Bisexual Chaos Reigns on “The Circle” Season 5

After his elimination from The Circle Singles, Tom Houghton went to meet “Jennifer,” the 51 year-old dog trainer with whom he’d been aligned for most of the game. After getting over the shock of the Circle mom being a catfish, helmed by previously eliminated contestants Brett and Xanthi, they all settled in and acknowledged the conventional wisdom.

“It’s, hands down, Chaz winning this game right now,” Xanthi conceded, as Brett nodded in agreement. It didn’t feel far-fetched, it felt inevitable: after all, Chaz had been voted an influencer in four out of five votes. He was as universally beloved as Frank Grimsley, last season’s winner. Even though “Jennifer” was still competing, they seemed resigned to the fates.

“Chaz is gonna win,” Tom admitted. “It’s undeniable.”

But this is The Circle where conventional wisdom is tossed out the window and bisexual chaos reigns… and, in a spectacular upset, Sam Carmona, the bisexual freelance make-up artist, took home the crown. The win seemed improbable: the Brooklyn native started at the bottom of the show’s first ratings and had only been voted an influencer once. Sam wasn’t supposed to win — even she didn’t think she would — but she did!

“I literally remember holding onto [Chaz’s] hand…head down, and I’m just chanting to him…’I’m so proud of you, I’m so proud of you,’ saying it over and over. Because I genuinely did not know,” she told Entertainment Weekly. With tears streaming down her face in the finale, Sam promised to use her winnings to help her family, including moving her asthmatic grandmother out of public housing.

As the TV Team’s Resident Bisexual, one might assume that I was #TeamSam from the start but, in all honesty, I was not. This season of The Circle featured so many people of color, so many queer folks, so many compelling personalities that it made it hard to pick favorites. Ultimately, Sam climbed to the top of my personal rankings — for reasons I’ll explain momentarily — but let’s revisit all the characters of The Circle Singles…

Circle, take me to my ratings…

11. Shubham Goel, 26 – Playing as “Sasha,” a 23-year-old blogger (Eliminated in Episode 8)

There are a lot of people who watch The Circle who find Shubham’s schtick to be very endearing but I am not one of them. I should’ve taken more joy in watching him flail around as a catfish but he was so bad at it, it was almost painful to watch. He seemed to believe that being a catfish meant forgoing “genuine” connections and, instead, opted for really aggressive gameplay that turned everyone off.

I’d actually hoped we’d get a more mature version of Shooby this time around, after he expressed excitement about a cultural kinship with his catfish personality, but NOPE. Same ol’ Shubham. Was I even a little surprised he turn his back on Bruno? Nope. Was I shocked he gave the hacking power to Jennifer? Not in the least bit. If whiteness abounds, Shubham is going to rush to be near it.

10. Brett Robinson, 28, and Xanthi Perdikomatis, 25 – Played as themselves and then were resurrected as “Jennifer,” a 51 year-old dog trainer (Finished 5th)

I’m lumping Brett and Xanthi together because we got so little time to get to know them individually in the Circle because they were the first contestants that were blocked. That blocking felt merciful when it came to Brett who, even in just a few minutes of screentime, fully revealed himself to be the douchebag he admitted to being (granted, he said “lovable douchebag,” but honestly, there’s no such thing). Thankfully for most of Brett’s stay, the ever cheerful Xanthi was there to make him more palatable.

What’s interesting to me about their partnership, though? When Brett and Xanthi initially scoped each other’s profiles, there seemed to be, at least, a physical attraction between them. But when they were actually partnered up in the same apartment? Absolutely nothing. No flirting, no signs of a hook-up, no romance… nothing. It feels like something must’ve happened and I want all the tea.

9. Billie-Jean Blackett, 25 – Playing as “Bruno”, her ex (Eliminated in Episode 6)

There’s always one… every season there’s a contestant on The Circle who tries so hard to stay under the radar that they miss the opportunity to forge genuine connections within the group. It’s a habit that is particularly common with catfish who are so worried about being exposed that they’re reticient to engage at all. That was Billie-Jean this season. She was there for six episodes and I barely remember a thing about her or Bruno.

That said, coming on the show as your ex? Ballsy. Personally, I feel like if a lesbian did this on a future season, they’d make it to the finals.

8. Brian Clark, 47 – Playing as his daughter, “Brittney” (Eliminated in Episode 4)

Listen, if you’re going to go on The Circle as an older player, don’t try and catfish as a younger person. Just don’t do it. Maybe you’ll get lucky and find success like Lee (as River) from season two but more than likely, you’ll end up sounding like Steve Buscemi in that episode of 30 Rock… “how do you do, fellow kids?” Don’t do that to yourself.

Brian seemed like a pretty affable guy but catfishing as his daughter just was not the move. He did make me wonder: could a “Circle Dad” succeed on this show in the way “Circle Moms” have?

7. Marvin Achi, 27 (Eliminated in Episode 11)

Aside from hiding his career, Marvin played as himself on The Circle… but also Marvin played himself on The Circle. The “personal trainer”/chemical engineer came into the game and made a strong romantic connection to Raven. But you know the “distracted boyfriend” meme? That was Marvin once “Tamira” stepped into the Circle.

I am not entirely sure how Marvin thought he was going to get away with flirting aggressively with both women in a game built on social interaction. Of course the girls were gonna talk and of course his treachery was going to be exposed.

Congratulations, Marvin, you played yourself… right out of a chance to win $100k.

6. Tom Houghton, 36 (Eliminated in Episode 12)

Listen, let’s be honest here: am I going to be in a rush to cheer on a cis, straight, white man on The Circle? And a Blue Blood, at that? Definitely not. However, as far as cis, white, straight men go, I liked Tom. Did he form predictable alliances? Of course. Is he probably #TeamWilliam in real life? Yep. But I really appreciated the humor that Tom brought to the Circle.

That said, I also appreciated that Chaz called him out for using that humor to deflect from having to build genuine emotional connections with others. It spurned Tom to open up in the game but, more importantly, he seemed legitimately changed by the interaction. Yay for one more emotionally competent cis, straight, white man in the world!

