Missing the personal drama of high school fake relationships? Check out The Circle on Netflix

Missing the personal drama of high school fake relationships? Check out The Circle on Netflix

How far would you go to be popular on social media if there were $100,000 at stake? Released the first day of the new year, the Netflix original series The Circle instantly became a hit. This series is a game and reality show proving that anyone can be anyone on social media. 

The show is so popular that Netflix recently renewed it for a second and third season; however, shooting of the second season has been put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Netflix is hoping to get the second season to subscribers in 2021.

The goal of the game is to be the most liked and the most popular whether that’s by being yourself or by catfishing. All players are put into their own apartment in the same building and not allowed to leave. They cannot see or hear each other; the only way they can communicate is through “The Circle,” a computer program which transcribes contestant’s messages into text. 

The show begins as most reality and game shows start by introducing the players. Starting with eight players, they one by one entered their new homes and start getting comfortable with “The Circle.” They all get to choose one profile picture and write a short bio when setting up their profile. Yes, there are some catfish, but you’ll have to watch to find out!

One of the most nerve racking parts of the show is the ratings, wherein contestants rate each other in various categories. The ratings happen throughout the whole show but the first one is based on looks, only without anyone even getting to know each other. All players have to rate each other on a scale of one to eight, and the players who finished first and second in the voting became the influencers. 

It is definitely a bittersweet feeling to be an influencer. Influencers do the “blocking,” or the eliminating of other contestants from the game, and they are assured safety from being “blocked.” What the influencers don’t know is it takes both of them to block a contestant to get that contestant eliminated. 

As the show progresses, it become more serious and intense. Contestants start creating close relationships with each other, some being genuinely themselves while others develop a fake persona. Throughout the show the contestants talk in group chats, private chats and also have alerts sent to them which could have many different interpretations. There is a cake decorating contest, an art contest, and even a “most likely to” contest, all designed to win each other over.

Overall, not only is the show intense and full of drama, it definitely teaches a huge lesson: never judge a book by its cover. Some came into “The Circle” being more beautiful or handsome to increase their popularity while others came in being completely themselves. No contestants know whether the others are faking or not, showing that people believe they have to be someone else in order to be liked. By the end of the show, this is definitely not the case and being true to oneself is the best option. To get to know the players, see who is a catfish, and who wins, watch The Circle because it will definitely have viewers on the edge of their seats!