03x05 - The Real Michelle

[bunniefuu]

[Buteau] Previously on The Circle...[/i]

Circle, I'm here!

[Buteau] ...eight players entered.[/i]

-Oh my God! We're here![/i]
-And so, it begins.

-[Buteau] Some real.[/i]
-"Ain't nothing like the real thing."[/i]

Ooh!

[Buteau] Some catfish.[/i]

We gotta be really smart here about this.

[Buteau] Ava was the first to be blocked...[/i]

[gasps] Oh my God!

[Buteau] ...but was given a second chance...[/i]

Whatever you need us to do, Circle.
Let's do this.

[Buteau] ...as a clone[/i]
of one of the players.[/i]

Wait a minute.

What?

There's two Michelles now,
and I don't know which one's the real one.

And as far as everyone's concerned,
she's the fake.

Why me?

[Buteau] She faced off[/i]
with her doppelgänger.[/i]

I want some answers
from you, Orange Michelle![/i]

So she thinks that I'm not me!

[both screaming]

[Buteau] And OG Michelle was blocked.[/i]

They're gonna feel like real sh*t
when they see who the real person is.

[gasps] What?

[Buteau] Two new catfish[/i]
swam into The Circle.[/i]

Oh my gosh! That's my name!
That's not my name. That's my sister's.

I am you. You are me. I love it.

-We've made a decision.
-I agree.

[Kai] I'll go handle it.

[Buteau] And luck ran out[/i]
for identity thieves Chanel and Ava.[/i]

[suspenseful music playing]

[Buteau] With Ruksana and Kai deciding[/i]
to block Michelle,[/i]

Kai has just discovered

Michelle's actually a player
she's blocked once before,

sisters Ava and Chanel.

Hi.

Hi.

Oh my God!

Hi, come here!

-[laughing] Oh my God! This is crazy!
-[Ava] Yeah!

[Kai] Okay, sit, sit, sit!
I can't believe we're here talking.

So, like, all right.

Clearly didn't know
that you guys were you guys.

-Yeah.
-[exhales] This is crazy. Um...

I know.

'Cause I was like,
"Blue Michelle's gotta be it, hands down."

We had no choice
but to take the second chance.

Like, when we were...
when the block happened,

we walked in,
and we were given this opportunity...

-To be a clone.
-And she was...

[Chanel] Orange Michelle
was the real Michelle.

-[Ava] Yeah.
-[Chanel] She was really who she was.

'Cause the real Michelle just was sitting
in that chair two nights ago.

And I'll be honest with you, Kai.

I don't even know
how we were able to prove to everyone

that we were more of Michelle
than the real Michelle.

That's crazy 'cause y'all did.

Y'all were, in my opinion,
better Michelles than Michelle.

Yes!

Like, y'all, like,


[Matthew] Well, more time's going by.

If no one's walking in my door,
that's a very good sign.

I feel like she's gotta already
be visiting whoever it is, right?

I lived to fight another day, I guess.

I feel bad,
but I think we made the best decision.

[Kai] I'm sure you're wondering,
like, how in the world you got blocked.

I had a connection
with Michelle from the jump.

We had this Southern belle thing going on,

and then I felt like,

when we had the chat earlier today,
it made me feel like,

"Hmm, she's really trying to press me
for some juice, for some tea."

We thought
the conversation today went so positive.

-[Ava] Yeah.
-We just modeled Michelle after our mom.

And I had a hard time imagining

that initial Michelle
wanting to know what's happening.

I kind of felt like, "Mmm, I don't know.
I'm a little leery about it."

-Yeah.
-Yes.

It just seemed as though
things weren't the same after the cloning.

[Ava] Okay, yeah.

So we don't know if, in fact,
it was still the real Michelle.

And then the fact that the rating
was super low the first time...

-[Chanel] Exactly.
-...and then this time,

so maybe there's some other red flags
that other players are seeing

that maybe
we could potentially be missing.

Yeah. And we actually rated Ruksana one,

because we were like,
"Ruksana would not block Michelle."

Because Ruksana was all, you know,

"We're sticking together, Blue Michelle,"
and all of this.

Honestly, I gotta say
that Ruksana plays a real good game.

Well, I do apologize
for blocking you guys.

Y'all are lovely.
And this happened to you twice!

We've had an unbelievable time.

Honey, I think
that you are gonna be till the end.

-[Ava] Yeah.
-I hope so.

-God bless you.
-[Kai] Thank you.

I hope to see you guys soon.

-Yes. Absolutely, darling.
-Bye. Thanks.

-It's all right.
-It was nice meeting you. See you later.

Nice meeting you. Take care.

-[Chanel] All right, let's get packing.
-[door closes]

[Chanel] Let's get packing.

[Buteau] And just like that,

The Circle loses
the most fashionable thing to happen to it

since that one time I wore a toe ring.

Good night, Circle.

Today was the craziest day
but the best day.

That was super insane.

[inhales deeply, exhales]

I never thought I would end this evening
by being the number-one influencer.

I couldn't have asked for anything more.

I was so nervous about Kai and Ruksana,
but now I... I owe them a huge thanks.

They let me stay here another day...

[chuckles] ...even though Kai doesn't know
that I insulted her in front of everybody.

But I'll just keep that
my dirty little secret.

Sweet dreams, Circle.

[siren wailing in distance]

["The Safety Dance"
by Men Without Hats playing]

[Buteau] 'Sup, Circle citizens?[/i]

[all] Good morning, Circle!

I'm still here.

♪ We can dance if we want to[/i]
We can leave your friends behind[/i]... ♪[/i]

[Buteau] Some are barely awake[/i]

and already thinking
about their next move.

Even though
I was safe last night from being blocked,

I'm not safe anymore.

I think I'm officially
out of the newbie zone.

Really just humbled and flattered to stay,

and I need to let the girls know that,
especially Kai.

