04x08 - Circle Cyber att*ck

[bunniefuu]

["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.[/i]
With two newbies arriving yesterday,[/i]

our little Circle familia
is up to nine players.[/i]

Mm.

[Michelle] New arrivals Eversen and Imani[/i]
each threw a party,[/i]

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.[/i]

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[/i]
his contemplating and chin scratching[/i]

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,[/i]
but it's not that one.[/i]

He's inviting all the people
who missed his party

to a private g*n 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.[/i]

[upbeat music playing]

And over at Imani's,

there's about to be another...

[whining] ...you-didn't-come-to-my-party-LOL[/i]
group chat[/i]

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[/i]
be short, but Imani's group chat[/i]

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.
expl*si*n 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[/i]
of the bag with Eversen.[/i]

And back at Imani's,

Rachel's about
to drop that Spice b*mb too.

"Well, you missed a huge b*mb."

"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 f*cking 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[/i]
to take that in and maybe[/i]

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[/i]
the sexpert. You happy, Yu Ling?[/i]

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,[/i]
and after all that chatting,[/i]

our players are catching up
with some chores.

[slow accordion music playing]

[screen whirs]

What is this?

[Michelle] Oh, I have no clue,[/i]
but it looks scary.[/i]

[intense music playing]

"Cyber-att*ck detected"?

What this mean?

Is this for real?

What the f*ck?

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 f*cking 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,[/i]
but I think you might be right, Carol.[/i]

"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 sh*t. 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.[/i]

'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[/i]
from Frank's album.[/i]

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[/i]
from Yu Ling's album.[/i]

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 g*dd*mn 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,[/i]
it's a photo from Rachel's album.[/i]

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[/i]
from Carol's album.[/i]

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[/i]
is a photo from Bru's album.[/i]

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. k*lling 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[/i]
from Alyssa's album.[/i]

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]

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[/i]
from Nathan's album.[/i]

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 sh*ts under par
do you need for an eagle?"

sh*t. I wouldn't know.
Let me tell you. Ha!

[suspenseful music playing]

An eagle is two sh*ts 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 sh*t 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 f*ck 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 sh*ts under par." Send.

Oh my God.
I might t*nk 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[/i]
any better, Nathan,[/i]

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[/i]
is still speeding around The Circle.[/i]

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.

g*dd*mn 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[/i]
questionable dancing going on though.[/i]

Message, "This virus is whack.
The data breach was g*dd*mn 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 t*nk 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.[/i]
Nice to see that, in The Circle,[/i]

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 f*ck is this?

And who gonna exit out
of all of this sh*t? 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[/i]
on the phone for three hours now.[/i]

[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[/i]
to your kids in a while,[/i]

but get some perspective, Imani,
'cause Nathan just burnt his food.

Oh my God! Not this.

Oh! I f*cked it all up.

I mean, is it bad that I actually think
I may be able to eat this?

[Michelle] And before Chef Nathan[/i]
serves himself a delicious helping[/i]

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[/i]
a one-on-one chat yet,[/i]

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?

sh**t.

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[/i]
a free pass from the blocking.[/i]

[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 g*dd*mn message already. Come on!

Circle, message...

Oh my God. He's typing.

Okay.

[music intensifies, stops]

[screaming] Jesus!

"Frank!"

Frank. I f*cking knew it. Oh my God.

Oh no! Frank!

[screaming] Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!

Look at that sh*t!
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 b*ating
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 f*cking 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 f*ck?

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 f*cked 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[/i]
have been given the antivirus software[/i]

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 f*ck 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[/i]
and Alyssa remaining,[/i]

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 sh*t.

Circle, the player that I'd like to pass
the antivirus on to is...

[music intensifies]

[music fades out]

[Michelle] Coming up, get ready...[/i]

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 sh*t!

"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...[/i]

[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[/i]
just keep on coming.[/i]

"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 w*r.

[screams] Oh f*ck!

[theme music playing]