There's a Sneaky Spy Among Them! Here's How Netflix's Competition Reality Show 'The Mole' Works

Sometimes we just need to turn off our wrinkly brains and turn on a juicy, high-stakes reality show. The loss of brain cells is truly worth it. And while competition reality shows we know and love, like Survivor and Big Brother, have stood the test of time, Netflix's upcoming series The Mole — which premieres on Oct. 7, 2022 — is here to reintroduce itself.

First premiering in 2001 and lasting five seasons, American seriesThe Mole was based on the influential Belgian program De Mol, which saw debuted in 1998. Almost 25 years later, De Mol is still on the air. The U.S. version has just come out of retirement, however.

"Twelve players compete in challenges while trying to identify the one among them who's sabotaging their missions in this reboot of the cult-classic series," the official Netflix synopsis reads. Did we mention that there's money at stake?

Though the premise is fairly simple, the rebooted series — which will be hosted by journalist Alex Wagner — has a slew of rules, so keep up. Remember, no matter what, don't disregard anyone. Here's how the game works.

"Twelve strangers will compete together with a common goal: Complete missions, get paid," Alex Wagner states in the series' trailer. Once again, sounds simple enough. But the titular Mole is there to ensure that the pot of cash remains stagnant as the game continues. It would be easier to spot said Mole if they were a small, velvety, burrowing mammal with an appetite for bugs. (Hold the tomatoes!)

According to Netflix's Tudum, the group is made up of students, pilots, warehouse workers, and firefighters.

The players on the show — which is set in Australia — have to compete in mental and physical challenges, such as "working together to escape from a prison cell or following a map to find hidden treasure," hoping to win cash along the way. If a challenge is completed, the group wins the full prize pot. As their money-making efforts continue, however, the Mole is discretely and actively working against them — not to mention infusing the game with a multitude of lies and drama.

"Every single mission you've been in has failed," one contestant says to another in the trailer. Sounds pretty accusatory to us.

After a set of challenges, the group of on-edge players must take a quiz, testing them on their knowledge of who the Mole could be. The results of the quiz are sent to the players via text message, and performing the worst out of everybody leads to instant elimination.

"If the screen on their phone goes green, they’re safe. But if it’s red, they’re immediately eliminated from the game," Tudum wrote of the elimination ceremonies.

Contestants are eliminated until just three players remain, one of whom is the cunning Mole. Then, one last quiz is taken, revealing the winner of the season. Said winner takes home the entirety of the prize pot. And no, the Mole cannot win the game.

“There’s every reason to watch the reboot, because I think the concept of the show is ever more resonant today," Alex Wagner told Tudum. "We have refreshed a lot of the elements to make them even more compelling than the original — and that was pretty damn compelling.”

So, are you confident that you can weed out the spy?

The first five episodes of The Mole premiere on Friday, Oct. 7, 2022, on Netflix.