5. Oliver Twixt, 26 (Eliminated in Episode 13)

There have been a couple occasions where contestants on The Circle come onto the show with reputations that precede them — usually from other reality shows like Brett’s run on Big Brother — but I usually don’t know them (the Spice Girls notwithstanding, of course). But when Oliver Twixt stepped into the Circle, I was like, “OH MY GOD! I know him!” Oliver brought to the Circle exactly what you’d expect if you’ve followed his career: pure joy.

But while I love Oliver, it was never clear what his strategy was to advance in the game, aside from getting close to Chaz. Though, in his defense, I’m not sure the show really knows what to do with players who enter the game late: four of the five winners of The Circle have been part of the cast on day one. Somehow, the show’s going to have to tinker with its format to create a more equitable game.

Also, if you’ve got some time to spare: Oliver’s recap of this season’s first four episodes with Circle alum, Chris Sapphire, is a gay ol’ time.

4. Tasia Lesley, 28 – Playing as “Tamira”, a 22-year-old cosmetologist (Finished 4th)

Upon meeting Tasia, I had flashbacks to season one of The Circle: back when Karyn, a black butch lesbian, catfished as the 27-year-old bisexual “Mercedeze.” That ended in disaster and, after being introduced to “Tamira,” I thought, “oh, God, here we go again.”

But Tasia — a self-described “hardcore lesbian” — proved to be a bit more savvy than Karyn had been. She successfully avoided the pitfalls of a make-up conversation with Sam. She was able to sculpt Tamira’s favorite feature for a contest (“I know what boobs look like,” she’d later proclaim). And, perhaps most importantly, when it came to Marvin, she told the absolute truth at the perfect moment, cementing herself as someone trustworthy in the game.

I wish we’d gotten to see more of Tasia in the game…the more she showed of herself, the more I wanted to spend time with her.

3. Raven Sutton, 26, and her interpreter, Paris (Finished 3rd)

From the opening episode, Raven was my absolute favorite…#1 on my personal rankings each and every week. Y’all know I’m all about representation so when she came in door and introduced herself as #DeafAF and said that she wanted to represent for the deaf community, I was sold. She had an incredible energy about her and I was charmed from the very beginning. I loved her and her interpreter, Paris. Twerking for self-care? Girl, say less.

But here’s where Raven lost me: there’s always a point in the game where things shift, where contestants have to look beyond alliances, and start thinking about what they can do to best position themselves to win. For Raven, her point came in Episode 10 when she, as an influencer, pushed to vote out Marvin over “Jennifer” and she missed the moment.

I understood Raven’s frustration: she’d developed a relationship with Marvin, saved him in the game, and then discovered he was a fuckboy. I understand why she’d want him out. But that was her moment to make the choice that was best for her game, not for her personally, and she didn’t do it. Whatever her misgivings about Marvin, Raven had to know that he was going to rate her highly, especially in an effort to make amends. Don’t get rid of him when he’s finally useful!

A lesson to future Circle players: secure the bag first.

(Side note: There’s a 100% chance Paris comes back to The Circle as a catfish in a future season, right?)

2. Chaz Lawery, 28 (Finished 2nd)

Chaz! AKA Shampoo Papi AKA “gusband”…everyone’s favorite player on The Circle. He was a genuine source of light and positivity for the entire season who, going into the finale felt like a shoo-in to capture the crown. But the crazy thing about the Circle is that final ratings don’t usually favor the most popular player: only once has the person who’s been voted influencer most often gone on to win the game.

But here’s where Chaz messed up: in the penultimate episode, Chaz was voted the Secret Super Influencer, giving him the sole responsibility to boot the last person from the game. This was his moment, just like Raven, to think about what would be the best choice for his game…and, just like Raven, Chaz made the wrong choice! He should’ve kept Oliver in the game, trusting that his Circle boo would’ve rated him highly.

It’s clear that Chaz and Raven both wanted to play this game with their hearts which… I mean… that’s really touching. But what that isn’t is a strategy to win $100,000 which is the whole point of this thing.

1. Sam Carmona, 34 (THE WINNER!)

There was always something about Sam…she had all the swagger of a 90s era b-girl and I absolutely loved it. She was so fun: always ready with the perfect quip and her reactions were priceless.

But here’s where Sam jumped to the top of my personal ratings: following Shubham’s elimination, he passed on the power of the hack to his ally, Jennifer. “She” used this power to pose as Chaz in a conversation with his “wifey,” Sam, in an effort to turn Sam against Tamira. But queer girls are nothing if not great detectives so eventually Sam started to put the pieces together. She realized that her conversations had been hacked and that Jennifer was the likely culprit. Watching her piece together the details of the mystery was a highlight of the season for me…and that’s when she secured her spot as my #CircleFave.

Though Sam was rightly incensed about the violation of privacy, she didn’t allow that to control her game. She accepted Raven’s push to block Marvin over Jennifer, however begrudgingly, and that move probably secured the bag. I’m thrilled for her win and hope that this isn’t the last we’ll see of Sam Carmona.

“The Circle” Is Here With Bisexual Chaos — and Spice Girls!

Spoilers below for The Circle Season 4!

🚨 ALERT! 🚨 ALERT! 🚨 Everyone’s favorite pandemic obsession is back. The social media driven reality show, The Circle returned for its fourth season earlier this month and, once again, it’s given us plenty to talk about.

If you’ve, somehow, missed the show’s first three seasons, let’s explain how it works: The Circle features a group of contestants who move into the same apartment building and live in, almost, complete isolation. Their only tool to interact with each other is a custom-made social media-style app called the Circle which lets them chat and share images and a profile with the other contestants. Sometimes, the player at the other end of the chat is truly themselves; other times, they’re pretending to be someone else. But The Circle isn’t just about sliding into someone else’s DMs, it’s a competition. Contestants are regularly rated and subsequently blocked by the game’s most popular players. Last year Drew aptly described it as “Big Brother by way of Instagram.”

The new season has brought a slew of new twists and turns and introduced us to out lesbian influencer/ former Harlem Globetrotter, Crissa Jackson. But is the show still the “bisexual chaos” that we all loved from the first season? We gathered our own #CircleFam to talk all about it.

There are gay things to talk about in this season of The Circle but we’d be remiss if we didn’t start with this: THE SPICE GIRLS WERE IN THE CIRCLE! Melanie Brown and Emma Bunton (AKA Scary Spice and Baby Spice) joined The Circle as a catfish: Jared, a children’s book author. What was your reaction to their inclusion in the show’s fourth season? How do you think they did as a catfish?

