05x05 - Hi Old Friend

[bunniefuu]

-[dramatic music playing]
-[Buteau] Previously...

Oh!

-This my house.
-[Xanthi squealing]

[Buteau]
...eight players entered The Circle.

-Ooh, sh*t! I think I broke something.
-[Buteau] Some as themselves.

This is like an appetizer,
and I am the entrée.

[Buteau] Some as a catfish.

Let's go!

[Buteau] Alliances were made.

-[Sam] "You and me till the end."
-[Chaz] Yes!

I got a gusband.

"King and queen of The Circle."

[Paris] "We have the spark."

[Buteau] There were twists...

No!

Damn, Raven.

-"The Circle made me do it." [laughs]
-[Raven laughing]

[Buteau] ...turns...

What is our second chance?
Whatever it is, we'll k*ll it.

"Jennifer and Tom
have entered The Circle."

I shall start my conquest.

Jennifer! Let's go,
we're gonna do it. [laughs]

"Jennifer, let's take this
all the way to the end."

[Buteau] ...meets...

[Paris] "'Seems like
we have made a decision.'"

Oh.

[Raven and Paris screaming]

I'm Brittney's dad.

[Buteau] ...and even a return.

[Shubham] I'm back!

[Buteau] That's right,
we got a brand new player in the house,

and he rolled down that corridor
almost like he'd been here before.

Now why is that? 'Cause he has.

Shubham in the house, people.

[Shubham laughs] sh*t.

God! This is surreal.
It's like a dream of a dream of a dream.

[upbeat music playing]

Whoa. [chuckles]

Hi, old friend. [laughs]

We're back!

♪ I got this feeling
Let me see where it goes ♪

Hey, my name is Shubham,

I am 26 years old,
and I'm from the Bay Area, California.

♪ Make it move
Like they're screaming your name... ♪

I was on the first season of The Circle,

I played an honest, loyal, true game,
I got second place...

[whooping]

...and I was the guy who hated social media.

[groans]

I still do see the cons,
but there are some pros,

friends, community,
you can express yourself.

I wanted to play The Circle again,
and The Circle said, "Yes!"

But one condition,
The Circle is making me a catfish.

♪ Do you live your life... ♪

I have no clue who I'm gonna be playing.

I won't find my catfish profile
until I walk into The Circle.

It's like blackjack.
Hopefully I get a strong hand.

♪ Just live your life!... ♪

[Shubham] Being an honest person,

there is that moral confliction
playing as a catfish.

But I'm here to play the game
and try to finish what I started.

So, Circle, throw whatever you want at me,
'cause I'm gonna swing right back.

Bang, bang, let's do this.

♪ Just live your life! ♪

-[whimsical music playing]
-Oh, this is sick!

The Kama Sutra! What? [laughs]

[Buteau] Didn't you hear, Shubbs?
This is the singles' season.

One position I never thought I'd be in.
[chuckles]

[zipping]

Gosh, I just can't believe I'm back.

[Buteau] Aw, don't worry, Shubby,

'cause this'll make you feel
right at home.

-[loud chiming]
-[alarm blares]

-[suspenseful music playing]
-All right. "Alert." What's up?

You've definitely evolved technologically.
Great pixelation.

"Meet your new profile." Oh my God.
I don't wanna look. Please, be kind to me.

[shouting, echoing] No!

This photo is traumatizing to me
to be honest.

The girls are gonna hate us,

and the guys are gonna be like... drool.
Oh my God.

My flirt game, I wouldn't say,
is at the top level.

[Buteau] Aw, Shubbs, we may have given you
a girl for your profile pictures,

but her life, attitude, and personality
is all down to you.

You know what we're gonna do?
We're gonna make her a tech blogger.

I work in the tech industry.
There are tech bloggers.

It's time to merge me and Sasha together.
Shu-Sasha, baby. [chuckles]

I have to make her relatable, so... [sighs]
Let me think.

[Buteau] While Shubby channels
the super-hot female blogger within,

it's time
for our second new player of the night

to glide down that hallway, honey.

[energizing music playing]

[Buteau] Ow! Tie-dyed top, sun visor,
and polka dots on the luggage?

I am in already.

Oh, sh...

I made it to Circle City, bish. Let's go!

-[happy music playing]
-What's up?

My name is Tasia, I'm 28 years old,

I'm from Las Vegas, Nevada.
I'm a cybersecurity professional.

♪ I've been watching you watching me... ♪

[Tasia] I like to laugh, to joke around.
I can be an assh*le.

If you flip through the dictionary
and just see "assh*le,"

my face is right there.

But I do have a soft side.

Like a margarita,
sweet but salt around the rim.

♪ Got some things to do
Just wait and see... ♪

[Tasia] I am the CEO of comfy.

Nine times out of ten,
I'm wearing sweatpants.

The last time I wore a dress, I cried.

But sex sells,

so I'm coming in The Circle
as a catfish, Tamira.

Tamira is gonna be the glam queen.

Super glitz, super sexy,
the nails, like, tits out.

That, with my personality,
that's what I'm going for.

Me and my girlfriend have been together
for four years,

so I'm definitely off the market,
but Tamira won't be.

And I'm going to come into The Circle
as bisexual. I'm flirting with everybody.

I'm gonna give the guys boners. [laughs]

I'm so ready to get into The Circle
and f*ck sh*t up.

It's $100,000 on the line.

I'm just trying to win.
I gotta come home with that money.

