03x09 - Ghostbusting & Catfishing

[bunniefuu]

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

There are players that are fooling you.

Is she talking
about one of the influencers?

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

[Buteau] ...things got personal.[/i]

[rapping] ♪ Catfish starts with Kai[/i]
Yeah, I'm talking about your name ♪[/i]

-What?
-Don't be coming at my girl like that.

There's some targets
on everyone's heads right now.

[Buteau] ...a new player entered the game...[/i]

-Fresh meat!
-[both gasp]

[Ruksana] James!

There's a new sheriff in town!

[Buteau] ...and there was a shock blocking.[/i]

If we're going to take down the queen,
we need to get rid of the king first.

-[both gasp]
-Oh sh*t.

He's been my most loyal alliance.

[howling]

[Buteau] Calvin gave[/i]
a parting gift to Nick...[/i]

I chose you.

[Buteau] ...in the form[/i]
of a secret burner profile.[/i]

That's huge!

[all] Vince?

Oh, he's a ghost hunter!

People love Vince!

[Buteau] Bonds were formed...[/i]

We have an alliance. That's how you do it.

We have to keep the alliance
just between the band.

Isabella is talking some sense here.

[Buteau] ...before The Circle[/i]
put them to the test.[/i]

I'm gonna have to get blood on my hands.

What a damn game changer!

Oh no!

[exhales]

[whimpers]

[Buteau] The Circle is full of drama.[/i]

But what's the only thing more dramatic
than a single blocking?

[Sophia] What?

"Tonight..."

"...two players will be blocked
from The Circle"?

[gasps hoarsely]

Oh sh*t! Two?

[Buteau] And what's the only thing[/i]
more dramatic[/i]

than a double blocking?

Influencers Daniel and Nick
are about to find out.

Oh my goodness gracious.
What is happening?

"There will not be an influencer chat."

[gasps]

[laughing] Why?

"Nick and Daniel, you must each choose
one player to block from The Circle."

Oh no!

My heart right now... I... I... [laughs]

[whimpers]

One person from each alliance
is an influencer.

I have no idea
how this is gonna play out at all.

I am so nervous right now.

Ooh, it's getting real.

It is getting real.

Let's dance!

I'm... I'm nervous as sh*t right now.

"Daniel, please state the name
of the player you have chosen to block

and give your reasons why."

All right, guess Daniel's going first.

[sighs deeply]

Here we go!

The absolute most damage
that Daniel could do to me right now

would be to block Ashley,
Isabella, or Jackson.

They're all in the band.

We're a strong,
tightly knit, trustworthy alliance,

so losing any member would be bad.

Don't make Nick mad.

Jackson, I feel like he is a catfish.

He's also not a part
of the stronger alliances I'm a part of.

Yes, he's part of the Wolf Pack,
but is that really enough?

A risk to blocking Jackson is

that I could be pissing off Nick
and the other guys.

[sighs] What are they gonna do?

Come on, Daniel!

Don't betray the bros, please.

Isabella for me,

after her getting seventh in the rankings,

I'm not that sure
she's that big of a thr*at anymore.

Ashley is a very, very scary player
in this game.

She went from tied to fourth,
tied to fifth, first, and now is third.

Clearly, she's doing something right.

She is a thr*at.

[laughing] If only I could talk to Daniel,

I feel like I could convince him
to save every single person in the band.

[sighs] Buckle up your seat belts.
Here we go.

[Ruksana] Daniel, "Hey, y'all."

"This sh*t wasn't it
and is a gut-wrenching decision to make."

"At this point in the game,

tough decisions have to be made,
and players you like have to be blocked."

"I have decided to block this player

because I'm not sure
if I can fully trust them

or if they have my back."
This... this could be me.

All right, Daniel, my man,
don't do me wrong!

"The player I have decided to block is..."

[whimpers]

Just say it!

Come on, Daniel!

[yells] No!

[gasps]

[both] Jackson!

That's gonna hurt.

-f*ck!
-Oh sh*t!

[laughs]

Oh my God!

Wow!

I feel like I was finally, like, coming
into Jackson.

I feel like I was getting
people on my side.

"Blocked!"

Jackson, sorry to see you go.
I thought the band could go all the way.

"Jackson has been blocked
from The Circle."

Danny Boy, how could you do that to me?

That was something else!

Daniel kept his word.

But let's not get too excited.
We got Nick still.

We still got Nick.

"Nick, please state the name
of the player you have chosen to block

and give your reasons why."

All right.

You took one of my soldiers.

[laughing] I'm gonna take one of yours.

Oh, we got one more. f*ck!

Damn! [sighs]

I am halfway out of the danger zone.

Worst-case scenario,
he gets rid of Ruksana.

I have a very weird feeling
about who Nick's gonna pick.

James is new.

I don't know him super well yet,
but I had a great chat with him.

And so I don't really think
I wanna block him.

Come on, Nick.

Look out for your boy. Come on, Nick.

Moving on.

If I block Ruksana,

Kai will lose
one of her strongest soldiers,

and I'll lose
one of my worst relationships in the game.

So I'll still be able to weaken Kai a lot
and strengthen myself by blocking Ruksana.

Then there's Kai.

Kai has been my archnemesis since day two.

[chuckles] She is a heck of a player.

I respect it, but it's dangerous.

I know
that I'm a big competitor in this game,

but is he gonna be loyal,

or is he gonna go against his word?

[Nick] I could keep her around.

That would absolutely solidify
an alliance.

But if I block her, then I'm getting rid

of one of the most powerful players
in the game.

