[funky music playing]
[Michelle] The secret is out.
We've truly spiced up our Circle lives with not one, but two living legends,
who ruled the girl band game at a time when girl bands ruled the Earth.
And while I breathe into a brown paper bag for a few minutes,
our VIPs are settling in.
[music stops]
Hey, hey, hey.
[gasps, laughs]
[woman 1] Babes!
-Oh, this is kind of nice, isn't it? -Oh my goodness, this is so cute!
[woman 2] It's quite big.
Come on, Cookie.
[woman 1] This is it!
-This is our house! -[shouting] I can't believe it!
This is our house, Cookie. You ready?
-Are you ready for this? -I'm a bit scared now.
-Yeah, I'm a bit scared now. -My heart's beating really fast.
I feel-- Is it?
No. You'll be all right.
-Hi! -Hi!
-[woman 1] I'm Emma Bunton. -[woman 2] I'm Melanie Brown.
You might know us better as Baby Spice.
And Scary Spice.
From the…
-[shouting] …Spice Girls! -Why are we shouting?
'Cause we always do that. It's just a thing.
♪ Colors of the world Spice up your life ♪
♪ Every boy and every girl Spice up your life ♪
We are coming into The Circle to spice things up a bit, don't you think?
Yeah!
-I'm a massive fan. -You're obsessed. I'm obsessed.
-So when they asked us, no-brainer! -Yeah.
-Nobody's gonna know that it's us. -Why? Tell them why.
-Because we're going in as a catfish! -…catfish!
[Mel B] We have absolutely no idea who we're gonna be playing.
-I'm just dying to know who it's gonna be. -I wanna know.
♪ Ah, slam it to the left If you're havin' a good time… ♪
[Emma] We have been lucky enough to travel the world.
We have performed in stadiums. It's been incredible.
And to be in The Circle…
We're gonna be seen in a different light, I think.
You'll be watching us 24/7.
-[Mel B] Why do you say it like that? -[Emma] Because it's true.
And she's gonna cook, 'cause I can't.
-I get a bit bossy now and again. -She's a bitch.
-Baby's a bitch. -Baby's a bitch.
-We're gonna have fun. -We're gonna have so much fun.
We can't wait to get in The Circle. Things might get a little bit spicy.
♪ Hai, si, ja Hold tight ♪
-[Mel B] Right. -[Emma] Let's do sharing is caring.
-I'm boiling. -Oh, are you? Okay.
-Yeah. Cookie will share it with you. -Come on, Cookie. You share with me.
Let's get your bangs out the way.
-She's got bangs. -She has got bangs.
[Michelle] I could watch this forever, but we gotta give 'em one of these.
[alarm blares]
"Alert!" Oh my goodness!
[both screaming]
"Today the players in The Circle rated each other for the first time."
[Emma screams]
[gasps]
"The top influencer was asked to choose a new player to join The Circle."
[Emma] "What they didn't know is that they were actually choosing…"
-"…your catfish profile!" -"…your catfish profile!"
Of course!
[Emma] "It's time to meet…"
-"…your new profile!" -"…your new profile!"
-[Emma] I can't look! -[Mel B] I can't look! I can't look!
[screen chimes]
-Oh my goodness! -Oh, Jared!
[suspenseful music playing]
A children's author.
[Emma] Wow!
He doesn't look very friendly. Looks a little bit like--
-I think he does! -I don't know.
-Looks like he's-- -He's got dimples and a cheeky smile.
-[Emma] Maybe there's another picture. -[Mel B] Can we go through his pictures?
[screen chimes]
-See, look, he looks so much friendlier… -He's so cute.
-I know. -…in all of these.
-In the Happy-- -In Chillin' and Happy.
Circle, could we look at the Happy pictures, please?
Aw! Well, let's have a look at the top left.
[screen dings]
-[Mel B] What is that? Cheese? -[Emma] Is that cheese?
I haven't got my glasses on, so it could be…
I don't know what it is.
[Emma] Back.
I think we have to go with the chicken.
The chicken could be quite good because he is an author,
a children's author.
What's a chicken got to do with children's author?
-Like chicken. Yeah. -Okay.
-Are we gonna pick this? -I think so.
Circle, please select this as our profile picture.
Winner, winner, chicken…
-…dinner! -…dinner!
[Mel B] So Relationship Status…
-Single. -Single.
[Emma] Definitely single.
About Me. [screams]
Okay.
Do you say, "Hi, guys" or is…
-Like, how would we start it off? -So, I think we start it off with--
-"I'm…" -Yeah.
Or, "Welcome to my world."
Delete, "I'm…"
"Welcome to my fun-filled world."
Yes.
I… I think we should, um…
[Mel B laughing]
Hold on. Hold on.
[Michelle] As two pop stars become one children's author,
the rest of the players,
unaware there's a celebrity catfish cruising The Circle,
are reflecting on their first ratings.
Didn't think it would end with a blue check mark.
And tomorrow, I got
the biggest decision I'm gonna have to make so far,
blocking somebody, and that's insane.
I had a big decision to make today.
I have an even bigger decision to make tomorrow.
It's about time I take my fat ass to bed.
And Circle, you need to take your ass to bed too.
[Michelle] You ain't wrong. But let's check back in to see if our Circle spices
have peppered Jared's profile with their own girl power.
-I think we should say, "I'm open…" -"…to new adventures."
"I'm open to new adventures. I never take life too seriously."
-I thought we'd be good at this. -Um. "…fun-filled world."
"I'm open to new adventures and never take life too seriously."
We've got… We're getting there, so we'll get there.
So, "A big animal lover…"
"…with a soft spot for cheese."
What are you thinking?