Riese: I appreciated the additional Bisexual Representation provided by Mel B and it was cute to see their friendship and yes I did spend some time wondering if they were sleeping in the same bed before realizing they probably weren’t, which was sad. They were terrible at catfishing!

Shelli: LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING — as someone who watches Spice World on a monthly basis, I was WILDLY happy about this. The Spice Girls were a huge part of my childhood, like, they were my intro into Britpop (Steps, S Club 7, 5ive, Cleopatra and many others followed swiftly after) but they were like my version of The Supremes. I love putting them in there because The Circle plays on nostalgia because they know their audience. Last year we had the *NSYNC moment so why not. I also think they did great as a catfish! They caught themselves so many times when they were going to say things that could get them caught up, like using the word “we” and I’d like to think my screaming at the TV helped that.

Meg: I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I knew next to nothing about the Spice Girls before this season of The Circle, but I can now confidently say that I would die for Mel B.

Lily: Don’t forget to include Mel B’s dog, Cookie! Now, I’m not a huge Spice Girls fan (although I will belt out “2 Become 1” on occasion), but I was thrilled to have them there. Are they bad at catfishing? Absolutely. Would I see them attempt catfishing again because it’s so goddamn funny? Absolutely.

Natalie: When the UK version invited a celebrity, they got Richard Madeley, a well-known morning show host… so needless to say, getting the Spice Girls on the American version is a vast improvement. I loved having them on the show. I loved watching them interact with each other and deciding what to say.

That said, it was kinda weird that the other contestants were able to add more money to the final prize by not guessing that Mel and Emma were playing as Jared? I thought the ones who guessed correctly that he was a catfish should’ve won the extra money, not the ones who were fooled.

KaeLyn: We seem to almost unilaterally agree that they struggled with catfishing and playing the game. That said, most of the catfishes are bad at catfishing. I would be bad at catfishing. I’d like to commend Mel and Emma for throwing suspicion off of themselves and onto Alyssa and Rachel when everyone was trying to root them out. That was brilliant. I just loved watching them. They made The Circle extra wholesome and fun. I loved watching Mel curl up at the bottom of Emma’s bed for nightly debriefs, listening to them attempt to land American slang, watching them fall over laughing trying to keep up with Alyssa’s flirting, and they were obvs having a delightful time. I’m so glad they never had to be Influencers as Jared. They’re so kind-hearted; I think it would have broken them!

The Spice Girls were the first, but not the last, of the twists the show has thrown in this season to make things a bit more unpredictable. What’s your opinion of this year’s twists and how would you compare them to past seasons? Do they make you more interested in the season or less?

Shelli: I loved the way they did the sort of ladder style savings when the cyber attacked happened. It gave everybody a chance to show who they were close with, and revealed some of their motives that may not have been clear to others through the show. Like, I could not believe when Yu-Ling saved Rachel because I for sure thought she was going to save Alyssa!

It fucked me up actually!

Meg: That saving chain was so fascinating to watch! It was so interesting to watch people having to make such a difficult, public decision in real time, and to see who panicked and who stayed calm. I also really liked having the two new players each get their own private party, because I always feel like the latecomers are at such an extreme disadvantage. It felt like a cool way to let them build relationships immediately instead of just throwing them into the deep end. The identity theft twist last season was so stressful and I really hated it, so I’m hoping that we won’t see a repeat of that one in these final episodes.

Natalie: Oh gosh, Meg, same! The identity theft twist last season was awful and I hated it. I’m so glad that it didn’t become a regular thing.

I still don’t know how to feel about the saving chain. Like, on the one hand, it was great drama, right? To give everyone the opportunity to be an influencer, in real time. And, to think, it could’ve been more dramatic: the editing makes the decisions look like they happened relatively quickly but, according to an article I read, Bru’s final decision took 45 minutes. Can you even imagine agonizing over your fate in the game for that long?

But, at the same time, it felt like having to show your cards in the middle of the game… and gave a crucial advantage to the newer players.

Okay, time to bring on the gay: in last season’s roundtable about The Circle, Shelli said, “It would be great if a Black queer babe comes on and is a horrible person because that is the type of chaos I would like to see.” It seems like part of Shelli’s wish was granted with Crissa’s addition to the #CircleFam. What’d you think about Crissa and her gameplay?

Riese: She told so many balls jokes so early in the game and I didn’t enjoy that. After that, she really didn’t make much of an impression?

Shelli: Firstly, I think this means they should have a little Circle aftershow and EYE SHOULD BE THEE HOSTESS WITH THEE MOSTEST! And secondly, I loved it lol. Like, Crissa was very much herself but just like Riese said, didn’t make a lasting impression. If it weren’t for Frank trying to keep her in I think she would have went home far sooner.

I think she was playing it safe which is wild because like, it can be to your advantage OR your detriment — you literally never know in The Circle.

Lily: I kinda wish she stayed longer! She had a lot of charm and the only thing that phased me was the fact that she didn’t know what a memoir was. Also her fit at the 90s party was EVERYTHING.

Natalie: I agree with y’all… Crissa didn’t make that much of an impression. She’d participate when she had to but never really initiated anything on her own. Alyssa kept saying that she was a threat and I was like, “how?!”

That said, was her elimination the turning point in the game? Absolutely. It seemed like Yu Ling didn’t really want to eliminate her and Alyssa pushed her into it. Then Yu Ling has to go deliver the elimination news in person and Crissa tells Yu Ling that she ought to align with Frank… and then Yu Ling switches her whole game up. That’s when the #throuple died.

KaeLyn: I really liked Crissa once she got all the balls jokes out of her season. I was so annoyed about the balls jokes. Be better. But she never found her footing in the game. I remember in the promos for the season, she was saying she was going to be the “mom” of the circle, but Carol literally nabbed that role immediately and played it aggressively. I think it was probably her time to go, but wish she’d been better at the game! When there’s one Black lesbian and a whole bunch of straight white guys, it just feels like there’s a lot riding on the one diversity pick, you know?

Are you surprised that this show isn’t gayer? Why do you think there are so many straights on a show that began as utter “bisexual chaos?”

