Mark - Season 5

[CrossingGuard]

Hmmm... that's really interesting. That person has a really good eye.

But don't you think that's a little too spoiler-ish to be posted in a person's individual thread? Maybe it's more appropriate in the "Hidden Clues" thread or the spoiler thread.

[Google]

 

[KashatheDiva]

Originally Posted by ShanSlam

This post from michele0214 on the ABC boards intrigued me:

"In the Robinson Crusoe game when the teams were bringing items to the appraisers someone was holding what looked like a box. The camera zoomed in very quicky on the so called box. I freezed the pictured and noticed it said "Trinks Brunsviga". I googled this and found out that it was a GERMAN company that made old calculators. In the beginning of the show when Jon Kelley was talking about the falls he mentioned that "GERMAN tourists fell to their death at the falls". Hmm I think there is definately a tie in somewhere!"

The German element was even puntuated by Jon Kelley saying the tourists went "KAPUT!"

So, being a person who believes Mark (Lambrecht) is the Mole, I did a search on his last name on Ancestry.com and found this out - Lambrecht is a staunch German surname with 184 of the 284 instances of Lambrecht's immigrating to America (using public records as the source) coming from Germany. The other possibilities are Preussen (53), DenMark (18), Russia (14), Mecklenburg (9) and Bavaria (6).

Apparently in Chile, the German connection is strong, particularly in the south, where in the mid-1800's a mass immigration occurred. Then of course, Argentina was notoriously a place where the high level Nazi's went to hide out from the Allies after WWII. So, we might see more of this German connection as time goes by.

I know that there is a precedent from the Mole producers to make a pun (or some such clever wordplay) on a person's name (eg Anderson serving MickeyD's to the Mole2 players for dinner in reference to Bill "McDaniels") so it suddenly dawned on me that maybe this is a play on Mark's name - German = Deutsch + Mark = Deutsch Mark! (which, by the way, went "kaput" itself in 1999 when Germany started using the Euro as it's currency.)

The challenge was inspired by German tourists going over the falls...and Mark is a tourist (of German ancestry) who also went over the falls grabbing at some currency.

It seems to fit. Too bad we have to wait 9 more episodes to find out for sure.

Now this could be a very good clue!

[mbcrowder]

This guy annoys the heck out of me. Can't decide if I want him or Bobby to leave first...

[ShanSlam]

I just came across this interview with Mark from May of 2007. Mark Lambrecht

He describes what it was like to be a big winner on Press Your Luck and some other shows he tried out for or was on, too. Most interesting is that he says he was an "aspiring actor" in college. Maybe that is where he learned to cry on cue.

--------------------------
Mark Lambrecht was a contestant on Press Your Luck, winning a bunch of cash, including a Mediterranean Cruise, the most expensive space on the board in the mid 1980s!
I received a notification about Mark from the Peter Tomarken Shrine group moderator at Yahoo! Groups, as I am the assistant moderator. I looked over the letter Mark had sent. Because his e-mail was also embedded in the e-mail box, I decided to send him a message and see if he would like to have a contestant interview for the website. This is what I had learned:
1. Before you made your appearance on Press Your Luck, what were you doing to keep yourself organized (like, a job and what-not)?
As of my taping, I was a 19 year old college student, working part time at private pre-school, with acting aspirations, but no clear direction in my life at all.

2. What was the tryout process like in your view? What all did you have to do?
The tryout consisted of a written exam to weed out about 3/4 of the prospects, a mock up of the game played for the general contestant coordinators to weed out the rest and then a more elaborate mock up of the game for the final say coordinators/producers. I actually still remember the last question, which allowed me to win my round in the audition.

3. When you got notified that you'd be on the show, what was your reaction?
I was walking to work (I had no car at the time) and my mother drove up in our yellow Pinto station wagon and told me they had called. I was ecstatic and jumped in the car so she could take me home so I could call them back

4. We all know that Peter Tomarken was an awesome host for the show, and that Rod Roddy was a great announcer. Did you get to speak to any of them at anytime off-camera? If so, what was it like meeting them?
I did not really see or speak to Rod at all. Those of us who had the good fortune to play had limited access to Mr. Tomarken during and just after taping. He was friendly, genuine, energetic, charismatic and seemed like someone I would love to just hang with.Even though I was just a kid, he shook my hand, complimented me and seemed like he was actually paying attention.....if that makes sense.

5.Tell us about the crew of Press Your Luck. What were they like?
The crew that we worked with were all women and were amazing. They were like kindergarten teachers for adults. They were patient and encouraging and caring and...everything. The woman I worked with directly reminded me of Penny Marshall and she was so cool. She called me and offered me a job as a gameshow pilot contestant after PYL, but I opted not t do it.

6. We all know that everyone wanted to win on Press Your Luck, much like every game show contestant destined on any show wants to win. But as for your opponents that you faced, did you get to speak to any of them off-camera? If so, what were they like?
This is where my age at the time will show and is something I regret. I remember almost NOTHING about my opponents except who they were and that I wanted to beat them. I do remember not minding losing to Vern because he was cool and thinking that if I lost to the tennis instructor, who disturbingly looked like Peter North beat me I would kill myself.