So I'm thinking… 'Cause smelly cheese. Could we say, "Smelly cheese"?
No. Enough of cheese.
But then what if we get asked about cheese?
-Do you know enough about cheese? -I know a little bit about cheese.
[Mel B] Let's have a look at some of the emojis.
[Emma gasps] Is there any cheese?
[Mel B] This is so random.
Exactly, I quite like that, though. I like the randomness of cheese.
-He looks quirky. He's kind of quirky. -Exactly.
[Mel B] Can you put, "I'm quirky and loyal" and then prayer hands?
-No? -Yeah.
Then it should be, "I hope to one day…"
[both] "…travel the world…"
-[Mel B] "…with the love of my life." -"Winky face." [smacks tongue]
That's nice.
[laughs] Circle, please…
-…set this… -…set this as our…
-…profile! -…profile!
[screen beeps]
Oh, please like us. Please like Jared.
Please.
[screen beeps]
[both] "Tomorrow, you will join The Circle."
-I'm ready now. I'm wide awake. -I want to do it now.
Why can't we join now?
[Emma] Oh.
"In the meantime, get some rest."
I feel like I've been sent to bed.
We are getting sent to bed.
So we definitely need to get some rest 'cause we're gonna be Jared tomorrow.
We're a children's author,
so we need to think of what our books are called.
-Oh. -How many books have we written?
-It's gonna be fine. -I think we just have to--
Take your notebook to bed, and we'll write lots of different things.
Oh, we're gonna nail this.
Come on, Cookie.
Come on, Cookie. You can help.
[Mel B] I just don't…
-[Mel B] I'm… I'm worried. -[Emma] I'm a bit worried.
[Mel B] I'm… I'm a lot worried. Here, your pillow.
[Michelle] It's okay, Scary, Baby, and your little furry friend, Cookie.
You just need some shut-eye. Anyway, what y'all worried about?
You've sold over 100 million records,
performed for royalty,
and were part of the most recognizable pop band since The Beatles.
I think y'all can handle playing a dude who writes children's books
on a game show. I swear.
♪ All that joy can bring All that joy… ♪
Good morning, Circle.
How'd you sleep? Did you miss me?
Oof. What a night. What a day.
[Michelle] Our players are waking up to the first morning in The Circle,
unaware they're within spitting distance of pop royalty.
And their catfish profile was chosen by top influencer Frank,
who, along with fellow influencer Carol, has to choose who to block tonight.
Busy boy, Frank.
I'm excited for the new person to come in
and see how their energy is and see how they vibe with everybody else.
[Emma] I thought you said you were tidy.
-[Mel B] I am. -She's left the fridge open.
Yeah, because I'm coming back.
♪ I'll give you everything On this, I swear ♪
♪ Just promise you'll always be there ♪
I'm really worried about how I've been perceived already.
I gotta open up, and be the sweeter side, and keep reinforcing that good guy image.
I'm not getting blocked.
Seventh place is--
That's the last time I'm gonna be there. [giggles]
I'm really ready to approach the day with a fresh mindset.
Like, I can unclench and, like, just… just be me.
-[birds chirping] -[Emma] Look how pretty you look! Look!
You suit me, 'cause you're pink. Look, you should sit with me like this.
-Look. How's that? -She does look good on you.
She does. She's like, "I want my mom," though.
Yeah, of course she does. Come on.
What I do for Cookie is do this vegan dye that's very natural.
Very natural, of course.
Um, we put that on about once a month, and then she just sits there.
-Oh, she loves it. -It has to be on there for 20 minutes.
And then we wash it off, don't we?
And then we give you a bit of a blow-dry,
and then she trots around the house like she's just stepped out of a salon.
She's exactly like mommy.
[alarm blares]
-"Alert! Alert!" -"Alert!"
-[laughs] That gave me a shock. -Oh my God!
[Emma] "Your time in The Circle is limited."
-Your time in The Circle is limited. -Your time.
Your time in The Circle's limited, Cookie.
-We're gonna get rid of you. -Oh.
"You are about to meet
-your fellow players." -[screams]
-Oh my gosh! Are you ready, Cookie? -Here we go. Are you ready?
[Mel B] "Your mission is to stay undetected in The Circle."
Well, yeah!
-Yes. Okay. -Jared, J.
-Yep, we're ready for this. -Yeah.
[screen beeps]
"If you succeed, you will increase the total prize fund
for the other players!"
See, that's nice. No pressure. That… That's good.
I'm still pretty nervous about making sure we know everything about Jared.
We've gotta write it all down. We've just gotta be clever about it.
I have to admit I'm not that confident.
-Are you really serious? -Yeah.
[screen beeps]
-Oh my God. -Oh!
[Michelle] As Mel B and Emma turn into Secret Spice for their mission,
it's time to introduce them to the rest of the players as Jared.
[alarm blares]
-[Alyssa] Ah! Yes! I knew it-- -"Alert!"
I wonder what this is gonna be!
What is it, Circle?
Oh shit. Could we be blocking?
Right, come on, Circle.
Hit us with your best shot.
Circle, what is it? Go ahead.
[screen beeps]
-"Last night…" -"…the top influencer…"
-"…chose a new player…" -"…to join The Circle."
-What? -What?
What?
I already knew that. Cha-cha.
[Emma laughing]
Do you ever ask yourself, "What are we doing?"
-Yes, I've asked myself that many-a-times. -[Mel B laughing]
So who is it? Like, who is this new player that's gonna join The Circle?
Frank, who did you choose? Hope your judgment was good.
Ah!
[screen beeps]
"Please welcome Jared."
Jared?
Jared, please!
Let's see. Let's see. I want someone sexy.
