Pop-Culturalist.com

Hannah Burns and Muna Abdulahi emerged as two of the most memorable competitors on the latest season of The Mole, showcasing their wit, charm, and ingenuity as they navigated their way to the end of the game.

The Mole is an unpredictable, high-stakes competition series hosted by journalist Ari Shapiro. In this version, twelve players work together in challenges to add money to a pot that only one of them will win at the end. Among the players is one person who has secretly been designated “the Mole” and tasked with sabotaging the group’s money-making efforts. In the end, one player will outlast their competition and expose the Mole to win the prize pot.

Pop Culturalist had the privilege of speaking with Hannah and Muna about their strategies going into the game, how they adapted along the way, the significance of representation, and much more.

Please note: This interview contains spoilers.

PC: Hannah, you started a coalition with Jen and Tony very early on in the game. How much information were you sharing with each other? How did their eliminations influence your own game?
Hannah: Their answers may differ from mine, but I feel like we were sharing everything. Maybe they don’t feel the same way. [laughs] But at that point, we were telling each other everything we could. That’s one of the benefits of a coalition.

If we all made it to the end, then we would just compete against one another. It’s like the Hunger Games—you can share information, and it doesn’t really put you at risk until you get closer to the end. At that point, it’s probably better to keep some information to yourself.

Jen’s elimination probably helped me the most because we had completely different opinions on who the Mole was at that time. It was the first day. Tony and I were all in on Michael, but Jen was convinced it was Andy. That helped.

When Tony went home, I knew he had voted for Michael. That didn’t necessarily help me because, by then, everyone was voting for Michael. So I was like, “Does he not know enough?” It wasn’t enough to rule out Michael.

PC: Muna, you made your mom and community so proud, and you shared on social media the importance of representation, especially in media, and how not seeing it affected you. What does it mean to you to know that, for so many, this may be the first time they see themselves represented on screen—and done so brilliantly through your game?
Muna: Thank you. The truth is, it has meant the world to me. Not seeing yourself represented on TV—and when we are, it’s often as extras or distant supporting characters—sends the message that we aren’t important or worthy of taking up space. I knew the moment I was cast that I was going to be the main character, and I was determined to show up fully, without compromise, and compete from beginning to end. That was going to be my story.

This was the first time I’ve seen hijabi women represented on reality TV, and I wasn’t prepared for how much of a healing experience it would be for my inner child to watch it back. For the first time, we got to see someone on a show who wore the hijab, but that wasn’t the end of the story. There was also a big personality, wit, intelligence, goals, and passion. The responses from young girls who have been watching, sending me messages about how much it’s meant to them to see themselves represented, and hearing how their whole families have been watching together—it all means so much to me. There really aren’t words to describe it.

PC: You both had quite a journey throughout the game. Early on, it felt like you were each playing for survival and focusing on your individual strategies, but as the game progressed, your focus shifted more towards the team. Do you know what that turning point was for each of you?
Hannah: When Q left, I realized that nobody was going to add money to the pot and that everyone was sabotaging. He was pretty much the only person who was trying to add money in every mission. He wasn’t trying to sabotage any missions. Neither was Deanna, but she was injured, so I was like, “Is she really injured or is she sabotaging?” [laughs] Q was actively trying to add to the pot though. When he left, I realized, “Wow, I could be at the end of this thing with $0 and win nothing.” If I was going to win, there needed to be something in the pot.

I realized that it doesn’t matter if you’re throwing suspicion on yourself or not. At the end of the day, it’s about how well you do on the quizzes. At that point, I was done sabotaging and trying to throw suspicion on myself. I was more focused on getting 100% on the quiz and adding money to the pot.

Muna: In the beginning, I noticed many players at the front actively adding money to the pot, which gave me the opportunity to keep my cards close to my chest and make myself suspicious to throw people off during the quiz, allowing me to advance with little repercussion. However, you could see a slow transition where those players also began to think more about self-preservation, and it reached a point where we were losing too much money.

The turning point was Q’s return. I needed him to continue adding money to the pot while I played suspicious and kept my cards close to my chest. But after his departure, I had to genuinely ask myself if I was willing to continue playing suspiciously and risk winning a low pot, or if I should start adding money to the pot and bet on myself to do well on the quiz. I chose to trust myself, trust who I believed the Mole was, and believe I could get to the end without sabotaging.