No matter what decision I make,
it's gonna carry some risk,

but it's a risk I'm willing to take.

Circle, message,

"This has been
an incredibly tough decision."

"As the game goes on,
my relationships continue to grow,

so it only gets harder."

"I believe
this is a genuinely nice person."

"However, I don't know
if I can fully trust them."

"I always envied the influencers,
but this is not an easy job."

Nick, who are you getting rid of?

I mean, I'm a genuinely nice person.

"The player I have decided to block is..."

[laughs] I don't know if I can watch.

[suspenseful music playing]

Oh my gosh.

-[gasps] Ruksana!
-[gasps] No! [laughs in disbelief]

Wow!

Ruksana?

[exhales deeply]

[sighs deeply]

[sighs deeply]

I was not expecting that at all.

[gasps]

Ugh!

-[pen thuds]
-Oh golly!

I think people are gonna lose their minds.

I have no words.

He even called Kai a catfish,
and he felt safe with Kai.

But he didn't feel
like he can fully trust me?

It's the fact Nick knew
Ruksana was my number one,

and he did that to me.

That was best-case scenario
in that situation for me.

I still got my closest ally.

It's me and Kai.

That was my girl.

But I am so glad I'm still here.

I mean, I had a good game.
I've lasted this long.

And I was my true genuine self.

Wow! That's crazy.

That is crazy.

[Buteau] Decisions made,[/i]

Daniel and Nick leave the Hangout
for the safety of their apartment,

where no more alerts can reach them,
probably.

I mean,
there's definitely one coming, obviously.

-Oh my gosh!
-[laughing] Holy guacamole!

I can't believe that just happened.

-[loud chiming]
-[alarm blares]

"Alert!"

Basically, my last alert. [scoffs]

[both] "Jackson and Ruksana
have been blocked from The Circle."

[scoffs] It sucks!

Thank you, Circle!

[both] "Before they leave,
they can meet one player each."

Okay, Circle,
I think I know who I wanna see.

I'm ready! Let's do this.

"They are on their way
to meet two of you now." Uh-oh!

[chuckles] Time to clean.

My gosh! I have to clean up. Oh my gosh!
I have to clean up. She's a mom!

King and queen, come on,
whatever they want.

Pour out some water.

A little PowerBar here, there.

[suspenseful music crescendos]

Oh my God.

Hi! I'm sorry. I'm not real.

-[laughing]
-Who are you?

-Are you Jackson?
-Yeah.

-No way!
-Hi.

[both laughing]

-That's unreal.
-Oh my God. I'm literally shaking!

I've been so nervous.
I thought Ruksana was gonna visit me.

[gasps]

-Hello!
-[door slams shut]

-Aw!
-Oh my gosh!

-Aw, Daniel!
-You angel, come here!

Oh, Daniel! Oh! [laughing]

Oh my God. Wow!
I can't believe you're here. Oh my God!

-You're gonna make me cry, and I'm not...
-Sit.

Oh my gosh!

-Oh, wow!
-Sorry. Hi. I'm Rachel, by the way.

You're a total bro.

-I'm trying! I tried.
-[Nick laughs]

It didn't work clearly,
'cause I got blocked!

Holy crap! That's crazy.

-[Rachel laughs]
-You did a good job.

I tried my best!

Oh yeah, I made...
I make like magnet things every time.

-So, I've got "reunion tour"...
-[laughing]

-You're so cute!
-[Nick] ...in case Jackson came.

I got "boss babe" for Ruksana.

You're so cute. I love it.
I'm sorry I'm not Jackson.

-Yeah. It's all right. You seem all right.
-Oh, thanks.

We... we can still have
a reunion tour. [laughs]

First of all, you're freaking cute!

-I cannot...
-You're so beautiful. I'm...

-Oh my God!
-Daniel!

-First of all...
-Let's tea. Let's tea.

-Daniel!
-Let's tea.

-I freaking love you. Hold on!
-[giggles]

First of all, if I went into Nick's room,
I would have went off.

'Cause what the hell was that about?

I lit... You know what I said?
I was like, "Oh, I..."

I truly... I thought he'd get rid of Kai.
How did she go from third to eighth?

How does Nick view you even more
as a bigger thr*at than Kai?

I don't understand that. Like...

I love Kai, but I love you way more.

-Like, you know what I mean?
-Di... ditto! But I just... [sighs]

I don't know.

[Rachel] I had this weird thing
that if I came in as myself,

people would just be like,

"Oh, she's blonde. She's dumb."
Like, get sent home immediately.

Wait. Is your whole profile accurate
except the photo?

Yeah. Mm-hmm.

That's crazy.

Um, the photo is my...
one of my best friends' boyfriends.

[Nick chuckles]

-What do you think about Vince?
-I think Vince is really cool.

Do you think Vince is real?

The things he was talking about
at Camp Night were so specific.

-That ghost story he told?
-Yeah. Like, that all sounds real to me.

Yeah, so I'm also Vince.

Wait. What?

-I'm Nick and Vince right now.
-Wait. What?

-No, you're not. You're both?
-[Nick] Yeah. Yeah.

What?

So basically, when Calvin got blocked,

he was able to, like, give someone
this, like, "popularity boost power."

And then I get this photo of Vince,
and it says "ghost hunter."

How were you BSing that this whole time?
That was so good.

I'm so sad to go. Now, I wanna stay.

Now that you know who's on the other side
of the screen, you just wanna stay.

Just have them bring,
like, another mattress in here.

-We'll tag-team it.
-I'll sleep on the couch.

