Of the many reality TV shows on Netflix, The Circle is very buzzworthy and people have a long list of questions about the reality show that has made a huge impact on the pop culture world.
Fans wonder how the U.S. show differs from the U.K. one and what being a contestant is like, and most of all, they talk about how easy the show is to binge-watch.
How do fans really feel about The Circle? Let's take a look at what some people who are tuning into this "social experiment" are saying.
Can't Stop Watching
The best kind of reality television show is one that is made for binge-watching, and this seems to be exactly why people love The Circle so much. People want to know the story of how the show began and when fans find out that others are watching it, they can't help but want to discuss and dish.
Many fans shared in a Reddit thread that they find it hard to stop watching The Circle.
One fan wrote, "The show is trash, but I’m really enjoying it" and another said, "I can't stop watching." Another viewer was surprised by how much they liked it: "I never would have looked twice at the show, but now I am hooked. Couldn't get enough and now watching the UK version on youtube."
There are many reasons why people are obsessing over The Circle and the setting seems to be a big contender. In an interview with TV Line, Deleesa St. Agathe, who appeared on the show's second season, explained more about being in the apartments. She said that they filmed for a month or five weeks but it's hard to know the exact time.
Deleesa explained, “We didn’t have calendars or phones or anything. In the apartments, there are lights everywhere, so it could be 2 o’clock in the morning, and they’re telling us it’s 9 am, and we’re like, ‘OK!’ We don’t know. It was like walking in a dream that we didn’t control.”
The Catfishing
One of the most interesting parts of The Circle is the fact that people can catfish each other. If the contestants were true to themselves, the entertainment value of the show might not be that high.
Some viewers discussing the show on Reddit also brought up the catfishing part of the series, as this has really stood out to them.
One fan wrote, "Definitely more interesting than what you see at face value. I'll be interested to see if they will be able to sniff out the catfish and who will win."
Another fan started a thread on Reddit to talk about the catfishing that some players do on the app. They made a good point: that when some people pretend to be someone else on the app, they are still "genuine" in some ways as they're not acting like the total opposite of their real personalities.
Another viewer shared that they love the catfishing aspect of The Circle and said it would be pretty boring without that. This is another smart point, as it does add some mystery.
Not A Fan
While there are many people who have gotten heavily invested in The Circle, not everyone feels that way.
After watching both the Brazil and U.S. versions, a viewer posted in a Reddit thread that they thought the Brazil show was superior. They don't like watching the contestants send messages to one another as they don't find it that exciting.
Many fans of the franchise share this sentiment as they like the other versions better. One fan replied that it's possible that the "game" is played better on the non-U.S. versions: they explained, "I feel like most everyone who likes the US Circle liked it because it was the first season they watched and didn’t have the context of the other seasons to see how the 'game' should’ve been played."
Several fans enjoy the France version, too, and mention that there is more "strategy" there. It seems like this makes it a more entertaining show to watch, since viewers can figure out how everyone is playing the game and who can win.
According to Decider.com, there is a lot to love about the France version: the finale episode was 38 minutes, compared to much longer finales in the other versions. The publication also mentions that the last ratings for the contestants are part of the finale of the France show, whereas the U.S. one finishes those earlier.
For those who have watched every season of The Circle that is available so far, the game is fascinating and the contestants are a lot of fun to watch, and it's fascinating to hear how people really feel about it.