["Connected" by 'Stereo MC's playing]
♪ Make sure you're connected The writing's on the wall ♪
♪ But if your mind's neglected Stumble you might fall ♪
♪ Stumble you might fall… ♪
[Michelle] Good morning, everyone. With two newbies arriving yesterday,
our little Circle familia is up to nine players.
Mm.
[Michelle] New arrivals Eversen and Imani each threw a party,
but the others could only go to one,
so everyone's waking up with a new Circle face to greet.
"Eversen."
Oh! "Imani."
Hey, there's another person!
Oh snap! Imani! Look at that.
Whoa! Look at the rest of our friends.
I had five people at my party, which means Eversen only had, like, two people.
I think that's definitely a good sign.
Still need to target Bru, Rachel, and Eversen.
Circle, can you take me to Imani's profile?
That could be a catfish. I mean, that picture right there is pretty, like…
Is that a filter? I can't really tell.
I'm looking at Imani's pictures. Looks very catfishy here.
"The biggest introverted extrovert." This girl out clubbing!
She ain't no introvert. I think she's lying.
Oh, Imani is 35 and single. So is Eversen.
Circle, please take me to Eversen's profile.
Wow, Eversen is a character.
Okay, very different.
Okay, interesting.
"Single, ready to flamingle." [giggles]
I don't know what flamingle means. But that's okay.
More than happy to flirt with a good-looking man,
and he's a very good-looking man.
Oh my God. "Alyssa, single, age 27."
I can believe you definitely got some small and spicy vibes, little caliente.
This is someone that I could potentially have as a friend or ally.
He's a beautiful man. So let's get it started.
[Michelle] Now, Frank might be doing his contemplating and chin scratching
all up in the bathroom,
but for newbie Eversen, all the action happens up in a gym.
And he just worked out his next move.
Let's go, baby.
[Michelle] Ooh, that's a good move, but it's not that one.
He's inviting all the people who missed his party
to a private gun show slash group chat.
[screen dings]
[gasps]
[all] "Eversen has invited you to a group chat!"
Ooh.
Excited to meet the new guy.
Message, "This is amazing feeling to be in The Circle with y'all."
"How have things been with everyone? #SafeSpace." Send message.
Uh, it's not a safe space because Carol is in here, Eversen.
I'm so sorry to tell you.
Message, "Hi, Eversen! Exclamation point."
"It's wonderful to meet you. Soft smile emoji."
"The party was a lot of fun. Thanks for asking."
"I'm sorry I didn't choose to go to yours,
but I hope you played plenty of Prince's greatest hits."
"I adore the outfit in your second picture."
Boom. She already knows!
[Alex] Carol is on top of these really old-school references.
If she is a catfish, she is doing a… a pretty good job.
[Eversen] Come on now. Yes, Carol.
Definitely a mom. Definitely a mom vibe.
[Michelle] Definitely what he's going for.
[upbeat music playing]
And over at Imani's,
there's about to be another…
[whining] …you-didn't-come-to-my-party-LOL group chat
as he hits up Rachel and Bru.
[screen chimes]
"Imani has invited you to a group chat."
Imani, coming in hot! I love that.
Oh. It's just me and Rachel. Ooh!
Oh God!
Big ol' fly.
Circle, message, "Hey, guys,
I'm so upset you guys didn't come to my party yesterday. Sad tear emoji."
"Everybody seems really nice,
but I was hoping to use this as a time to get to know you both."
All right. She's breaking bread.
Message, "Hey, Imani. I might be having my Circle highlight moment right now."
"I'm chilling in the hot tub on this gorgeous day
-with some rubber duckies." -[duck squeaks]
[laughs] "The Circle has been a wild ride to say the least,
and I'm so glad that you're part of The Circle fam."
"#HotTubWelcomeCommittee."
Oh, that's nice.
Message, "Welcome to the, parentheses, other party, Imani."
"I'm real glad you reached out to me and Bru today."
"I was a newbie here too,
so I know how you might be feeling right now." Send.
Oh man, see? That's… that's great.
That's perfect. Perfect. Perfect.
[Michelle] Now, the guest list may be short, but Imani's group chat
is popping like it's hot.
And over at Eversen's,
Alyssa has a question all girls have to ask
before talking to any guy online.
"I just have to double check before I start flirting."
"Are you a Spice Girl? Question mark."
"We've been fooled in the past. Laughing face emoji."
"#WelcomeToTheCircleFam. #ThingsHaveBeenWild." Send message.
Definitely not a Spice Girl. [laughs]
She's obviously flirted with somebody,
a… a guy, uh, that she thought was a guy, uh, and turned out to be a girl.
So I'm thinking that's why she put Spice Girl in there.
Alyssa starting off her flirting early.
She is definitely liking what she's seeing,
but, girl, you better watch out, because I like what I see too.
So we may have to fight over that one, honey.
Message, "I was also a new player
so I know it's a little hard trying to play catch-up."
"Like Alyssa said, the most exciting thing so far
was that the Spice Girls were in The Circle playing as a catfish. LOL."
"#Spicy." Send.
Oh my God. Like, Spice Girls were actually--
I missed… Circle, how you gonna let me miss the Spice Girls?
Message, "Not only did the Spice Girls successfully catfish us…"
"…they also added 50,000 to the cash prize for fooling us."
[shouting] What?
Oh!
Are you serious?