Shelli: I actually don’t know, I think it is pretty queer this season but it is like a very lowkey queer? I know there are lotsa queer characters but they just aren’t focusing on that aspect of who they are. I think it’s been proven that when there are all queer seasons of a reality show (I’m looking at you Are You The One) that it is far more interesting and fun. If they did this with The Circle, made it very obviously mad gay, it would be FUCKING INCREDIBLE.

Like, imagine the mess, the shade, the flirting, all of the tomfoolery!! And the amount of cool celebs they could bring on to catfish — imagine Lil’ Nas X on the fucking Circle… like, WHAT?!

Natalie: Oh, I’d love to see Lil’ Nas X come in and cause absolute chaos on a season of The Circle!

Lily: I’m pretty sure it’s been said in the past, but the energy of the show feels queer alone. Perpetual screaming on a virtual landscape? That’s gay. Like Shelli said, the contestants’ sexualities aren’t the main focus but an all queer cast would be a dream.

Natalie: That’s a good point, Lily. I guess we were just spoiled in that first season where everyone was kinda flirting with everyone and it felt like an intrinsic part of the game. I mean, a girl who walks around with a vulva pillow and she’s not even a little gay?

I guess I’ll have to depend on Lovestruck High or the forthcoming all-queer season of The Ultimatum for the gay chaos I’m after.

KaeLyn: Maybe my bi-dar is off, but I feel like Alyssa and Yu Ling are both maybe… not straight? There was a moment where I was shipping them, obviously not anymore. But yeah, the flirting is very het and that’s… less fun than in seasons past where there were several queer players or a lot of people gender-swapping as catfishes.

Oh, that brings up maybe the most contentious moment in the show so far: Yu Ling’s decision to give the antivirus software to Rachel instead of Alyssa. Yu Ling took the blame for Alyssa’s elimination even though other people, including Nathan and Bru, had a chance to save her but didn’t. What’d you make of that situation? Who do you really think is at fault?

KaeLyn: That data breach/cyber attack/antivirus situation was wild. I didn’t like how Alyssa and Bru turned on Yu Ling. Bru totally had the opportunity to save Alyssa and he decided not to and Yu Ling did, yes, the same thing, except she was earlier on in the chain. Bru literally blocked Alyssa and someone he comes out the good guy? No. I’m not buying it. All that said, Yu Ling has been a terrible ally. First she agreed to blocking Crissa, like WTF. So I’m not a Yu Ling sympathizer, either. I just didn’t like that Alyssa decided Bru was off the hook. He literally had the power to save her. He was the deciding player!

Natalie: You know, I really liked Alyssa and (albeit to a lesser extent) Bru, right up until this moment in the season (I’d never liked John/Mama Carol so his shady shenanigans didn’t surprise me)… but seeing the way they went after Yu Ling had me absolutely heated. It was so fucked up to watch Alyssa, Bru and John go after her like that. Everyone chose not to save Alyssa. Everyone! Why is Yu Ling taking the blame for something everyone did? Bru’s complaining that Yu Ling didn’t stay loyal to her alliance but he didn’t either! It was PEAK, PEAK white privilege.

And everything that Alyssa’s said about her blocking, both now and after the show, still has me looking at her sideways. Girl, just own that you had a crush on this goofy white man and you were more than willing to throw this Asian woman under the bus to get closer to him.

Ugh, I’m still so mad about it.

There are an interesting group of characters on The Circle this season. Who are your favorites? If you were cast on this season, who do you think you’d try to form an alliance with and why?

Shelli: Rachel is my number one right now and Frank is right after. Rachel just came in with this dope energy and she feels like one of us and I dunno but like, not to be weird — her picture is also the hottest and she is kinda flashing her ass in it lol. Also, she gives me Vanessa vibes (like, our Vanessa) and I love V so lol idk.

I would pick Frank and Crissa, honestly. I just want all the niggas to stick together as best as they can for as long as it’s worth it every season. Like, yeah there is the possibility that someone is catfishing but — my goodness — I think you would have to be brave as fuck to do that! And outside of that, I’d have a side alliance with Rachel!

Natalie: Frank is my absolute favorite. I know Alex keeps trying to throw salt in his game but Frank’s been 100% himself since he walked in the door.

KaeLyn: Frank is my #1. He’s just being real and I think that’s why he’s doing so well. I also like Rachel a lot for similar reasons and I need her to talk more about her paranormal investigator life. I’m really drawn to Yu Ling as a character because she’s got that bisexual chaos energy that I just love, but I’m annoyed AF with her right now. She keeps throwing people under the bus. (Justice for Crissa!!!) But if I could, like, go to brunch with her and Frank, that’d be so much fun.

Who do you think wins this season of The Circle? Is there anyone you definitely do not want to win?

Shelli: I got a funny feeling it’s gonna be Frank, he has been cruising and also hasn’t shown us yet what we can do and I think he is about to let loose. NATHAN CANNOT WIN AT ALL!

Meg: No idea who wins, but I just really hope it isn’t Nathan.

Lily: Nathan winning would be my villain origin story. But I have my bets on either Frank or Yu Ling.

Natalie: It’s always so hard to guess the winner because everyone tries to be strategic in their voting and it tends to doom the favorites. I want Frank to win but I’d be okay with Yu Ling or Rachel winning as well. I’d be disappointed if Nathan or Eversen won at this point.

KaeLyn: I have no idea but I think Rachel and Frank and Yu Ling all have a very good chance. That could all turn around in the finale, though! This is The Circle, after all! I just really, really, really hope it isn’t Nathan. I think we’re all in agreement about that!

Season 4 of The Circle is now available to binge on Netflix. The season finale of drops on Netflix at 12AM PDT.

“The Circle” Season 3: If Your Quarantine Life Was Suddenly a Game Show

Spoilers below for The Circle Season 3! 

Hello, it is me, Heather Hogan the Autostraddle TV Team Editor, here to ask questions about Netflix’s reality game show social media experiment The Circle, which I have never seen, but which I have read a lot about because so many of our writers and readers love it so much. The debut season, which aired all the way back in January 2020, was referred to by our TV Team as “bisexual chaos” and “the best mess I have seen in a minute” and “intensely relatable.” Sadly, season two featured no queers. But now season three has arrived! And: queers! I’m going to be honest with you and say that I don’t actually have a handle on who is queer, and who is pretending to be a person who was pretending to be a different person when the show started, or who even on this show IS a person. I think that’s intentional? I saw someone on Twitter describe an interaction this season as “a gay man catfishing as a bisexual woman talking to a lesbian woman catfishing as a straight woman.” Which sounds also like a plot on Glee? ANYWAY, let us speak now to some experts.