I need a cute guy for me on the outside and can be Paul's BFF,
but, throw in little hints in there. Like, you know, "My daughter's single."
I wonder how he feels right now. I bet he is so excited.
Come on, Jared. Let's see.
Oh, Jared! Oh my God!
[Frank] #FullHouse.
Look at Jared down there. Does he have a chicken?
He's got a chicken.
Chicken is letting Jared hold him. Lord have mercy!
I got to see what Jared's looking like on the inside with his profile.
So, Circle…
…take me to Jared's profile.
Oh! He's cute! Okay.
Is he holding a chicken?
He looks so different from the first picture to the second picture,
and why is everybody holding animals in their pictures?
Circle, take us to Carol's profile, please.
See, she looks nice and like--
[Emma] She's fun.
-Mumsy, but with a bit of an edge. -Yeah.
[Yu Ling] Okay, Jared.
"Twenty-eight. Relationship status, single."
"Occupation, children's author"? Wow!
-[Mel B] She looks fun. -[Emma] She's 25. She's single.
-I think she's a bit out there. -Love it.
"I'm open to new adventures and never take life too seriously."
Me too.
-Oh! "And an assistant to a sex coach!" -"Sex coach!"
-"#SmallAndSpicy!" -"Small and spicy!"
Excusez-moi!
Love the soft spot for cheese.
Even though cheese makes me sit on the toilet all day,
it's so worth it.
-He's a therapist! -Marriage therapist.
-[Mel B] Do you believe him? -[Emma] I don't think I do.
I don't believe him. He doesn't look 56.
"I hope to one day travel the world with the love of my life." Aw!
That's so sweet.
I'm really kind of glad I picked him. He seems like a really cool guy.
-[Emma] "#BodyPositive." -[Mel B] "Body positive."
-Yes, Frank! -Oh!
-Frank looks like a right laugh. -Yes, Frank.
[screen dings]
-"Circle Chat is now open." -"…now open!"
-Okay. -Circle, take us to Circle Chat, please.
[screen dings]
Brilliant.
-It should be something like, "Hey, guys." -Yes.
"I'm super stoked to be--"
-Stoked is American. -Great.
I gotta be the first one in. I'm feeling it. Circle, message,
"Morning, everyone! Exclamation point. How did everyone sleep? Question mark."
"Also, comma, congrats, Frank and Carol for being the first-ever influencers!"
"Exclamation point. Jared, comma…"
"…big bro hug. Welcome to The Circle."
"I grew up raising chickens,
so your profile picture reminds me of home. #BackOnTheFarm."
I love that he grew up raising chickens.
Message, "Hi, guys, I'm stoked to be here."
"Looking forward to getting to know you all. #CircleLife."
"How are you all settling in?"
"Bru, so glad you liked my stuffed chicken."
Send.
Let's go!
That's right, Jared. All right!
Since I did not get my personality in the chat yesterday,
I definitely need to get it out today, and I think this is a great start.
Message, "Good morning, everyone."
"I know I slept amazing after a crazy day yesterday."
"A big congratulations to Frank and Carol for being our first Circle influencers."
"It's very well-deserved."
"Also, a huge welcome to Jared. Welcome to The Circle, my man."
"We're happy you're here." That was a good message, Paul.
This is ridiculous. He didn't sleep well.
He's not congratulating us because he means it.
Like, this is all fake as far as I'm concerned.
Message, "Welcome, Jared. Hands to the sky emoji."
"It was such a hard decision having to decide who would come into The Circle."
"I hope you're enjoying your first day,
and I hope you're getting all the energy and good vibes from The Circle so far."
"Heart emoji." And send.
-We need to say, "Frank--" -We need to say, "Frank, thank you so--"
-Not "thank you so much." "Frank--" -Oh, okay.
[Mel B] Um.
It should be thank you so much but like, massive…
A massive… We're taking so long.
"Frank, thanks for the opportunity." Or is that too, like…
Okay.
Okay, message,
"Frank, thanks for the opportunity, bro. Sending you good vibes."
"#TodaysGonnaBeAGoodDay."
"#GratefulToBeHere." I love it.
I'm glad that he knows,
and hopefully, he's the one that keeps me in the game until the end.
Message, "Big welcome to you, Jared.
So excited to have you part of the family."
"So cool to see you're a children's book author."
"I need to add your collection to my nephew's reading list."
She's one to watch.
She's gonna ask loads of questions, she's gonna get in there.
-Yeah, she… she's definitely one to watch. -We need to watch her.
I think Yu Ling is showing more of her personality today.
Yesterday she was kind of a little slow responding in the chat.
Message, "Jared, comma, please…"
In all caps because I really wanna know.
"…give me a rundown of one of your children's books."
"#JaredReadMeABedtimeStory."
[laughing] I like that, Bru.
-We knew it was coming. -Right.
-We gotta be really careful now. -Really careful here.
You can say, "I generally write about animals and fruit and veg."
"My children's books are based around animals and…"
-"…poo." [laughs] -I think that's funny.
"Bru, funny you should ask that
'cause my books are based around animals and
poop emoji"?
"The kids dig it. #BigKidAtHeart."
Okay, do we get a title?
Like, do kids dig shit nowadays?
"Circle Chat is now closed."
Okay. Okay, Circle, I see you.
I think we've done fine. I actually genuinely think--
I think we seriously need to talk about this book situation
because we are gonna get asked about that a lot.
[Michelle] While those two turn their writing talents to kids' books…
I'm just like, "Is there nothing they can't do?"
…the others are making their own entertainment,
but not for long.
[screen chimes]
"Cake Me As I Am."
Oh my God!
I think it means we're gonna have to bake a cake.
