‘Ten, twenty steps ahead’: How Muna Abdulahi played Netflix’s social strategic game ‘The Mole’

CATHY WURZER: Now you may remember the show in 2001 on ABC TV called The Mole, or maybe you're watching its reprise on Netflix, hosted by NPR's own Ari Shapiro. If you're not familiar, it's a reality competition where contestants work as a group to add money to a pot that only one of them will eventually win.

Among the contestants is one person who has secretly been designated the mole with a task of sabotaging the group's money-making efforts. OK, did you get all that? Season 2 is currently airing on Netflix. It features a Minnesotan. Take a listen.

MUNA ABDULAHI: Hello. When people first meet me, they see the hijab. They see a Muslim woman, somebody who follows other people's orders. And I'm going to use that to every single advantage. I am feeling so excited. Like, we are on The Mole. We're in Malaysia!

CATHY WURZER: All right. That is contestant Muna Abdulahi. She joins us right now. And I don't want to have any spoilers here. There will be no spoilers in the conversation, so do not worry. Muna, welcome.

MUNA ABDULAHI: Hi, Cathy.

CATHY WURZER: Hi, Muna.

MUNA ABDULAHI: It is so lovely to be here with you.

CATHY WURZER: Oh, my gosh. I'm so glad you took the time to do this. I cannot believe-- what an experience for you. What in the world made you want to apply to be on the show?

MUNA ABDULAHI: [LAUGHS] I mean, that's a really good question because I would say nothing in my life has led me to believe that I would end up on this show. But listen, I love The Mole, right? I watched the ABC version when it came out originally, and I just fell in love.

My family and I would watch, and we just loved the mystery. We loved the adventure. We loved that kind of like, who amongst us could possibly be lying? Could it be me? Who is it? And so, it was a thrill and adventure of a lifetime.

CATHY WURZER: So you also like shows, I bet, like Survivor, Big Brother, shows like that?

MUNA ABDULAHI: Yes, I love Survivor and Big Brother. I love just the social strategy component, how you have all these people from different walks of life coming together to play a game. And it really just-- it's like a micro version of the real world. You just have so many different people coming together.

CATHY WURZER: Right. Now, I understand during the pandemic, you took part in an online social strategy game called Sequester, which I vaguely heard about. What was that like?

MUNA ABDULAHI: I mean, I would say COVID, that lockdown, was a big part in how I even ended up on The Mole. I would say, growing up, I would watch a lot of social strategy game shows, like you just mentioned, Big Brother, Survivor. But I never saw anybody like me play these kind of games. So I never really saw it as a pathway or even as a possibility. It really was just, I was a fan, and that's pretty much it.

And then all of a sudden, during lockdown, I was online, and I got in this community, this lovely community of people who were also fans. And we just started to play games together that were similar to these shows in its own different way.

And in that experience and meeting all these people from different parts of the world and playing these games for fun, it made me realize that not only do I have the skills, but I also have the skills to potentially do incredible. And so I started to go on the path of like, hey, let's start applying. Let's do this. Let's pave our own pathway here.

CATHY WURZER: By the way, what did your friends and family think?

MUNA ABDULAHI: [LAUGHS] They were just like, what in the world? Why do you want to do this? And I mean, I've been a traveler since I was 15 years old, so I love going to different countries and learning about different cultures and connecting with locals. So that part, my family understood.

But the actual game component was definitely something that my friends and family were trying to understand. But now that they've watched it, now that it's fully out, it's definitely been a fun family and friend bonding experience for sure.

CATHY WURZER: So what skills do you bring to The Mole that have made you so successful? I mean, how have you prepped for this?

MUNA ABDULAHI: That's a good question. I would say I-- so, one, I already had the leg up of being a fan of The Mole and watching a lot of the original seasons. But I would also say, just the skills of adaptability.

Another thing I would do is I would do memory practices. And I would literally-- say, every other day, I would do some memory quizzes, just memorizing certain things, because in the quizzes, you would have to memorize all these different things about who you may think the mole is.