That's gonna make him super competitive, I wonder.
Or I feel like it would, any player.
Message, "#HoldUp. #SpiceGirls?"
"Question mark, question mark. Exclamation point, exclamation point!"
"#50K! Exclamation point. Explosion emoji."
"I'm definitely a flirt, Alyssa." Whoo-hoo.
I have a flirting buddy who actually wants to flirt back with me
and is not two women.
[Michelle] The spicy catfish is out of the bag with Eversen.
And back at Imani's,
Rachel's about to drop that Spice bomb too.
"Well, you missed a huge bomb."
"The Spice Girls came in as a different player
and tricked us all."
What? Like…
Are you s-- The Spice Girls came in?
That's cr-- [laughs] That's so crazy.
"But good news."
"Because they successfully catfished us, the prize fund has gone up to
150K"?
Are you… Are you fucking serious?
Oh! It's a good message. Dang it. That's the perfect info to relay.
Oh my…
[Michelle] Let's give Imani some time to take that in and maybe
put some pants on.
But back at Eversen's,
Carol is coming in hot with the mom questions.
Basically, all I wanna get out of this is he reads every message that I send,
and he thinks, "Carol's cool. I'd like to get to know her better."
Message, "How long have you been a cruise director? Question mark."
"I've been on one cruise in my life, and my husband and I both got seasick
but still managed to have a great time! Exclamation point."
"Could you get us a deal on another one? Winky."
Every time, Carol! We get it. You're married.
Message, "Yes. I want to know all about the cruise director life."
"I think we all can agree…"
"…we would all love to do a Circle cruise together."
"Praise hands emoji."
Message, "Definitely feeling very welcome right now."
"I'm ready to take y'all out on The Circle Cruise."
"#NotTakingNoForAnAnswer." Send message.
I'll go on Eversen's cruise. He seems like a fun guy.
You don't have to worry about me saying no,
because I will be the first one up on that cruise ship,
and that is for sure.
Alyssa, "Eversen, I will do my best. We're so happy to have you here,
and I can't wait to get to know you more, uh, #OnDryLandFirst." [laughs]
Message, "Alyssa, I'm in the same boat as you. In parentheses, ha! Get it?"
"I'm very much looking forward to this group cruise."
"Hope to see lots of sea men. LMFAO."
[Michelle] There you go. You embarrassed the sexpert. You happy, Yu Ling?
And let's go from risqué to just plain risky,
'cause Imani's group is about to talk trust.
Message, "You picked a good couple to come to, comma,
I think Rachel and I are some of the most…"
"…trustworthy people in here."
You know, I wasn't shy in that roast, and I'm not about to be shy here. Like…
If she wants information,
you came to the right people.
Ooh, okay, Rachel, "What I can tell you
is that our dude here Bru is so real and so fun."
"On the other hand,
it seems like there may be some people in our #CircleFam
who are struggling with the [gasps, squeals] #SoReal part."
"Side eye emoji."
"I definitely want you to form your own opinions,
but what I've seen and heard, Carol is playing a very strategic game."
"Bru, I don't mean to be shady if y'all are tight."
"I've just seen some things I can't ignore."
That says a lot, because if I'm gonna go in
and try to have an alliance with somebody like Carol,
if she's gonna be cutthroat, that's something I… I really need to know.
As long as Imani doesn't see this as, like, too much, I think it'll be good.
But she's a grown-ass woman. Like, she's not here for the bullshit.
All right, gotta stick up for Momma Carol.
Message, "Our Circle mom Carol has been nothing short of fantastic to me."
"And after all, it's #WhatsOnTheInsideThatCounts." Send.
I think she's a catfish too.
I don't see a problem with her being a catfish at the moment.
So he and Carol are, like, tight.
Message, "That's so crazy that you name-dropped Carol."
"I thought she was really sweet yesterday."
"She gave me that whole cute mom vibe,
but I felt like she was holding something back."
That's what I'm saying!
"I'm still getting to know everyone and trying not to jump to conclusions,
but it's nice to know that you two are as cool as I thought you'd be."
Thank you, Imani. Amen.
Message, "This was the perfect chat to start my day."
"You both are so dope, and I appreciate you spilling some tea."
"#PartyWithYouTwoAnytime #DrinksOnMe." And send.
She definitely hashtags like she's 35.
I don't try to use a hashtag
unless it's actually, like, either clever or meaningful.
"Drinks on me"?
I mean, I'll take it. I'll take a drink.
I'll take a mimosa in the hot tub.
[duck squeaks]
Thank you for picking us,
because now I understand that Bru and Carol are, like, tight.
Information dropped on Carol is big.
It's like, she could probably have a stronger hold over this game, then,
than I originally anticipated.
[calm music playing]
[Michelle] It's afternoon in The Circle, and after all that chatting,
our players are catching up with some chores.
[slow accordion music playing]
[screen whirs]
What is this?
[Michelle] Oh, I have no clue, but it looks scary.
[intense music playing]
"Cyber-attack detected"?
What this mean?
Is this for real?
What the fuck?
Huh?
What the hell is this?
"Firewall deactivated"?
Is somebody hacking The Circle?
Where the blue light at?
What in the 2001 is happening?
Oh Lordy. It's Y2K. It's finally catching up.
[screen beeping loudly]
[Alex, hesitating] What?
Is this happening to everyone, is… or is this just my Circle?
Look at our freakin' profiles!