-You can take over Vince.
-I'll be Vince.

-You take over Vince.
-[laughs]

How... how is there
this huge-ass f*cking cult following

of Nick?

No! I'll tell you why, Daniel.

He was the underdog,
and we did not think about it.

I said, "Frat bro. He's going
to play dumber than he really is."

-Thank...
-I knew it, baby girl. I'm telling you.

I said it from the stretch.

So do I try to bring in Vince,
saying, "Vince..."

Not even saying, "Go after Nick."
Maybe I just say, "Be in our alliance."

"We don't trust the girls."
What happens if we fake it and...

But wait.
You need to break up this little coupling.

-[Daniel] I think Nick is the root.
-[Ruksana] Nick, Isabella, and Ashley.

Ashley made a cake for Nick.
Isabella made a cake for Nick.

[Daniel] Of course.

-That needs to be done.
-100%.

A couple in here is not thinking
about anybody else.

It's like a triplet at this point.
So, okay, first...

Truthfully, I feel
like Nick is number one target.

I feel like Nick,
if I can get him out, get him out,

or try to get Isabella out second.

Like, she's second-in-command,
the string that...

These two have to be broken up.

Okay, so tell me,
how are things going with Isabella?

-Are you flirting?
-[Nick] Yeah.

-What's happening?
-We're flirting up a storm.

-Oh my gosh!
-[Nick] We're flirting...

I was, like, sitting on my side
of the screen listening to you talk

about Isabella, and you're like,
"Yeah, I'm really into Isabella."

-And I was like, "No. Be into me!"
-[laughs]

I wanted to be myself. I was like,

"I wanna flirt with Nick!
This isn't fair!"

-I would have flirted up a storm with you!
-[sighs] Mmm. I think you can win it.

-You for sure can win it.
-I hope so.

Well, I'm glad someone's rooting for me.

No, I'm rooting for you. I'm so excited.

Like, I expect to see you, like,
at the finale, like, winning this thing.

I got you.

-Do it for the band.
-For the band!

Do it for Jackson.
Do it for Rachel, AKA me.

We'll definitely hang out
after this whole thing.

-[Rachel] We have to hang out...
-For sure.

...if we can see each other.

[Daniel] You are literally, like,
everything. I love you. I love you.

-I'm gonna win this for you.
-I have family... You have to!

-I'm doing this for you.
-[Ruksana] Love you. Proud of you.

-[Daniel] I love you.
-You're gonna win this, okay?

I'm gonna see you soon. Not too soon!

-Make me proud.
-[Daniel] I will, love.

Bye.

[sighs]

Good luck! I'm so excited for you.

-It was good to see you.
-You better win.

-I'll do it for the band.
-Do it for the band.

I believe in you.

-[Nick] Thanks. See ya.
-Bye, Nick.

Are we not gonna talk
about the fact that Jackson is a babe?

Jeez Louise!

Jackson!

You should've just gone in as yourself.

She was cute.
Rachel. Should've gone in as Rachel.

-["Why?" by Bronski b*at playing]
-♪ Tell me why... ♪[/i]

[Buteau] It's an epic morning,[/i]
and the players are waking up[/i]

to a Circle two players light
after the dramatic double blocking.

-Morning, Circle![/i]
-Good morning, Circle.

My sleep was just as stressful
as last night's blockings were.

[Buteau] And some[/i]
of them are looking for answers.[/i]

♪ Can you tell me why... ♪[/i]

[Matthew] Nick sending Ruksana home
kind of threw me off.

I'm still a little confused
as why Kai didn't go,

and I'm very curious
as to see what Isabella thinks as well.

[whining] Jackson!

I'm so sad that he's gone.
He was such a consistent good ally.

Another day in the beautiful Circle.

[Buteau] One person who's not sad is Nick,[/i]

'cause he's got a steady ally in himself,
AKA temporary burner-profile, Vince.

Overall, I'm really liking
the way The Circle is shaking out.

The whole point of Vince
was to increase my popularity,

and I hit the top of the charts,
number one. I was an influencer.

So Vince has definitely done his job.

The game has completely shifted.

First, Calvin. Now, Ruksana.

[kisses]

Ruksana, she was my number one,
and Nick took her from me,

and now I am going to take him down.

I have to believe I've earned a spot
in Kai's heart by not blocking her.

I am so grateful for Nick and Daniel.

They said
that they would have me to the end,

but I didn't know
if that was gonna be true loyalty.

From here on out, those are my guys.

Just because I see seven right now
doesn't mean something can't happen,

'cause The Circle do
whatever the hell she wanna do.

Yeah, Circle's a she.

Circle, please don't throw
anything crazy at me today.

I can't handle it.

[Buteau] You know The Circle, girl.[/i]
She don't do what nobody wants.[/i]

Told ya.

-"The Newsfeed has been updated."
-"The Newsfeed has been updated," folks.

Uh-oh. It's about that time.

[screams] Oh God.

-Circle...
-Please take me to the Newsfeed.

Take me to my Newsfeed.

Mmm, that's good.

[both] "Ruksana has left
a message for The Circle."

-Ugh!
-[scoffs]

A part of me wants to watch this video,
and a part of me really doesn't,

because I don't want to believe
that she actually has gotten blocked.

I'll lose my mind if Ruk was fake.

I will lose my mind.

-Circle, open up the message from Ruksana.
-Circle, play video message from Ruksana.

Oh sh*t! There we go.

Hey, guys. It's Ruksana.

Here we go.

Yes, I'm real.

As you can see, I've been playing
my true genuine self this whole time.