[Michelle] Yes, back by popular demand, and by that, I mean The Circle's demand,
it's Cake Me As I Am. The players will showcase their personalities
by decorating a multi-tiered cake.
-How many tiers is that, Frank? -Four?
-[Michelle] Thanks, honey. -No soggy bottoms here.
[Michelle] Firm and frisky bottoms only. Our Circle postman has delivered
everything they need for their calorific creations.
-[Bru] Oh my God. -[Frank] This shit is heavy.
And I dropped it.
This is all butter?
Look, Circle, I didn't come on here to get high cholesterol now.
"You have 30 minutes."
To ice a four-tiered cake? [shouting] Are you crazy?
I need 30 minutes to go through this.
-Okay. -We mean business.
Gotta channel my inner Carol.
You know, she's a baker, so I gotta show out a little bit.
-"Your time starts now." -"Your time starts now."
[Bru] Whoo! Let's go.
Lord, I don't know what I'm doing.
-[evil laugh] -[mixer whirring]
I think they don't expect guys to be able to have, like, pretty cakes.
Especially 'cause, sweetie, Paul's not a baker like Carol.
The buttercream thing is not going as well as I thought it would.
Oh my God.
Oh! Oh.
[Emma] The good thing about when I'm on The Great American Baking Show is
that I only taste things. I don't have to make anything.
Oh my God!
Oh!
That does not look tasty at all, though.
Oh God.
-That looks like a dog's dinner. -Excuse me. I'm… I'm really going to--
It is. It's really bad.
The goal is not prettiness.
It's about what's inside.
Oh, that might be a good message to put on there.
Like, I want it to look very elegant, like, very mom-level.
Maybe I should become a baker.
Imagine if we said we're good at baking.
Well, we're not, are we?
-We didn't say that. -I bet who is good at baking.
-Carol. -Carol.
I felt more confident going into this than I am actually doing it.
Ooh, I'm doing it! It's happening. There's no turning back now.
Come on. A bit more.
[Emma laughing]
I really hope people see this cake, and they're like, "This is a guy cake."
I can't tell if it's because I'm just, like, a dude doing it,
and I feel like this looks like a mom cake, but I feel pretty good.
Okay, I'm not mad at that.
[Frank] Oh!
-[mixer hits floor] -Shit.
Dick. Balls and dicks.
Mom, I apologize for my language.
[Emma] Oh my God! I can't believe how messy you are.
Okay, so we have "family," we have "sex positive," "pocket rocket."
I hope they don't think I'm talking about, like, a sex toy.
[Emma gasps, shouts] No! Don't do that!
"It's what's on the inside that matters."
It's looking fine. It's looking fabulous.
This is a good-looking cake, I think, for anybody.
Help me do this.
So bossy. I've never met anyone as bossy as you in my life.
As bossy? I just saved it! Look!
[screen chimes]
-"Time's up!" -[Emma] "Time's up." We're done!
Whoo!
-[Bru] Oh boy. -[Frank] Oh shit.
I think it looks good.
This screams, "I am a man."
We've got some clearing up to do, babes.
We not have room service in here?
[Michelle] Sorry, friend, we blew our budget on cakes.
All our players will now take a picture of their cake
and upload it for everyone to see.
The whipped cream is dripping.
Perfect. Go.
I'm glad that I got everything that I wanted on there.
[screen beeps]
[Michelle] Now that all the players' cakes have been uploaded,
let the judgment begin.
Circle, take me to the Newsfeed.
[Michelle] First to face the Circle public is Crissa's cake.
Oh my God!
Oh, that's mine!
Oh my God! Crissa's is really good.
Look at her basketball!
Okay, Crissa! What?
That is so cute!
I was wondering how she did that with the chocolate. Impressive.
You can't knock her. Like, she definitely nailed her personality to a tee.
[Michelle] Now it's our spicy catfish Jared's sweet treat.
-Oh my gosh! -Our looks good!
-That's ours! You see? You see? -Yes!
That's great!
That looks so good.
Pretty good for Jared too. That's a pretty well-put-together cake.
Is it suspiciously good? I don't know.
Like, I… I can't believe that a man did this.
[Michelle] Yu Ling's creation is next.
Oh, wow.
That's my cake!
Yu Ling! She brought it. She brought it.
She definitely matched everything to her profile.
I knew she was gonna do something about her culture.
I wonder what that says.
I actually feel really proud that I was able
to incorporate my Chinese characters and my language.
Then they'll know there's, like, a deeper story behind it.
Who's next?
[Michelle] It's Frank.
Wow. This is such a, like, colorful, explosive, like, confetti party.
I think the hearts are a cute touch, a little golden love.
I think it says a lot about Frank's personality,
to be honest with you.
I love it. Great cake.
Love the color on the buttercream. Well done, sir. Cheers! Ten out of ten.
[Michelle] Now we have Alyssa's sexy sweet treat.
Aw, there's mine.
Literally is everyone here a cake decorator and not telling me?
"Pocket rocket?"
Pocket rocket's a vibrator.
I know, in England.
It's worldwide.
[Michelle] I can confirm.
I think it's a good time to go to Bru's cake.
Aw! Look at Bru. What does that say?
"It's what's on the inside that matters."
[gasps] Oh!
Is he a catfish? 'Cause maybe he's saying…
it's really what's behind the screen that matters.
[Michelle] Up next is Paul, AKA Parker's attempt.
Are you kidding me? How did he get that much time to do that?
Oh my… Is that a dog?
Oh! Now, this is cute. It has a mustache.
That's something you'd see in a cake shop.
I just really hope people look at mine and think, "Oh, this is a guy cake."
There's no way a man made this cake.
Is Paul a girl?
[Michelle] And finally, we have Momma Carol's cake.