[laughs]

Yes! This is it.
This is the winning profile right here.

I've added so many layers to Sasha
with this bio,

you could call her Sasha onion.

This is bloody brilliant.

I really like it.

[Buteau] And you know somethin' else
on a screen we like up in here, Shubby?

-[loud chiming]
-[alarm blares]

What's my alert, Circle?

"Tomorrow you will join the game
along with another new player."

Let's go!

"However, you are immediately in direct
competition with each other." What?

I never lose.
Competition is my middle name.

[Shubham] "In 24 hours,
the other players will be asked

which team they would like to follow."

Okay, this is great.

Oh my gosh!

"The team with the fewest followers
will be at risk

of being blocked from The Circle."
Oh my God.

[dramatic music playing]

Hell, no, I'm not going home!

I'm here.
I'm here to stay. I'm here to win.

God, this is wack.

[Buteau] It's morning,

and our players think all the drama today
will be about Brittney leaving.

But what they don't know

is that two new catfish have entered
our little Circle pond,

and with a secret mission as well.

Ooh, they are already circling, honey.

♪ Keep moving, keep moving ♪

[all] Good morning, Circle.

Rise and shine. It's a new day.

Wake up, Brett.

[Brett, sleepy] I'm awake.

Good morning, Circle.

I live to slay another day.

Oh, wow.

Only seven players.

Oh, this game is getting crazier
by the second.

Bruno still has another day in The Circle,
and Brittney is gone.

I feel like you can't call it in here.

You can feel confident,

but then literally in a second,
you're like, "This could be me."

"One word
about meeting Brittney last night,

mind blown."

I'm getting nervous

because, in The Circle,
you just never know what to expect.

Anything can happen right now.

[Buteau] You mean like an OG Circle player
secretly reentering

as a super-hot tech blogger? Mm-hmm.

Morning, Circle. [laughing]

I woke up and thought it was a dream,
but I am in The Circle.

All eyes are on me today.

There won't be any time for slip-ups,

so I cannot screw this up.

I have to get in.

I have to get my head right.
This is it. This is my time to shine.

I'm not gonna kiss ass or really, like...
[smooches]

...to everyone.
I'm just gonna try to stand my ground

and hold my two feet there.

And just maybe they'll like me,

but more importantly,
they'll respect me and Sasha.

And that's enough for a...

[high-pitched] ...follow hopefully.

[Buteau] Good for you, Shubby.
Look at you starting off on a high note.

-[mouth full] "The Newsfeed..."
-"...has been updated."

[Paris] Oh sh*t.

Agh! Oh my God. That's gonna be Brittney.

[all] Circle, take me to my Newsfeed.

We're gonna find out if she's a catfish.

I wonder if she's gonna play super nice
like she has been,

or if she's gonna go full-on Brett
in this video.

[laughing]

[Paris] "Circle, please open up
Brittney's message."

[Brian] Hey, what's up, everybody?

It's Brittney, bitch.

-[shouting] I knew it! I knew it!
-[screaming]

[Billie-Jean screaming]

[shouting] Oh my God! What in the world?

[crackling]

[shouting] What the...

I'm not Brittney.
I am, in fact, her father Brian.

Aw. I love him.

The pictures you have seen
of Brittney and Riley are real.

They are, in fact,
my daughter and granddaughter.

[Paris] "I mean,
he is such a beautiful person."

"If he played...
I wish he played the game as himself."

I thought I'd be more popular
entering The Circle as Brittney,

because she's a beautiful,


You could've been my pops.
I would've pretended you was my dad too.

If I could play the game again,
I wouldn't change a thing, okay?

I played to spread love, and joy,
and peace, and rainbows.

You as the #CircleDad spreading rainbows,
I mean, everyone would've loved you.

Guys, just some advice before I leave,

keep your friends close
and your catfish closer.

And remember, stay positive, kids.

Ah!

God bless his beautiful soul.

We need to hop in here.
We need to talk about this.

Circle, please take me to Circle Chat.

Message, "Wow," with the mind-blown emoji.
"That was the last thing I was expecting."

"Did Brittney's dad come
and see anyone? LOL."

Ooh, Chaz is going straight to the point.
I wonder if anyone will answer that.

No one will answer that question for sure.
No one will answer.

[spraying]

Whoever he went to go see
might just be the catfish.

[Paris] "Message,
'Good morning, beautiful people.'"

"'It feels great to still be here
with you. Heart emoji.'"

"'What a plot twist, right?'"

"Wish you could've seen
the way my jaw dropped

when Brittney came into my apartment.
#WigSnatched. ...emoji."

[all] What?

But he said, "Keep your friends close
and your catfish closer."

So, did he just low-key expose Raven?

Are you serious? Raven could be a catfish?

Raven could be a catfish.

[Paris] "I feel so lucky
that Circle dad came to see me."

Message, "Crazy, I couldn't think
Brian could have been a catfish."

"This just makes me wonder
who else could be a catfish."

[Paris] "Oh my God.
My head is going crazy."

"Message..."

"Chill, Brian did mention that there are..."

"...possibly catfishes here,
but my catfish radar is broken."

[Paris] "'At this point,
I love making genuine connections.'"

"'You don't have to worry about me
being captain of the catfish hunters.'"

Thank you! Like, this is what I'm saying.

Whether people think
Jennifer is a catfish or not,

it shouldn't matter

because we bring great energy
to The Circle.

Message, "I definitely love the beach,
but I know nothing about catching fish."