Whoo!

I truly meant it
when I said I genuinely had your back.

-How many of you can say the same thing?
-Oh![/i]

-Think about it.
-Yikes![/i]

I'm definitely gonna miss
some of you in here.

-Oh! [chuckles]
-Oh!

That some knows definitely who they are.

I had such a wonderful time.
I cannot wait to see some of you soon.

Yikes!

There are definitely some undertones

of "I hate you, Nick"
in that video. [laughs]

On that note,

"Though she be but little, she is fierce."

Bye!

There you go, sis!
Went out like the true queen she is.

Wow!

She is awesome. [laughs]

It was sweet, but it was spicy.

Whoo!

Ruksana brought the heat!

She definitely threw some shade
in that dang video,

and if I was Nick,
I'd be shaking in my boots.

Hopefully, this doesn't make Kai
turn against me again.

I'm going to do this
for her and for Calvin.

Sayonara, Ruksana.

Circle, take me back to my Newsfeed.

Okay! [laughs]

No! I don't wanna watch this one.

People are gonna flip out! [laughs]

[whining] Circle, play Jackson's message.

[Rachel] Yo, what's up, bro?[/i]

That wasn't a guy.

-It's your boy, Jackson.
-[laughs][/i]

-[Rachel] Not really. That's a lie.
-What?[/i]

I'm Rachel.

Yes, Rachel!

I knew it!

I knew it!

I came in as Jackson and not as Rachel

because, a lot of times,
I'm getting stereotyped

for being the blonde girl
who's mean and dumb.

-Yes![/i]
-[Rachel] I'm really none of those things.[/i]

-Pretty girl.
-I cannot wait to meet you after this.

Despite being a catfish,
I really think that I was more genuine

than a lot of the people
in The Circle right now.

Bye, you guys! Best of luck. Mwah![/i]

[laughs] I love her!

Daniel, you did good,
little bro, to let her go!

I was 100% right. I'm one-for-one.

My other suspicion might be Isabella.

But I'm not 100% sure
like I was about Jackson.

That's great news.

Now people aren't really gonna think
that I'm also a catfish!

That's gonna throw people off my scent.

This is great for my game.

Two more b*tches down. A lot more to go.

I need to see
where everybody's at right now.

Circle, take me to the Circle Chat.

People are gonna have a lot to say.

Circle, message,

"I'm... Dot, dot, dot. Shook!" Send.

"I'm shook!"

The other catfish would come in
and say something first.

Circle, message,

"Congratulations, handsome boys."

"We all know how hard it is,
but you followed your hearts." Send.

Nick followed something,
and whatever it was, it wasn't right.

Message, "Hey, Circle family.
I was on my deathbed last night..."

"...and Nick and Daniel
both brought me back to life."

Yes! That's what I like to see.

[Daniel] "#RuksanaWillBeMissed."

You see how Kai brought up Ruksana
and not Jackson?

She's a loyal. She's a loyal,
and I couldn't agree more with her.

I know she's sad about Ruksana,

but it sounds like she's way happier
that she is just still here. Yes!

[Kai] Nick, "First of all, I feel terrible
about blocking Ruksana,

but I couldn't be happier
with the people that are still here."

"Unfortunately,
I just had to go through one by one

until I got down to the person
that I had the weakest connection with."

I'm glad that Nick feels remorseful
for blocking Ruksana.

But as he said, he had to pick the person
with the weakest connection,

and I totally agree.
He had to stay true to himself.

No. I don't buy it. Hell no.

Even if I did buy it,
I'd like to return it.

[Nick] Vince! Come on, Vince.

[laughs] Speak to me.

Has Vince even said anything?

He's just hanging out. [chuckles]

Circle, message,

"I am shocked."

"It seems I am better at hunting ghosts
than at hunting catfish." Send.

Vince, I like you.
He's just a simple guy, you know?

He's like, "Hey, I'm Vince.
I'm here to just hang."

Circle, message,

"Thank goodness
Jackson was there to lighten the mood."

"Mind blown. I was paralyzed with shock
for about 30 seconds

when 'Jackson' walked in."

[gasps] Jackson went to go see Nick.

Circle, message, "You lucky SOB."

"I'm mad Rachel didn't come and see me.
#SheIsABaddy!"

Yeah. I know.

Oh, she was trying to steal my mans.

Girl, take him. [clicks tongue]

Rachel and Nick,
I think you'd make a lovely couple.

Here we go. Isabella,
"OMG, Nick! I'm so jealous."

"Turns out me and Jackson have
more in common than I thought we did."

"#CouldHaveBeenALoveTriangle."

Ooh. [laughs]

It sound like y'all do got
a lot more in common. Y'all both catfish!

Isabella is so desperate,
it literally is giving me chills.

Never chase after a man.
He doesn't deserve it.

"Yes, Nick and Daniel,

I know it probably isn't easy
being an influencer..."

[Daniel] "...but I really do think
we have a great group here."

Vince, your ass has been
in here for two days,

and you wanna say
we have "a great group here"?

Nah! All of these fake people
are just trying to schmooze you.

"Circle Chat is now closed."

There you have it, folks!

Mad respect to all the catfish in there.

It is a tough job.

Whether they think
Vince is a catfish now or not,

they're gonna find out eventually.

So then it's just gonna come down to,
do they think Nick was Vince?

[Buteau] And because Vince ain't[/i]
the only one who could freak players out,[/i]

The Circle has
a little jump scare of its own.

Wait. What?

Why is Vince's profile blurred out?

Was Vince a ghost?

