The Circle season 5 may have just kicked off on December 28th, but out of the initial nine contestants introduced, Raven Sutton is already the player that fans and other competitors need to watch out for. The Circle, which first premiered in 2020 with Joe Sasso being voted its first winner, forces players to use their innate social skills and crafty deception tactics to remain in the competition for as long as possible. As a mix of Big Brother and Catfish, contestants on The Circle are physically separated from each other and can therefore play as themselves, other people, or anywhere in between. Naturally, this has made for some dramatic reveals and hilarious results on The Circle, depending on how well competitors are able to entice, or fool, their co-stars.
Like Netflix's other reality competitions, it didn't take long for the streaming service to announce The Circle season 5 after Frank Grimsley walked away from The Circle season 4 with $150,000 this past May. While The Circle season 5 has many of the same characteristics as its predecessors, such as several twists and turns and the return of host Michelle Buteau, the players must enter as single individuals. While the castings of Big Brother alum Brett Robinson, almost Big Brother houseguest Marvin Achi, and The Circle season 1 runner-up Shubham "Shooby" Goel immediately caught viewers' attentions, the first few episodes of The Circle season 5 prove that it's actually Raven who people should keep an eye on.
Raven's Social Game Is Unmatched On The Circle Season 5
Raven may be the first contestant who is deaf to compete on The Circle, but with a strong personality and social game to match, Raven is at anything but a disadvantage. When The Circle season 5 officially began, it didn't take long for Raven to win over her competitors, which is especially impressive considering that Raven, unlike previous unsuccessful catfish Parker Abbott, is one of the few contestants to play as herself. Despite having to compete against a variety of other standout contestants like Chaz Lawery and comedian Tom Houghton, Raven quickly gained her footing to rise in popularity, which allowed her to become the top influencer on The Circle season 5 twice in a row. Although Raven has already had to make some tough decisions on The Circle, she's already proven herself to be a worthy competitor who could easily make it to the end.
Raven May Enter A Showmance On The Circle Season 5
While Raven entered The Circle season 5 as a single woman, Raven may find herself in a showmance with Marvin by the time the competition is over, like Kai Ghost and Calvin Kiing Crooks from The Circle season 3. Raven, Marvin, and Chaz solidified a connection with a private group chat early on in the show, but it didn't take long for Raven and Marvin to gravitate towards one another. In fact, while Raven chose to save Marvin from being blocked during the first elimination of The Circle season 5, Marvin continuously referred to Raven as his "Queen." If Raven can successfully balance her social game and crush on Marvin, she could remain one of the most powerful players of The Circle season 5.
That being said, there's still a lot of competition left before a winner is crowned on The Circle season 5. Although Raven is in a good spot now, she may find herself overtaken in popularity by the eventual return of fan favorite Shubham, while there's always the possibility of her budding showmance with Marvin eventually throwing a wrench in her plans. The Circle season 5 may have just begun, but it's already shaping up to be one of the most competitive seasons yet.
The Circle season 5 is available to stream on Netflix. New episodes release January 11th.