Hello, and welcome back, Circleheads! Everyone please describe The Circle in one sentence.

Shelli: A show where you are encouraged to live alone and lie to win 100,000 very taxable dollars.

Drew: Big Brother by way of Instagram.

Natalie: It’s basically if your quarantine life was suddenly a game show.

Riese: Working from home with co-workers you’ve never met in real life, but with prizes.

Meg: Attempting to balance authentic community building with effortless lying, in the hopes of winning a life-changing amount of money.

KaeLyn: A remote office virtual retreat teambuilder gone terribly wrong.

Okay, so, are there actually queer women/non-binary humans on this season of The Circle for real? If so, can you please tell me what you think of them?

Shelli: Yes! There is Sophia who is queer, who is pretending to be her sister who is straight but apparently one hell of an ally. I fuck with Sophia, she’s cute and gay and wears matching PJ’s to bed so I’m into it. I like how she’s playing the game so far, she could be smarter with her catfish radar but I’m for the lesbian agenda so I hope she makes it far.

Drew: I don’t mind Sophia except that she’s on the wrong side of the alliance as far as I’m concerned. I hate Nick and am rooting for Kai and I just think it’s interesting that Sophia looked at the players in this game and decided Nick was her guy. I get it might be a product of being her sister and wanting to flirt, but The Circle is social media so I’m going to project some personal feelings onto it. Let’s just say it’s very revealing this cis white lesbian decided a cis straight white guy was her go-to.

Natalie: As Shelli and Drew mentioned, we’ve got Sophia and we have Ashley, being played by her gay best friend, Matthew, who was a lesbian, until Nick flirted with her, and then she became bisexual to help her advance in the game. [Editor’s note: WHAT?!] I thought it was cute when Sophia said that she had to be careful not to flirt with Ashley while playing the game. But, honestly, I’m not a fan of Sophia’s for exactly the reason that Drew’s hit on… there’s something unsettling about schisms that form in a group with all the white people on one side and all the people of color on the other… and no one seems bothered by it?

It’s been interesting to watch The Circle as I read about this season of Big Brother, wherein the people of color all got together and formed this airtight alliance (affectionately known as “the Cookout”) to ensure a Black winner… and it spurned cries of “reverse racism.” Meanwhile all the whites on The Circle align and we’re like, “oh, must be a day that ends in Y.”

Meg: I was really excited when Daniel, Sophia, and Matthew all seemed eager to own their queerness in the game — but as Drew and Natalie have already mentioned, I’ve also been super uncomfortable with the white queer folks seeming to team up against anyone of color. We’re seeing the dynamics that so often play out in real life manifest within this weird, insulated little microcosm on-screen, and while it’s uncomfortable, it does really demonstrate how easy it is for this to happen. But the fact that none of them are aware of it, or troubled by it, or call it out in any way? The fact that they consistently align themselves with straight white people, like Nick? I absolutely hate it.

KaeLyn: Not much to add to what folks said above. I really wanted to like Sophia when she first appeared, but her choices in allies are too predictably disappointing. Ok, but I do crack up when she flirts with Nick as a straight woman and is so incredibly uncomfortable and cringey and Nick just eats it up.

In that first season, all of y’all were in love with Sammie and Natalie was afraid she was a Miranda. Who are we identifying with / crushing on / hoping not to be this season?

Drew: I’m not crushing on anyone like I was Sammie in season one or DeLeesa in season two. But I’m rooting for Kai because I identify with how she’s playing the game. She’s genuine and thoughtful but she’s also a game player. It’s not the insidiousness of Nick but it’s still strategic and I like that.

Natalie: Yeah, I don’t really feel the connection to the contestants this season that I had to those in the first or even the second. Like Drew, I’m cheering for Kai but I think that’s more because I’ve grown to dislike Nick so much and she feels like his greatest adversary. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, you know?

As for the contestant that I’m hoping not to be? Daniel. Definitely Daniel. I’m trying to give the kid some grace because he’s only 20 but GOOD LORD… why does he feel like he needs to tell everyone he’s a virgin every five minutes?

Riese: Agree, I don’t have a favorite like I’ve had in previous seasons, but if I had to choose it would be Kai, and as Drew mentioned earlier in this roundtable, Sophia is cool and I wanna root for the lesbian but she’s very much on the wrong side of the alliance! I’d be down with Ruksana or James winning. I am perpetually frustrated by the success of “Jackson,” like get that girl off the show already and replace her with someone I like better!!! But Kai’s days feel very numbered.

Meg: I’m absolutely team Kai/Ruksana, but the fact that all the white queers are against them has me feeling like neither of them are going to make it to the end.

KaeLyn: No surprise here, I’m rooting for Kai or Ruksana, but I think Kai is just too damn good at the game and has a target on her back because of it. Ruksana is the so, so cool and sweet and I would love for her to win, but she doesn’t seem to be connecting as much with the other players so I feel like she’s going to be in the middle for a while, but will go quickly after Kai is eliminated. I would love to be very wrong about Kai!

How does this season compare to that first one, in terms of the structure of the show and your enjoyment of it? Cause on other shows, people get better at the games the more the seasons go on, right? Like if you make it on The Amazing Race at this point and are too scared of heights to complete a challenge, buddy! What are you doing! Is that the case here?

Drew: The first season was great just for the novelty of it and the second season was great because I felt so invested in DeLeesa. But what this season offers — in addition to some new twists — is it’s the most strategy that’s ever been deployed. I’d say I’m probably enjoying this season the least but maybe that’s just because some of the strategizers are really bad at it.

Natalie: The longer The Circle goes on, the more people believe that you can strategize your way through it, instead of building genuine connections with others. Part of strategizing means that you don’t even really care who’s a catfish and who isn’t (when, in the past, authenticity was really your cache on The Circle). So you’ll have Rachel/Jackson do something that brightly shines a light on them being a catfish…or Matthew/Ashley switch from lesbian to bisexual…and no one really cares? That’s taken some of the fun out of the game.

