Circle, message: the reality TV world is about to get spicy as Netflix prepares to drop Season 4 of The Circle into our screens. The competition series follows a group of strangers that can only communicate through messages on a social network called the Circle. This means you can compete for the $150,000 cash prize as yourself or catfish as someone else in order to boost your popularity in the game. In previous seasons, The Circle always found a way to come up with some gag-worthy moments, but based on the new trailer, it looks like they are ready to spice up our lives this time around.
The trailer confirms the return of Michelle Buteau as host and narrator of the series and, as you would expect, introduces some participants of the circle chat – the full slate only gets revealed as the season progresses, as not every player joins the circle at once. The new players are once again a group of incredibly different people who will try their best to outsmart their competitors and earn the title of top influencer in the game.
Then, it’s time for the twists. In past seasons, The Circle found creative ways to throw a curveball at its players, either by having eliminated participants come back as clones, or with ghost profiles, and many other ideas. In Season 4, the trailer teases a cyber attack into the Circle server, new gameplay styles, and the juiciest reveal yet. Could the Spice Girls be entering the game? Netflix certainly wants us to think so, as the United Kingdom flag is shown over the word “spice” and very familiar silhouettes pop in doing the “girl power” sign. Can we freak out yet?
Should Netflix’s tease prove true, this won’t be the first time a pop star has participated in the game. Or, at least, “participated”. Back in Season 2, contestant Lisa Delcampo posed as N*SYNC member Lance Bass during the competition, and Lance himself ended up sending a message to players after she was eliminated from the competition. If the Spice Girls participate, however, it will be the first time a major celebrity enters the game. Will they play as themselves? That would certainly psych out the other players. Or will the 2 become 1 to create a fake profile and only reveal themselves after they get eliminated? We’ll have to wait until next Wednesday to find out.
The Circle became extremely popular and relatable at the height of the pandemic, as it had contestants locked inside an apartment, talking to each other through social media and being able to hide who they really are with fake (or “catfish”) profiles. In the game, you need to be the most popular player so you won’t get voted out (or “blocked”) from the Circle. Contrary to most reality competitions, eliminated players are substituted, and no competitor knows each other until they are blocked or revealed in the finale.
Netflix premieres Season 4 of The Circle on May 4, with four episodes. In the following two weeks, the streamer will drop additional batches of four episodes on Wednesdays. On May 25, the final episode will be released and the winner of the season will be crowned. The season will roll out as follows:
- Week 1 (Wednesday, May 4): Episodes 1-4
- Week 2 (Wednesday, May 11): Episodes 5-8
- Week 3 (Wednesday, May 18): Episodes 9-12
- Week 4 (Wednesday, May 25): Finale Episode
You can watch the trailer below:
Check out the official synopsis here:
The Circle is back for Season 4, and we’re turning the heat up higher than ever! What else would anyone expect from the spiciest season yet? More catfishing, more drama, more money and surprises await as a new set of contestants compete in challenges to earn the ultimate cash prize as top influencer. The Circle is hosted by comedian Michelle Buteau.