"I'm wishing we saw more of #Grandad.
Love heart emoji."

"We could use some more old folk in here."

[laughing]

Jennifer, talk about it.
Talk about it, Jennifer.

I love that from Jennifer.

[laughs] Well done, Jennifer.

Message, "LOL, I feel like

my catfish radar is clearly nonexistent."

"Laughing emoji, laughing emoji."

[Brett] "Don't worry, Jennifer."

"You were always the cool aunt in my eyes.
Heart emoji."

[squeals] Ah, love it!

Message, "Well, #CircleGang,
we're here to fight another day."

"Let's make every moment count. One..."

[Brett] "...catfish down.
Hopefully there aren't any more."

"#GotMyCatfishGlassesOn."

Really, Sam? Really?

Because you love Jennifer,

and those glasses ain't working, girl.

[upbeat music playing]

[Buteau] Well, Jennifer,

you're gonna need more
than a pair of catfish glasses

to spot our latest master of disguise,
right, Sasha?

[Shubham] Hi, it's Sasha.

[higher pitch] Hi, it's Sasha.

[even higher pitch] Hi, it's Sasha.

[Buteau] Newbies Sasha and Tamira
have been given a secret Circle mission,

to get as many players on their side
before a vote is announced.

Well, then I guess
it's time for one of these.

-[loud chiming]
-[alarm blares]

-[all] "Alert!"
-"Alert," Brett!

-What the hell could this be?
-I hope this is like a fun little game.

Jennifer's on a roll.
I want something fun.

"Sasha and Tamira
have entered The Circle."

[gasps loudly]

Oh my God. There's two?

Who the hell is Sasha and Tamira?

Hey, they could be, like, sexy.

So Sasha must be my competitor.

That's exciting!
Now we're not the new kids on the block.

I didn't wanna meet one new person.
Now I gotta meet two?

Oh, I'm getting some aneurysm.

[Buteau] Might also be heartburn.
I get that too.

Circle, take us to the homepage.

Oh, wow! We got the whole crew.

This is intense. This is intense.

[Marvin] Sasha, Tamira.

Those girls are...

...fire.

Circle, take me to Tamira's profile.

[Xanthi] Tamira's 22. She's also single.

Cosmetologist. She loves makeup.

"About me.
I'm as hot as the Las Vegas sun."

"'But my personality ain't dry.'"

"Okay, okay, ain't dry."

Hold up. Wait a second.

She has on leopard print.

This might be my wife. This might... She...

[Paris] "I'm instantly drawn to Tamira."

"She looks beautiful."

[Marvin] Tamira can be like a side,

because I don't wanna ruin anything
with Raven.

Eh, that's allowed, right?

[Shubham] I love you, Tamira,
but I just... No disrespect.

I just feel like Sasha's profile,
there's more layers than yours.

This is fantastic.

Bam, bam.

Circle, take me to Sasha's profile.

Ooh. Okay, Sasha.

"Age, 23. Relationship status, single."

"Occupation, blogger." Okay.

[Paris] "'My family
and my Indian culture is my life.'"

"You can catch me
sipping an espresso martini,

wiping out on the ski slopes,
or writing children's stories."

These pictures are showing me
so many different layers of you.

If I saw that picture to the left
on my social media or my dating apps,

I'm definitely swiping right on that.

I don't know what this is,
but you look very excited to have...

gravel in your palms.

She's looking quite lost
in the top right-hand one,

like the Uber hasn't quite arrived.

Do you ski, Sasha? I ski. Do you ski?

You ain't writing
no children's stories, Sasha.

Not looking like that
in that yellow dress.

Maybe an erotic novel.

Hey, Bruno, this one's for you.

Oh, f*ck.

[laughs] Oh, sh*t, dude.

This is similar to what my profile
is supposed to be like,

so this is serious competition here.

[Buteau] With our two newbies settling in
and matchy-matchy already,

I think it's time
we get to know 'em a little better.

Circle?

[party music playing]

[all] "Show and Tell."

What is Show and Tell?

I haven't done show and tell
since I was in preschool.

[Buteau] In Show and Tell,
newbies Sasha and Tamira will be able

to kickstart their mission
to win over the others.

Oh my God. The game is centered around us?

We just get to sit back?
Okay, this is a little bit of a relief.

They need to use this as an opportunity
to build some bond with the players.

[Buteau] Sasha and Tamira
will go head to head

as The Circle asks them to either show
or tell everyone about their lives.

This is gonna really decide

if I'm gonna stay in the game,
or if I'm gonna go home.

[Buteau] They better bring their A game

'cause they'll wanna be
the most popular newbie later

when the players are asked
to follow one of them.

They'll do this
by either uploading a photo...

Circle, have you seen the albums
that I've been so luckily bestowed?

[Buteau] ...or using their words.

Storytelling will be easy for me.
I'm a catfish, baby. I'm allowed to lie.

I'm gonna put everything out on the plate,
and these guys are just gonna eat it up.

You only get one chance
to make a first impression,

and so this means a lot.

It could go any direction.

"Sasha and Tamira,
show us your best date night outfit."

This could get the guys going actually.
[chuckles]

Well, these are two attractive ladies,

so I'm absolutely up
for seeing the answer to this question.

I'm ready.
I'm ready to see this right now.

Circle, take me to my albums, right.

Okay, so, let's see.

I need everybody to think
that Tamira's sexy,

and that, "This is the girl
I would take on a date before Sasha."

