The twenty-second season of the Dutch TV series Wie is de Mol? ("Who is the Mole?") aired on 1 January 2022. This was the fifth season with Rik van de Westelaken as host. The candidates were announced on 28 August 2021 in a livestream on the Wie is De Mol website, during a live assignment in the first round of the season. During the livestream, candidates also had to appeal to the public stating that they are not the mole. The least suspected candidate would receive two exemptions, all before the first execution of the season.
On 15 November 2021, the location was revealed as Albania on the show's social media accounts. The season premiered on 1 January 2022. With the Reunion on 5 March 2021, which saw Fresia Cousiño Arias win against fellow finalist, Kim-Lian van der Meij, to successfully unmask actor Everon Jackson Hooi as the Mole. Hooi's reign as the Mole saw Arias win the new all-time lowest pot of €8,065, surpassing the record set by last year's Mole in Season 21 of €9,675. With the winnings of €8,065.-, Arias decided to donate a portion of the winnings to Season 21's winner, Rocky Hehakaija's charity organization.
Format Followed the same format as its Belgian predecessor, this season however, Eleven candidates were gathered to complete assignments to earn money for the group pot. However, one of the eleven is the titular Mole (de Mol), the one designated to sabotage the assignments and cause the group to earn the least amount of money for the winner's pot as possible. Every few days, players would take a 20-question multiple choice test about the identity of the Mole. Once the test is complete, the candidates await their results in an Execution ceremony. The candidate with the worst score is executed from the game, while in the event of the tie the candidate who completed their test the slowest is executed. The season plays out until there are three remaining candidates, where they must complete a final test (consisting of 40 questions). The candidate with the highest score, or who had completed their test the fastest in a tie, is declared the winner and receives the group's pot.
The season took place in Albania. This was the second season in Wie is de Mol? history to begin with eleven candidates, the last being Season 3 in 2002. The cast were revealed in a livestream during the production of the first episode on August 29, 2021, where they were tasked to plea their case to the audience that they were not the Mole to receive one of two exemptions from the first execution ceremony occurring that night. All executed candidates were invited to a masked ball in Tirana at the end of production filming, where the Mole was unmasked. A decision to prevent the Netherlands to discover the elimination order of the season post-livestream.
Candidates NameOccupationDay ExitedResultEveron Jackson HooiActor18The MoleFresia Cousiño AriasSports PresenterWinnerKim-Lian van der MeijActress2nd placeThomas van LuynCabaret Performer173rd placeLaetitia GerardsOpera Singer144th placeSahil Amar AïssaActor125th placeHila NoorzaiTV Journalist106th placeArno KantelbergMagazine Editor87th placeWelmoed SijtsmaTalk Show Presenter68th placeGlen FariaRap Artist49th placeSuzanne KlemannSinger210th placethe result in grey indicates the Mole
Candidate progress The order in which the candidates learned their results are indicated in the table below. + Summary of candidates progress in each episode Candidate12345678FinaleFresiaN/AWinnerEveronN/AN/ARunner-UpThomasLaetitiaN/ASahilN/AHilaArnoWelmoedN/AGlenSuzanne
The candidate saw a Green Screen to proceeded to the next Episode. The candidate used Jokers for this test, and saw a Green Screen to proceed to the next Episode. The candidate used Jokers for this test, however, they did not see a Green Screen before the Executed player saw their Red Screen. Thus they proceeded to the next Episode. The candidate used a Black Exemption to nullify all Exemptions and Jokers for this test. The candidate did not see a Green Screen before the Executed player saw their Red Screen. Thus they proceeded to the next Episode. The candidate received an Exemption to automatically proceed to the next Episode. The candidate was executed from the game and sent home.
Notes
Episodes For more information, see: List of seasons of "Wie is de Mol?" (in Dutch) Episode Air Date Title Amount in Pot Location Days Eliminated 1 'De Tijd zal het Leren' (Time Will Tell)€0 → €1,500 Shkodër, Shkodër County 1–2 2 'Zwijgen' (Stay Silent)€1,500 → €3,410 Shkodër, Shkodër County & Shëngjin, Lezhë County 3–4 3 'Nietszeggend' (Meaningless)€3,410 → €4,150 Shkodër, Shkodër County → Lezhë, Lezhë County 5–6 4 'Stemmen' (Voices/Voting)€4,150 → €5,900 Lezhë, Lezhë County → Vlorë, Vlorë County → Fier, Fier County 7–8 5 'Kettingreactie' (Chain Reaction)€5,900 → €9,450 Vlorë, Vlorë County → Sarandë, Vlorë County 9–10 6 'Golfbeweging' (Wave Motion)€9,350 → €12,060 Sarandë, Vlorë County 11–12 7 'Coulissen' (Theatre Wing)€12,060 → €12,095 Sarandë, Vlorë County → Gjirokastër, Gjirokastër County 13–14 8 'Mollenvanger' (Mole Catcher)€12,095 → €13,040 Gjirokastër, Gjirokastër County → Durrës, Durrës County → Tirana, Tirana County 15–17 9 'Bedriegen' (Deceive)€13,040 → €13,335 Tirana, Tirana County 17–19 10 'De Ontmaskering' (The Unmasking) €13,335 → €8,065Amsterdam, Netherlands Runner-up Winner The Mole
Notes
Season summary
Episode 1 - De Tijd zal het Leren Episode 1 - De tijd zal het lerenOriginal airdates: 1 January 2022Locations: Shkodër, Shkodër County Assignment Money earned Possible earnings(Af)troeven €0.- €1,500.-Avondklok €1,500.- €1,500.-Ontmaskerd? TBA €5,000.- €8,000.-Exemptions Glen, Everon Ontmaskerd?Jokers Laetitia, Welmoed (Af)troevenExecution Suzanne 1st player executed
(Af)troeven ((Take) Trumps) Each candidate meets with host Rik van de Westelaken at Rozafa Castle. They are asked which candidate believe is the Mole based on videos of candidates during the show's casting process, which they were shown during the car ride to the assignment location. After answering, they are told which group the Mole designated them to for the first assignment – aftroeven (Taking Trumps) or troeven (Trumps).