Whoa, my face is all distorted! Oh, Carol, you look terrible.
[distorted alert blares]
"Alert"?
"Alert"? Uh-uh, girl. Y'all need to pay y'all fucking bill!
Circle, you got, like, a… a IT department,
somebody who just kinda hold the power down and restart?
"The Circle has been hit by a…"
"…cyber virus"? What does that even mean? Like…
We've been Snowdened!
"As new players…"
"…Eversen and Imani already have the antivirus software"?
Whoo!
So I'm safe from the cyber hack.
"There has been a data breach!"
Does that mean people are gonna find out that I'm a catfish?
Like, that's what I feel like when I hear "data breach."
That is not a good term.
"As Eversen and Imani have the antivirus software,
they are immune from this data breach." Yes! Yes!
Ah! [moans]
"Players, one of your photo albums has been…"
"…leaked to another player"?
Yeah, I think things are about to get really chippy.
[Michelle] I don't know what that means, but I think you might be right, Carol.
"Each player can now upload one photo from these leaked albums."
[Alyssa] "This will be done anonymously."
Oh God. [chuckles]
"Whilst in anonymous mode, each player can also ask one question."
As a catfish, I need to make sure I'm on top of my game
'cause if anyone is looking at all of my photos,
I need to make sure my story makes sense.
Who we gonna get?
Oh, I got Nathan's.
See, I don't know how to play this at all,
but I still got reservations about him, and specifically, if it's really him.
[Frank] Okay!
I have Bru's.
Yu Ling! Oh!
This one is tricky, because we are friends.
[Alex] Oh shit. Okay.
So I have Alyssa's photos here.
I'm gonna throw her under the bus,
and I'm gonna make up a lie
and make Alyssa have to play a little defense here.
I got Frank.
[gasps]
I have Rachel.
Like, the one of her playing chess,
I think it sort of implies some larger strategy.
Oh my God!
I have Carol.
This is my number one target, and I got her freaking album.
Game freaking on, Carol.
[Michelle] That's right, honey. Game on.
'Cause with photo selected and question submitted,
it's time for this virus to cause some damage.
Oh God, here we go.
This is all anonymous. No rules.
Who's gonna be first? Who's gonna be the first leaked photo?
This is about to get good.
[Michelle] First up is a photo from Frank's album.
All right, it's me,
and hopefully, uh, we might get a little bit of a doubt
in Frank's direction here. That's all I want.
This is me at brunch, honey, giving the girls what they need.
If anyone comes for Frank, I'm coming for them.
[music intensifies, fades]
"Frank, is this you scheming up
another quote-unquote 'Mr. Nice Guy comment'
on your way to 150K?"
Here we go!
Ahhh!
Rude!
Somebody trying to be messy here, but, baby, this is me at brunch.
This seems kind of like a Carol insult.
Momma Carol's got that cojones to ask that type of question.
Message…
Oh, Frank is typing! Frank is typing!
Be smart here, my man. Be smart.
I'm excited to see what he comes back with.
If he kind of freaks out, like, it just shows how easy it is
to get to Frank's head.
"Three crying laughing emojis."
"Child, this is me scheming
on how to get another mimosa pitcher at Sunday brunch. #NiceGuyInRealLife."
[Bru] "Bru, you're not the only one that can rock a turtleneck!"
Wait a second. Wait a second. Wait a second. Wait a second.
He thinks it's me? Why would he do that? It wasn't me!
Yeah, Bru, I definitely remember you rocked a turtleneck.
So I just wanted to show that Bru, I'm watching you,
and I still remember your lovely photo.
You didn't address what was brought up.
He just tried to act like that didn't bother him at all.
Just, like, it's just like such a meh answer.
Why would you do that in an anonymous thing
and then mention somebody?
Everyone's thinking, "Oh, he thinks that Bru said it."
Oh no! There's something being built here that I don't like.
[grunts]
[vocalizing]
Who's next? Who's next? Who's next?
[Michelle] Next is a photo from Yu Ling's album.
I did this one.
Yay! At least I don't have to be nervous about what the question is.
Whoo-hoo! Look at Yu Ling!
Okay!
Oh my God. What are they gonna say? What are they gonna say?
While Yu Ling and I have connected in, like, a pretty cool way,
I still don't know who she's not vibing with.
"You look like a woman of mystery,
but who in The Circle would you not tell a secret to?"
This is good, 'cause now,
she's gotta… she's gotta name a person.
She's gotta name names.
And if she doesn't, everybody's gonna be looking at her some kind of way.
Message, "I promise there is no mystery to me."
"I am totally an open book."
"Unfortunately for everyone in The Circle,
you have all been subjected to my oversharing."
"#WearsHerHeartOnHerSleeve."
I definitely respect that she chose to answer the question this way.
It's none of y'all goddamn business.
She did not answer the question. She did not answer the question.
It's kind of like a diplomatic answer,
but I just don't think that it's a smart thing to out someone.
I kind of avoided it.
She hasn't named anybody.
That's… that's why I feel like she… she played the game.
To me, that means you're a friend to all, which means you're a friend to no one.
Oh, it's time for a new one!
[Michelle] That's right. And this time, it's a photo from Rachel's album.
It's Rachel. This is mine.
Oh.
Getting her Queen's Gambit on. I like it.
It's gonna be a strategy thing, isn't it?