I'm really hoping Sasha's a dude

and doesn't know
how to pick the right picture.

Yea, I gotta make the right decision.
This is gonna come down to

do I go the route of, you know,
like a thirst-trap date night, you know,

where she's really, like, k*lling it?

Or do I go more towards the date night,

like, it's relaxed,
and she likes to have fun,

and maybe she likes
to just walk on the beach with someone?

If one of them has on sneakers
and sweatpants,

we are one.

Circle, lock in this photo please
as my best date night outfit.

[Billie-Jean gasps loudly]

Cool down a bit.

Wow. Okay.

Sasha definitely put her best foot forward
with this one.

"She got the legs out, baby."

Raven got a competition right now.
Look at that. Oh, wow.

sh*t, dude, Sasha came to play!

This is date night? Is this what
the young kids are doing for dates?

Girl, we would be great friends
in real life.

[Tasia] Oh my gosh.

I'm not sure how my picture
is going to compare to Sasha's.

Circle, please upload
my date night outfit picture.

Oh my God!

This girl is finna do something to me.

No! Dammit!

Her photo... Tamira's photo is great.

I feel like this is showing

her maybe more sweet,
maybe more soft vibe.

She's showing a ton of energy.
She looks very loving. It's very inviting.

I'd be thrilled if this was a first date.

I don't know what it is.
It's just a much warmer vibe to it.

[Chaz] I really like this.

This is telling me this is a lady
that's about her business.

I would pay the bill for this date.

Hopefully that's ginger ale,
'cause I'm broke,

and that's not champagne,
but I would pay for this date.

[Buteau] Okay, they started strong
with those sexy snaps.

But now it's time
for a little writing exercise.

Okay... [claps]

"Sasha and Tamira..."

"...tell us about
your most embarrassing moment."

Oh, this is gonna be funny.

This is very difficult,

because, as me,
I have some embarrassing stories,

but they don't apply to Sasha.

I don't get embarrassed easy,

so I'm definitely gonna have
to make something up here.

So, I really have to try to find something

that's embarrassing
and something that people can relate with.

I'm excited to see
how far they go with this.

Fun fact, in my university,

I was the only Indian
in my Hindi class to fail.

And it was, like, super embarrassing.
That's funny, right?

Sasha, tell me something adventurous.

You're a blogger. You ski.

Tell me you raced a bear down a mountain.

[chuckling] Message,
"When I was in college,

I was the only Indian person
to fail my Hindi class."

"The teacher announced it on the last day,

and the class had a field day with it."

"She was super sweet about it,

but it was traumatizing
since my culture means so much to me..."

[Sam]
"...and even non-Indians passed that class."

"Crying emoji."

That's it?

That's it?

Sasha's comment is funny to me, you know,

because I have a little nerd in me,
so I can see why that's embarrassing.

Like, failing a class is never good.

Message, "Embarrassing stories.
Laughing face emoji. I have plenty."

"I was at the gym running on the treadmill

and looked to my right
to find this sexy, hunky man next to me."

[Sam] "It was all downhill from there."

"I tripped over my laces,

flew off the treadmill,
and chipped my tooth."

[Xanthi] "Luckily
my dentist was just as hot,

so it wasn't all bad."

Oh, Tamira, your embarrassing story
has lasted you a lifetime. [chuckles]

She probably took a look
and it was Marvin, and she didn't realize.

She's tripping for the hunky man.

Well, you got a hunky man
right here, Tamira.

You can come trip over this.

[all] "Circle Chat is now open."

[gasps loudly]

Oh sh*t.

Yes, we can finally talk
and say hello to everybody.

Saying the right things
in this Circle Chat is life or death.

If I say the right things,
I could stay here and play another day.

Circle, please open the Circle Chat.

Oh, wow. This is so sick.

I don't think Raven is going to like this,
because Tamira likes a hunky man.

So therefore, Tamira might like me.

Oh, Raven, if I say something to Tamira,
please, I don't mean it like that, like...

Or maybe I do, but...

I definitely don't wanna seem too thirsty
by throwing the first message out,

but I really wanna make
a really good first impression.

Message, "Hey, Sasha and Tamira."

"Red heart emoji,
red heart emoji, red heart emoji."

"Welcome to The Circle family."

"You are both absolutely stunning.
I loved everything that you both shared."

"#FloridaLove."

"I'm still laughing
at Sasha failing her Hindi class."

No! Oh my gosh! I was hoping
that nobody thought that was funny.

That's great. More of his was on me.
That's fantastic.

I love that Chaz got a little specific

and not so vague and generic
like he usually does.

Message, "Hey, ladies!
That game was the perfect ice breaker."

"So excited to have you guys here.
Confetti emoji. Heart emoji."

"Tamira, #YouHadMeAtLeopardPrint."
Let's go!

Circle, message...

Sasha's typing. Okay, so I have to get on.

Sasha's probably gonna come into the chat
super-cutesy, like...

[mockingly] "Hi, guys."

"I was so scared to share my true self,
but I'm so happy to be here."

"Hi, everyone. It's fantastic
and special to meet you all."

"Truthfully, so nervous and scared..."

"...but excited to talk to you all.
Smiley face emoji."

Eh. That was a basic-ass message.
Don't worry... I'm not worried about that.

You gotta toughen up a little bit,
baby cakes.

"Aw, Sasha. We don't bite.
You don't have to be scared."