Oh no! [laughs]

What just happened?

Did Vince leave?

You've gone back to the spirit realm!

I knew he was a ghost.

[loud chiming]

-[alarm blares]
-"Alert"? No sh*t!

"Vince has left The Circle."

Vampire Vince is gone.

What is going on?

"He was never a real player..."

What?

So who the hell was he?

Well, then why was he in the game?

Oh my God!
Was it Lil Yachty this whole time?

It's a sad, sad day,
but we knew it was coming.

[gasps]

"He was a burner profile
for one of the players..."

[Daniel] "...still in The Circle."

[gasps loudly]

Enjoy talking with the ghosts, my friend.

You were a great help. You'll be missed.

[Sophia] That's why he took so long
to reply this morning.

Somebody was having to type twice.

Was it Nick?

But we was in a group chat,
and he was going... he was... Nah!

Whoever was Vince knew a lot about Boston,
so I'm figuring out...

Ashley. New York!

Ashley's from New York,
and she would know a lot about Boston.

In my gut, something's telling me
Isabella was the burner profile.

Kai must have been Vince

because she was using Vince
to get through to Nick,

which is why Vince made a cake for Nick!

Okay, let's start this over
from the beginning. Let's think.

He comes into the chat with me, random.

Everything that I got from him
was pretty much that

he liked Nick, and he liked James.

So that's one of two things.

Either he is Nick or James...

But a part of me,
since he's saying Nick so much...

He kept saying Nick.

What if he is Nick?[/i]

What if that was Nick's burner profile?

Oh boy!

Well, now that Vince is gone,

what the heck is Nick gonna do?

[upbeat music playing]

[Buteau] With imaginary ghost hunter Vince[/i]
off to exorcise his Circle demons,[/i]

the others are doing
some exercising of their own.

Except Daniel, who's still mourning
the loss of his Circle BFF Ruksana.

♪ Daniel in a tub ♪

♪ Hey, hey ♪

♪ He is having a scrub, yeah, yeah ♪

♪ He's trying to wash
All the fake b*tches off of him ♪

♪ Nick then Ashley then Isabella ♪

♪ Oh yeah ♪[/i]

♪ Oh yeah ♪

[Buteau] While Daniel[/i]
puts the finishing touches[/i]

on my brand-new ringtone,

Kai wants to start a chat
with the man of the moment,

former influencer slash Ghostbuster, Nick.

[Kai] Message, "First things first,

congratulations on becoming
the number one influencer yesterday."

"Party emoji."

"I cannot go on without saying

how genuinely appreciative I am
of you keeping your word and saving me."

This is great. Feels genuine.

I know she was legit freaking out.

She was in eighth.
Her archnemesis was influencer.

That's like the worst possible situation
she could've been in,

but I kept my word,

and now, like, our alliance
is probably stronger than ever.

Circle, message,

"Glad I had the chance
to prove I truly do have your back."

"I know you would have done the same.
Smiley face. #TheUnlikelyDuo." Send.

He's still talking
about giving me reassurance.

Like... [chuckles]

I don't think he realizes
that what he did was more than enough.

By saving me...
I mean, this is extra. This is bonus.

So okay, message,

"You are literally becoming
like a brother from another mother."

"I can't believe
there are so few of us left."

"#ItsGettingReal."

"So about Vince... Side eye emoji."

"LOL. I guess
he was as mysterious as his occupation."

[Nick] "What are your thoughts
about this burner profile?"

[panting] "#UnsolvedMysteries."

Circle, message,

"I was thinking about it,
and honestly, I thought he could be you..."

"...because there was a guys' chat
with him in it."

"I thought
you were spying on us." [laughing]

That's funny.

"But now I'm just as clueless as you are."

I think that's pretty convincing.

If this was Nick's burner profile,
he is absolutely throwing me off.

I think it's enough to divert
some of the suspicion away from me.

Message, "I can't believe
Vince just ghosted us. LOL."

"...ghosted us, LOL."
That's funny. Why didn't I think of that?

[Buteau] Really want me to answer that?[/i]

"As much as I would have loved
to spy on you guys

and see what you're talking about,
unfortunately, it wasn't me."

"Vince and I actually had a conversation

explaining how much
he liked you and James,

and I told him that y'all were
two good players to trust."

"He obviously liked you
'cause he made you a cake."

"Cake emoji.
Wink-tongue-out emoji." And send.

She definitely thinks I'm Vince.

I'm sure of it.

Message, "It's been a pleasure,
Mr. RiNickulous. It's time for me to eat."

Circle, message, "Enjoy the food.
Let's keep this train rolling."

"#TheUnlikelyDuo." Send.

[Kai] I just feel
like Nick and I's alliance

is starting to turn
into more of a friendship,

and that's exactly what I wanted.

Still a lot of doubt on both ends.
I think that's just how it's gonna be.

Probably should've blocked her,

but maybe I will have another chance.

[upbeat rock music playing]

[Buteau] After the revelation[/i]

that Vince was a temporary polterguest
possessed by another player,

James wants to try out
a little ghost-hunter hunting himself.

[Matthew] Oh!

"James has invited you to a private chat!"

Now that we found out
that there's a burner account,

and it was...
Vince was fake this whole time...

It's a lot going on.

I need to holla at Ashley,
and I've been meaning to talk to her.

What you got to say, Dr. James?

Circle, message, "Yo, sis!
WTF is going on in The Circle right now?"

[Matthew] "Two people get blocked
and now a burner profile? #ImStressed."

Circle, message, "OMG, seriously though."