I'm kind of hoping that her response is,
like, defensive in a way that makes her seem like I'm right.
"How…" Ooh.
"How can you pretend to be a calm and meditative person
when you are the first one to stir the pot at the first sign of drama?"
"Are we all pawns in your game? #YourStrategyIsShowing."
-[Bru] Oh my God. -[Frank] Oh my God.
This is showing me a very different picture of Rachel.
I'm definitely not putting on an act. People are more than one thing.
Very interesting. I'm curious how she's gonna reply to this.
Message, "Ooh, doggy. You came for my throat with this one."
"Crying laughing emoji."
"I'm glad you asked
because I felt like I'm usually the first one to speak my mind,
but that's because all I can be is honest."
"I am so much more than one thing."
"I'm calm and positive, and I'm direct and to the point as well."
"I'm not a game player, just a whole person."
"I think the people who know me best know that."
Rachel, I think that was a very, very, very good answer.
[shouting] #RachelForPresident!
That's how you clear a bitch! That's how you clear 'em!
She really spun that in a beautiful way. [kisses] Well done.
And she's also like, "You're right. I do like the drama." [laughs]
[Michelle] Next up is a photo from Carol's album.
We went for the jugular. So we're just direct with this one.
That is my mom as a child.
Aw, Carol.
"Who could hate a sweet and innocent face like that?"
"Is that why you decided to play Carol rather than yourself?"
Oh!
This is a spicy question. Straight up just calling her a catfish.
I mean, I am a catfish, uh, but I'm not gonna say that.
Momma Carol could be an 18-year-old girl or, like, a 90-year-old man.
Right now, we got a good thing going. It's helping my game.
Everybody might think everybody's a catfish. Who knows?
But I gotta be able to dance around this one. So let's dance.
Message, "Well, I'll take the compliment."
"People have been doubting me my whole life."
"I've gotten used to rolling with the punches."
"I understand why people might think a woman of my age couldn't do this,
but I'm here to prove that no matter how old you are…"
"…you can still accomplish anything."
"I'm just going to keep doing what got me here,
and that's just being myself."
Perfectly said, Momma Carol. Proud son over here.
Do I still think she's a catfish? Yes. But worded beautifully.
Like I said, I don't care if she's a catfish or not. She's a liar.
I feel like I nailed it. I feel like people are gonna read this and be like,
"Damn it. We can't trip up Carol at all."
I feel like people are just onto her, like,
the whole sweet mom act might be running its course.
[Michelle] Next up is a photo from Bru's album.
Here's mine!
See, this is how you play a game to get information
and not to create lies and fallacies about people.
Oh no, it's me on the boat. That's a great picture though. Killing it.
All right, Bru, let's see what this picture has to say.
"Bru, you can only take your two favorite besties in The Circle
on this yacht with you,
comma, who are you choosing? Question mark."
If I were Bru, I'd be like… [exhales]
Let me see my name in there if you're gonna name names.
That's all I care about.
I'm so nervous.
"I'm taking all of us on this yacht,
and if it sinks, I'm going down with y'all."
"Crying laughing emoji."
"#CircleBestiesForLife."
[grunts]
Diplomatic. Diplomatic.
What a lame answer!
It's a cop-out that I respect because I would cop out in the same way.
You did exactly what everybody expected you to do,
exactly what everybody expected you to do.
I just got here, and I'm onto you.
[Michelle] Next is a photo from Alyssa's album.
Oh God. Here's mine. All right.
Oh, it's me!
Is she in Rome?
I'm very curious right now.
I'm hoping my lie that I have come up with
does a lot of damage and really throws Alyssa under the bus.
"In one of our first conversations, you told me you'd never been to Europe."
"How do you explain this photo?"
-Oh! -Oh!
-[Trevor] Oh my gosh! -[Bru] Oh no!
That's not true.
Oh my God, she just got caught in a lie!
So somebody was out here lying, saying they'd never been.
Okay, now this is real right here.
This conversation never happened.
So, she's going to be confused.
She's hopefully gonna be caught off-guard.
I gotta play dirty here.
That feels like a lie.
I mean, it is a lie.
I've been to Europe several times. Like, I've been to Italy several times.
If this is true, this is Bad News Bears. Alyssa is one of my closest people.
I didn't really think she was a catfish.
I'm way more suspicious of Alyssa now than I was before.
I didn't have any reason to be suspicious of her.
I wanna see how Alyssa gonna wiggle her way out of this one, baby.
Okay, Circle message…
[suspenseful music playing]
"That is such an odd thing to say."
"Because I am such a notorious note taker, and I can tell you for a fact
I have never talked to anybody about travel."
"I've been in Italy a few times to see family,
and this particular trip, I traveled to Rome with my ex-boyfriend,
and you can see him in the reflection of my sunglasses." Oh, she dug deep.
"I'm glad there wasn't any real negative things to say about me,
because this is just a blatant lie. Crying laughing emoji."
I hope that I have done enough to tarnish Alyssa's name.
Don't mess with Alyssa. This girl has receipts.
Let me write that down.
Let me be a notorious note taker like Alyssa, honey!
Maybe she lied to somebody else about something,
or maybe she influenced somebody else, and they didn't like that.
Alyssa does seem very, like, meticulous with notes and stuff,
just the way she's. like, prepped.
I'm nervous because I really don't know who would have said that.
[Michelle] And finally, we have a photo from Nathan's album.
