Netflix's The Circle is a reality competition show built around competitors vying to become the number one Influencer by forming alliances, winning challenges, earning the top spots in rankings, and ultimately surviving Blockings. The show mimics a social media platform, meaning that players never see each other and must communicate exclusively through chats and posts, opening the door to catfishing, miscommunications, and betrayals.
The first season of the U.S. version of The Circle was well-received enough to get a second season. Season 2 has brought new players, different challenges, and many twists. Even before Netflix releases the final episode, season 2 has given fans plenty of things to love.
Season 1 Connection
One of the contestants that ed The Circle halfway through the season was self-proclaimed lady's man Mitchell from Pennsylvania. He immediately made an impression on fans and the other contestants before eventually being Blocked by River, who perceived Mitchell as a threat.
However, Mitchell made it clear from his introduction that he was appearing on the show to make up for the failure of his mom and brother, who competed in season 1 as the shared profile of Ed. This connection to season 1 helped bring added cohesion and interest to season 2.
Celebrity Profiles
The first season of The Circle featured average people and becoming a fan favorite contestant. On the other hand, Lance Bass turned out to be Lisa, who is the real Lance Bass' assistant.
Contestants already have a difficult time figuring out who is a catfish and who is real, so adding in this extra element of genuine and fake celebrity profiles makes the game more complicated and compelling.
Shared Profile
In season 1, the profile of Ed was played by both the actual Ed and his mother Tammy. This brought a different dynamic to the game as viewers watched Ed and Tammy make decisions together as a team. Season 2 then took this concept to a different level by introducing the John profile.
Eliminated players Lisa and Jack, who had both been playing as catfish profiles, were given the opportunity to team up and play as a shared profile named John. While Ed and Tammy were related and thus had a familiar relationship, Jack and Lisa were complete strangers. Additionally, Lisa and Jack both brought knowledge about the other players to the shared profile. This unexpected partnership was one of the season's most entertaining game-changing twists.
The Joker
After Savannah became the second player to be blocked, The Circle asked her who she thought deserved to win the competition. When she selected Courtney as the most deserving contestant, he was given access to the Inner Circle and received the title of The Joker.
He was allowed to anonymously communicate with the new players before anyone else, allowing him to influence their first impressions of the other players. Courtney used this new power perfectly and his time as The Joker had an enormous impact on the way the entire rest of the season played out.
Cameos
The second season of The Circle has successfully taken advantage of its Netflix connections, integrating celebrity cameos into the show without going overboard. After Lisa was eliminated, she promised to introduce the players to the real Lance Bass so it is possible that he will make an appearance in the finale.
Additionally, the show brought in Jonathan Van Ness from Queer Eye as a guest judge for a cosmetology-related challenge. The players were thrilled to see him and his presence and commentary brought great energy to the segment.
Feuds
One of the main reasons fans tune in to watch The Circle is for the drama and this season has more than delivered in that aspect. After initially looking like they were going to team up to form a "girl gang," Savannah and Terilisha were the first Influencers but their decisions led to an enormous fight that resulted in battle lines being drawn amongst the other contestants.
This major divide has defined the whole season and has led to complicated alliances, backstabbing, and a tremendous amount of drama.
The Challenges
The Circle season 2 featured a number of inventive and entertaining challenges that gave the players plenty of opportunities to show their skills and personalities. These included a trivia night that almost exposed Trevor as a catfish, campaign posters that made the group suspicious of River, and an award show that revealed Mitchell was in jeopardy of being Blocked.
The most entertaining challenge saw the contestants forced to use makeup and cosmetics to make a mannequin look like themselves. Emily's poor performance revealed that she was actually a catfish named Jack, while Trevor's win made the others suspect that he was actually a catfish as well.
Catfish Success
Because of the show's format, the players are constantly forced to wonder whether the person they are chatting with is real or not. This constant doubt is one of the main driving forces behind the show's drama and intrigue. The first season saw the contestants eliminate all but one catfish before the finale.
However, heading into the season 2 finale, 3 out of the 5 remaining contestants are catfish, with only Courtney and Chloe playing as themselves. This sets up an exciting final episode in which everything will be revealed and all the players will meet face to face.
Romances
While The Circle is not a dating show, there is certainly a lot of flirting that goes on between the players. In the first season, contestants Miranda and Joey even shared a kiss after she was Blocked. However, because the catfish have been so successful in season 2, the romances have been especially entertaining. Mitchell was devastated to learn that Emily, the woman he called the love of his life, was actually Jack.
Headed into the finale, Chloe has been head over heels for Trevor, who is actually Deleesa using her husband's pictures. The moment that Chloe finds out the truth is sure to be one of the highlights from the final episode.
The Contestants
Because the show is primarily built around players just chatting with one another, the contestant's personalities and likeability have a large impact on the viewing experience. Thankfully, this season has been filled with funny, popular, affable contestants that have made season 2 fun to watch.
Standouts from the season have included Chloe's comedic relief, Courtney's genius gameplay, and Lee trying to fit in with youth culture as River. It takes a big personality to make sending text messages while sitting alone on the couch entertaining but the season 2 contestants have turned it into must-watch entertainment.