After yesterday's game,

we ain't a tight-knit family
like I thought we were, so game on.

[Buteau] Slow your roll, home skillet.[/i]

We still gotta handle
that blocking business.

I don't know what the hell is going on
because everyone is still here.

I thought someone was getting blocked.

Oh my God! Someone was blocked,
and we still have no idea.

Did they get lost in the hallway? [laughs]

Kai went to meet Michelle face-to-face.
I'm literally dying to know how that went.

I was super shocked
that I had to get rid of them twice.

I know they're double the trouble,
but twice? Ah!

[Buteau] Kai and Ruksana are the only ones[/i]
who know who got blocked,[/i]

and Kai's the only one who knows
Michelle was a two-headed catfish.

That might be about to change, though.

[all] "The Newsfeed has been updated."

-Updated.
-[gasps] Oh!

Here we go! [chuckles]

I'm not ready.

What does that mean? Oh my God.

If Daniel left or if Nick got blocked,

that would be the worst thing
I could think of right now.

I'm praying it's not Daddy Nick.

Oh, that would not be good for my game.

All right, let's go. Um...

-Circle, take me to the Newsfeed.
-Circle, take me to my Newsfeed.

Oh my God, I guess it was Michelle.

All right.

Thank you, Lord.

What? [chuckles]

[gasps]

Kai must've just not cared
about that Southern belle alliance, huh?

#FakeFriend, am I right?

[laughs]

This is the moment we've been waiting for,

and we're about to see
if Michelle was the real deal.

Circle, please play the message.

[Ava] Hey, guys.[/i]

That did not sound
like a 52-year-old woman.

[Ava] It's not Michelle.[/i]

It's Ava and Chanel.

-We're back.
-[inaudible][/i]

What?

Holy sh*t.
What the hell are they doing back?

Oh my God.
Orange Michelle was the real Michelle.

Actually, we never left.

Yes! I knew it! It was shady as heck.

We're imagining that probably all you guys
are pretty shocked right now.

The Circle gave us another chance
to come back,

and we had the opportunity
to clone a player,

and we decided to clone Michelle.

What an absolute twist!

We convinced all of you guys into thinking
that we were the real Michelle.

Over the real Michelle.

Oh sh*t.

Damn. Ava's pretty cute in that video too.

Even though we fooled you,

there are players amongst you

that are doing an exceptional job
in fooling you.

Is she talking
about one of the influencers?

It's making me a little nervous

because I don't want people to think
that I'm a catfish.

Goodbye, good luck,
and God bless. [kisses][/i]

I'm an idiot.
I should have went with my gut

when I thought Orange Michelle
was the real Michelle.

"There's someone
that really surprised us."

Is Kai a catfish?

See you! [chuckles]

Circle, take me back to my Newsfeed.

[Buteau] I guess the Michelle-gate thing's[/i]
all wrapped up now though, right?[/i]

[laughs fiendishly]

[Daniel] "Orange Michelle..."

Oh, yeah. "Orange Michelle has le..."

Wow!

"Orange Michelle has left a message
for The Circle"?

Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh!

Circle, play Orange Michelle's message.

Hey, y'all. It's me, the real Michelle.

-Oh![/i]
-Oh sh*t! Oh man![/i]

If you're seeing this,
the Blue Michelle is gone.

Now you know you've made the wrong choice.

All of you were played
by the Blue Michelle.

Oh, damn, man.

Damn! Damn!

Well, y'all, I came here to be me,
and I'm gonna leave here being me,[/i]

knowing I was true to myself
and true to you all.

She seems awesome.

I've had a blast. Bye, y'all.
Good luck. See you on the other side.

[softly] Oh my gosh.

I'm so freaking sad
that we blocked Michelle

because, like,
she was who she said she was.

She did view me, like,
as, like, almost like a son,

or, like, she could be
my mom away from home.

Michelle!

Oh, she seemed so nice.

I'm on high alert.
Ready to win this thing and bring it home.

That's all I have to say. Game on.

[inhales] Oh, I can't wait to see
what everybody's thinking.

[all] Circle, take me to Circle Chat.

[in singsong] This will be juicy.

Oh hell yeah.

I think a lot of them might wanna know

who was the player
that went to go block Michelle last night,

and I'm kinda nervous.

I kind of got butterflies
all at the same time.

Circle, message, "I can't believe
the fake Michelle fooled us."

"She fooled us first,
but she couldn't fool us twice."

"I'm happy we went with our gut
and made the right decision."

"Kai, I'm so glad
we picked the fake Michelle."

Yes, Ruksana.
I totally agree with you, babe.

Message, "I thought
it was only cats that had nine lives..."

"...but apparently Michelles do too."

"Crying face. Cat face."

Circle, message,

"Excuse me a second
while I pick my jaw up off the floor."

"I did not expect that[/i]."

[Kai] "Does this mean
that Kai has now blocked Ava twice?"

"#CatfishHunter."

Why, thank you, Mr. RiNickulous.

I appreciate that,

because yes,
she has been blocked twice by me.

I wanna know who...
I wanna know who blocked her.

Was it Kai or Ruksana?

They haven't given any reason.

They also haven't said
who was the one to visit Ava... or Michelle.

Circle, message,

"So who had to deliver the bad news
to 'Michelle'?"

"That must have been a wild ride." Send.

I want one of them to have to admit it

because of the little catfish seed
that Ava planted.

Nick is a savage in here.
He... he does not care.

Nick really did go there.

I can't wait to see what Kai's gonna say.

I have no reason to hide it.

I'm gonna continue to be 100% authentic.

Message, "Nick, I felt

that Ruksana should enjoy
her well-deserved win,

so I went and handled it for us.
Strong-arm emoji."

"I was super shocked and could not believe
it was Ava and Chanel..."

[Nick] "...but I feel
that they were sweeter about the blocking

this time than last time."

She admitted it.

