

Quaylyn further said in a confessional that they had all been playing a "selfish" game and that the pot was going to "get low." At most, the season 2 contestant hoped they would spend $15,000 but knew it was going to be much more. When Ari revealed the highest bid, everyone was shocked.

"As a reminder, your prize pot was standing at $59,000. The highest bid, was for, $59,500. That means your port is now at zero," the host said.

Quaylyn expressed his frustrations with the group and said they were not supposed to take the money out, since that was the saboteur's job. He asked the group if they really wanted the exemption so bad that they wiped the group to "zero." Muna said she didn't understand why people wanted to be in the game just for the next round.

"Y'all play with money like that is crazy. It's crazy."

Deanna, who started crying, said in a confessional that all of the cast's "literal blood, sweat, and tears" were for nothing as the episode ended on a cliffhanger.

Tune in next week on Friday, July 5, 2024, to see who bet $59,500 to be exempted from the upcoming elimination quiz.