PC: Before each mission, the Mole is given information about the upcoming challenge to find the most optimal place to sabotage. How much did the choice of who volunteered for each role in a mission impact your strategy and approach to the quiz?
Muna: Tremendously. I would actively put myself in the mindset of the Mole and choose teams in missions based on where I thought the Mole would be most effective, so I could observe the sabotage firsthand. As a result, I often found myself on the same team as the Mole in those crucial early missions, like the raft team and the gala back room, which set me on the right track to identify the Mole.

Hannah: The only person who volunteered for everything was Neesh, so that didn’t help me at all because I knew he wasn’t the Mole. He was the only person who literally volunteered for every single thing and always wanted to be in charge. I knew he wasn’t the Mole and was just doing it for screen time. [laughs] So I didn’t really care. That didn’t help me at all. Sean didn’t necessarily volunteer for anything when he was the leader. We volunteered him, so it wasn’t his decision.

PC: Hannah, hindsight is 20/20, but I feel like anyone who saw Sean’s video had a massive advantage from that point on. What impact do you think seeing that video would have had on your game?
Hannah: I started to suspect Sean when he lied to Q when he came back because up until that point, I didn’t think he could lie. I actually called him out during the fortune cookie mission for being a bad liar. I didn’t realize he could be deceptive, and he definitely fooled me. But after that, I began to suspect him more. He was definitely on my suspect list.

If I had seen his video, he would have moved much higher on my list. Learning that information about him would have been incredibly helpful because at that point, I wasn’t focusing on details like his birthplace or the color of his car since I wasn’t seriously considering him. Seeing the video would have changed that.

PC: Muna, the gameplay was on another level this season, and no offense to Sean, but there was a lot of self-sabotage in pursuit of exemptions. What’s your take on exemptions as players in the game? Were there too many? Should there be fewer?
Muna: As a player, there will always be a logical reason to fight for an exemption, as it’s the only way to guarantee your safety 100%. The intriguing part is the dilemma of how much of the prize pot each player is willing to sacrifice. In the early stages, losing money feels less significant because there’s so much more game left to play and more opportunities to earn it back. However, by mid-season, seeing the full pot taken is heart-wrenching because it means all the work from half the season was for nothing.

I think it would be fun to change things up and explore exemptions with different consequences that aren’t tied to the money pot but instead impact relationships, information, living conditions, etc. A fun example from the old Mole seasons was when the person who was disliked the most got an exemption!

PC: Hannah, you were also up for that final exemption. How surprised were you that the group voted for you, especially given your willingness to burn the pot in Episode 2? What ultimately led you to stay with the money, knowing that there was a double elimination that night?
Hannah: At that point, my only goal was to add money to the pot. I was extremely confident that I wasn’t going to go home. I knew there was a 50/50 chance with the double elimination, but I was confident it wouldn’t be me. It was a risk, but one I was willing to take because I figured if I had gone home that night, then I was completely wrong, and I wouldn’t have figured it out anyway. If I didn’t go home, then I just added $20,000 to the pot, making it the highest it had ever been. The team would trust me, and I’d be nominated for more missions. I didn’t care much about being a leader, but I did care about being in a position where the Mole couldn’t sabotage the pot as much as I could potentially add to it.

PC: You were both such fan favorites. Is another reality competition series something you’d consider? If so, what type of competition would you want to take part in?
Hannah: I would love to stick with Netflix because everything about this entire production and experience has been a dream come true. It’s been such a blessing and has changed my life in so many ways. I know that Netflix has a bunch of other competition and reality shows. I would also love to compete in an All-Star season and go up against other people who have done competition series because it’ll be harder and more strategic.

Muna: Thank you! Losing by just two questions has only made me more eager for a win. I love social competition series, and whatever challenge comes my way, I know I have the skills to succeed. I have my eyes on a couple of series that I know I’d be perfect for, and if they call, I’ll definitely pick up the phone!

Make sure to follow Hannah (Instagram) and Muna (Instagram). Watch Season 2 of The Mole on Netflix today.

Photo Credit: Bonnie Yap/Netflix