It is very, very cute.
I love the little "C" at the top, and she did a good job.
She loves to bake. I mean…
-It would be better than that. -Way better than that.
That does not look
like a woman who bakes regularly would have made that.
Something is up with Carol.
[Michelle] Let's take a pause for the cause on that catfish detecting.
The players are about to vote on who made their favorite Circle cake.
My favorite cake is Alyssa's.
Circle, please like Alyssa's cake.
Please like Crissa's cake.
-"Please like Yu Ling's cake." -"Yu Ling's cake."
Please like Jared's picture.
[Michelle] Cake votes are in. Time to find out who's on that top tier.
-"The winner is…" -"The winner is…"
[Parker] Drumroll!
[screen chimes]
[shouting] Oh! It's me! It's me!
-Crissa! -[Alyssa] Crissa! Woo-hoo!
"Congratulations, Crissa."
"Your reward is at the door." At the door?
[happy music playing]
[laughing]
I am so jealous. Go off, girl.
I wanna thank God. I wanna thank my family.
I wanna thank basketball.
I feel deflated.
Look at the effort we put into it. We nearly had a lovers' tiff…
-I know. -…in the middle of it.
-We had an argument over cream. -I didn't argue with you.
-You had a breakdown about the cream. -You were being so bossy!
-No, I wasn't. -"Don't open this. Don't open that."
[Emma] Should I--
[Mel B] …nothing left in the thing, so I thought,
"Oh, I know what I'll do…"
[Michelle] I think those Spice Girls may have had too much sugar.
[rhythmical music playing]
And after an afternoon of super-competitive cake design,
Momma Carol is channeling her inner Rod Stewart…
Frank is channeling his inner Crissa with his ballin' skills…
[shouting] What?
…and Bru is channeling his inner Bru by saying things like this…
All righty.
…and starting a chat with his fellow pretty young things,
Alyssa and Yu Ling.
Message, "What's up, guys?"
"Look at us thriving in our 20s."
"Wanted to say hi and see how y'all are doing." Aw!
That's really sweet.
Message, "I was super interested in each of your cakes too!"
"Exclamation point."
Oh! "Yu Ling, I'm dying to know what your cake said."
"And, Alyssa, equally dying to know what #PocketRocket is."
"LOL." And a little spaceship emoji. Okay. This is cute.
I love Bru so far.
I hope he's everything that he says he is.
Message, "Hey, guys."
"Bru, I was so excited that you started this chat."
"Clapping emoji."
"You read my mind because I was also dying to know what…"
"…Yu Ling's cake said, and I also adored your cake." Oh!
This is a great opportunity to, you know, share the actual story about my cake.
Message, "What the hell's poppin', y'all?"
My cake said in Chinese, "Yu Ling, add gas."
"My name is definitely something that was really important to me to keep
when I became a naturalized citizen in the U.S."
"'Add gas' means 'Keep going. We're rooting for you.'"
"It's a reminder to me to always gas myself up."
I… love it.
That's a really cool message,
and I love that her culture is so important to her.
I kind of want to poke at how bad my cake was.
Message, "I wanted to make sure everyone knew
that I am bubbly, full of energy and ready for takeoff,
so #PocketRocket, it is. Spaceship, spaceship, spaceship."
"I also think it's a nickname for a vibrator. Crying laughing emoji."
What?
Man, she takes work home with her, doesn't she?
[laughing] Gosh.
Bru started this chat, I'm sure, with high hopes of wholesome conversation,
and I feel like he's like…
No, I gotta get back in here. All right, we gotta get… we gotta get… [exhales]
Message, "My cake-making experience was a hot mess,
but basically, the gist of it was that I think it's so important
to value what's on the inside as much as what's on the outside. Period."
"Already starting to tell you both are beautiful inside and out."
Are you flirting with both of us?
Oh gosh.
That is so F-ing sweet, Bru.
Okay, I'm gonna flirt back and make this funny. [giggles]
So I'm gonna to say… Message…
[Bru] "So are we both your girlfriends now?"
"Crying laughing emoji. #TheHappyThrouple."
[screams]
You try to get to know some people,
next thing you know, you're in a three-way relationship.
[Michelle] It's a tale as old as time.
Message, "I wouldn't want to be in a three-way with anyone else."
[Alyssa laughs] "Laughing emojis."
And she said, "What do y'all think is the secret to a #HappyThrouple?"
Well, hell if I know. I can't--
I don't know what the key is to a relationship in general,
and now we're… now we're already talking three-ways? Ah!
Open communication, loyalty…
and great dick.
Message, "I'll be honest, this is my first #Throuple." Oh God.
"I'm blushing alone in my apartment." He's so cute.
Message, "So great getting to know both of you a little bit more."
"Excuse me. I've gotta go take a cold shower now."
And bathtub emoji, please. Send it.
Signed, sealed, delivered. Okay.
I love that I just joined this, uh, three-way with them.
That was kind of obviously the way to be like, "Yo, I got you if you got me."
I think that was successful. I didn't expect to end up in a three-way
by the end of this thing, but you gotta do what you gotta do.
[Michelle] Bru, my bro, I've said it before,
and I'll say it again, The Circle moves fast.
[rhythmical music playing]
And while he cools down,
Paul wants to get all warm and fuzzy with Circle momma Carol,
who just happens to be one of the influencers.
[Parker] I really wanna have a chat with Carol.
Yesterday, I got some major inconsistencies in her profile,
but then during the baking challenge, she really baked,
and she did a good-ass job doing it, so I really felt it was her.
I think it's good I get on her radar
so maybe she can really think through her decision and want me to stay.
[jarring guitar tones]
What? [laughing]
Paul has invited me to a private chat, dude?