"At first I thought vampire Vince
disappeared 'cause it was daylight...

[chuckles] ...but clearly
there's more tomfoolery going on."

[blows raspberry]

I'm telling you, girl!
There's a lot going on!

Uh, Circle, message, "Girl..."
With like five L's.

"...so who do you think
the burner profile belonged to?"

"It couldn't have been me,

because Vince used too many long words
I never heard of."

"#PreKDropOut." [laughing]

This is gonna tell me a lot right here.

If Ashley gives me a name,

she believes it's not me,

and she feels comfortable enough
thinking of exposing somebody else.

So if I take a step back
and listen to my heart and my gut,

I don't know why, but I trust James.
He's new, but I trust him.

And using this piece of information

and me not dancing around it

or giving a bullshit answer
is gonna develop trust.

Circle, message,

"Even though you're recent
to The Circle group..."

[James] "...I genuinely trust you,

and I'm going to tell you
who I thought it belonged to..."

"Dot, dot, dot." She's gonna tell me.

[inhales] Hmm.

Message, "Despite my rapport with her,

I think the burner profile
may be Isabella."

[whispering] Ye... yes.

Oh God!

Even though I love Isabella,
and we have an alliance...

Yes, it's all good and dandy.

At the end of the day,
it is time to look out for my own ass,

and I want him to understand

that I'm taking a big risk here
by telling him.

Circle, message,
"That is exactly what I thought."

"I don't know why,
but my gut was telling me that too."

Use the magnifying emoji with the dude.

All right, send.

I am so stoked
that James is thinking on my wavelength.

Ashley said,
"Big hearts think alike, baby doll."

"#AlwaysGoWithTheGut."

I... I've been... Um, I guess this is time.

Uh, Circle, message, "Big hearts,

and we also have something else in common
I've been meaning to talk to you about..."

-"Dot, dot, dot, dot." Send.
-[emotional music playing]

[clicks tongue, sighs deeply]

Oh...

Is he... is he of my community?

Circle, message,

"I love how much pride you have
for your community

and how you rep it."

"I have a trans brother,

and I see firsthand
how cruel people can be sometimes."

Send.

Oh my God!

Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

"No matter how this game plays out,
just know you have an ally for life."

"#RainbowWarrior."
And use the rainbow heart. Send.

James!

[sighs]

Circle, message,
"I can tell you this for sure,

the love and light that you exude
gives your brother the strength he needs,

even in these dark days."

"Game aside, I got you."

"Game included, I got you."

-"#..."
-[James] "#LetsMakeYourBrotherProud."

Um...

This is a good conversation.
It actually kind of touched me.

It just makes me think about the times
where I would look at my brother

and still call her sister to other people
and say "she" and "her."

So I wish I could have been an ally
a lot longer than I have been.

That was such an important chat to have.

I'm so happy
he opened up to me about that,

and we got to connect on that level.

And good to know that we both think

darling Isabella
probably had the burner profile.

[Buteau] That just goes to show[/i]

you can never predict
where a chat is heading in The Circle.

And speaking of surprises,
here comes another big one.

Look out, y'all! It's our final player,
and this one knows how to play games.

Oh my...

[in singsong] [/i]I have arrived!

Whoo!

Mm-mm-mm-mm-mm.

Where my nerd flag at?

[video game effects play]

I'm Jacki. I live in Los Angeles,
and I'm a stage host

for giant video game events
in massive arenas. Pretty awesome job.

My apartment's basically a living room
with a bunch of video game stuff.

Guys come over. They're like,
"What the hell is going on here?"

I love video games.
Is that obvious? [laughs]

I'm six-two.

I remember, when I was younger,
I really struggled with my height.

Like, I was super insecure about it.

"Boys don't like me.
I look so awful in photos."

But I can't change what this is,
and I wouldn't!

I just learned to, like, love myself.

So when I'm in The Circle, I'm being this,
a six-two Amazonian goddess.

Yeah!
I'm definitely gonna get my flirt on.

I wouldn't even be able to stop myself.

I'd be like,
"You're cute. What's going on?"

My strategy for The Circle,
I'm gonna be digging.

Like, I'm going to be learning
their strengths and their weaknesses.

This is a game!
We can be a little bit cutthroat here.

I'm gonna win The Circle.
It's, like, game over.

♪ La-la, la-la, la-la-la-la-la ♪[/i]

Circle, please take me to my albums.

Oh my gosh. Where... where to begin?[/i]

Um, why do I keep on thinking
this is a touch screen? Don't touch it.

Okay. [chuckles]
Let's do Conventions & Festivals.

Look at that makeup!

I wanna look at this one
in the bottom left corner.

This shows Jacki
on so many different levels.

Like, you get the nerdy,
you get the video games,

you get the anime, you get the warmth,
you get the kindness.

Circle, lock in this profile photo, 100%.

This is... this is Jacki!

[upbeat music playing]

[Buteau] Profile done,[/i]
gamer Jacki is leveling up[/i]

in her new apartment,

while the others are unaware
a new player is about to enter the game.

[gasps] Whoa!

-Oh my God! Ah!
-[groans]

No!

We got a new player!

Y'all just added Jacki?

Ah! I'm in The Circle!

Welcome to The Circle, baby doll.
Okay, then there were seven.

Are you a real person,
or are you a ghost too?

Here's just another person
who I have to try to win over.

Well, you better believe
I'm gonna be welcoming her with open arms.

Nick has a strong hold on two people,
and I have a strong hold on two people.

I need to talk to Jacki before Nick does.