Oh boy! It's my turn. Anonymous, that's me.
All right, here we go. It's game time.
Aw, is that little Nathan?
[laughs] This is a photo of Nathan as a kid.
All right.
This is where we find out if Nathan's real.
It's gonna be quick and painless.
I just wanna know. This is between me and him.
"Nathan, from your album and this childhood photo,
it looks like you're a lifelong golfer."
"Some quick trivia to see if it's really you."
"How many shots under par do you need for an eagle?"
Shit. I wouldn't know. Let me tell you. Ha!
[suspenseful music playing]
An eagle is two shots under par.
Hell, if you've even played mini golf, I feel like you know what this is.
Oh my God.
This is so bad.
If he doesn't reply or if he tries to distract being like,
"I haven't played golf in years. I don't remember."
It's like, no, you don't forget that.
So it's par…
birdie…
All he needs to reply with is the number two, and we're straight.
An eagle sounds better than a birdie, and I know a birdie is one shot under par.
If Nathan doesn't get this right,
I will be so mad, because it means that he's a catfish.
He's taking a long time to answer.
I took notes.
I took so many notes before this,
and I didn't write down what an eagle is.
Oh my God. I might fuck up my game here.
There's no way out of this! It's a simple… it's a simple answer!
This is right or wrong, catfish or not, in my eyes.
All right, let's say, "My… my dad is huge…"
"My dad is…"
Oh my God. I'm panicked. Okay, starting over.
Message, "My family loves to golf. We live near a lot of golf courses."
"I wish I was better, but I usually end up drinking too much."
"Laughing crying emoji."
"An eagle is two shots under par." Send.
Oh my God. I might tank my game with one message.
All right, big dog, you passed. Good job, dude.
Oh my God. I feel sick to my stomach.
All right, I don't know if that's the truth,
but it sounds convincing.
And it sounds like Nathan usually does end up drinking too much,
and I understand.
I really feel like that's the end of my game.
I don't think I answered that correctly.
[Michelle] Well, if it makes you feel any better, Nathan,
in about ten seconds,
nobody's gonna be thinking about your golf game.
[distorted alarm blares]
-[Yu Ling] Another alert? -[Alex] All right.
What is this?
"Your safety is in the hands of the new players."
Game change.
"They will have the power
to pass on antivirus software to their fellow players"?
Wow. Yo, like, that's so much power. Like…
So Eversen's a catfish as… as Bill Gates. What is happening?
[Frank] "Any player left without the software will be…"
"…blocked from The Circle tonight"?
[suspenseful music playing]
[Yu Ling gasps]
Should I feel like I'm in a whole hell of a lot of danger right now?
'Cause I certainly don't feel good.
I knew I liked you, Circle. You are on fire lately. You're on fire.
You are bringing me nothing, nothing, nothing but good news. I like this.
[funky music playing]
[Michelle] The mystery virus is still speeding around The Circle.
And after giving him a golf-based grilling earlier,
Bru wants to check in with his Circle bro, Nathan.
Oh. "Bru has invited you to a private chat."
Could want to talk about this game that just happened.
I do have some suspicion he's the one who asked me the golf question.
Maybe he's here to correct me… [laughs]
…about what an eagle is.
Goddamn stupid eagle.
Message, "Yo! Exclamation point."
"I'm glad these messages still work with the cyber virus."
"Crying laughing emoji."
"How you feeling after the data breach, bro?"
"Great job, by the way, with your question."
"You handled it like a pro and squashed any suspicions."
"Let's hit the course with some brews soon."
[screaming]
Oh my God.
Bru, thank you so much for confirming that my answer was right.
And squashed any suspicions.
That's right, baby. No catfish in this apartment. Ooh!
[Michelle] There's some questionable dancing going on though.
Message, "This virus is whack. The data breach was goddamn nuts."
[Bru] "People were going hard for each other."
I think he's probably as shocked as I am about all this nutsness… [laughs]
…that went down during the data breach.
People went after each other's heads.
Message, "There are some savages in here. Crying laughing emoji."
"What question shocked you the most?"
There was Carol's. I could say Rachel, but I don't want to tank Rachel's game.
Message, "I think Frank's question shocked me the most,
'cause I feel like everyone loves Frank."
[Bru] "Do you think Frank's mad at you? Question mark."
That Frank thing really got me going with the whole turtleneck thing, and like…
Why would you try to do that, you know?
I don't know if Frank's still mad at me,
or if he is at all, or has ever been. I don't know.
Message, "I didn't do anything to make Frank mad."
"That's just why I was a little confused on why he'd bring me up at all
during an intense question like that."
Message, "Do you get the vibe
that he's playing the 'Mr. Nice Guy' card to everyone in here?"
"It's tough to know where anyone stands with him." Ooh!
Interesting, Bru.
Maybe you don't feel like you and Frank are that tight.
I would just feel terrible if Nathan, like, you know, trusted Frank or whatever,
just because of a couple convos.
Then Frank becomes an influencer again, and Nathan gets blocked.
That's what happened to, uh, the first person in here, Paul.
I get it. He's so nice and stuff. It's just like…
It's a mysterious nice.
Message, "I agree. I have no idea where I stand with him."
"It can be frustrating. Period."
"A friend to everyone is a friend to no one." Whoa. Whoa.
Now, this is exactly, exactly what I've been saying.
Oh. It's so interesting to see. We're on the same page. All right.