Riese: They do keep adding new twists, I think to prevent people from getting too strategic, but also sometimes everybody is so stupid I just want to scream! The Real vs. Fake Michelle thing was handled so profoundly incorrectly by every party involved, including Real Michelle visiting her imposters after getting booted instead of a player who could spread news of their mistake to the group, thus actually getting her imposters out of the game. This season has been interesting in its way, but the racial breakdown of the alliances is … unsettling? Nobody is really forming genuine connections with each other in the way I loved in previous seasons — Calvin and Kai were an interesting story but he was Gone Too Soon.

Meg: I don’t mind people being more openly strategic — it does feel like part of the game at this point. But my favorite piece of the show has become watching people that are playing themselves form genuine connections, both romantic and platonic, and twists like the Michelle clone or the endless obsession with rooting out catfish that take away from those authentic relationships are grating on me more than they have in past seasons.

KaeLyn: The new twists in the gameplay are a lot of fun and force some shake-up moments among the cast that are interesting! Everyone on this season thinks they’re master strategists, but few of them are actually good at it. I definitely think there’s a season three vibe — the newness has worn off and the people on the show are very clearly looking for the fifteen minutes of fame above all else. So far there are many alliances, but not many real connections. That said, I’m still having a lot of fun watching along!

Would you go on this show? And if so, what would be your strategy?

Shelli: Yes. Yes the hell I would. I would def be myself and my only strategy would be to make it up and meet folks as I go along. On the first few days tho I would try to at least have a private chat with everyone where I say something wild crazy because what won’t happen to me is what happened to Orange Michelle — I REFUSE to go out like that!

Natalie: Poor Orange Michelle. I’m still so mad about the cloning thing and Michelle’s premature elimination? I’d seen that as part of the British edition of The Circle but I was completely unprepared to see it happen to this genteel 52-year-old Southern woman. It was brutal. I definitely found myself yelling at my screen: hoping that she’d remember that early chat she’d had with Kai, Matthew/Ashley and Calvin that could help prove her identity.

Drew: I would LOVE to be on the show. And like Shelli my strategy would just be being myself. BUT that doesn’t mean there wouldn’t be some tact. I’d definitely be aware of numbers and other alliances as well as not making too many waves. I think my downfall would be that I’m not very good at bullshit and if someone I virtually met two days ago started calling me her big sister I’d be a little like… okay I don’t know about THAT.

Natalie: I absolutely would not go on this show… because while I think I’d excel at the mental aspect of the game — basically, figuring out who the catfish are and assessing all the alliances — I know I’d suck at the social aspects of the game.

KaeLyn: I don’t want the minor league level of celebrity that comes with being on reality shows in my life. Assuming that I could control for that, would I enjoy being on this kind of competition? TOTALLY. I’d go as myself and I’d try to make personal connections with everyone as soon as possible, but avoid forming strong alliances. My strategy would be to try to stay on good terms with everyone and ride it out in the middle for the first half of the competition, then come out as the dark horse once some of the more aggressive players eliminate each other.

Here’s a question: do you think you could pull off a catfish? And, if so, who would you go in as? One of the most interesting facets of the show, for me at least, is seeing how people reconcile their choice of catfish profile. Last season, you had DeLeesa as Trevor… a single father… because she thought that the profile would appeal more to folks and because women are unfairly criticized on social media. This season you’ve got Matthew coming in as Ashley (first as a lesbian, then as a bisexual) and Sophia playing as her older sister… to capture the attention of the male contestants.

Drew: I think it would make for interesting television to play exactly as myself BUT be a cis woman. I hope my conclusion would be similar to Sean’s in season one though and I’d be like “Being yourself is better!” That said I would not reveal it midway like she did because I’m way too competitive to ruin my game like that. lol

Meg: No fucking way.

Riese: I would not because I hate being on camera and have a pretty thin skin for being analyzed by The Entire Internet. But if I HAD to I wouldn’t be myself because I’m not very likable. I would definitely catfish as Heather Hogan and I would win because I would be so nervous about living up to her image that I’d do a great job. Actually no I wouldn’t win, I’d amass enough goodwill to enable somebody else to win who deserves it more than me, just like HH would do!! [Editor’s note:😂]

KaeLyn: It would be more strategic to go as a catfish than as myself, as a fat queer Asian woman. I definitely would be cast as the funny fattie, but I don’t think I couldn’t handle a catfish. I’d rather try to win people over with my “genuine” self, but I also think that’s what would get me voted off sooner rather than later. I love the idea of being a catfish! I think I’d be like a stereotypical cute Korean girl with long hair and a strong selfie game, but I’d still be bisexual so I could flirt with anyone.

Where does this season of The Circle rank among other queer reality TV?

Shelli: Right now it’s basically at the top because there isn’t anything else that’s reality and featuring hella lesbians. I’m also invested because there is a chance that even more queer babes will make an appearance ‘cos of how the show works! It would be great if a Black queer babe comes on and is a horrible person because that is the type of chaos I would like to see.

Drew: Because Sophia isn’t playing herself and Ashley pivoted to strategic bisexuality, this season hasn’t really had any girl on girl flirting. There were straight girls in past seasons who flirted more with each other than anyone this year. Which is a real bummer! Are You the One S8 remains the very best and we deserve so much more like it.

Natalie: I stand firm in my belief that the Circle Brazil is still the best, most gayest, season… and I’m just going to keep saying that until everyone watches and begrudgingly admits that I was right all along.

Riese: Well it’s definitely better than The Real L Word.

KaeLyn: Drew, I was also thinking that I’d love a chaotic all-queer season like Are You the One Season 8! I really want some queer flirting, really. I don’t think this season feels particularly queer, even though there are three out queer people on it so far. I just want girls flirting with girls on my reality shows and there really isn’t enough of it on season three so far.

Anything else you want to talk about?

Shelli: Yeah — Fuck Nick and I Hope Kai and Calvin make a circle baby.

Drew: Shelli, you read my mind.

Natalie: So, yes, definitely… fuck Nick forever and always…but a Circle Baby from Kai and Calvin? Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope.