I don't like it.
I think this guy's got ulterior motives. I think he just wants to talk to me
because I'm at the top of the game, and he's at the bottom.
Message, "Hello, Carol. Smiley face."
"I've been looking forward to chatting with you
since we have so much in common. I would love to get to know you better."
"I see you're family-oriented just like me."
"I'd love to hear more about your family and two children."
I'm definitely starting off with the whole family situation
because I can relate a lot to it.
I have two children, just like her.
Message, "Hi, Paul! Exclamation point."
"This is a pleasant surprise. Smiley face emoji."
"I've been married to my husband John for 30 years! Exclamation point."
"We have two children, Victoria, who's 22 and studying to be a teacher,"
"and John, who's 24 and works in communications."
It's definitely weird to say my name and lie about what I do for a living
because I don't wanna mention that I work in social media
because that could be a giveaway.
Message, "What about you?"
"Tell me about your family! Exclamation point." Send.
This is so great for me because her kids are around my age.
John is studying communications. That's literally what I'm studying.
So we have a lot more in common than I thought, which is amazing.
Message, "Wow! Thirty years is definitely an accomplishment."
"You must be so proud of your children. Sounds like they're doing great things."
"John reminds me a lot of my daughter, Parker."
"She's currently in college studying communications."
I have a feeling that, like… There's… there's a potential, like…
Daughters around the same age as myself and my sister.
That leads me to believe, like, Parker, who he mentions…
Maybe Parker is the one running this game, because she's studying communications.
She could be doing the exact same thing that I'm doing.
We're playing a very similar game now.
Maybe there are more similarities on the surface than I realized.
Message, "You must be missing your family so much,
but I bet they are so proud of you for being here."
"If you are ever feeling down and need a chat, I am always available."
"Smile, thumbs up."
I think I definitely built a closer relationship to Carol.
I really hope she will reconsider maybe not blocking me tonight.
Coming into this, I felt like Paul was kind of a superficial dude,
but there's some part of me that does believe that Paul has
a genuine side to him. This gives me a lot to think about,
especially going into decisions tonight.
If somebody's playing the same game as me, I'm not trying to blow it up just yet.
[Michelle] Down the hall at Jared's, Emma is two hours in
to an all-day round of applause
for Mel's leopard-print bodysuit.
And Crissa can't even see it, but she's joining in.
Talk about positive clap back.
We wanna get to know Frank and Crissa a bit more.
[Mel B] Crissa did just win the cake decoration.
Making her quite popular, I assume.
Yeah, definitely.
-So I think it'll be good to kind of… -Get her on side.
-…get her on side. -Get in.
[screen dings]
"Jared has invited you to a group chat."
Hell nah! I can't never finish a meal in The Circle.
I know I'm fat, but give me time to eat, girl.
Circle, take me to Jared's group chat.
[screen dings]
Oh! Me, Jared, and Crissa.
That's an interesting combination.
I can't wait to see what both of these people have to say.
Message, "Hey, guys, just wanted to take a minute
to thank you again, Frank, for giving me this opportunity."
"I would love to get to know you both."
"You look like my kind of peeps"?
-Is that quite-- -Yes.
[both] "You look like my kind of peeps."
"#KeepingItReal. #NewKidOnTheBlock. Rainbow heart emoji." Send.
I am so excited that Jared wanted to take this opportunity
to thank me for bringing him here.
I think he really wants me to know that he is appreciative.
So I'm really happy to be in this group chat.
Circle, message,
[shouting] "Jared!"
Just like that. "Exclamation, exclamation, exclamation."
"I love you both."
"To be honest, when I first came into The Circle,
Frank, you instantly became my boy, and then Jared…"
"…I saw your chicken and that corny little smile of yours…"
Yes!
"…and I said, 'You're my boy too.'"
-Yes! See? -See, we like Crissa. Okay.
I love that. I knew Crissa was my sister.
Message, "#CrissaMySister, I knew we were vibing from day one,
and I will be patiently waiting on a slice of that winning cake
that you slam dunked." Circle, send.
Circle, message,
"Since we're on the topic of cake,
I'm truly missing my wife's cake."
"#CakeForDays. #IsThisTMI?"
As in, the wife's…
Yes!
-…bits. -Yes.
-God, she's very up-front, isn't she? -Very up-front.
-"How about y'all?" -Good on you, Crissa.
She talking about her cheeks, honey.
Her derriere. That's what she means.
I know what you mean, Crissa, 'cause you my sister.
Message, "Love that you're so open."
"I'm missing my dogs, my music…"
That's like he does music.
No, exactly. "Music," not "my music."
"…and music, sad faced emoji,
but I'm keeping myself entertained by dancing around my apartment…"
-Naked! -You should say, "Butt-ass naked."
"#IfYouCouldSeeMeNow." And aubergine emoji!
-Yeah! -Do we wanna put two tomatoes too?
-Is that two cherries or tomatoes? -That's funny.
"#IfYouCouldSeeMeNow."
[amusing music playing]
No, he didn't put the cherries and the eggplant.
You better be slinging that damn eggplant and them cherry balls!
I know that's right, Jared.
He coming in, and he's smoking, baby. I love that.
We've gotta be careful, though, because we are a children's author.
-Balance it out. -You agreed with the…
-Butt naked. -…aubergine, tomato--
And that's fun. There's nobody else in the apartment…
-Exactly. -…apart from cameras.
[Michelle] And millions of viewers at home. Hi, y'all.
Message. "Yes, I've been throwing this ass like I'm on a twerk team."
-Yes! -"#MoreCakeThanAFourTierCake."
-He's funny. -He's very funny.
-He's funny. -We like Frank.