That means everyone's like,
"Nick's wondering who the catfish is."

And now people probably are like,
"Wait, I think it might be Kai."

It sounded like those...
Kai is the only person they've met,

so maybe the catfish hunter is a catfish.

This is crazy.

I appreciate
Kai filling Isabella and I in, um,

but I have my eye on her.

I feel like now nobody's gonna suspect me
as a catfish because I was honest.

Kai is more strategic than I thought.

I think Kai is starting
to be my number-one thr*at

in the game at this point.

[Calvin] "The Circle Chat is now closed."

Ava did say
everything isn't the way it seems,

so they could have seen "Kai,"

and they're like,
you know, "She's not real."

I don't think
that I'll be able to turn Calvin anti-Kai,

but the new players

are probably very suspicious
of Kai now, hopefully.

[Buteau] Revelations, catfish,[/i]
and sowing seeds of suspicion.[/i]

Just a regular-ass day in The Circle

as our players fill the time
in their own ways.

Calvin, tired of his own company,

is now using cards to spell out
the word "circle" for some reason.

And Isabella is using hers

to amaze her completely empty apartment
with some mind-blowing magic.

I don't know. It's magic. I can't...
No magician reveals their secret.[/i]

[Buteau] It must have been CGI.[/i]

And while Jackson soaks it up,

I'm gonna stretch this card metaphor
a little more

by saying there's a chat in the cards
for a different kind of pack incoming.

Take it away, wolves. [howls][/i]

Oh my gosh! Yes! Yes!

Oh, this is just
what I needed this morning.

There we are. The Pack is back.

I'm happy that the boys are keeping
the Wolf Pack alive, keeping it going.

It's only three, but it's strong.

It's a strong three.

Circle, message,

"My dudes! It's been a while,
but it's great to be back with the Pack."

"These blockings don't get any easier.
How ya feeling? #Squad."

I'm glad he still feels like we are
a squad, that we are still together.

Ah, it's breaking up.
Ah, I f*cked this one up.

[Buteau] Private chef in the house.[/i]

Message, "I was sweating b*ll*ts,
but I felt like we could trust our girls."

"Was praying
our asses would still be here today."

"#WolfPackIntact." Send.

All right. I like the vibes, Daniel.

Wolf Pack stays intact.
We stick together, man.

Circle, message,
"What do y'all think of the new players?"

"I'm really liking their vibes,

but maybe I'm just blinded
by Isabella's hotness."

-[chuckles]
-Nick liking Isabella

is not a shock to me at all.

"Jackson seems like a homie.
Rock emoji. Could be a nice ally." Send.

[clicks tongue, groans]

Bro, I don't get the same vibes.
I don't get the same vibes, bro.

Message, "Nick, I'll be honest.
I don't know Isabella or Jackson at all."

"I think you could speak for them
as you were invited to the party."

"Praying hands."

Put, "#MeAndDanielWerentInvited
ToTheGuestList." [laughing]

"#DanielAndIWerentOnTheGuestList."
Send message.

My bad, guys.
Sorry to bring that up. [laughs]

Daniel's gonna laugh at that.

[laughing]

Literally LOL.

I don't want him
to think Jackson's a homie.

Message, "Haven't gotten to speak
to Jackson much,

but from what I see,
he doesn't seem like a total clown." Send.

Circle, message,

"I think he could be worthy
of a Wolf Pack expansion,

but I'm running it past you first.
Thoughts?"

"#Democracy." Send.

Why does Nick want this guy
in here so badly?

We don't need anyone else
in this Wolf Pack. We're good.

I wanna say, "What a sh*t idea, Nick."

"We shouldn't do this.
We shouldn't invite Jackson in."

But it could be good for my ratings.

"Nick, if you feel like
he would be a great ally, bring him in."

"Calvin, what do you think?
Let's make this decision unanimously."

I agree.

Maybe Jackson could change my mind.
Who knows?

I just want Calvin to say, "No!"

Ah, let's just welcome him in.

He actually might turn out
to be a nice guy.

Circle, message,

"Guys, what's good for Nick
is good for me! Exclamation point."

"Let's do it." Send message.

Circle, invite Jackson to the Wolf Pack.

"Nick has invited you
to the Wolf Pack chat."

Whoo!

Circle, message,
"Jackson, welcome to the Pack."

"These guys are the realest,
and I think you'll fit right in."

Oh, Nick! I love you! Mwah!

Dudes being dudes,

that's what
I have to figure out how to do.

[Buteau] Don't mention you're a girl[/i]
in a hot tub, and you'll be fine.[/i]

Let's start with, "Mama, I made it!"

With exclamation point,
exclamation point, exclamation point.

"Nick, thanks, bro, for the add." Send.

Circle, message, "Jackson,
you're damn right you made it."

"This is a strong pack
with strong personalities."

"Welcome, my friend. #WolfPack!"

I know Calvin likes Kai,
and Nick likes Isabella.

It's time to see who Jackson fancies.

Message, "I am known to be

a professional matchmaker
and wingman back at home."

"Can I be of service to any of y'all
with these women? Question mark."

Send.

"Daniel, I've been relying on my dog,
Bruce, as we all know now..."

"...but I don't think
it's been working out."

"I need all the help I can get
with Isabella. LOL. #SendHelp."

Ooh...

He's probably confused. Like,
"Thought Nick was going for Ashley."

"Now he's going for Isabella."

You're not wrong.

Circle, message,

"Daniel, your positive energy
is what I need right now."

With the hands-up emoji.

"I'm keeping my mind open

to a million different possibilities
in The Circle,

so I could really use
your guys' wingman skills." Send.

Yeah, but who do you like?

I'm not gonna give too much away
because he's not giving anything away,

if it even is a guy.

Message,
"Currently putting on my cupid outfit."

"We definitely will talk soon.
#LoveIsGonnaBeInTheAir." Send it.