Each group has 20 minutes to complete six puzzle-or-obstacle-based tasks within the courtyard of the castle. Each task involves obtaining a key to unlock a box by various means and most tasks need two or more candidates at once to complete. For the aftroeven group, each box contains various amounts of money for the pot. For the troeven group, each box contains various Jokers, with the first candidate to physically grab each Joker when the box is opened being recognised as its holder.
After the assignment, the two groups were told to reveal what they had earned, where troven group obtained seven Jokers and the aftroeven group earned €1,400. The aftroeven group were then given the choice to add the money to the pot, or force the troven group to return the Jokers at the price of €200 per joker. They decided to spend all €1,400, requiring all seven Jokers to be returned to Rik; therefore, no money was earned for the pot.
After the money was relinquished, it was then revealed that a clue to the identity of the Mole was printed on those specific banknotes.
Avondklok (Evening Clock) Around the castle grounds are three tablets displaying the current time of 9:00pm, and would stop displaying the time at 9:35pm. At each tablet are also three hourglasses measuring unknown times. Candidates had to figure out the times that each hourglass measures and use them to measure time after the tablets stopped displaying the time. They had to stop the time on the tablet within 10 minutes of 11:22pm to complete the assignment. For each tablet stopped between 11:12pm and 11:32pm, €500 would be earned for the pot.
€1,500.- was earned for the pot.
Ontmaskerd? (Unmasked?) Prior to the execution, each candidate has one minute to present a speech to the public as to why they are not the Mole. The speeches would be given during a livestream event to the Dutch viewing public – which occurred live on 29 August 2021 – on the show's website. The viewers then had to vote for the candidate they thought was the Mole. The candidate who receives the most votes would be deemed the "most suspicious" while the candidate who receives the fewest votes would be deemed "least suspicious". The least suspicious candidate would receive an exemption for themselves and the ability to award a second candidate an exemption. If the Mole is voted as the "least suspicious", or given the second exemption by the least suspicious candidate, the group will lose €5,000 from the pot in the finale. If the "most suspicious" candidate makes it to the finale and revealed as the Mole, the group earns €5,000 for the pot.
Arno received the most votes and was deemed the "most suspicious" candidate. Glen received the fewest votes and was deemed the "least suspicious" candidate; he was awarded an exemption for himself and granted the second exemption to Everon.
Episode 2 - Zwijgen Episode 2 - ZwijgenOriginal airdates: 8 January 2022Locations: Shkodër, Shkodër County - Shëngjin, Lezhë County Assignment Money earned Possible earningsBinnen en Buiten Bereik €310.- €2,500.-Prikactie €800.- €3,000.-Ver Gelijken €800.- €1,800.- €15,300.-Execution Glen 2nd player executed Binnen en Buiten Bereik (In and Out of Range) Candidates form two groups: five candidates who want to "stay within reach" and five candidates who want to "stay out of reach". The five candidates who want to "stay out of reach" must stand around a rotating Lazy Susan-style turntable on the main stage of Migjeni Theater, which have several task stations on them. As the turntable rotates, they must complete as many tasks as possible in 10 minutes. After their time expires, the group who wants to "stay within reach" have 10 minutes to continue the tasks that the first group had not finished. However, this time they must stand on the turntable as it rotates. Tasks are worth varying amounts of money.
€310.- was earned for the pot.
Prikactie (Prick Action) Two candidates at a time begins on the back of a Jeep. As the Jeep drives down Rana e Hedshun beach, they must use a spear to pop as many green balloons as possible that the vehicle passes. Before they begin, the Jeeps would complete a practice lap of the course and candidates are not allowed to pop balloons during this lap. Each green balloon popped earns €10 for the pot, however if candidates pop the nearby red balloons then they lose €10 per balloon. Along the course are also gold balloons which only the final two candidates can pop to earn €150 for the pot each.
At the conclusion of the assignment, it was revealed the group earned €890 for the pot. However, they were penalized €90 as Thomas had popped balloons during the practice lap, reducing their earnings to €800.
Ver Gelijken (To Compare) The group had to select two candidates who would use Gjon Mili’s lighting techniques. They had 30 minutes to create eight light paintings representing the remaining eight candidates. Each of the remaining eight candidates that correctly identified which light painting represented them would increase the amount that the reconstruction of photos would earn for their part of the assignment.
The eight remaining candidates had to divide themselves into three groups and each group had memorize one of three Pietro Marubi photos within a room of the Marubi National Museum of Photography. In 30 minutes, each photo had to be recreated using any items they could find or obtain around Shkodër. Prior to the assignment, the Mole selected which items or stylistic elements had to be in candidate’s recreation of the three photos. For each selected item or element deemed present in the recreations, the group could earn up to €225 based on how many of the eight candidates correctly identified themselves in the light paintings.
€800.- was earned for the pot.