When it comes to reality TV series, none is more modern and totally fitting of today's generation than quickly becomes addicting.
That being said, there are some things about the first season that could be re-worked to improve the story for the second season. In many cases, it isn't to fix anything wrong per se, but to kick things up a notch and make things more interesting.
The Circle ended on a nice note when a fan favorite character won and several players were revealed to be genuine human beings, giving hope that communicating online isn't all fake and contrived. But there's always room for improvement.
Include Much Older Players
The first season had all young players, with the exception of one mom who was in the apartment with her young son as he played. While it was nice to see someone older represented, it was creepy to watch a young man flirt with girls and chat with potential friends while his mother listened in, and even coached him on what to say (or what not to say).
It would be great to have someone older playing on their own, pretending to be someone much younger, and even of the opposite gender. It would not only throw players for a loop, it would also be interesting to see how an older person might respond to the way younger people talk.
Have People Who Know One Another In Real Life
Imagine having two people on the show, each living in their own apartment and as part of the cast, except they don't know the other person is on the show. Naturally, both would be "catfishing" and pretending to be someone else.
Sure, season one had plenty of shocking moments. But two people who are exes who just both happened to audition for the show, long lost loves, or old friends who live in different states and don't talk much anymore would be downright mind-blowing.
Let Them Talk On The Phone As A Reward
If other reality shows like The Masked Singer have proven anything, it's that it's pretty easy to disguise someone's voice with technology. And there are plenty of gadgets and software that make this easy to do over the phone.
Rather than just have the two highest-rated people meet for an awkward dinner where they still don't get to see one another, and can only continue to talk via text, why not let them have a short phone call? Sometimes, it's tougher to lie on the phone and it would add another layer of complexity and paranoia as they try to decide if the person is indeed who they say they are.
Start With All Players
The one awkward and unfair thing about the first season is that it began with one group of players, and as a person was voted out, a new one came in. But after doing nothing but talking to one another for hours every day, the first group naturally became really close to one another. There was little chance a new player would ever last and win the game.
Instead, every player should be brought in from the get-go. Then let everyone chat in small groups of four or five, switching it up so that they all get a chance to talk to one another at different times and in different groups. It would be more difficult with so many people, but would also even the playing field and make it more challenging to make deep connections so early on.
Bring Back A Season One Player
Wouldn't it be fun if a player from season one was brought back to pretend to be someone else? They already know the ins and outs of the game as well as what to do, and what not to do, to convincingly fool others.
It could even be a twist whereby they actually do reveal their identity, but serve as a coach to other players, helping them through their feelings about others and giving their opinions.
Include More Games
Whenever they played games together in season one, it made for fun television, especially since the majority of the show consisted only of listening to the players dictate text messages to one another and reveal their inner thoughts to the camera.
More fun games will lighten the mood, and provide a chance for more rewards, like a quick phone call, or the opportunity to get one more extra detail about each player.
Have A Couple
The only two-person twist on the first season included a young man and his mother playing together. In season two, it would be fun to see a couple play together. They could take turns chatting, making sure to try and keep their stories straight. Seaburn did play on season one using his girlfriend's picture, but she wasn't physically there.
They could play as one of the two people or create a fake profile altogether that doesn't represent either of them.
Have A Villain
While the series initially sounded like it would be salacious and show how fake, immature, and narcissistic the younger generation is, it actually did just the opposite. It inspired people to have confidence in themselves and saw very unlikely friendships develop between people who might not have ever given one another a chance in the real world. It also demonstrated how easy people are to judge when preconceived notions about players after first impressions were quickly squashed.
But every reality show needs a villain, and for season two, it would definitely spice things up to have someone who is blatantly and effortlessly lying and manipulating other players.
Have A Reality Star From Another Show
Why not have a reality star from another show come in, either pretending to be someone else, or claiming to be who they really are? Will other players believe it's really them if they reveal their supposed true identity? Will they be bombarded with questions about the show they claim to have been on, or details about their season should someone be familiar with who they are (or claim to be?) and want to see if they can catch them in a lie?
It would also be interesting to see how someone from Big Brother, for example, would manage playing the game in complete solitude, which is the exact opposite of the experience on that reality show.
Viewers Vote For The Winner
It's difficult for a reality show on a streaming service like Netflix, where viewers watch at their own pace, to include audience voting. But there could be a way. Perhaps all episodes minus the finale are launched on one day, giving die-hard fans a one or two-week timeframe to watch. Then, right before the finale is made available, there's a 24-48-hour window where Netflix subscribers can vote for the winner through the platform.
That viewer vote, then, can count as one extra vote one of the finalists, which could take them over the top. It would be an interesting dynamic and a first for a reality show on a streaming platform.