[Brett] That's on par.
I think she's just a sweet girl.

Yeah, maybe a little bit more reserved
than the rest of us,

but nothing out of the ordinary
for Sasha so far.

Message, "Oh my gosh, I cannot believe
I finally made it to #CircleCity."

"Thank you for the big welcome.
Kissy face emoji."

"So glad to be included in a group
of beautiful and diverse people."

"I can't wait to get to know you all
on a more personal level."

She just sounds like herself,
like she's still being herself.

Message, "Welcome,
new Circle family members."

"Been laughing and awing
at your stories and photos."

"As a previous late arrival,
I understand how intimidating it is."

That's amazing! He's a late arrival.

I'm probably gonna try to take advantage
of that with Tom. That's dope.

Message, "Sasha, can't wait
to talk to you more about writing.

"I'm currently actually writing a book,
funnily enough. #..."

"#WriterToWriterChronicles."

This is fantastic.

[Shubham] There's two people competing.

If we can get four people,
we win the game.

[Buteau] It's afternoon in The Circle,
and after our little newbie game,

it looks like the players
worked up quite an appetite.

Hold up. Is there a Circle marathon
I don't know about?

'Cause this is
some serious carb loading. Yum.

And Chaz is hungry too, hungry for a chat.

I really wanna connect
with Jennifer and Tom today.

I haven't had the opportunity
to talk to them in a private chat.

So, I really just wanna see what's there,
get connected, get to know each other,

have a couple of laughs,

and honestly see
how far we can take our relationship.

Circle, please invite Jennifer and Tom
to a group chat.

[gasps] "Chaz has invited you
to a group chat."

Ooh, good stuff!

Bring it on, Chaz. Yes!

Who's in this group with us?
Circle, take us to the group chat.

[Tom] Excellent stuff!

[singsong]
♪ What a lovely thing that's happening ♪

♪ The plan is coming together ♪

Message, "Hey, cool Aunt Jen
and Tom Charming. Laughing face emoji."

"How are you feeling? Red heart emoji,
red-heart-eye emoji." Send.

[softly] Yes!

Oh, this makes me so happy.

Message, "Woop!
The wonderful Chazberry Ripple."

What? [crackles]

"The fact my main girl Jen is here
also is the cherry on top."

"#ThreeIsTheMagicNumber."

Look at Tom
going right in for the strategy.

"Not gonna lie, it's been a whirlwind."

"I feel like I have connected with some
but haven't had the chance with others."

"I haven't chatted with Raven and Sam,

so was confused when it got a bit shady
towards them in the dating profile game."

Send.

I said the same thing.

I was actually quite offended
by a few of them.

Message, "I was so surprised to see
how much shade was thrown #Anonymously."

I think it's a little awkward
talking to Chaz about Raven

since we did write that profile.

[Tom] "My concerns are,
there is clearly fake love going on,

and I'm offended
that someone called Raven 'insensitive.'"

I think we need to, like,
uplift Chaz a little bit.

Message, "Chaz, my love, red heart emoji,

in my 51 years of living,
I've learned quickly

that no one else's opinion matters
except for the ones we love."

Beautiful.

"Continue to be your #CircleBesties,

and I'm sure that Raven will
appreciate that more than anything." Send.

Thank you, Jennifer.
I really, really appreciate that.

And I love that so much.
It's a very classy response.

It's a very mature response.

Message, "Jennifer,
thanks for reassuring me

about what's most important.
Red heart emoji."

"Tom, thank you for trusting in me."

"I, as well, put my full trust in you."

"#ThreeIsTheMagicNumber."

That's a really good message
to get off Chaz, obviously,

because he's saying
that he trusts us both.

It's so nice, it feels condescending.

It may be just 'cause I have
a guilty conscience. I don't know.

[Xanthi] Message, "I'm very protective
over my loved ones."

"Let's chat again soon."

"#ThreePeasInAPod."

[kisses, exhales]

We're ending on the same page.
That's all I can ask for right now.

I am so happy that Chaz initiated that.

That literally couldn't have been
more perfect.

Jen did exactly what she needed to do.

She wasn't overbearing with it,

but she just very subtly
got the point across

that we were trustworthy, and all is good.

As far as Tom goes, it was a...
It was just a nice, quick conversation.

My head, right now with Jennifer, is

she definitely doesn't get involved
in drama,

which I wouldn't expect her to,
especially being a more mature woman.

I think we're in a good spot.
I think Chaz feels good with us,

so Chaz will rate us high.
But I still want Raven at bottom.

Like, this has been her game so far,

and if she keeps custom-picking
who leaves, she's just gonna run this.

[relaxing music playing]

[Buteau] It's a chill evening
in The Circle.

Marvin's doing somethin' shirtless,

and the others are just relaxing.

Oh, yes, Raven,
get that shavasana on, honey.

-But for Tamira...
-Boom. I didn't even hit one.

[Buteau] ...and Sasha, time is running out
to get the others on their side.

Can y'all quit playing games?
'Cause this game is serious.

[alarm blares]

-Whoo!
-Oh, sh*t! Okay.

This is intense. This is intense.

[Shubham] Jiminy Crickets!

"One private chat each."

Agh! [chuckles]

So we both get a private chat
to strengthen our alliances with people.

The question now isn't
who do I feel connected to most.

Who has the most influence
among the majority of them,

and who has my back
when things are gonna get bad?

It's not Tom. Tom's a new player.

It's not Sam.
I think she's on the outskirts.