Cupid outfit! [laughs]

I'll speak to you soon, Daniel.

Yes, Daniel!

All right. Nice. Nice.

[Buteau] Looks like Jackson[/i]
is passing the bro test so far.[/i]

Meanwhile, fitness freak Ashley,
played by Matthew,

is reaching dangerous levels of speed
in the gym.

Time to slow things down
with the girls' chat.

Circle, message,
"Ah! My girls! Double heart emoji."

"I can't thank you enough
for keeping me here."

"#Let'sHaveAKiki." Send.

I'm so happy she reached out,

and she made it so light-hearted
but honest. I love it.

Message,
"Ashley, I am here for all this love."

"Is it me, or are y'all getting
Charlie's Angels vibes[/i]

or Destiny's Child 'Survivor' vibes?
#GirlPower."

And send.

[chuckles]

Yes, Kai, absolutely.

Circle, message, "Ashley, I think
me, you, and Kai have a true sisterhood."

"We just get each other
without having to further explain."

"Heart emoji." Send.

[chuckling] Whoa.

See, this is good. This is real.

This is what I'm talking about.

Circle, message,

"Aw, Ruksana, I couldn't agree more."

"For me, it was clear
that I wanted a sisterhood

with the two of you from the beginning."
Send.

Absolutely 100% agree with Ashley.

Open up the heart avatar, please.

Blowing a kiss.

And then I'm gonna say,
"Absolutely. Sisterhood to the end."

"We will always have each other's backs.
Strong-arm emoji." Send.

"Strong arm." This is great.

Circle, send kissing avatar.

Kai sends a kissy face.

Aw. [chuckles]

Kai's avatar is super cute.

[chuckles] Aw.

I think I wanna send an avatar
but also say something...

[chuckles] ...like...

Ashley, "I hold back sending my avatar

'cause I feel like it looks
like I haven't slept in a week,

or I'm something out of The Walking Dead,
but for the sake of the sisterhood..."[/i]

[chuckles]

[Ruksana] Yes! Okay, Ashley.

That's super cute.
She used the same avatar as us.

Yes.

This is so adorable.

Aw.

I love it! I love it.

[Buteau] This Circle sisterhood[/i]
is heating up nicely.[/i]

So is Jackson,

who's really pushing the limits
of The Circle's one-hour hot tub slots.

Meanwhile, Calvin's pushing the limits
of his tendons...

[Calvin] This...

[Buteau] ...MIT grad Nick is having trouble[/i]
with his parabolic arcs...[/i]

How does it even work?

[Buteau] ...and Daniel is one step away[/i]
from burning some cleansing sage.[/i]

Ah, this feels so good.

-[laughs][/i]
-[Buteau] You'll get there, honey.[/i]

And someone is about to make
a serious chat boo.

Come through, Isabella!

[Calvin] "Isabella has invited you
to a private chat."

Even though he was
at the bottom of the barrel yesterday,

he seems like he is a really good player.

So I need to open up
with a little bit of a flirt.

"You're so cute, Calvin.
You're so hot 'cause you're a chef."

I'm not gonna be like this
the whole time, though.

Circle, message,

"Calvin, I'm so excited
to finally get to talk to you."

"From the beginning,
your profile caught my eye."

"I get the best vibe from you,
and usually my instincts are right."

I'm glad
that you have that instincts of me

because my instincts of you
is still a question mark.

"As a server at a restaurant,

I've always had mad respect
for our chefs."

"#ItsAlwaysHotInTheKitchen.
Flame emoji." Send.

[shudders, chuckles] I hate it!

I'm so bad at flirting with boys!

I can't tell if she's trying to flirt
with me or what,

but my boy, Nick, you know, likes you,
and I'm... I'm talking to Kai.

So, I'm good on that respect.

Message, "I'm actually a private chef."

"Who do you find appetizing in The Circle?
Question mark. Pig emoji." Send message.

Okay, good. He didn't do anything
super flirty and gross back. Love that.

I don't wanna take this super sexy
and flirty

because I don't want Calvin thinking
I'm, like, here just to flirt.

I want him to know I have a personality.
Let's put our game face on, Isabella.

Circle, message,

"Let's just say my palate
is a little overwhelmed

with the variety of flavors."

"I haven't had a chance
to get a good taste of everyone just yet."

"My palate is very..."

You know what? That's a good line.

[Sophia] But maybe
I should give him a little something.

That way I'm connecting with him,

and it's not like I'm just trying
to flirt around with everybody.

Circle, message,

"However, I did have
a really good conversation with Nick,

and I'm excited to see where that goes."

-"#TalkAboutASnack."
-[applauds]

This is where
Callie the wingman gets involved.

Perfect.

Nick could be your cupcake now, girl.
Come on. Nick could be your cupcake.

Message, "Isabella, great choice
with my brother Nick! Exclamation point."

"I'm pretty sure
he's digging your conversation as well."

"#sh**t." Send message.

[Sophia] Great!

You know, this feels like we're friends,
like talking about this. I love that.

I'm glad Nick is liked, and Nick likes me,

'cause as long as Nick stays around,
I feel like he'll want to keep me around.

Thank me later. That's all I'm gonna say.

You're welcome, Nick. You're welcome.

[Buteau] It's been a busy day[/i]
of playing the game of popularity.[/i]

And as evening descends,
our players are still keeping busy.

Oh! [laughs][/i]

[sighs] Okay.

[Buteau] And while Isabella gets over[/i]
the hilarity of dropping a yo-yo,[/i]

Daniel and Kai are talking Tennessee.

Message, "My mom was born and raised
in Nashville. Little angel smiley emoji."

Message, "It's apparent you're a product
of a Southern belle. LOL."

"Sunshine emoji. Angel halo emoji."

[Buteau] From the home of country music[/i]
to the brand-new home of Circle music,[/i]

enter Nick's band chat.

Oh no!

[in singsong] Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh!