[Kai] Circle, go to Jacki's profile.

"Jacki. Age, 33."

"Occupation, communications
for video games and anime."

Okay!

"Hometown, LA." Come on, baby.

"About me, six-foot-two nerd."

I'm a six-foot-two nerd.

"Video games, anime."
I love video games, girl.

"Cosplay, beach volleyball, synthesizer."

"Fiery, fun Aries.
Radiate love plus kindness."

"Cheers, y'all!" That was a lot.

I've been to Seattle Comic Con.
There's some potential here.

[Sophia] She has a lot of things in common
with my girlfriend.

I think I might be able to sneak in there,
but that's Sophia.

Isabella doesn't really know those things,
but maybe I can make it convincing.

I think I have
the most in common with her.

I'm the only one else from LA.

Um, I'mma... I'mma att*ck the video games,
um, and I'mma flirt with her!

We have literally nothing in common,

but I'm going to figure out a way
to bring this girl in.

Ruksana just left!
So now, since she's gone,

this could potentially be
another new alliance.

Hopefully, I can get to this person
before dang Kai does.

I mean,
everyone's gonna be fighting for Jacki.

Ooh, "Circle Chat is now open!" Oh my God!

Oh, "Circle Chat is now open."

Let's do this!

-Circle...
-...take me to...

[all] ...the Circle Chat.

Message, "Hi, lovelies!"
And then little heart eyes emoji.

"So excited to embark on this journey
with all of you."

Send. [gasps]

It's out there.

Everybody's about to kiss her ass.
I gotta figure out how to stand out.

I really feel
like Nick, Ashley, and Isabella

are going to try extremely hard
to get Jacki on their team.

People just want to get in with Jacki
as strong as possible

in the quickest amount of time possible.

[Daniel] It is three versus three
in The Circle right now.

You have James, myself, and Kai
against Ashley, Isabella, and Nick.

Whoever gets Jacki
is the stronger alliance

and can take control over this game.

-Okay. [sighs]
-All right.

[all] Circle, message...

[Jacki screaming]

Oh my God! My heart is racing.

"Yo, Jacki your profile gave me life.
Welcome to our crazy-ass family."

"#LABaby." Yes!

"Jacki! Welcome to The Circle."

"You're probably
the most well-rounded person

I've ever seen in my life."

Oh my gosh. Stop the cap, Nick.

"I'm no expert on cosplay,

but I have been
to Emerald City Comic Con."

"My dog and I went as Batman and Robin."

So cute! I wanna see that photo.

"Jacki, hi! Exclamation point."

"First off, what a babe!
Heart eyes emoji."

Everyone's like a freaking vulture
right now. It's... it's so annoying.

"Beach volleyball
is definitely one of my favorite sports."

"What beach do you play at in LA?
#WeShouldTeamUp."

All right, Kai, that's a little whack.
It's a group chat.

Why are you turning it
just to the beach right now?

You do that in a private chat.

Also, "What beach do you play in LA?"
Girl, you're from Nashville.

Look at Kai. "We should team up,"
as if she's talking about volleyball.

Baby, there's more subtext there
than just the beach volleyball.

That's for damn sure!

She's trying to throw in
as many alliance words as possible.

Circle, message,
"Beach volleyball is great and all,

but the real question is,
are you a PC gamer or console?"

"Winky tongue face. #GamersUnite!" Send.

"#GamersUnite!"

Touché, Nick. Touché.

Oh my God!

It's the fact
that my game is going to rest

in the hands
of, like, the nerds of The Circle.

Circle, message,
"Jacki, I just want to let you know

I could probably b*at you
at Street Fighter II."[/i]

Oh, those are fighting words right there.

"We should make a bet
if you're up for it."

"#1V1."

And send the... the wink emoji.
Let her know what I'm really trying to do.

"1V1." Oh no, he didn't!

No one likes someone who throws themself
at you right off the bat.

[Sophia] Okay. So everybody's... [sighs]

...trying to get in with Jacki.

Well, she has to feel welcomed. [laughs]

Oh my God! They're all so nice.

You're all really, really nice,
and I like you guys.

[chuckles]

Everyone's like, "Pick me! Pick me!"

I gotta respond to all this.
We gotta get with it.

Okay, message...

Come on. Respond to me, Jacki.

So much to respond to.

"I have so much
that I wanna chat with you all about."

-"I've got..."
-"...beach volleyball spots..."

"...and video games."

"And, James, those be fighting words."

"You are going down."

[laughs] You see? You see, children?

She responded to everybody very generic,
and at the end,

"James, those be fighting words.
You going down."

Boo, you not even ready for me.

[Jacki] Oh my God!
"The Circle Chat is closed!" Ah!

I was really happy that everybody wanted
to connect with me about something.

I feel like
the alliance James, Kai, and I have

is gonna have to put on our bootstraps.

I'mma need to do some work
if I need to connect with this girl.

I'm going to need to work!

Boom, boom, boom!

Looks like James made the best impression.

I need to get in a group chat
with James and Jacki.

I wanna be able
to build a connection with Jacki,

but I just don't know
if it would be strong enough

to supersede
what it is Nick is trying to do,

because I can clearly see
that Nick is a shark in water,

and there is definitely
a sprinkle of blood in there.

[Buteau] Evening in The Circle,[/i]

and time to get out your weird-things-
Daniel-does-in-his-apartment bingo card,

'cause this one's a doozy.

[huffs] Yeah, yeah. [mimics a whip]

38. What come after 38? 39.

[Buteau] And James is also having[/i]
his world turned upside down[/i]

by a puzzle designed
for people aged 12 or over.