So that's what I would also say. Just adaptability is one of the biggest key skills you need going into this game because there's just so many unknowns. I mean, every day, you have no idea what you're walking into. And being able to adapt and strategize and be 10 steps ahead is a key component in this ever-changing game.

CATHY WURZER: I bet also-- you mentioned you are Muslim, and in the clip, you talk wearing the hijab. I bet you have learned how to really read a room well. And I'm also betting, unfortunately, I think people underestimate you. So how have you used those skills to help you out in the game?

MUNA ABDULAHI: Absolutely. I would say that being underestimated is something that I have had to navigate in the real world. And it is something where I enter into a room, and I'm the only person who looks like me. And I have to be the one who is bridging those gaps, being able to read a room, and being able to know exactly what it is about me that I can connect and bridge that gap with those around me.

And I think going into this game, it really is that ability to go into Malaysia, meet all these new people and being able to connect with them, and use this perception of who they think I am to my advantage of them perceiving me to be not a threat, not somebody who is able to-- who potentially won't be as strong as a competitor.

And really, I'm 10, 20 steps ahead. Really, I have overanalyzed everybody around me. And I know exactly what I'm going to do, going into these quizzes. And so it's definitely an advantage, going into this game.

CATHY WURZER: It's so much fun to listen to you. Oh, my gosh. So, OK, what do you think of yourself now, as you're watching yourself on Netflix? I mean, I'm betting you probably shot this thing more than a year ago, right?

MUNA ABDULAHI: Yeah, it was a year ago.

CATHY WURZER: Yeah. Wow.

MUNA ABDULAHI: I didn't expect how much of-- [LAUGHS] this is a game of, there is lying. There is deceit. There is smoke and mirrors. And so the one thing I didn't expect was how much of an inner healing experience it was to watch myself.

I think growing up, I really didn't see representation of Muslim women. And if I did, it was mostly an extra or a distant side character whose whole persona and personality is centered from beginning to end of them being Muslim. To now being able to watch myself, but being able to watch myself fully, somebody who is passionate, somebody who is intelligent and observant and is able to just move with this fiery passion to win.

And I think it was just so cool to see myself really-- I mean, as far as the edit can go, but really, a well-rounded self that is not cut down to some small version. And so it was really, really beautiful.

CATHY WURZER: Wow, it sounds like you had a lot of growth, for goodness' sakes. Now I don't want you to give anything away because I want people to watch the show.

MUNA ABDULAHI: Absolutely.

CATHY WURZER: But generally speaking, it sounds like you are pretty happy about how you did on the show.

MUNA ABDULAHI: I can't really say much.

CATHY WURZER: Ah.

MUNA ABDULAHI: But what I will say, what I will say is that I went in there wanting to do my best. And I can say that leaving, I have felt that I left nothing to regret, nothing where I felt like, ugh, I could have done this. I could have done that. I fully left it all on the field. And so for that, I'm so grateful.

CATHY WURZER: Good. Oh, good. OK, now it is streaming on Netflix. So folks who have not seen this yet, you have an opportunity to maybe binge watch the whole thing, which is good.

MUNA ABDULAHI: Yes.

CATHY WURZER: Right?

MUNA ABDULAHI: Yes.

CATHY WURZER: Oh, Muna, Muna, final quick question here-- what do you want to do going forward with this experience?

MUNA ABDULAHI: Cathy, that's a really good question. I just love-- I loved the experience. I loved all the different components that The Mole had. It had that adventure, it had that thrill, it had that mystery, and it had the ability for me to strategize and maneuver socially like a chess game.

And so, honestly, I would say, moving forward, I want to continue to push myself to try new things and continue to put myself in positions that maybe I don't have other folks who look like me, who have also paved that path, but be able to pave that path for myself. And so, yeah.

CATHY WURZER: All right. Oh, I wish I had more time with you. You're terrific and just delightful. Thank you for doing this. Best of luck.

MUNA ABDULAHI: Thank you for having me, Cathy.

CATHY WURZER: Muna Abdulahi of Minneapolis is a contestant on Season 2 of The Mole, now streaming on Netflix.