"Nick has invited you to the band chat"?

There's no rule saying
I can only be in one alliance.

I felt like I couldn't really talk
about the subject of Kai being a catfish

with my Wolf Pack alliance

because Calvin, I believe,
is really close with Kai.

So, I'm hoping that in the band,

I'll be able to see if we can get
some sort of agreement on that.

Also, Isabella and Jackson
might be my best bet

for people that could vote Kai
towards the bottom because they're new.

Everyone else loves Kai.

All right. Circle, message,

"What's up, party people?
I'm looking for bandmates. What you got?"

"Isabella is bringing the whiskey."

"#LetsGetThisPartyStarted. Rock emoji."
Send.

[Sophia] Aw.
I really like that he mentioned me first.

It makes me feel special,

and it makes me feel
like he really is prioritizing Isabella.

Circle, message,
"I've made it into the band!"

"I gave up in musical theater
when I was only cast as..."

"...girl with bucket." [chuckles]

Message,
"This group chat is music to my ears."

"I think the four of us could be
a winning band. #LetsRock." Send.

Circle, message,
"Just wanna say I'm not a singer,

and, Nick, I have a handle
of whiskey ready with your name on it."

"Winky face. Rock-on emoji." Send.

Circle, message, "What did you all think
of Ava's blocked-player video?"

"To me, it seemed
like she was calling out a catfish."

It definitely seems
like she was calling out a catfish.

Circle, message,
"I'm so glad you mentioned that."

"I've been thinking about it all day.
Detective emoji." Send.

This is really good.
Nick and I are on the same wavelength.

And although he's catfish hunting,

he obviously doesn't have any suspicions
for me because I'm his right-hand gal.

That video sure made it seem
like Kai was a catfish,

so we'll see what Ashley's thoughts are.

Message, "Nick, 100%."

"I don't think
she was just doing it to be salty either."

[Sophia] "Good to know
the four of us are on the same page."

"#WhatsSaidInTheBandStaysInTheBand."

Yes! Yes! Yes, yes, yes!

Yes! I like it. Circle, message,

"Thank goodness. I wasn't sure
if I was the only one who noticed."

"Kai has visited Ava,

so she's the only person
Ava has seen in the flesh."

"I can't help but to have
some suspicions about Kai now."

Nick literally just called out Kai
for being a catfish.

[Buteau] And called her out[/i]
to the only three players[/i]

who actually are catfish.

Ooh, The Circle got jokes today![/i]

[Matthew chuckles]

I don't think Nick and Kai get along.
I do like Kai after today, so we'll see.

Yes! Circle, message,

"Capital letters. Yes, Nick!"

"As soon as she said
she visited her last night,

I think she sh*t herself in the foot.
#TheHunterBecomesTheHunted." Send.

Isabella!

Whoo! The attention
is not on me right now.

It is 100% on Miss Catfish Kai.

This is getting good!

Nick!

[mimicking guitar solo]
That's for you and our band.

I'm debating on how safe I need to play it
because I'm a catfish.

So, if people right now are suspecting
that Kai is a catfish,

then I should play into that.

Come on, y'all, give me some responses.

Message, "Honestly, Nick,
no filter needed."

"Honesty is always the best policy."

Send.

Once all three of us in the band
are throwing suspicion at Kai,

then Ashley will hopefully be converted.

I'm not gonna say
I think Kai is a catfish,

because, again, I don't care if she is.
She's a number in my corner.

But I also don't want to go super neutral,

and also, this is
a lot of numbers right here.

Circle, message, "I'm not the quickest
to pick up on those details,

so I'm glad that you guys are.
I'll keep my eyes peeled."

"Stay honest and loyal,

and this band will be more iconic
than 'Bohemian Rhapsody.'"

"Dancing emoji." Send.

She didn't take a side
on the Kai question.

Hmm.

I wish I would've gotten more
from that response.

Regardless of who Kai is,
it doesn't matter.

That person on the other side
of the screen I connected with,

and I'm happy that they're in my corner.

Circle, message, "100%, Ashley."

"Couldn't have said it better myself."

"#LoyalToTheBand.
#WeAreTheChampions." Send.

[Matthew] He's loyal to the band,
which is f*cking great.

That's an alliance.
That is signed, sealed, delivered.

My allia...
I have formed two big alliances today.

That's six people total.

Right? Three, four...

That's five people total
I know have my back.

That, to me, is a win-win.

[Buteau] Stay tuned[/i]
for more Nicky and the Pussycatfish later.[/i]

Now, as the evening creeps by,
Calvin has something big planned.

Jackson's relaxing, and Daniel...

[Daniel grunting, pants]

[Buteau] Well, Daniel's just doing Daniel.[/i]

I felt very taco.

That was fun.

[Buteau] You know[/i]
what's almost as much fun[/i]

as watching someone roll themselves
out of a mat?

[hip-hop music playing]

[all] "Head to Head!"

What is Head to Head?

Why are there microphones?

"Today's challenge has been set
by a very special guest."

What?

Ooh, we got a special guest up in here.

Who the hell is it?

Is it Ava and Chanel again?
Are they still alive?

[gasps]

Is that Lil Yachty?

Oh my God! They got Lil Yachty on here?

Lil Yachty's in the house!

Yo, what's up, players?
It's Lil Yachty here,

and I've got a challenge for you guys,
so I need you to listen up.

[laughing] What is he doing here?

My God. Talk to me, Lil Yachty!

Whatever you need me to do,
I am your girl.

You are gonna be taking part
in your very own Circle rap battle.

Circle rap battle?

[screaming] Oh!

[chuckles] That's sick.

[laughing]

-A rap battle?
-Rap battle, let's go!

Oh, I'm gonna crush this.

Your girl got bars on bars
on bars on bars.

Do I look like a rapper? Hell no!

I might need a record deal after I finish.

At your door,
you will find clothes and accessories

that make you feel and look
like a true rap star... just like me.