Message, "Between you and me, comma, early on in the game,
Frank and I were in a group chat with another dude,
where I thought we were all on good terms. Period."
"Frank became an influencer, and that dude got blocked."
"#JustSoYouKnow." Send.
Message, "Wow. I didn't realize that about Frank."
"Thanks for letting a bro know. Praying emoji."
"Anyone else in the game you have your eye on? Eyes emoji." Send.
Okay, I get it. We're giving and taking. I gotta give him some more stuff here.
I will bring up somebody, and I think he will agree as well,
which will only strengthen what we're going for here in building this trust.
Rachel is, like, one that he should be almost worried about.
I think she likes me,
but I don't really have anybody else in here that I'm, like, worried about.
I need something dirty. I need something you don't tell anyone else.
Trust me with something.
Message, "I think there's something there
with the whole Rachel and stirring pots thing."
"It's really tough to figure out if she's just being direct and honest
or just likes the drama." Send.
It's not exactly what I wanted to hear, because I do like Rachel.
I don't wanna give him any more info,
but I want him to know that I appreciate him sharing this with me.
Message, "Very interesting about Rachel. I'm gonna keep my eye on her."
"This is much appreciated, my man."
"I still feel like there's so much I don't know about what's going on,
so it feels great that I can turn to you."
[clicks teeth] That's what I've been saying.
My Circle bro.
Message--
[screen screeching, whirring]
Oh God. Oh God. Wait a second here.
-[screen screeching, whirring] -[Alex] Oh no.
Oh, dear Lord. Lost Nathan.
Take me back to my chat, Circle! Take me back to my chat.
There was information coming. I could feel it!
Circle! Come on.
-Bru was gonna tell me things! -[screen beeping]
[screen powering down]
What is going on?
[Michelle] Oh, okay. Nice to see that, in The Circle,
even malicious computer viruses have a flair for the dramatic.
Now, let's see what's on Rachel's mind except for,
"Is it acceptable to fry pasta?"
[mellow music playing]
[grunts]
Child, not Rachel inviting me to a private chat.
Message, "Frank, OMG, shocked emoji."
"That game was ruthless. Crying laughing emoji."
"Just wanted to check in and make sure you're feeling okay."
"I know we both got dragged a little bit."
"Some of those other questions had me shook, though."
"Like what was that Alyssa mess? Crying laughing emoji."
"That really took me aback. Now I've got questions. Eyeball emoji."
Message, "It seemed like someone was trying to be super strategic
and create lies about other people
so they would have to defend themselves in front of the new players."
"I'm not sure what they were going for with the Alyssa question,
but she has been here since day one with me."
"I've always thought
she was a very genuine player with a very big heart."
"My gut tells me that Alyssa was telling the truth."
So he believes Alyssa.
Like, I literally do not think strategically,
so the fact that somebody said that just to throw off the new players sucks.
I think it's interesting somebody would go after her like that.
I think that's suspicious. Message…
-[screen beeps, whirrs] -Oh.
"Hot Circle players in your area"?
[screen beeping continuously]
What the hell is that? What the fuck is this?
And who gonna exit out of all of this shit? I'm trying to talk!
[Rachel] Oh my God.
Can we… can it go away?
[both] "Are you sure you want to close the chat?"
-No. -Girl, I didn't try to close the chat.
-What the hell? -I'm trying to read the chat.
That's so annoying!
[laughs] Oh my God!
Baby, where is a computer technician when you need one?
[Michelle] Trust, Frank, I've been on the phone for three hours now.
[chill music playing]
The Circle is suffering from a virus,
but nothing, and I do mean nothing, stops arts and crafts time in this place.
Oh, Daddy loves you two so much. Oh my God. Oh my God! I love you.
It's the longest I haven't spoken to you.
[Michelle] Aw, you might not have spoken to your kids in a while,
but get some perspective, Imani, 'cause Nathan just burnt his food.
Oh my God! Not this.
Oh! I fucked it all up.
I mean, is it bad that I actually think I may be able to eat this?
[Michelle] And before Chef Nathan serves himself a delicious helping
of whatever that was,
I think The Circle may be about to serve something else.
Oh no.
-[intense music playing] -[screen beeping]
"Blocking imminent." What do you mean "blocking imminent"?
Oh no. Oh no.
Oh man. That doesn't look like good, not one bit.
No! Stop! I hate it!
I am shaking, honey.
Oh my God. What if I go home tonight? What if this is it?
[distorted alarm blares]
[Yu Ling gasps]
[Yu Ling] "Alert"!
Oh no.
Oh God. Oh, jeez.
I can't go to the bathroom in peace without alerts?
We gotta trust that all the work we have put into this game
will pay off right in this moment.
"Eversen and Imani, you must now decide…"
"…who to pass the antivirus software on to."
[exhales]
I'm safe, but I'm kind of stressed, 'cause I don't know
who I'mma pass the software on to.
[Rachel] I hope I've done enough.
We had good conversations, but who knows? Like, maybe the game tonight swayed them.
Please, please, please, please, please, please, please save me. Please, save me.
Please. Please. I can't have this be when I get blocked!
I don't know what they think of me. I don't know what to think of them.
And that makes me absolutely terrified.
-[exhales] -[music builds up, stops]
[Alex] I don't know which one player they're gonna pick.
[Michelle] Eversen and Imani haven't had a one-on-one chat yet,
but they're about to make that happen to save one player.
