SPOILER ALERT: This article will contain spoilers for Netflix’s The Circle. Read at your own discretion.
As someone who’s not a huge fan of reality TV, I was very skeptical when a friend told me I should watch Netflix’s The Circle.
The series dropped in January of 2020, and Netflix gives it the following description: “Status and strategy collide in this social experiment and competition show where online players flirt, befriend, and catfish their way toward $100,000.”
The show begins with eight contestants, each one living in his or her own apartment in one building. They’re all separated from each other; their only way to communicate is an application on a screen called “The Circle”.
“The Circle” is a voice-activated social media platform, where the contestants create profiles. The contestants have the choice to build honest profiles or catfish profiles.
Every episode, players rank each other based on likeability. The lowest-ranked player is blocked. The most popular player at the end of the show receives $100,000.
Based on the description, I still wasn’t convinced the show was going to be interesting or compelling. To me, it just sounded like another reality TV show with exaggerated personalities and fabricated drama. However, after binge-watching the first season, I must admit that I was wrong.
I’m not usually a fan of reality shows because they always seem incredibly fake, but The Circle was surprisingly easy for me to get into because all of the contestants seemed shockingly genuine. The contests are very real, which quickly becomes evident, as they share their stories and form legitimate bonds.
Every contestant puts an emphasis on being genuine. Shubham, lovingly nicknamed “Shooby” by other contestants, becomes very popular for being unapologetically himself and prioritizing honesty. Even the contestants who choose to catfish, such as Rebecca (aka Seaburn), assert that their words and sentiments are still genuine.
Furthermore, unlike a lot of reality television competitions, none of the contestants are pitted against each other. Instead, they all support each other through the experience and express kindness to one another.
Sean, a plus-sized woman who catfishes as someone thinner at first, reveals her true identity to the others, to which the other contestants respond with an abundance of love and support. The majority of players forgave her for deceiving them, expressing admiration at how much courage revealing her true identity required and reassuring her that she’s beautiful regardless. Her tearful gratitude in response to all the support she received had me feeling emotional too.
The Circle is full of tender, emotional moments like this. For example, when the contestants were all in tears after receiving video messages from their loved ones at home, expressing their support and sharing how much they missed them.
Now, I realize it’s possible that the sincerity may be a facade for views. After all, you never know what goes on behind the scenes of reality shows. But maybe it’s significant in itself that the show even feels genuine because most reality shows don’t.
While watching The Circle, I quickly became invested in each contestant’s well-being and success. The contestants seemed to express interest in each other’s well-being and success as well. Seeing all the contestants be happy for Joey, upon his win, seeing them rush to congratulate him by enveloping him in a large group hug and chanting his name was heart-warming.
I expected The Circle to be another cutthroat reality television show full of fake people and even more fake drama. Instead, I was surprised by an emotional, feel-good show. Netflix’s The Circle warns of the dangers of social media, yet also warms hearts, and I absolutely recommend watching it.