I mean, from where I’m sitting Calvin’s decision to give Nick the Secret Advantage just cost Kai a hundred thousand dollars. He was so enamored with her that he had to go see her after he was eliminated but he didn’t like her enough to give her an advantage in the game? He had to give it to his bro? What kind of fuckboy shit is that? Nick having that burner account gave him the opportunity to turn more of the other contestants against Kai and to get himself a spot as an influencer. Now, he’s in the hangout with Daniel — bless his heart, that boy ain’t even playing the game — and gets to eliminate one player on his own. Best case for Kai? She loses her BFF in the Circle, Ruksana. The worst case? She’s out because her Circle bae couldn’t be bothered to give her an assist in the game.

Nah, fuck that dude too. If I was Kai, I wouldn’t want Calvin anywhere around me until he ran me my check.

Meg: Natalie, I totally agree with you! I was shipping Calvin and Kai so damn hard, and was so bummed when he got blocked. Their meeting IRL was adorable, and I loved watching them realize that the bond they’d formed was real. And then he gave NICK the advantage and totally lost me. Why the hell would he do that? Was he seriously concerned that the attractive cis straight white guy needed help, after he KNEW that everyone was trying to come for his girl? I don’t get it, and Kai deserves better. I hope she wins in spite of that shit, starts hanging out with DeLeesa, and lives happily ever after.

Riese: Yeah as a rule if everybody just went into the game understanding that they should never help a white cis straight man, ever, I think we’d all be better for it. That probably goes for a lot of things.

KaeLyn: There are times that I’m rooting for people and I’m still feeling that way about Kai and Ruksana. But I have a hunch that by the end of this season, I’m going to rooting against people, as in, rooting for Anyone But Nick. Much like my vote in most major elections, I feel like this is going to come down to who sucks less.

https://youtu.be/DYhLO3uXYtY

Netflix’s “The Circle” Is The Bisexual Chaos You’re Looking For

Netflix’s new series, The Circle — a US adaptation of a UK favorite — claims to be “a social experiment and competition show.” It has also been called “Big Brother meets Catfish” and “that Black Mirror episode ‘nose dive'” where “posting cute cat videos” leads to being liked by more people and thus “to a better lifestyle.” However, Brittani Nichols affectionately referring to it “bisexual chaos” was the siren song that pulled so many members of our TV Team into its eerie embrace.

Essentially, The Circle is a show about a group of contestants who move into the same apartment building and never meet each other and are only allowed to communicate on a custom-made social media-style app where they can pretend to be anyone they want to be. Sometimes the players rate each other, and whoever has the highest ratings becomes an “influencer” and then the “influencer” can “block” people and then the “blocked” people get kicked off the show, and later reveal, via video, if they were being honest about who they are IRL.

This week, Netflix is dropping the final four episodes of season one, and so Drew and Natalie and Riese are here to talk about it.

The Circle! What, exactly, sold you on watching it? Did the phrase “bisexual chaos” factor into your decision?

Riese: I definitely first heard about it on Twitter and looked into it — honestly the premise sounded somewhat terrible, but Brittani did promise “bisexual chaos” so yes, it did factor into my decision. I think in general, “Twitter enthusiasm” is a big driver for me. The premise sounded frankly terrible, and I was annoyed at first to just watch a bunch of people talk to a screen. Then I realized they were living my life, because that’s all I do… I talk to a screen. I spend all day interacting with people I think I know — but really don’t know that well — who exist in a cloud of data in the air.

Natalie: The Circle came into my life at the perfect time: first, it dropped on Netflix during the lull between the holidays and the returns of all my favorite shows…so there wasn’t much new stuff on television. Second, I was sick so there was literally nothing else for me to do besides being sick and watch TV. I saw a lot of folks tweeting about The Circle and decided to give it a try.

Maybe it was the high from too much cough syrup but I loved the show so much that after I consumed the first four episodes, I went back and watched the entire first season of UK version.

Drew: I was intrigued when Brittani said it had “bisexual chaos” but it takes a lot for me to watch a reality show. Are You the One? season eight was the first full season of a reality show I’d watched since A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila. But then Riese told me to watch it and I trust her and also asked for the exact percentage of queerness and it was high enough to get me to watch. And I’m so glad I did, because I’m obsessed.

How does The Circle compare to your favorite queer reality TV obsession from 2019, Are You The One?

Riese: Nothing will ever compare to Are You The One? It is in a league of its own. It’s a very different style of show. However, these two shows represent the sum total of my entire experience watching reality television.

Drew: It’s not a fair comparison because AYTO was entirely queer and went on all summer and sooo many people I know were watching. However, I will say no one on AYTO was as crushable as Sammie.

What storylines or characters, in particular, do you love/love to hate?

Riese: I did really love Karyn, especially ‘cause you literally NEVER see black butch lesbians on television, and she was funny as hell! But she was not very good at playing The Circle and thus, she was removed from the program. I was like, KARYN why’d you pick a pic that looked fake? KARYN your strategy to deflect from Antonio visiting you is bad!!!

Natalie: Oh, Karyn. I really wanted her to do better in this game but I think she was doomed from the moment she chose that profile pic. It was so incompatible with her real personality that she showcased during the game that it was obvious to everyone but Antonio that she was a catfish.

That said, I loved her and want very much to be friends.

Drew: I agree. I really liked Karyn but was frustrated how she played the game. I did find it really funny that she’s so gay she couldn’t help but flirt with Sammie as Mercedeze and all of sudden Mercedeze became bicurious.

Riese: I do have a soft spot for Shuby, he’s like a baby deer.

Natalie: It’s hard not to like Shubham. He’s so adorable and I appreciate his effort to be his authentic self at all times in the game. I’m really dreading the moment when he finds out about Rebecca because even though he says they have just a brother/sister relationship, it feels like he has a little bit of a crush.

Drew: I… don’t like Shubham. I feel like he confuses “authenticity” with people being nice to him, and that’s why he’s so susceptible to Seaburn. I also think he’s sort of homophobic towards Chris? I’m just generally sensitive about nerdy guys who are really eager to get in with bro-y dudes and only like women who are intensely nice to them. I also really dislike Alex for similar reasons. One interesting thing about this show is the way it reveals how different types of men act when hiding behind a screen. I think it’s showing how – especially online – the guys we think of as jerks aren’t necessarily the most toxic!

Which leads me to Joey! Who on paper should be my actual nightmare human, but I sort of adore him? He’s so genuine and completely himself. He’s still very much that type of guy, but I don’t know I appreciate him.

Natalie: That’s a great point about Shubham, Drew. You’re 100% right.

