The hottest reality competition show, otherwise known as “The Circle,” has officially come to a close. With the show being released in four different increments directly to Netflix, viewers were able to stream the season finale on May 5.
Essentially, “The Circle,” which was first uploaded to Netflix in Jan. of 2020, takes eight people and places them in separate apartment rooms. The players are able to make an online profile, mirroring what they would make on social media, and are only able to communicate with each other through their profiles and the multiple TVs in their respective rooms. With this set-up, it is almost impossible to tell who is a catfish, or who is genuinely playing themselves. Further, players are given tasks, which are aimed to be a fun way to kill time. Also, individuals have to rate the other players on how much they like them. After the ratings, the two most popular players become ‘super influencers,’ and are tasked with blocking one other player. The player who is blocked is, well, blocked from the show. The show also brings in new players once others are blocked, allowing existing players to forge new alliances. By the final episode of the season, five players are left, and the viewer is able to watch these players finally meet in person for the first time. Before the players meet in person, they do their last rating. The players are then told who the winner of the show is after they have a sit-down dinner together. The winner of the game is the player whose rating averaged out to be the highest, and they are given $100,000 to take home.
In general, season 2 had much more drama than its predecessor. There were more combative alliances, whereas in season 1, it seemed as though every player was connected and truly liked each other. This season, there were two very distinct sides, and it felt as though each side really didn’t like the other. However, this made it harder for the viewer; each side had likeable players, and even though it is natural to pick favorites, it was hard to tell which player and side you liked more.
Now that you’re caught up on the rules of the game, I will take you through a short recap of the second season by listing the players in the order that they were blocked.
*Spoilers ahead
- Bryant
A 26 year-old breathing coach, Bryant was the first player to be blocked this season. However, he was playing himself and did not lie in his short time in the circle.
- Savannah
Savannah caused waves with her personality, specifically by starting a fight with Terilisha over seemingly nothing. She was the second player blocked, but was also true to herself.
- Terilisha
Terilisha was the third person blocked, as well as the third player playing herself! The main reason for her blocking was the drama that happened with Savannah, giving other players some uncertainty about her identity.
- Emily (played by Jack)
Emily was a sorority girl that 20-year old Jack went into the game as. He used pictures of a close friend from college, and overall was doing really well in the game. However, a challenge that instructed him to use makeup was his downfall. Players began to believe he was the catfish, as they couldn’t wrap their heads around the fact that a 21 year-old sorority girl didn’t know how to use foundation. Jack was also part of a double blocking, which included:
- Lance (played by Lisa)
When Lance Bass’s profile showed up on the circle TVs, players went crazy. However, viewers were not surprised when the *NSYNC artist wasn’t real. Lance Bass was played by his personal assistant of 15 years, Lisa. Because of his celebrity, many players believed he was a catfish. Yet, once Lisa and Jack were eliminated, they were given a second chance in the game. The circle assigned them a profile, which we will return to soon. Lisa also entered the game the day after Bryant was eliminated.
- Khat
Khat, a professional volleyball player, entered the game the day after Savannah was blocked. She was only there for a few days, but made a good first impression, landing her third on the rating list. However, her confidence and competitive nature led to her downfall.
- Mitchell
Mitchell entered the game the same day as Khat, and was on a mission to do better than both his brother and mother, who were featured on season 1. He was well liked, but many people believed he was a catfish mainly because he was so nice. He was eliminated the night before the finale.
- John (played by Jack and Lisa)
After being given a second chance, Jack and Lisa came back to life as John. John’s profile stated that he was a 64-year-old psychic, giving Jack and Lisa the perfect opportunity to use the information that they had learned about the other players in an effective way. With the help of two brains, Jack and Lisa were able to make John extremely believable, and very well-liked. Despite this, John wasn’t able to connect with many players on a deeper level, which essentially landed him 5th place.
- River (played by Lee)
River, played by 58-year-old author Lee, was a 24-year-old that Lee created using photos of a friend. River was very well liked by all players, even those who weren’t necessarily in his alliance. River was best friends with Courtney, and the pair made it very clear that they were each other’s number 1’s throughout the game. Regardless, this may have been Lee’s downfall, as he wasn’t able to deeply connect with many other players. He ended in 4th place.
- Courtney
Courtney, who played himself, was one of the more problematic players. He was always on board with Savannah, who was very clearly in the wrong during her blow-up, but also seemed to be using River as a shield. Regardless, he landed in 3rd place, primarily because of the rating that John and River gave him.
- Chloe
Chloe came on “The Circle” to give reality TV another shot. She was originally in “Too Hot To Handle,” but came on “The Circle” as herself. Her strategy was to flirt with the guys and stay out of the girl’s drama. While this strategy seems easy, it worked very well, and landed Chloe at the top of the rankings nearly every time. Her main story throughout the season was her falling for Trevor, who I will get to shortly. She was also aligned with both sides of the drama, giving her insight on each. Chloe was this season’s runner-up.
- Trevor (played by Deleesa)
Trevor was played by his wife, Deleesa. Deleesa felt as though she could connect with the men in the game better, and also use her husband’s look to attract some of the women into her corner. She played an almost flawless game, as she stayed out of all drama and tugged on the heart strings of multiple players by telling them she was a single father. Of course her flirting with Chloe stabbed her in the back, but only when the two met in person. Regardless, according to Instagram, the two are still good friends. Deleesa was the winner of season 2, as well as the $100,000 and has also recently announced that she and Trevor are expecting another baby girl!
This season was definitely a wild ride, and fans can expect to see more from “The Circle,” as the show has been renewed for a third season. I know I’m excited!
“The Circle” is available to stream on Netflix.
By Audrey Shaev