I don't think it's Jennifer.
I think she's the mom,

and she doesn't have
the influence over the group.

Bruno, he was giving
the little flirtatious vibes.

He is on Team Tamira.

I really believe that Tom
was doing the same thing,

you know, trying to make jokes at Tamira.

So I definitely think
that I have these for sure.

Raven is a toss-up, but...

I think she's just kinda playing it safe,
trying to be nice to both of us.

I was thinking
Bruno just might be the key,

'cause he's a fun guy,
and that's universal.

He could have enough pull to help me.

Because Marvin didn't say much to Tamira
and didn't communicate with her much,

I think he's on Team Sasha,

and I need to take him off that team
and put him on Team Tamira.

I gotta trust my heart.
I gotta trust my gut.

The person that I want
to have a private chat with is Marvin.

[Marvin] Hmm.

Oh!

"Tamira invited you to a private chat."

[Tasia] I need him to be Team Tamira,

'cause you are my fish,
and I'm taking you home, dawg.

Playing Tamira is actually not that hard.

I really am just saying things
that I feel like guys wanna hear.

It doesn't matter
if I like guys, or if I don't.

I'm thinking guys are the same.
They think with their dicks.

All I have to do is make sure
I play off of that, so I'm in there.

I knew she was gonna reach out to me.
She likes a hunky man. I'm going in.

Raven, I'm sorry,

but she reached out to me, Raven.

I didn't do it. She did it.

I want to bring back up
the Show and Tell game

and really play into
just making more jokes with him,

especially since I said
it was a hunky, sexy guy

who made me chip my tooth.

So the first thing I wanna say is,

"Hey, babes, I think you're the guy

that I saw at the gym
who made me chip my tooth."

"No worries.
I'll send you my dental bill."

"Laughing emoji,
laughing emoji, laughing emoji."

I'm dead. Oh, wow. [laughing]

Yo, she's funny. She's funny.

Message, "What's up, sexy?"

[laughing]

"I thought you looked familiar."

"I still got your tooth.
Laughing face emoji."

"Now I really gotta make it up to you.
#SendAnythingYouWant."

Okay, this is good.
This is a really good response.

Uh, Circle, message, "I may ask
for a personal training lesson

so you can whip me into shape.
Peach emoji."

[clicks tongue twice]

[laughing] Eh, you can have
all the whipping you want, Tamira.

Tamira's one of those girls

where, like, even though you have a wife,
you sneak out to go see her,

just because, like,
she just makes you happy, you know? Right?

[Buteau, sarcastically] Aw,
Circle husband of the year over here.

And while Marvin's making moves,

Sasha's about to make
a big one of her own.

Let me just think about it.

Who will get me four votes
by the end of the night?

That's what I need to figure out.

Tom, no. Sam, no. Jennifer, no. Marvin...

[Buteau] Any minute now.

"When your picture popped up on my screen,
my mouth was wide open."

"LMAO. #NoCap."

[shouting excitedly] Let's go! Let's go!

He thinks I'm fire, baby!

I got Marvin in the bag.
I got Marvin in the bag.

Message, "I'm glad you're here!
Exclamation mark."

"I'm having a really good feeling
about us right now."

Oh, f*ck, yeah, dawg!

I have two girls in The Circle
that are into me right now.

Man, life couldn't be better.

Message, "Aw, that's so sweet."

"It's nice to know
that my appearance is jaw-dropping."

"Drooly face emoji."

"There's something about #MelaninMen
that I can't resist."

"I've had my eyes on you from the start.
Eye emoji."

Oh!

Hey, same here, Tamira. Same here.

You just got here,
but I've had my eyes on you too.

I don't wanna hurt Raven.

She seems like such a nice girl,
but, Raven, we're just having fun now.

Message, "Your appearance
is more than jaw-dropping."

"I'm so glad we had this conversation,

and I'm so looking forward
to having more of this!"

"Fire emoji. Fire emoji."

"Let me officially welcome you
to The Circle. Welcome, gorgeous."

"Winky face emoji. Kissy face emoji."

Let's go!

I got Marvin in the bag.

Tamira is the side,
so she gotta keep this low-key.

If Raven finds out,
I'm in trouble. I'm in trouble.

[Buteau, sarcastically] It's okay.
I'm sure she'll never watch this.

[pop music playing]

[Buteau]
With catfish Tamira reeling Marvin in,

it's time for Sasha aka Shubby's play.

And I'm sure this decision
will be considered and calculated.

Let's risk it, go for Bruno.

This is why I'm gonna start a private chat
with Bruno,

because I think
we can have a great connection.

He left a great message in the group chat.

I think he has the power and numbers
to get me votes tonight.

This is the perfect person
both short term and long term.

Gotta make this private chat count.

Ooh.

"Sasha has invited you to a private chat."

This is major.

I might not even
have to play the flirt card.

I could flirt with someone like,
a Marvin, possibly

and leave Bruno as like friend-zoned,
brother-sister relationship.

[Billie-Jean screams]

Oh my God.
If she could hear me scream right now,

she'd run the other way.

Circle, message, "Bruno!!!
Three exclamation marks."

"I just want to say thank you so much

for the kind message
you left me in the group chat." Send.

That's a beautiful message.

Message, "Sasha, I'm glad
I made you feel comfortable."

"You deserve to feel
like you belong here."

"Love heart emoji." Send.

[Shubham] That's super sweet.

