Kriti Mehrotra
With Netflix’s ‘The Mole’ being a reboot that lives up to the incredible reputation of its original eponymous ABC competition series, we get a true insight into the complexities of human nature. After all, in the hopes of bagging a hefty cash prize, the aim of the game is for the players to complete a set of complex challenges while also trying to uncover the saboteur in their company. Lies, deception, suspicion, and paranoia thus take center stage — so now, if you wish to learn whether season 1’s Kesi Neblett served as a mere contender or an imposter, we’ve got you covered.
Kesi: Academic Intellect or Masterful Mole?
Kesi honestly stepped foot onto the Australian terrain quite confident in her abilities despite admittedly not being quick on her feet or the greatest of liars owing to her sheer academic intelligence. “I’m a computer analyst,” the Kentucky native said during her introduction to the world. “I’m a critical thinker. Not only is that going to help me find the mole, but it’s also going to help me win the prize pot.” However, although she’s self-aware, the one thing she strangely failed to consider is the fact her quiet, subtle personality would make her one of the top prospects for the mole itself.
Yes, Kesi has earned money for the group alongside her teams, yet it has never been too significant, direct, or even as much as she has lost along the way through mistakes and bad decisions. While her efforts throughout the first three missions (the cargo rescue, prison break, as well as code search) were largely unfaultable, things changed once everyone arrived at the Great Barrier Reef. She didn’t look at the dossier with information on her fellow players because $10,000 were on the line, but she did somehow miss seeing the essential, bright dinghy during the ensuing treasure hunt.
As if this isn’t enough, Kesi was appointed a “critical thinker” for the bank heist that followed — a title she’d already given herself — and the mission failed so spectacularly no money was added to the pot. The strangest part? She’s a computer analyst, yet she wasn’t even able to decode K Midas to King Midas (from Greek mythology), G Locks to Goldilocks, and L. Dorado to the mythical city of gold. Then there’s the fact she could not get a hold of the money bag during the train mail delivery challenge despite having the undeniable advantage of long arms as well as a grabbing stick.
We also can not skip over the way Kesi volunteered to take a back seat when a mission required somebody to stay behind — she basically fitted herself in the neutral category without qualms. She did have $10,000 in her backpack for this task – something the mole definitely knew – meaning this specific amount (out of $30,000) was lost before the group even began their endeavor. The New York resident’s subsequent decision to take an elimination exemption card and leave the others to spend the night in a cold warehouse (after giving a half-smirk) didn’t help her case either.
Kesi’s insistence on following what would’ve turned out to be the wrong path for Avori Henderson’s Sydney-wide hide-and-seek Bird Cage challenge was also a subtlely wrong move on her part. That’s why Joi Schweitzer (the other primary suspect for the mole) called her out at a group dinner, just for the 27-year-old to essentially flip the tables on her as a part of her defense. “We’ve been playing this game for a while,” Kesi said. “It’s interesting to see who always throws shade… who’s so concerned about diverting attention in different directions.” Thus, of course, Kesi could definitely be the mole.