This is really not how I thought
my… my initial conversation with Eversen was gonna go.
"Eversen and Imani, you should now pick one player
to pass the antivirus software on to." One?
Just one?
Shoot.
Message, "Hey, Eversen, how crazy is all this?"
"I hope your mind is just as blown as mine."
"This is not how I expected our first conversation to go,
but it's nice to get to talk to you."
Message, "I couldn't wait to talk to you."
"Loved your profile. I tried to get into your party last night,
but they said I was underdressed. #CircleLife."
"Can you believe what we have to do now?"
You tell he's digging Imani's vibe. This is good. I like this already.
Message, "If I knew you were at the door,
I definitely would've got you through security."
"#CircleVIP." [laughing]
Cute! All right! Okay! Okay! You trying to flirt a little bit.
"As much as I would love to continue to get to know you,
I think it's time we try to figure out who we're gonna pass
the antivirus software on to."
"How are you feeling about Rachel?" Send.
Ah.
Well, message,
"Rachel, straight talker, to the point."
"And people can say that that's stirring the pot…"
"…because you're not being passive." Yes! Yes!
That is why I like this guy, like,
people are freakin' intimidated by people that… that aren't afraid to just be blunt.
"Yes. I love me a strong woman that's not afraid to be straight up."
"I feel the exact same way about Rachel, so she's somebody I want to keep around."
"Let's talk about Frank next. I absolutely adore him."
"His whole vibe energy is just infectious,
and he made the biggest impression on me at the party last night."
"I feel like he's a good person to have in your corner."
"What are your thoughts?"
Message, "I agree! Exclamation point."
"Frank is a whole vibe. When we talked today, he was cutting up."
"However, that Mr. Nice Guy comment, I want to know more."
"Because normally when people say, 'Mr. Nice Guy,'
it's usually there's 'no more Mr. Nice Guy.'"
I really, really, really like Frank.
You know, I think by me saving him,
he's somebody I know will rate Imani high moving forward.
The most important person to save for my game plan would be Frank.
"Now, let's move on to Momma Carol. To me, she comes across super sweet,
but there's been talk of her being a game player."
"So I definitely need to keep my eye on her."
"What do you think?" Oh!
People think she's a catfish, and I'm afraid that she'll get blocked.
I also really sympathized with her when she said
she's just been going through this life being who she is.
That speaks to me, 'cause that's who I am. That's what I do.
Circle, message, "She does seem very sweet,
and to be accused of being a catfish in The Circle is like the Scarlet Letter."
"Playing the game doesn't make you a catfish,
but making decisions other people don't agree with
will make people say you're a game player."
He doesn't have any red flags, and that's okay. That's fine.
For the most part, I think we're moving along nicely.
I think we're, we're, we're, we're of like minds.
It's clearly between Frank, Rachel, or Carol to save.
I just hope we can agree on who to save.
Oh! Carol or Frank.
Uh, or Rachel! Rachel was at my party last night, though.
But Frank, he… he does seem like a real vibe.
Oh man, I hope this goes right. God, this is stressful.
[intense music playing]
Message… [exhales deeply, inhales]
"I think we've come to our decision… Dot, dot, dot." And send.
Yes, I think we have.
[Michelle] One player is about to get a free pass from the blocking.
[dramatic music playing]
I've never hated anything more than I do this experience.
This is the most vulnerable I've ever felt in the game.
I'm not feeling this whole virus situation.
Oh boy.
-[distorted alarm blares] -[Rachel] Oh!
"Alert!" Oh, "Alert." Oh, "Alert." Oh no!
This is so stressful.
Somebody done turned the heat up, baby, 'cause I feel like I'm about to pass over.
"Eversen and Imani have made their decision."
Let's hope they made a good one.
What's the freaking decision?
-Circle… -…Take me to…
…Circle Chat.
[beeping, whirring]
[sighs]
"Eversen, which player have you and Imani decided
to pass the antivirus software on to?"
"Which player"?
They only get to give it to one person?
All right, Eversen, give it to them, man.
Man, you don't understand how difficult it was to come to this decision.
It's like… Oh, it's like a slow, painful death. Come on. Just do it!
Send the goddamn message already. Come on!
Circle, message…
Oh my God. He's typing.
Okay.
[music intensifies, stops]
[screaming] Jesus!
"Frank!"
Frank. I fucking knew it. Oh my God.
Oh no! Frank!
[screaming] Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!
Look at that shit! My picture is regular again.
"Frank, you are free from the virus and safe from tonight's blocking."
Another day in The Circle, baby!
That's what I'm talking about!
He got the antivirus. He's… he's as clean as a whistle now.
Is there only the one, and everybody else is just in the regular pool of blocking?
"Frank, which player do you want…"
What?
"Frank, which player do you want to pass the antivirus on to?"
[Alex] Oh my God. Wait, is this like a chain?
Like, they pick one person, and then that person picks another person?
Oh no!
[sighs] Oh my God.
I get to pick?
I like this, 'cause now we can start to figure out who he favors in this game.
It ain't gonna be me.
I don't think Frank's gonna give it to me.
I want Alyssa to stay in this game, but I want somebody else to keep her safe.
I don't understand what his strategy is. He plays with his heart, not his head.
I definitely want to go with Rachel or Yu Ling
in hopes that they will keep the #InnerCircle alive.