[Emma] Message, "You're killing me, Frank."
"I just…"
-"…spat out my…" -"I just choked…"
-"…on my…" -"…on my…"
Pizza?
-Cheesy puffs. -Cheesy puffs.
-"I just choked on my cheesy puffs." -"Need to clear this mess up."
"Laughing emoji, laughing emoji, laughing emoji."
"#ThreeIsTheMagicNumber."
Did I just make my low-key first alliance?
[screaming quietly]
Message, "This chat has made me so happy today."
"I'm so grateful that both of you are here on this journey. Rainbow heart emoji."
"#AlwaysRoomForMore." And send.
This was…
amazing.
Bravo. Bravo.
-This was just a nice chat. -This was nice chat! It's just nice!
Which was good with your nice… You're always saying--
Nice! You're always nice!
You've gotta be clever, Melanie. Sometimes you miss the point.
-I'm very clever. -Sometimes you miss the point.
You've gotta reel them in with the nice, nice, and then you've got to be…
[makes whipping sound] …bang, and have a bit of fun.
Right. I'm going to have my dinner.
Oh.
Your job is done.
What did she do, Cookie?
[music stops]
[rhythmical music playing]
[Michelle] It's nighttime in The Circle, and all the catfishing
in Jared's apartment has gone to Emma's head,
'cause now she thinks she's Scary Spice.
Where are you?
-I just saw you hide behind the curtain. -[Emma laughs]
-Damn. I wanted to scare you! -[Michelle] Well, this might, though.
[alarm blares]
"Alert!"
Okay, Circle girl. I'm ready, girl. What's the tea?
"It is now time…"
"…for Circle influencers…"
"…Frank and Carol…"
"…to decide which player to block."
[Michelle] Don't worry, Jared. It won't be goodbye for you.
As our Circle newbie, you're immune.
It's about to get wild, baby. Buckle up.
One of us is going home tonight.
I feel like we just got here.
It feels real when you read it like that. Oh.
"Frank and Carol must go to the Hangout…"
"…to make their decision."
I am not ready, baby.
It's time to talk to Frank
and make sure the game is fucking falling in my direction. That's all I want.
Carol's the mom. You're looking at the mama's boy.
I'm just trying to convince myself everything will be okay.
I have no confidence here.
[suspenseful music playing]
[Michelle] Frank and Carol,
our first Circle influencers, are headed all the way up to the Hangout.
And you know when you see
that tasteful jungle decor and plastic chair,
someone's about to get blocked.
Influencer. Feels good. The title feels real good.
This is cute.
Child, I should have put on a wig, honey. This is nice.
I'm gonna play sweet, humble, loving Carol,
but I know, at the front of my mind,
that I need to make sure that this goes my way.
I'm gonna make sure that my girls are safe because I need the girls
in order to keep my game going,
and the other three are right on the chopping block
as far as I'm concerned.
To me, I don't really have anybody that I just do not like.
It's simply game play right now. It's no emotions tied to it.
So I have to do what's best
for the game, and myself, and making sure that I make it to the finale.
So, I'm ready, honey. I'm ready to see what's about to go down.
[screen beeps]
[John] "Influencers, it's now time to make your decision."
Take me to the Influencer Chat.
Message, "Frank, I'm so happy to be here with you! Exclamation point."
"I have loved your personality this whole game,
and it truly puts a smile on my face, dear."
"Are you ready for us to make a big decision?"
Child, Momma Carol, I'm ready for you to help me make this big decision,
'cause I don't know what is about to happen.
Message, "Momma Carol, I am so happy to be here,
and I'm even happier to be doing it with you."
"#LetsDoThis."
Message, "I love that you called me Momma Carol."
"Heart, crying-face emoji."
"I think we should talk about people we definitely want safe!"
"Exclamation point."
"For me, it's Alyssa."
"She just reminds me of home and so much of my family."
"Family emoji."
"Who is safe for you?"
Send.
I'm totally thinking long-term with this move.
Alyssa needs to be in this game if I'm gonna have any chance of winning.
I am definitely with her with Alyssa being someone who is safe.
Message, "I couldn't agree more about Alyssa."
"She is all that and a bag of chips."
"For me, I'm going to have to save Crissa,
as she's really shown herself
to be a person that I want to be around a little longer."
Two of my girls off the table right away.
Message, "I absolutely agree about Crissa."
"I would love to keep her safe. Heart emoji."
"I'm glad we agree! Exclamation point."
"So I guess that leaves Yu Ling, Bru, and Paul to discuss."
"Should we talk about each one of them?" Okay.
Seventy-five percent of girl gang is safe.
Me, Alyssa, Crissa. Love that.
Now, the next thing we gotta do
is make sure that Yu Ling has some positive vibes going about her.
Message, "I feel like Yu Ling has been so genuinely herself."
"Her personality is so fun,
and I think that we just have to coax her out of her shell."
Message, "I definitely feel where you're coming from with Yu Ling."
"I feel like, when we first started, we got lots of personality,
and I just don't know what happened to it."
Okay, so Frank isn't sold on Yu Ling.
That's not false.
I… I see where he's coming from there,
because she did come out guns blazing,
and then all of a sudden, like, she took a backseat.
Clearly, other people have noticed it because she didn't rank high.
See, I wouldn't be upset if she stayed, and I wouldn't be upset if she'd leave.
It's time that we move on and talk about Paul.
Message, "I had a really wonderful chat with Paul earlier."
"But up until then…"
"…I hadn't gotten much from him. What are your thoughts?"
Him chatting with both of us between now and yesterday
could be a strategic move on Paul's behalf.
Message, "I got the same exact vibe from Paul."
"I feel like he started off a bit slow and was a bit of a mystery."
