Episode 5

The Andes were brutal.  Without steaming heads, snow or frosted breath, it's
hard to convey the temperature ... but it was really, really cold.  Needless
to say, we were all really invested in the "All for One" outcome.  If the
players hit a impasse and chose to stay all night, most of us would've had
to stay as well.  It's amazing how freezing temps and chains can help
facilitate compromise.

Then, of course, we had the infamous lemon incident.  Wow.  Let me say that
Clay absolutely deconstructed Paul in that van.  No question.  I used to
practice law and Clay's method was the direct consequence of his training.   
Just like soldiers, lawyers are trained to take someone's arguments, find
flaws and dismantle them.  Clay zeroed right in on Paul's insecurities and
exploited them, i.e. his lack of higher education.  Paul responded in kind
with claims of hypocrisy and questions about Clay's moral character.  And
things just went from there...

For me, this fight was one of the high points of the game.  Ultimately, The
Mole is about getting inside someone else's head.  It's a chess match and
these were two fierce competitors tussling over mental supremacy.  Once Clay
threw the lemon, however, I'd say he lost some cool points.  Of course, Paul
had thrown money at him first so I suppose they were even...

When we finally arrived in Mendoza, it was a sight for sore eyes.  Wine,
sunshine, breezy linen, casinos and tree-lined cobblestone streets.  Known
as the Napa valley of South America, Mendoza's reputation is truly
well-deserved.  If you happen to be in the area – you MUST check out Francis
Mallman's 1884 (ranked #7 in the world’s top ten restaurants).  It was
amazing.

After the lemonhead fracas, when "Travelers" rolled around, the players were
still pretty testy.  We'd gone from sub-Arctic conditions to resplendent sun
and 90 degree temperatures.  Throw in some scuba gear, a donkey and a llama
suit and things were bound to get heated.

At least the tension lead to one of my favorite quotes of the game so far:

"I'm not going to be an ass in an ass."  Nice!

Congratulations, Paul.  You’re now officially neck and neck with Bobby's
"You Suck at Life" in my Quote of the Season contest.

As far as the players' revolt, there was something poetic about it happening
at the foot of the Cerro de la Gloria ... since it's a monument celebrating
independence from the Spanish Empire.   Either way, it was exciting to see
the players completely flip the script.  It just goes to show you that you
never know what to expect in this game.  From flying lemons to revolutions,
things can change in an instant.  Even kind-hearted Craig got caught up in
the fever when he transformed into a ruthless "transpo captain" during
Travelers.  Maybe he was just channeling the spirit of the tyrannical
Spanish conquistadors...

Clearly, the stakes were getting much higher.  There was almost a palpable
sense of panic amongst the players.  Everyone was desperately looking for an
edge, of any kind, over the others.  Craig was gunning for the exemption.   
Paul and Clay were trying to get each other kicked out of the van (if not
the show!).  Even Kristen thought she'd try a novel strategy: going straight
down the line for one person on the quiz instead of playing the odds.

Oops.  Her decision to go all in obviously was a bust.  So that leaves us
with Nicole as the last woman standing.  Interesting.  Verrry interesting...