Bruno could be my guy.
Potentially, Bruno could be my guy.

Message, "Bruno, you gotta tell me."

"Since you're a model, how do you deal
with all the judgment you face,

especially in today's digital era?
Question mark." Send.

Wow, very interesting. She obviously wants
to get to know him more on a deeper level,

so that's good.

I guess she wants to have that connection.

Message, "You have to have thick skin."

"It's crazy to think you can go online
and pass judgment."

"That must be similar for you
as you are a blogger? Question mark."

Send.

That's so sweet, and it's like...

I do genuinely feel what he's feeling,
and I've been through that.

Sasha's been through that.

Message, "Yes, at times,
it can be super sh*t and tough."

"I'm sorry
for what you've experienced also."

[Billie-Jean] "But you're the person
I feel connected to,

so I'm glad we have each other
to talk about that."

Ooh, you feel connected? What?
You feel connected, like ally connected?

Message, "I totally understand
how you feel,

and I appreciate you opening up to me."

"You can count on me
as a friend in The Circle. Heart emoji."

That's great.

I would've liked a sister or brother,
but friend is... I'll take it nonetheless.

I'm really digging Bruno.
I think Bruno might be my saving grace.

Message, "Bruno, I honestly look to you
as a brother in this game."

"Whatever happens, I've got your back,

and I really think we can be
in an alliance and get to the end."

[squeals] What?

That was so straight to the point.

If Bruno doesn't play ball,
Sasha, we're in massive trouble.

But who would turn down
an alliance like this?

Message, "That's really sweet
that you look at me as a brother."

"#BigBrotherBruno.
Laughing emoji. Love heart emoji."

"You definitely have an alliance
with me until the end. You can trust me."

Send.

[shouting excitedly] Yes! Yes!

Whoo!

Oh my God! This is fantastic.

Yes!

She's reached out to Bruno,
and we've made an alliance.

Do you know how amazing that is?

sh**t! Maybe I'm second-guessing it.
I have one vote. I know that.

[Buteau] Newbies Sasha and Tamira
have had 24 little Circle hours

to get as many players on their side
as possible.

The others have had no idea.

But y'all know The Circle
ain't good with keeping secrets.

-[loud chiming]
-[alarm blares]

-[all] "Alert!"
-[Tasia squeals]

What is happening?
What's about to happen, baby? Oh sh*t.

"What is this?"

-Oh my God.
-I've got a bad feeling about this alert.

"Today, Sasha and Tamira
entered The Circle

and were given a secret mission." What?!

"A secret mission"?!

What is the secret mission?

Does that mean when Sasha messaged Bruno,
was that part of the secret mission?

[Paris] "They are in direct competition
with each other

to gain the most followers."

That's it. That's it.
I need the most followers to win.

-[tense music playing]
-Oh my God. Agh!

"You must now decide which player..."

"...you would like to follow."

I am praying I have the most followers.

A phrase I never thought
I would hear myself say.

"Think carefully about your choice.
There will be consequences."

That is the most intimidating thing
I have ever read.

[Buteau] Honey, you should see texts
from my mother-in-law.

[Paris] "Circle, I don't like your tone."

"Are you Team Sasha or Team Tamira?"

Damn. That is a really good question
right now.

"Lock in your answer now." Oh my God.

How do I make a decision right now?
This is a tough decision.

I want to be on the side of the person
who has the most followers.

Therefore, I need to vote
for the person who I think will win this.

I would've preferred
mine and Sasha's connection

to have been just genuine,
and no ulterior motive as such.

That makes me question whether or not
I'm Team Sasha or Team Tamira.

If this vote is public,

we gotta stick to our g*ns.

We gotta be confident in our answer.

Sasha, Tamira.

[whispers] Eenie, meenie, miney, mo...

Sasha is a really, like, sexy girl,
and Tamira is really sexy as well.

So...
[claps]

...this is a tough decision for me.

[Paris] "I made my decision."

Circle, I'd like to lock in my decision.

I'm confident with this choice.

There's no going back. I'm just hoping
that I don't get the consequences for it.

[Buteau] You got that right, Chaz,

'cause with the answers locked in now,
the players can't change their minds.

-[loud chiming]
-[alarm blares]

[shouts] "Alert!"

What is gonna happen right now?

This is dramatic
with a capital D. Like, what?

[Chaz breathing hard] Oh, sh*t.
"The results are in."

[shouting] Oh, sh*t!

Please, I promise you,
I will lead you to victory.

[both] "The Circle will now reveal
which player has followed which team!"

I just need four yeses.
I need four Team Tamiras.

What if there's more players
on one team than the other?

[Buteau] Great question, Sam.
I'mma let The Circle handle that one.

[Tom] "The team with the least followers

will be at risk
of being blocked from The Circle."

[groans]

Oh my God!

sh*t. sh*t. sh*t. sh*t. sh*t.

This is a big consequence right now.

I have never been desperate for followers
until this moment.

I would go to w*r for four followers.

I need Team Tamira
to blow up the screen right now.

[Sam] "Sam, you have chosen to follow..."

I really hope
that I'm not being dumb right now.

Tamira. Tamira. Tamira.
Tamira. Tamira. Tamira. Tamira. Come on.

Let's get this show on the road.

Come on!

[shouting excitedly] Let's go!

I got you, baby! I knew it! Let's go!

One follow! That's what I need!

Oh no! Damn it!

Tamira is the obvious choice.

Fun, bubbly, exciting.
She's a makeup girl.