Well, go on and get it.

Oh my God! Okay!

Okay! I will, Mr. Yachty!

Wait. At the door right now?
Okay, let's go.

-[in singsong] Thank you!
-All right. Here we go.

[Daniel laughs]

[in singsong] I can't wait to see!

Ooh, let's get off my top! [screams]

-Okay!
-You better believe we got the bling.

Ah! I got my snapback!

Whoo! Got a double chain!

Oh my... Gotta get the... There we go!

This is great!

These pants though!

Oh, we about to rap!

Now here's what the challenge is.
You'll be paired with another player,

and you must write a diss track...
about each other.

[music stops abruptly]

Oh sh*t. This is gonna get so shady.

Lil Yachty, you know what game
we're playing? A popularity contest!

You'll then go head-to-head
in a rap battle that I'll be judging,

so you better make it fire.

Whoo, you want fire, I got you.
Look, I got the dragon already.

He's actually gonna look at 'em?
Oh my God! That is epic.

I'm gonna be that mother on The Circle
that k*lled the rap battle. So, I'm ready.[/i]

I want the lyrics
to cut to the bone, all right?

There's no friendships.

This is w*r!

All right, I'll bring the heat.

And most importantly,

don't choke.

Oh, I ain't gonna choke, Lil Yachty.
Don't you worry.

He said no surface level.
He said call the bitch out.

What are you waiting for?

Your time starts now!

[screams] Okay, I need a pen and paper!

[Buteau] They gotta write those bars quick[/i]
'cause they've just got 20 minutes.[/i]

And now we've assembled
the biggest rap spectacle

since Kanye ran for president.

Let's see who's battling who.

Ashley and Isabella are facing off.

I got this, Ashley.
I don't even know why you're gonna try

because you don't have a way
with words like I do.

I really like Isabella.

I'm just having fun with this,
and I wanna fan her flame a bit.

[Buteau] Calvin is taking on Jackson.[/i]

I just hope Jackson is ready,

'cause there's gonna be
some heat thrown at him right now.

I'm, like, channeling my inner rapper.

[Buteau] Daniel's about to throw down[/i]
on Ruksana.[/i]

She's my sister!
I don't wanna clock her ass,

but she's gonna clock mine!

[laughing]

I think that's hilarious.

[Buteau] And Kai takes on Super Bro Nick.[/i]

The archnemesis!

The battle of the Titans!

Whoo!

[giggling]

I'm gonna k*ll him with this one!

What's good, players?

You only got a few minutes left,
so get it done.

Okay! I got you, Lil Yachty.

I mean, I'm pretty much already done.
I'm a beast at this, okay?

You need to give me two more minutes.
It'll be gay fire, everything you wanted.

What rhymes with "influencer"?

"Sminfluencer"?

Ah, what rhymes with "bitch"?

-"Time's up."
-"Time's up!" It's okay!

Pen drop.

It's showtime!

It's gonna be a W for me.

I think my rap is good. I'm ready for w*r.

Jay-Z, Eminem,
I'm coming for your career, bitch.

[hip-hop music playing]

Mic check. Mic check. One, two. One, two.

Let's go.

[Buteau]
Now that our Notorious Circle BIGs[/i]

have written their raps,
it's time to face off in battle.

Over to you, Lil Yachty.

Now you guys went in.

Now let's take a look
at how savage you guys have been.

-Oh! It's happening![/i]
-[Buteau] Okay, players.[/i]

Lil Yachty is looking
for the best in each duel.

Y'all ready? No? Okay.

Rap battle, game on!

[Buteau] Round one.[/i]

First to spit rhymes on the mic
are Daniel and Ruksana.

[grumbling] Oh my God.
I'm gonna vomit. I'm gonna vomit.

I think my diss track
is definitely gonna b*at Daniel's,

but we shall see.

Big sister versus little brother.

Who's gonna bring it? [laughs]

All right, Daniel, you're first.
So let's see what you got.

This is really make-or-break
for my rap career.

♪"Ruksana may be small
But she won't take your sh*t" ♪

♪ "She jumped up in the ratings[/i]
Without being a bitch" ♪[/i]

♪ "A mother, a sister
And an influencer too" ♪

♪ "She'll always have your back
All the way through" ♪

Aw!

Daniel!

That wasn't a diss at all!

I'm here all week, Circle!
I hope I don't get blocked, so keep me!

That's how we do it in the Wolf Pack, man.

I thought we were supposed to be mean.

[chuckling] He's so sweet.[/i]

Thank you, Daniel.

He gave my words some oomph.

[in deep voice] Next.

[Buteau] Next up[/i]
to get sick with it is Ruksana.[/i]

[record scratching]

♪ "Daniel, you're the baby[/i]
Of the bunch" ♪[/i]

♪ "Your dinner probably consists
Of Cap'n Crunch" ♪[/i]

♪ "You're a diva like Beyoncé[/i]
That's a hunch" ♪[/i]

♪ "When you're of age
We can have cocktails for brunch" ♪

Hmm.

[laughing] Ruksana
didn't have to go that far!

But she said "Cap'n Crunch."

I think it's totally fun. I don't think
he should take it offensively at all.

This is a diss battle, y'all. Come on.

It certainly makes me think

that Daniel and Ruksana
are a pretty strong alliance.

There was no shade thrown at all.

[Buteau] Dope flow. But in every battle,[/i]
there can only be one winner.[/i]

Over to you, Lil Yachty.

These are two really good schemes.
Y'all both flow very well. I'm impressed.

Give it to Ruksana.

I will say, Ruksana,
you were a little bit more aggressive,

and that's what we're going for.
But I don't know. I like both.

I'm gonna take it!

In Daniel versus Ruksana,
the winner would be

Ruksana!

[screams]

For the simple fact
of Daniel being too sweet and nice.

[laughing] Yeah! Yes!

