The Circle: The five biggest strategic miscalculations

Netflix has a hit. The Circle is a combination of Big Brother, Catfish: The TV Show, and all forms of social media everyone simultaneously loves and hates.

In a game of deceit and catfishing, The Circle has shown us all that there is a strategy to gaining online notoriety. Being an influencer takes some skill. Some convincing. Other than Shubham, who was/is the only sincere person from top to bottom, full of innocence and sweetness, everyone else chose to placate fellow cast-mates to an extent.

There are definitely lessons learned, however, for those wishing to participate in future seasons (please let there be future seasons).

1. Coming on too strong

Adam (aka Alex) came onto the show as a third generation entry, and came on way too strong. Being flirtatious is one thing, being openly forward is completely different. Flirting with every living thing on the show other than the houseplants is not a good look. Randomly sliding into DMs is also perceived as mischievous, and should be casually.

While catfishing Rebecca (aka Seaburn), who was reverse-catfishing him, Adam’s approach was just a bit too much. He came off as a complete dog, and Rebecca (Seaburn) wasn’t really buying it. Speaking of that…

2. Adding too much detail to your lies

Adam (Alex) was only on the show for three or four days, and he tells Shubham he is falling for Rebecca? Really? That was difficult to believe. Perhaps just as difficult was Rebecca’s reaction to her Romeo being a catfish. The lesson here is, don’t go overboard.

3. Displaying privilege

This one is universal. No matter the reality show, whether it’s Survivor, The Amazing Race, or Big Brother, when other contestants find out you have a life of privilege (i.e. model), they don’t take kindly to it. Even worse is if others perceive that you have a Scrooge McDuck pile of money, like a pro athlete. The assumption is you don’t need to winnings, and you’re ostracized as a result.

4. Being too fake

First, go easy on the filters. That was the initial step in Mercedeze’s demise.

Second, while catfishing it’s probably a good idea to be as genuine as possible. That seems like a contradiction, but being too fake causes suspicion. Karyn made the mistake of choosing Mercedeze – a complete dime – when someone just not-so-perfect would have been a better selection. And Sean’s completely hypocritical decision to carry her personal torch yet come on the show as someone who looks like Gisele-freaking-Bündchen was just too over the top.

If you’re going to catfish, choose an 8 instead of a 10. Choosing a 10 may as well be one of the classic blunders.

5. Making waves

While you absolutely know there is a catfish, or multiple, on The Circle, you can’t straight up call people out. Or at least you shouldn’t. People are going to be very cautious, and any signs of overt aggression will be met with resistance.

Bill made the mistake of going right after Adam (Alex). Everyone immediately reacted negatively, even though the assumption was correct. Staying under the radar works better.

dark. Next. Ranking The Circle Final 5

Follow all five of the aforementioned rules and you’ve got a better chance of surviving on future seasons of The Circle.

The Circle is streaming on Netflix.

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The Circle on Netflix: The five biggest strategic mistakes

By Greg O'Shalae | Jan 27, 2020