As for Joey, I definitely thought he was going to be among my least favorite players initially — he looks like he should be a cast member on the Jersey Shore reboot — but he’s won me over.

Riese: I think Seaburn is actually hilarious, I also have no clue how he’s still hanging in there. The cramps??? What???

He's pretending to be a woman inside The Circle so now he's gotta talk about how bad his menstrual cramps are pic.twitter.com/aVOIgrm72a

— Netflix (@netflix) January 8, 2020

Natalie: Oh God…the cramps thing?! LOL.

Interestingly enough, the person who won the first season of The Circle UK was a guy who was using his girlfriend’s pictures so it’s not improbable for Seaburn to win this thing. That said, I feel like he’s made so many huge mistakes — the cramps, him asking the other girls if Chris was cute — that I’m shocked no one else has clocked him as a catfish.

The only person that’s a more obvious catfish than Seaburn is Alex… who is so ridiculously out of his depth as Adam that I cannot believe that everyone doesn’t see it.

Drew: I know I can’t actually say this with confidence, but I reeeeeally think I would know that Rebecca and Adam are catfishes. It’s just so obvious!

Riese: And of course Sammie. We all love Sammie. I would hang out with Sammie.

Natalie: I love Sammie.

But the thing about Sammie, though? She forgets that this is a game. She’s cognizant of it being a game when someone like Alex is flirting with her but when it’s Seaburn saying something that should raise her antenna, she’s oblivious. Also, I don’t know that she has a plan to actually win? I feel like Schuby, Joey and even Seaburn/Rebecca are in a tight alliance and she’s the odd person out. I need her to be more strategic going into these last few episodes.

Drew: That’s fair. But I think that might be why she’s so easy to like? She and Joey really strike me as the most authentic. Also she’s both the kindest and cutest person of the bunch so that helps. The daddy picture she posted? *swoon*

And do you know who else is really cute? Sean! I was so bummed she decided not to play as herself. Especially since her job is literally running social media for a plus size fashion company. I’m glad she’s revealing her secret to half the players, even if I think it’s probably the wrong move strategy-wise. She should’ve just played as herself from the beginning.

As the Very Online people that we are, do you feel like The Circle raises any interesting questions about our online vs. IRL lives?

Riese: The Circle is about working in a remote office. It’s wild the relationships you form with people you’ve never met. Honestly it’s a really interesting look at lives like ours where you’re pulling together a full narrative about a person from what seem to be solid clues but really aren’t. Witnessing that moment where you feel one way but say something completely different, played out by all these people who keep reading each other wrong I was like, wow, that’s my life! We are all insane, trying to do this.

Natalie: So, I hadn’t really considered this until Riese mentioned it but I guess working in our virtual office is a bit like being on The Circle… especially for me since I haven’t been to A-Camp. I just hope I’m not a Miranda.

Riese: NATALIE YOU’RE NOT A MIRANDA

Drew: I’ve found the show intensely relatable for the reasons Riese just said. I think it’s really fascinating getting to watch people think through their thought processes around their online personas. It’s like helping a friend come up with an Instagram caption times twenty.

How come bisexual reality TV went from being terrible in the early aughts to nothing for a decade to this current paradise?

Riese: I’m not sure that I would call three shows (if we’re counting Bachelor in Paradise) paradise, BUT I think it’s part of general trends around increased representation for groups that haven’t had any before. Also there’s a lot of reality TV focused media already, but when LGBTQ folks are involved, they get the bonus of being covered in media like this! I think for reality TV shows though they are 500x more interesting and complicated and dynamic with bisexual candidates? The romantic possibilities multiply instantly! Like why isn’t everybody doing it? I’m truly not sure.

Drew: I think it’s only just beginning. There really are so many untapped possibilities and as queerness becomes more and more normalized television producers are going to realize they’re missing out on so much incredible content. I’m just waiting for the day when we get an all women/non-binary dating show.

Natalie: I agree — and I think this is applicable to non-reality TV as well — at some point, there will be a pivot to telling more LGBT stories and more stories about people of color… not because these producers are interested in equality but because those are the only stories that we haven’t seen told on this stage before.

One of the things that’s shifted so much in the last two or three years in LGBTQ TV criticism is the idea that characters have to be “good” to be “good representation” — do you think that has anything to do with this current trend?

Riese: I’m not sure that producers are thinking that hard about it or ever cared in the past about whether or not their reality TV characters were good representation or not. I think maybe it’s generational — more young people are out now, and reality TV attracts younger contestants.

Drew: Yeah I don’t think it’s that conscious, but I do think this has impacted the response to these shows. I also think there’s a big difference between The Circle and Are You the One? versus Tila Tequila. Even if the queer people on these new shows are messy they’re treated with a certain amount of respect. At least as much respect as anyone on reality TV is allowed.

Natalie: I come at this idea a little differently: the thing we’ve seen, both in scripted television — like Jane the Virgin and Why Women Kill — and now with on unscripted shows, like The Circle or Are You the One, is the value of having more than one of us in the room… and how that really frees you up from having one person qualify as “good representation.” So you can have a villainous Rose because Petra exists…. or, in the case of The Circle, you have Karyn, Sammie and Miranda representing different facets of female sexuality, so the burden isn’t on any one player to be “good representation.”

Or is everyone just gay now?

Riese: Correct, everyone is gay now.

Who do you want to win? Who do you think will win?

Drew: I’m obviously rooting for Sammie and I think she has a real shot. Joey and Shubham are also likely winners in my opinion, but I really hope it’s Sammie.

I also have no idea how this game works though. When it’s down to three people how is the winner chosen? I feel like that could impact the final result.

Natalie: So I suppose the American version could have a different format but in the UK version, there was a final four and those four used the same ratings system they’d been using all season to find the most popular player.

I want Sammie to win but I feel like Joey’s going to win.

At 2:50 a.m. last night, a message from Drew:

Heather! I forgot that I did EXTENSIVE research and found out the signs of everyone on The Circle! You should put this at the end of the roundtable!

Sammie – Libra
Miranda – Pisces
Joey – Sag
Chris – Virgo
Karyn – Aquarius
Alana – Cancer
Antonio – Capricorn
Seaburn – Libra
Shubham – Leo
Alex – Aquarius
Bill – Sag
Sean – Aquarius
Ed – Leo
Tammy – Scorpio