7. As I had read the letter you had send to the Shrine moderator (Pamela Parrish), you had gone three entire games. What all did you win?
I won around $21,000.00 prizes and $15,000.00 cash. I won a Mediterranean cruise, a motorcycle, a blackjack table, a VCR, a trip to London and other prizes. I bought an '85 Mustang with part of the cash.

8. How did it feel to be a winner after your first and second games?
Surreal. It was like being in a dream. I was so thankful that I didn't even mind losing the last game. I tend to be VERY competitive, but can't stomach being greedy.

9. What kind of strategies did you have in mind as you were playing the game?
Answer as many questions right as I could and go into the board with as many spins as possible. Spins=Power...period. From there take and pass spins strategically.

10. I know there was a "Mark" in 1984 who appeared after Michael Larsen, getting the big bucks spot on a pattern as they were changing the pattern. Was that you?
No, my show aired in April of 1985, although we did get a severe Larson "indoctrination" before we were allowed to play.

11. When you had gotten home knowing you were a winner anyways, what were your friends and family saying?
Family were very excited and proud. My French instructor thought it was the coolest thing every. Most of my friends were jealous. A girl that I had dated a few times and had blown me off actually called me and asked me out (Icouldn't make that up). I went home and watched a movie with my folks and was so mentally exhausted that I fell asleep pretty quickly and my father told me that while I was sleeping on the floor I shouted "Fifty Thousand Dollars!!" I guess dreams are always a little better than reality.

12. I know you probably did hear about the death of Peter and Rod, of course a 3-year deficit in-between the time of their deaths. When you heard of the news, how did it make you feel?
A little weird. A little old.

13. Knowing there are other fun shows out there, did you try out for anything else?
I was a winning contestant on Weakest Link in 2001. I was also a contestant on a short lived show called Now You See It with Chuck Henry in 1989. My brother and I were in the final 100 to be on the first Amazing Race but were not selected. My mother and I tried out for Parent-Child Wheel of Fortune. They didn't like me but took her to play solo (she didn't win, hah!).

14. In your words, what would you suggest to people who wish to try out for those shows that air today?
If you really WANT to....DO IT!!! Many hobbies cost money, applying to and being selected for game shows MAKES money. Don't be ashamed either....It's fun, It's competitive, It's positive. And you get to be on T.V. !

[misskitty]

I think that Mark is the mole. I think his strategy of working so hard to make money for the pot has tricked everyone into thinking he couldn't be the mole. And Mark just stood by and watched all the possibilities swirl around everyone else. What with his little book of truths and frustrations, Mark didn't need to botch up anything. Someone else was always there to do it for him. And Mark could question the moves of the others without suspicion.

Now that, is a smart mole.

[KinmokuPrincess]

i think Mark is the mole too, ever since the first challenge or was it the second? the one where they had to get items from the beach from whatever time era...he flies under the radar which really puts him for suspicion for me.

[CrossingGuard]

As the mole, you have to pick and choose which challenges to sabotage. If he's the mole, then he doesn't know which challenges to pick. The "Grapes of Cache" mission was $70,000, and Mark pretty much singlehandedly won that mission for the group. Now that's a lot of money. I think that's the biggest amount of money the group has won at one mission.

I don't know, if I was the mole, I personally would have sabotaged that mission. Not only was there a lot of money, but Mark had the best position to throw the mission (he was on the treadmill). He could have suddenly stopped running and blamed it on being tired.

[KashatheDiva]

Originally Posted by CrossingGuard

As the mole, you have to pick and choose which challenges to sabotage. If he's the mole, then he doesn't know which challenges to pick. The "Grapes of Cache" mission was $70,000, and Mark pretty much singlehandedly won that mission for the group. Now that's a lot of money. I think that's the biggest amount of money the group has won at one mission.

I don't know, if I was the mole, I personally would have sabotaged that mission. Not only was there a lot of money, but Mark had the best position to throw the mission (he was on the treadmill). He could have suddenly stopped running and blamed it on being tired.

Mark also could have not offered up some of the correct answers and let Nicole and Craig go with some of their wrong answers to waste time and exert him so that he eventually had to give up with the tread mill. There was so much room for Mark to innocuously allow sabotage in that mission without him doing a thing and pushing the blame on others.

[shoepie]

Originally Posted by CrossingGuard

As the mole, you have to pick and choose which challenges to sabotage. If he's the mole, then he doesn't know which challenges to pick. The "Grapes of Cache" mission was $70,000, and Mark pretty much singlehandedly won that mission for the group. Now that's a lot of money. I think that's the biggest amount of money the group has won at one mission.

I don't know, if I was the mole, I personally would have sabotaged that mission. Not only was there a lot of money, but Mark had the best position to throw the mission (he was on the treadmill). He could have suddenly stopped running and blamed it on being tired.

I have a hunch production chooses which challenges the mole is to sabotage. They have a show and reputation at stake. It would be foolish to leave such huge decisions to a player who cannot really see the overview as clearly. The creators have a vision and they are there driving the train. They understand the balance of sabotage vs winning pot money. They want to insure the mole does not tip his hand inadvertantly. The editors keep the viewers in the dark enough to be surprised in the end.

I have come to believe that Mark is the mole.