"He has definitely stepped up his game."
"I'm not sure if he's just being genuine or strategic."
I think he is being strategic with how the ratings went.
He was right at the bottom, and he came out today,
and he tried to make his way around.
Whether you think it's ass-kissing or not, at least he showed some effort.
It was more than Bru or Yu Ling might've did for me today.
So I guess that leaves Bru.
I personally don't trust Bru.
I don't know if he's even who he says he is.
I'm just… I'm just not sold on him yet.
Message, "Bru reminds me of my son's very polite friends. Period."
"He definitely has a nice personality, but I have not gotten to know him at all."
"It makes me feel
like he's not being completely up-front with us."
Okay, Momma Carol, I see where you're going.
She hasn't had a chat with Bru like I have,
so she only knows what she's seen in the chat.
Message, "Bru has an amazing personality
and has been a joy to have here in The Circle."
"I definitely feel like he is being genuine,
and I think we could potentially get to know him a little better."
That's extremely positive. Clearly, he's gotten to know Frank.
Somebody has to get blocked,
and I feel like Carol nor myself have anybody
that we just absolutely want blocked.
So it's definitely a tough decision.
It puts you through the wringer.
I feel like I've gone through, like, 20 years of my life right now.
[suspenseful music playing]
[sighs]
Well, baby, it looks like the decision has been made, honey.
Frankie boy, we did it.
I think Carol should tell. #MommaKnowsBest.
And I think she will be the one to be able to let the news go,
and everybody will be okay with it.
Message, "How do you feel about
letting the rest of the family know about our decision?"
"#MommaKnowsBest."
Yeah. Um.
I feel like I'm okay to do it if I just portray it the right way.
Message, "I'm absolutely fine to do that, hon."
"#MommasGotACircleSon." I know that's right.
She's gonna deliver the news.
I can breathe out of both of my nostrils tonight, baby,
and, ooh, this feels amazing.
I hope everybody just understands that we had to do this.
There's no hard feelings. It's just a game.
[Michelle] Yeah, it's just a game,
a terrifying, dramatic, ass-clenching-ly stressful game
with big money on the line.
All right, let 'em have it, Circle.
[alarm blares]
"Alert!"
-"Alert!" -"Alert!"
[laughs nervously] "Alert."
[screen beeps]
"The influencers have made…"
"…their decision."
Let's hope it's one that's Bru crew friendly.
[screen beeps]
"As Jared is a new player, he is immune from this blocking."
Lucky son-of-a-gun you are.
Cookie, we're staying.
She's like, "I… I know we're staying. I've already made myself cozy."
She's chilling.
Jared is safe. So it's me, Paul, Crissa, Alyssa, and Yu Ling.
One in five chance.
Twenty percent? [chuckles]
I'm not great at math, but that… I don't…
[screen beeps]
"Players must go to Circle Chat now."
Oh my God. Okay.
Ooh!
Circle, take me to the Circle Chat.
[dramatic music playing]
[screen dings]
[exhales]
I was feeling pretty confident about it
before I saw everybody's face on the right side of the screen.
Message…
[Alyssa] Oh! Carol's typing.
Oh my God.
I just really hope this is not me.
[exhales]
[sniffles]
"Hi, Circle family. This was very difficult for Frank and I."
"We wish we had more time with everybody
to get to know you wonderful people better."
"That being said, we just haven't gotten to know this person well enough,
and it makes my heart hurt to see someone go so soon."
Okay, this… this actually kind of makes me feel better.
[music intensifying]
It just feels shitty knowing that
one of these people's game ends right now,
and the words are leaving my mouth.
Me, Bru, and Paul are definitely up there for the guillotine.
Who could this be? Oh! She's typing again!
"The player we've decided to block is…"
[sighs]
I'm so stressed.
Come on, Momma Bear Carol, not me.
Not me, honey.
[music building up]
[music stops]
Send.
[gasps]
I knew it. [crying]
"Paul." Oh!
It's Paul.
Oh my God!
You know what? That's really sucky
because I thought Carol and I had a good conversation.
I've been blocked from The Circle.
That really sucks.
-"Paul has been blocked from The Circle!" -That quick!
Carol, thank you! And, Frank, thank you.
Man, that's tough.
Paul, gone already. He don't get to say bye.
Now we're back to seven.
This means the girls have the numbers,
and I've succeeded in my mission of keeping the girls together, so…
that's what I get to take to the bank right now.
[Michelle] Paul's the first player to be blocked.
But before he goes home to start The Circle chapter of his memoir,
y'all know we got a little parting gift.
[alarm blares]
"Alert."
Oh my God.
[screen beeps]
"Paul, before you leave, you can meet one player face to face!"
[screams]
Okay. I am definitely so excited for this one.
[screen beeps]
"Think about who you would like to meet."
Whew! Oh my God.
[alarm blares]
-[Bru] "Alert!" Oh boy. -"Alert!" What? Oh my God, again?
[Frank] Oh shit! "Before Paul leaves, he…"
"…can meet one player."
[tense music playing]
Oh, if he walks through that door, I'm gonna have so much 'splaining to do.
-[screen beeps] -"Paul is on his way to meet…"
"…one of you now!"
[music intensifying]
I need deodorant.
I was feeling good about it a second ago, but now if he comes
and sits in that chair, and we have to have a real conversation,
I'm gonna feel like a dick.
[dramatic music playing]
What if he's not Paul? What if he's his wife?
Or his daughter? [gasps]
I am, like, so far past petrified, I might, like, wet my pants.
[exhales]
All righty. I'm ready.
[Mel B] Quite hot under my blanket.
[Emma] Is it?
[gasps]
[music fading out]
[theme music playing]