It may be hard to imagine a world without social media after it's been around for so long, and it may be equally as difficult to imagine a world without reality TV. Now, thanks to the Netflix show The Circle, we live in a world where both have come together to create one awesome competition!
In The Circle, players compete to see who can be the most popular on a social media platform called Circle while interacting and meeting only through chat. Netflix gave audiences twelve episodes of this innovative show, and fans have logged onto IMDb to rank their favorites. Here are those episodes listed from worst to best:
Finale (Episode 12) - 6.9
The final episode comes in last place, and it's very different than the rest of the show. The final five contestants get to meet face to face for the first time, and Seaburn finally reveals that he is not actually Rebecca, the character he was playing using his girlfriend's photos. Later, the whole cast gets together to chat about the show before the winner reveal! Good old bro-ey Joey takes home the grand prize of $100,000.
Sliding Into DMs (Episode 5) - 7.5
Each player adds a new picture to their profile, and the others choose hashtags to describe the photo. Adam, aka Alex, is given the opportunity to chat with three ladies and pick one to have a virtual date with. He ends up picking Rebecca, aka Seaburn, after also chatting with Sammie and Mercedez, aka Karyn. He even has a giant teddy bear sent to Seaburn's room! Talk about romantic.
Hello, Circle (Episode 1) - 7.6
In the very first episode, players are introduced to Circle, the social media platform they will be using throughout the show. They get a chance to set up their profiles and have a little chat with each other.
They play an ice breaker game where they can either agree or disagree with a series of statements. Ratings are conducted for the first time, and the first player to get blocked is Alana.
Face To Face (Episode 2) - 7.7
After getting blocked, Alana visits Sammie and later posts a video reveal for the players, who get to see if she is who she said she was. The remaining players later play a guessing game in which one player at a time describes a celebrity to the others. Everyone gets rewarded with a party afterward, and a new player named Miranda secretly spies on their party group chat before she officially joins the player lineup.
Planting Doubt (Episode 4) - 7.9
Antonio gets blocked in this episode, and he visits Mercedeze, aka Karyn. He does not reveal her secret in his goodbye video, much to her relief. Everyone gets to put their sweet tooth and artistic skills to the test when supplies to decorate a cake arrive at their doors. Players are shown a picture of a cake to recreate, and then everyone votes anonymously to see whose creation is best. Later, Adam aka Alex joins the competition.
Declare Your Rival (Episode 10) - 7.9
Things are getting intense as the game gets closer to the end, and each player gets a chance to state why they should stay in the game instead of who they think their biggest rival is. Later, ratings are done, but they are not revealed.
Instead, the top-rated contestant, Joey, gets awarded the title of Super Influencer, and he has to visit the apartment of the person he wants to block. He chooses Sean.
There's A Catfish Among Us (Episode 3) - 8.0
After the party that Miranda was able to peek in on, she chooses Mercedeze, aka Karyn to have a private chat with her so that they can get to know each other more before Miranda meets everybody else. The following day, the players get to meet Miranda and then all play a game in which contestants become anonymous one at a time and get to ask another player a question. Whenever being anonymous is an option, things tend to get heated!
The Last Rating (Episode 11) - 8.0
It's almost time to graduate from The Circle, and the remaining contestants are playing a superlatives game in which a "most likely to" statement is shown, and players get to say who they believe best fits the statement. Afterward, the final ratings are voted upon, and the lowest rated player, or two, in this case, Ed and his mom Tammy, get immediately blocked. A few players received a message from home if they did not previously get one.
Anonymous Trolling (Episode 6) - 8.1
Shubham and Sammie become Influencers in this episode, and after the previous game in which several players accused Mercedeze, aka Karyn, of being a catfish, she gets blocked from The Circle.
She chooses to visit Chris and then posts her video reveal the next day in which players' inklings are proven to be right. At the end of the episode, Sean and Bill join the game.
Instant Block (Episode 9) - 8.1
Sean came onto the show using her thinner friend's photos, but she decides to reveal her true plus-size self to Sammie, Chris, and Rebecca, aka Seaburn. After, the player with the lowest rating, Bill, gets instantly blocked, and unlike every other blocked contestant, he does not get to visit someone. The Influencers then block a second player, Adam, aka Alex, who chooses to visit Rebecca/Seaburn. Sean then posts her real pictures the next day.
Picking Teams (Episode 7) - 8.2
Sean and Bill have just joined the game, and they are the team captains for the next event, a trivia game. Sean's team wins, and as a prize, the members get video messages from loved ones at home. After the ratings, Joey and Shubham become Influencers and get ready to discuss who to block. However, they are met with a twist; instead of blocking someone, they instead each choose to save two players, with the last player, Miranda, getting blocked.
The Player I'm Saving... (Episode 8) - 8.5
Miranda goes to see Joey after getting blocked, and she gets a little kiss from him! New player Ed joins The Circle with a secret sidekick - his mom, Tammy! Players then each get assigned another player of whom they must paint a portrait. They're given canvases, paints, and brushes, and then everybody shares their final creations. This is when Sean starts to wonder if she should come clean about the way she really looks.