The Circle is not just any reality TV show — to answer the rhetorical question above. It is a reality TV game show which I didn’t know I would like. This has been the most recent show that I have binged on Netflix.

There is a high price of $100,000 that only one player can win. Players stoop to all lows to get that cash prize. The objective of the game is to build friendships via The Circle – the show’s version of a social media site. In the show, players are placed in an apartment building. They each get an apartment to themselves where they are being recorded all hours of the day. All players are neighbors to one another unknowingly. They have TVs placed into all rooms so that players can have access to The Circle at all times.

Players have an opportunity to either be themselves or portray someone else, otherwise known as a catfish. I personally don’t like the catfish, and I’m already rooting against them.

Those who make the most “friends” are most likely to get rated higher by the other players and can become an “influencer.” I put quotes around friends, for there is LOTS of backstabbing going around. Those who have the influencer position have power — kind of like the real world. Specifically, the said influencer has the power to block another player from The Circle, thus, sending them home. The most intense part is when a player gets blocked, they have the ability to go visit any other member in the game before going home. Yikes for the catfish because there have been times when they were exposed by the blocked player in the goodbye video; calling the catfish fake causes the other players to turn against them. The goodbye videos are something that the blocked players leave behind revealing who they are and their advice for the others. The catfish have also been revealed in their own goodbye videos, for their face shown doesn’t match their profile picture. It’s quite funny to see the other players’ reactions.

This game is not just about blocking though. There are activities within the game that shows who are your real friends or a sham. It also proves who is most true to themselves as they say they are. Personally, this is my favorite part because things really hit the fan in this portion of the game.

Something that is odd to me is that individuals on this show actually fall in love with other players not knowing if the other person are who they say they are. Could never be me.

Towards the end of the game, there is a final of 5 players, and they get to meet one another and have dinner. At this dinner, the catfish are revealed if they made it to the final 5, and it is exciting because this is the first time the players are meeting face to face. In the reunion, all players including those who were blocked get to meet each other in person, and this is where the one winner of the $100,000 gets disclosed. Overall, I give this show an 8.5 out of 10, and I can’t wait for more episodes.