I can feel my heart beating out of my chest right now.
Circle, I'm ready to lock in my answer.
I just have a feeling that if Frank doesn't pick me,
I might be going home tonight.
[music intensifies]
Oh my God. Frank, I fucking love you!
He picked Yu Ling.
Yu Ling. Thank God.
"Yu Ling, you are free from the virus and safe from tonight's blocking."
[screaming]
That's actually pretty good.
Yu Ling is probably gonna give it to either Alyssa or myself.
She might give it to me.
I think Frank wants me to choose Rachel.
The only difficulty is I also need Alyssa in this game.
We were influencers together.
We shared a lot of information together. We have an alliance.
Pick Alyssa or me. Pick Alyssa or me.
If she doesn't go with me, then I'm gonna go home.
Circle, lock in my answer.
Please, Yu Ling, please put me out of my freaking misery.
Come be my IT repairman, Yu Ling.
[music intensifies]
Oh my God! Yu Ling! You did it! You saved me!
What the fuck?
Rachel? Yu Ling picked Rachel?
When did that happen?
What do you mean, Rachel?
"Rachel, you are free from the virus and safe from tonight's blocking"?
[inhales]
Oh God. Alyssa and Bru are so pissed at me.
It sort of feels like she fucked over me and Bru,
who are part of an alliance for her.
People just talk, tell you what you wanna hear.
That's unbelievable.
This is gonna cause drama.
I just can't risk Alyssa choosing Carol, is the only thing.
[Michelle] Frank, Yu Ling, and Rachel have been given the antivirus software
and are safe from blocking.
It's now down to Rachel to choose who gets it next,
Bru, Carol, Alyssa or Nathan.
[Yu Ling] "Rachel, which player do you wanna pass the antivirus on to?"
[sighs] Oh my God. Please choose Alyssa.
I could go with Bru. We've had really good conversations,
but I feel like he's so tight with Carol,
and she would definitely block me immediately if she could.
It's not gonna be me. Hopefully, it's Bru or Alyssa.
I got a little bit of connection with Rachel,
but I just don't know. I don't know if it's enough.
I could go with Nathan, because we have this cool strategy,
and I am a loyal person, so I wanna prove that to him.
We can take over the game. You just gotta save me.
She's not gonna give it to Nathan, I don't think.
If Rachel is being a genuine player,
she's definitely going to pass the ball to Alyssa.
Circle, message…
[music intensifies, stops]
Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!
Oh, Rachel, let's go! Yes!
Rachel saved Nathan.
Hmm.
I didn't expect that.
[shouting] What the fuck is happening?
I don't know what's going on anymore.
"Nathan, you're free from the virus and safe from tonight's blocking."
I'll definitely get to flirt my way to the top with Nathan,
but that was shocking.
What is happening in all of these chats that I'm not in?
"Nathan, which player do you want to pass the antivirus on to?"
I'm sure Alyssa can't be thrilled right now.
Us two to be down to the last three is, like, actually bananas.
And Bru too. Like, these are the three people I align with the most,
so this is just, like, all bad for me.
Me and Bru just had a great conversation.
He gave me some crucial information.
I could pass this off to Alyssa. Her and Yu Ling are very close.
That could win me some points with Yu Ling.
Nathan, do me a solid here, bud.
I just want to know!
Message…
Oh my God.
[music intensifies, stops]
Oh, Nathan picked me. Oh, Nathan saved me.
Oh my God.
"Bru, you are free from the virus and safe from tonight's blocking."
You are welcome, my man.
Whoo! We are still alive, baby.
I'm still alive, but instant… instant feelings about what's coming next.
[Michelle] With only Carol and Alyssa remaining,
whoever Bru doesn't choose to receive the antivirus
will be immediately blocked and sent home.
"Bru, which player do you want to pass the antivirus on to?"
So we're saving one more.
I can't believe it's between me and Carol.
Baby Bear Bru, who has promised me his trust.
Promised me.
I mean, I'm as confident in my alliance with Bru
as I was in my alliance with Yu Ling, and she just shat all over it.
I got to pick between my mom and my… my other Circle bae.
This is a nightmare, an absolute nightmare.
I think Bru's gonna save Alyssa here,
but as we found out earlier, he kind of likes Carol.
He's gonna hurt one of these two ladies.
This is some shitty shit.
Circle, the player that I'd like to pass the antivirus on to is…
[music intensifies]
[music fades out]
[Michelle] Coming up, get ready…
This is a game. You cannot trust everybody.
…for the shocking end to our most dramatic season yet.
I have no problem stepping on anyone.
Damn!
Holy shit!
"I'll show up in this outfit
and then let you take whatever you want off."
Ooh!
This is big enough for two.
She is a good-looking lady. I do wanna get my flirt on with Imani.
[Michelle] Betrayals…
[Bru] "You'll have 30 minutes to paint a portrait."
"Your portraits will remain anonymous."
Oh!
-[gasps] "Backstabber?" -[Trevor] Wow!
[gasps]
[laughs]
I did not realize it was gonna get this dirty!
…leads to blockings.
I so badly want to stay.
-Moment of truth, man. -Who's leaving?
What?
That's rough.
[Michelle] As the twists just keep on coming.
"The top-rated player will become the secret super influencer."
-I didn't expect this. -This is wild, man.
This could be the start of a Circle war.
[screams] Oh fuck!
[theme music playing]