Ten out of ten for that, girl.
Cap'n Crunch, baby.

After that comment, lights out for me.

I think that was pretty fresh.

Who would've thought my little rap
would have won in Lil Yachty's eyes?

Thank you!

[Buteau] Next up to stunt on these haters[/i]
is Ashley and Isabella.[/i]

[laughs fiendishly] This is mine!

Oh no! Oh no!

Are they gonna make it sweet,
or are they gonna go for blood?

Let's hit it.

Ashley says...

♪ "Once upon a time
There was a girl named Isabella" ♪

♪ "Blowing up my Newsfeed
Like she walking through Coachella" ♪

♪ "Here's the thing
I like this girl a lot" ♪

♪ "If I saw her at a bar
Hell yeah, I'd take my sh*t" ♪

sh*t, she was so nice!

[squeals]

Lil Yachty, you... you... you got my flow.

Bunch of compliments.
You're not winning that battle.

[Buteau] Up next[/i]
with the sauce is Isabella.[/i]

♪ "Ashley, Ashley
There's only room for one blonde" ♪

♪ "I'm Elle Woods[/i]
About to serve this jury truth, son" ♪[/i]

♪ "I'll leave rich
And you'll leave tomorrow" ♪

♪ "I know
You'll need to touch your roots" ♪

♪ "I'll give you cash to borrow" ♪

Ooh!

[laughing hysterically]

I knew she was gonna comment
about my hair!

Mic drop. Meeting adjourned. Case closed.

[Buteau] Um, not quite, honey.[/i]

We still gotta find out from Lil Yachty
who threw the knockout bars.

Ashley, I love the scheme,
but this is not sh**t My sh*t Records.

All right? We're not trying to flirt.
We're trying to hurt.

-[laughs]
-Isabella.[/i]

-That last line, that hurt me.
-[chuckles][/i]

She said,
"I know you need to touch your roots."[/i]

"I'll give you cash to...

[mouthing] ...borrow."[/i]

-[chuckles]
-Now we're getting spicy.[/i]

Oh my God, Mr. Yachty!

For Ashley and Isabella...

Isabella's the winner.

[screaming] Yes! Yes!

Obviously. Isabella,
you deserved it, girl.

So, I feel like, hopefully,
everybody will be like,

"Okay, Isabella. I see you.
You... you're funny. You're cool."

[bell dings]

[Buteau] Next up in the MC battle face-off[/i]
is Kai and Nick.[/i]

[laughs] The moment
we've all been waiting for.

Now, it's the showdown.

All right, Kai, you're up.

♪ "Nick, maybe if you had a pit instead[/i]
It would increase your rate" ♪[/i]

♪ "Can't act like a winner[/i]
When you coming in third place" ♪[/i]

♪ "I know you want a dance battle[/i]
But can we settle this right now?" ♪[/i]

♪ "Or are you still mad
That I kicked Ava out?" ♪

[laughing]

Oh sh*t!

He probably will be a little salty,
but that's okay.

She's saying maybe if I had a pit bull
instead of a French bulldog,

then I would get a higher rating.
[chuckles]

[Buteau] Ready to keep it 100.[/i]
Next up, Nick.[/i]

♪ "Yo, it's big Nicky
With that big Nick energy" ♪

♪ "If you ain't with me
I consider you an enemy" ♪

♪ "Why you feel the need
To throw shade at my flirt game?" ♪

♪ "Catfish starts with Kai" ♪

♪ "Yeah, I'm talking about your name" ♪

Wow.

He thinks I'm an enemy.

I can show him what an enemy really is.

Don't be coming on my girl like that, man,
with that energy, bro.

Don't need that sh*t.

Whoo!

I feel good about it.

Um, are you calling Kai a catfish?

Ooh!

I'm out!

[Buteau] Confidence from Nick,[/i]
but is it enough to clinch the battle?[/i]

I... I don't even know these people,
but this feels intense.

[Nick chuckles]

Kai, now we're getting there.
We're cutting to the bone.

It's nitty-gritty at this point.

Lil Yachty said I was nitty-gritty,
so I feel like he's swaying my way.

I am hurt for Nick.

-[chuckles]
-Nick, I really, really liked that.[/i]

That... that was wild.
The catfish line was so good.

Come on, give me that win.

So, Nick versus Kai.

[bell tolling]

And Nick was the winner!

Let's go!

Yes! That's epic!

[shouting] Nick!

What?

Nick, you didn't win that.
You didn't win that, bro.

I needed that win.

Thank you, everyone.

I'll tell you one thing.
Nick, I'm watching you.

[Buteau] It's been[/i]
a bloody night of battles,[/i]

but we still got one to go.

It's Calvin versus Jackson.

Here we go. Here we go. Here we go.

Calvin, you're first.

Let's go.

♪ "Jackson the catfish[/i]
Thinks he's born rich" ♪[/i]

♪ "So why the hell are you doing this?[/i]
Circle..." ♪[/i]

♪ "He tried to vote me out
Ruksana, hear me out" ♪

[chuckles]

♪ "Jackson, you're looking kinda tense
Try not to sit on the fence" ♪

Wow! Calvin came for me!

You boys fight and play nice.
Don't bring mommy in there.

Come on, man, was that not enough?
Y'all want more?

For him
to just come off the Wolf Pack chat

and call me a straight-up catfish,
a little bit intense for me.

It's a dissing battle. I'm here to win.
Jackson can't match that vibe, man.

All right, Jackson, it's on you.

[giggles]

♪ "So fresh, so fly" ♪

♪ "Yeah, you can try" ♪

♪ "You're trying to make it seem
Like you're the nice guy" ♪

[sighs]

♪ "Man, you're so boring
Catch me in The Circle snoring" ♪

♪ "Leave the door unlocked
We all know you're getting blocked" ♪

Is he done?

Cut that DJ, man.

Yes! Lil Yachty, you k*lled it!