Okay, it's the first one.
I kind of anticipated Sam going to Tamira.

It's getting hot in here.
It's getting hot in here.

-It's getting real.
-What is everybody else's votes?

[suspenseful music playing]

[Tom] It's me.

I feel like we're both writers,

so I feel like Tom
might just have given me his vote.

Hand me this follow, son. Let's do it.

[Shubham] Oh my God.

I have no idea how I didn't get...
I thought I'd get Tom's maybe.

I'm two for two! I'm two for two!

Yeah, Tom! Yeah!

I've picked Tamira 'cause I just think

she was so much more involved
in the group chat.

I feel really confident now.

We're two nil up,
and all we need is two more.

"Bruno." I'm hoping I had
a great friendship with Bruno.

Hope it was enough to push it through.

I don't know where Bruno stands right now.

Come on, baby. Come on my side too.

Yes! Oh my God. Thank you, Bruno.

Bruno, why, dude? Why, bro?

I'm definitely more connected to Sasha.
I feel like it's a bit of a no-brainer.

I got your back until the end of this.

Hey, one's better than none.

"Marvin, you have chosen to follow..."

Ah, here we go. This is mine.

[Paris]"I hope Marvin is
on the same page as me."

Maybe Marvin is attracted to Sasha.

I don't know, though.
Maybe he's attracted to Tamira, though.

Marvin, like Bruno,
will be thinking with this, not with this.

Come on, Marvin.

-[tense music playing]
-[vocalizing]

Let's go!

-[gasps]
-[Sam] Yes, Marvin.

Oh my God.

I have to be Team Tamira.

She talked to me, and she flirted at me.
I really liked that. She made me laugh.

My flirting worked with Marvin.

Dip your hand in this chocolate pot, sir.

This is not good.

Damn!

Can't believe this.

[Billie-Jean] Still can change.
It could still definitely change.

[Buteau] Leading with three votes to one,

if Tamira gets the next follower,
she wins.

So I gotta secure
Chaz, Raven, or Jennifer.

If I have Jennifer's vote,
we go back to three-two.

We're still in this game.

[Chaz] It still ain't over yet.

Sasha could start climbing up
out of nowhere.

"Jennifer, you have chosen to follow..."

Aunty J for the win.

I'm really,
really worried she'll pick Sasha.

Come on, Jen. Come on, Jen.

I know
Sasha is sh1tting herself right now.

Please don't pick Sasha, Jennifer, please.

-[exciting music playing]
-Yes, Jen!

I got two?

Ugh. f*cking A, Jennifer.

It is what it is.
Like, we chose Team Sasha.

[Brett] Everything at this point
in the game is strategic.

[Xanthi] We thought
she's gonna be the most popular.

-That's all we could have done.
-[Brett] I don't feel great about this.

[sighs]

Thank you so much. I...
I have your back. I'm... Thank you. I just...

It really means a lot.

Oh, this is up to Chaz and Raven.

This could go either way.

I was really comfortable
when it was three against one,

but three against two
is too close for my liking.

-[suspenseful music playing]
-Oh, it's me.

Please. Please, I'm begging you.
I just need your help.

Choose Team Tamira.
This could go either way.

[tapping]

Come on, Chaz, don't pick Sasha.

Come on.

[Buteau] This is tense.
It's three to two, you guys.

If Chaz chooses to follow Tamira,
Team Sasha will lose.

[Sam] Here we go.

[music escalates, then stops]

-[gasps]
-[tense music playing]

Oh, no. They won.

Damn. They won.

[Buteau] Aw, Shubby.
Circle not how you remembered it, huh?

-[electronic music playing]
-Let's go! My God! Let's go!

That's it.

[groans]

[shouting] I just dodged a b*llet!
I'm not going anywhere!

Yes! This is amazing!

Well done. Correct decision.

Well done, Chaz.

It don't even matter...

Well, I want Raven
to be on the winning side, but yes!

I knew that! I knew that beautiful face
was gonna get these followers.

Five-two. Damn it!

Sorry you guys picked the losing team.

"I'm so excited that I'm not at risk."

Team Sasha is quiet. It's quiet.

I'm hearing crickets
from the Sasha bleachers.

[Xanthi] Wow.

[tense music playing]

This is everything. We are safe.

-[alarm blares]
-Okay, there's an alert!

-"Alert!"
-"Alert!" Okay. [screams]

I'm not excited for this Alert.

I'm not excited.

"Team Sasha
has the least amount of followers

and is now at risk
of being blocked from The Circle."

There's three of us. I'm in trouble.
There's a 33% chance I'm going home.

God, Circle,
and I thought we had somethin' here.

That's what you get!
You should have chose Team Tamira.

[Shubham] "Sasha, as you are a new player,
you are immune from this blocking."

[exhales] Oh my God!

[shouting] Yes! Yes!

I'm literally in the same position
I was the other night.

I'm getting déjà vu here.
Like, I'm nervous.

"However, tomorrow..."

"...you will decide which of your followers
will be blocked from The Circle."

[softly] God damn.

Oh sh*t!

Who's she gonna want?
The hunky model or the lovable Jennifer?

I am hoping that the conversation
that Bruno and Sasha had

is the conversation
that is gonna save Bruno.

The only people...
The only two people who believed in me,

I have to send home one,
and I like 'em both.

So, you know what, Sasha?
Welcome to The Circle, baby.

[tense music playing]

[closing theme music playing]