The contestants then all rank the others based on their profiles and interactions in the group chat (shudder) and the two most popular become "influencers" who get to pick someone to go home. That person then gets to go and meet another contestant in person before they leave. Here's where The Circle gets really cringey.
Not everyone in The Circle is who they say; there's no rule that says you have to be yourself. One man is posing as his girlfriend, another is posing as an Instagram model, a plus-size woman poses as her thin best friend.
It's the epitome of stupid reality TV, but I still watched the entire season - and I'm not the only one. The Circle became wildly popular on social media and even garnered itself an 85 per cent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes because, while it may be boring in the grand scheme of entertainment value, it is fascinating to see how the way we interact has changed so drastically.
Past the fact that most of us maintain the majority of our relationships via messenger services and "liking" photos, The Circle shows there's a new demand for people to be honest, authentic and open. Posting a sexy bikini selfie or shirtless gym photo is no longer enough, you have to say something that matters, and that – despite where it came from – is a message I'm not mad is being put out into the world.
The winner of the show was the person who was the most authentic – even when their authentic self was at times unbearable - and who opened up the most. The show's Miss Congeniality (my term, not theirs) was an openly gay man who delighted in makeup and sequins and was entirely himself. And interestingly, someone posing as someone else made it to the end because while their pictures were fake, their "connection" with the others was real.
In a world where so much public debate and so many headline-making missteps are playing out on social media, I'm torn on how to take The Circle.
On the one hand, we want content that challenges us, on the other we want escapism. We want to see the kind of diversity and values The Circle presents, but the method of that delivery makes it hard to take seriously. We want to pretend like only vapid, over-the-top influencers care this much about social media, but the world is changing.
Every aspect of my life depends on online communication: my friendships, dating, job, keeping up with my sister and nephew from afar - even shopping and news and media consumption. I can hardly begrudge Netflix for cashing in on a part of society we all like to frown upon even though we're complicit in it.
Like it or not, we live in a real-life Circle. Influencers can make or break people and products, liars are exposed, and those at the top can "cancel" those at the bottom. A tweet can end careers and a social media movement can lead to a predator being imprisoned after years of misconduct.
Maybe that's why The Circle resonates. It's a silly, inconsequential version of the world we exist in and frankly, if you could draw a picture and crack jokes in the group chat and call that a successful day, wouldn't you?