These two men are ruthless!

I hope this doesn't get awkward now.

I need us to stay together.
We can't crumble.

The whole rhyme was trash.

He came at me pretty hard,

so if he's a little bit annoyed right now,
I'm not mad about it.

Jackson, I... I see the idea.

I see the route you tried to go down
and took a slight detour.

Calvin, I like the disses.

I'm not a fan of this flow.
It was kinda all over the place.[/i]

How was it all over the place?

Get out of here, man.

Tell me who it is! Come on, Lil Yachty!

All right. With Calvin versus Jackson,
I'm gonna have to give that win

to Jackson.

Yes! [laughs]

Whoo!

Yachty, come on, man.
You can't do me like that, man.

I just won my first rap battle
in my entire life. Oh yeah.

I'm done with you, Yachty. [chuckles]

Well-done, Circle players.

I gotta say it. Your raps were lit.

Remember, forget the haters.
Enjoy yourself.

And keep playing a good game.

Bye, Lil Yachty!

Bye, Mr. Yachty! I will!

What an icon!

[both] "Congratulations,
Isabella, Jackson, Nick, and Ruksana."

"You reigned supreme
in The Circle rap battle!"

I should've won that.

"Please collect your prize
from your door."

Oh, sick! We get a prize?

[in singsong]
I can't wait to see what it is!

-[Sophia gasps] Oh my God.
-Oh my God. Yes.

Heck yeah!

My very first award!

I'd just like to take
a moment to thank... Ow.

That was fun. There's some targets
on everyone's heads right now.

I think
that me calling out Kai as a catfish

is gonna sit... not too great. [chuckles]

Nick, I'm watching you.

Side-eyes.

[Buteau] After the epic night of battles,[/i]

it's time for our tough-as-nails,
street-AF rap MCs to brush their teeth

and get their jammies on
'cause it's way past their bedtime.

Excited to see what tomorrow brings.

Good night, Circle.

[groans]

[Buteau] Good night, players.[/i]

Now don't y'all get any ideas
about late-night booty call chats.

I'm looking at you, Calvin.

Uh, what's the point?

I want to talk to Kai

because I think
she's just a bit disappointed

with Nick thinking
that she was a catfish and stuff, so...

It's very, very hard
because Nick, uh, is my boy.

I hope
that they didn't take this too seriously,

and I hope
that we can just move on from it.

Circle, start a private chat with Kai.

Calvin has invited me
to a private chat. [gasps]

And here
my knight in shining armor comes again.

[chuckles]

Message, "My Nubian queen."

"Crying emoji. We were robbed."

"#HipHopIsDead."

Absolutely. I 100% agree.
We definitely need this kiki.

Message, "How are you feeling?"

"You really are
my knight in shining armor."

"I completely agree with you.
I feel like Lil Yachty set us up. LOL."

And send.

[Calvin chuckles]

Circle, message, "I'm doing well."

"However, I didn't like
how my boy Nick said you was a catfish

when we both know that's a damn lie."

"#RealRecognizeReal." Send message.

Exactly.

That's what I've been saying. [chuckles]

Message, "On a positive note,

I'm definitely gonna need a tour
of Tennessee. #MakeItHappen."

"Wink emoji." Send message.

I don't really want a tour of Tennessee.
I just wanna see what's up with you.

If you want me to come down there,
I'll come down there.

"I'd be more than happy
to show you around my city."

"On another note,
I'm really digging your profile pic."

"Might you have another one
that you can show me?"

"Purple devil emoji. Kiss face emoji.
#SneakPeek." And send.

[laughing]

[Buteau] The modern-day love story begins.[/i]
Boy meets girl.[/i]

Boy and girl bombard each other with pics.
We gotta keep it clean, kids.

Circle, take me to my private album.

I'm about to show Kai the goods.

Oh, hold on to your seats, girl.

Hold on. Buckle up.

Take me to Miami Vybzz.

Cheese!

Circle, can we go to the photo
all the way in the left, please?

I mean, this is a good photo.
I think she'll appreciate that.

sh*t, I'm already in bed already.

She's in bed.
So it's kind of like... it's fitting.

[laughing]

Calvin,

"That lighting hit me right, girl."

"Laughing emoji. Purple devil.
Now it's your turn."

[laughing]

[squeals]

I sent you that fire.

Calvin is a very, very attractive man.

Kai's gonna be thinking, "Damn! Is..."

"Yeah?"

Message, "You ain't lying
about that lighting. #Dang!"

"#BeardGameStrong."

And send.

Come on, the beard is always strong.

Where the photo at, man?

Don't go stingy on me. Don't go stingy.

Circle, open up the top left photo.

That's the one.

He gave me a little skin.
I'll give him a little skin.

[exclaims]

[clicks tongue] Let's go.

Make it bigger, Circle. Make it bigger.

Yeah, yeah.

Girl's smile, man. Oh my goodness me!

Circle, message,

"That Coke bottle is next level."

"#ImThirsty." [laughs]

Send message.

[laughs]

This is amazing. I'm so glad
that he is enjoying my picture.

These conversations with Calvin

genuinely make me feel
like he is who he says he is.

Circle, message, "Listen, girl,
you got me hot under the covers."

"I need to take my ass to sleep."

"Sweet dreams. Kiss emoji. #TeamKaivin."

Send message.

When she sees that hashtag...
Oh my goodness!

Aw! That's so sweet!
He made us a whole... a whole word.

[laughing]

Message,
"Talking to you is a sweet dream."

"#LoveTheName. #TeamKaivin."

"#TryNotToDreamAboutMe. Drooling emoji."

And send.

[Calvin chuckles]

Listen, I'll try, girl. I'll try!

Keep progressing, man. Every day,
it just gets stronger and stronger.

Me and her are very strong.
We're the biggest thr*at in The Circle.

So everybody better watch out
'cause we coming.

[theme music playing]