[James] Oh my... [sighs]

That was my main piece.

[huffs] Shh-shh-shh.

Wait. What?

What is that?
Wait. I can't read backwards.

"Circle of Fortune!"

Oh man. What we got going on here?

I like the Wheel of Fortune.[/i]

Ah, is this the same thing?

[Buteau] Kind of,[/i]
but for legal reasons, no.[/i]

And we're giving newbie Jacki the role
of game show host for the evening.[/i]

Everyone, your hostess has arrived!

[Buteau] The Circle of Fortune[/i]
contains a series of emojis.[/i]

Spin that wheel! [laughs]

[Buteau] Our host must wait[/i]
for the wheel to land on one of them...[/i]

We have landed on the turd emoji!

Poop emoji. Well, I don't want this one!

[Buteau] ...and choose which player[/i]
answers the question attached to it.[/i]

"What is your most disgusting habit?"

Sometimes I pick my nose.
There's stuff that's in my nose.

What am I gonna do?
Let it sit in there and let it ferment?

Okay, I wanna learn more about Nick,
so let's do it.

"Message, Nick, you seem like a dirty boy.
What is your most disgusting habit?"

Get out of here.

"You seem like a dirty boy." [laughs]

Oh, she is kinky!

That's my mans, Jacki! But it's fine!

Circle, message, "Biting my nails."

"#Guilty. #..."

Was not expecting that.

Ooh! Wait! Mr. RiNickulous!

Jeez, that guy!
He's the worst boyfriend ever.

[Buteau] Well, he is dating[/i]
a lesbian catfishing as her own sister,[/i]

so give him a break, girl!

Oh, this is fun. I like this game!

Let's spin that wheel!

[mimicking rattle of the wheel]

-Target practice!
-Target!

"Send an angry face emoji
to the..." Oh sh*t!

-Oh.
-See, it just took a drastic turn.

Nick got away
with biting your fingernails?

I think everyone wants
to see this question answered,

but no one wants to answer it. [laughs]

[Jacki] "Send an angry face emoji
to the player you think

is your biggest rival." Who am I gonna put
in the hot seat for this one?

[gasps loudly]

You f*cking monster, Jacki.

[yells] You monster!

I hope she's not pissed.

I probably would not have been thrilled
getting that question.

Ashley! I'm really curious
as to what you're gonna say.

Ashley has been very good in the chats.

So this is gonna make her have to be
a little mean and expose some game.

I mean, right now,
my biggest thr*at is Kai,

'cause I don't know exactly
where I stand with her.

But do you wanna show your cards?

Yeah, I mean, this is a tough question.

You're basically burning a bridge
with somebody.

You know what? It's time to be bold.

It is time
to show Ashley's teeth a little bit.

Circle, send my angry avatar.

Ugh! I knew it.

The avatar looks
like she's cussing Kai out.

Oh sh*t!

Circle, message,

"Kai, I'm sending this to you, honey,
because, although your energy is radiant..."

"...it seems you're a little too focused
on catching catfish,

rather than growing connections."

Okay! So tell me
how you really feel, Ashley.

I did not expect this answer from Ashley.

I'm gunning for Kai anyway,

and it shows all my alliances
that everything I said to them was true.

No! Ashley,
I needed you to be an influencer.

Now, Kai is gonna rate you dead-last.

In every conversation we have,
something comes up.

Like, "Oh my God. Catfish, guys.
Who's that catfish? Who's that?"

It's like, at a certain point, girl,
everyone is a person behind these screens.

I definitely respect her opinion,
and now I really know where we stand.

Okay.

Next question in Circle of Fortune!

[funk b*at playing]

[Sophia gasps] Money!

[Daniel] "What would you spend
the prize money on?"

Oh, I hope you give me this.
Oh my God, I hope you give me this.

Oh, I hope you give me this,

'cause I have
a really sweet answer actually!

I can say, "After a date with you,

I would spend the rest of the money
on three months' worth of rent,

'cause you know how LA's rent is."

I can maybe really get to see
what someone's intentions are here.

Maybe I should throw this one at Kai.
Ashley gave me some amm*nit*on,

and I don't know
what's been going on here,

but obviously,
she's been rubbing people the wrong way.

All right, here we go!

Message, "Kai, I looked at your profile."

"I immediately thought,
'Fierce bad B, like me.'"

"I know you want this win.
I'd really like to know

what you'd want to do
with all that cash money, girl."

She's definitely gonna try
and think what Jacki would want to hear.

Hundred percent. That's how Kai works.

It's gonna be like, "I wanna start
a women's beach volleyball league."

Okay, message...

[emotional music playing]

Oh sh*t!

[chuckles softly]

Now, I feel terrible. [chuckles]

I feel like a real piece of sh*t.

Message, um, "My parents participate heavy
in the church..."

"...and they have given so much to others

that I would like to surprise them
with a down payment on a new house."

[sighs, whispers] Man...

Good for you. That's a beautiful answer.

It feels good to open up.
I don't shy away from the truth.

I'm glad all the players are able to see

that there's genuinely more
than just competitive Kai.

I mean, this is basically her pitch
for why she should win.

She's not gonna say
something super selfish.

I think Kai did the right thing,
told the truth.

Didn't take this time to... to... to use
a bunch of emojis, hashtags.

Literally say, "This is what I wanna do."
And I believe her.

She really made it clear that she's here,

and she really wants to use that money
for something good.

Dang it, Kai. Why'd you have
to give such a good answer? Ugh.

Really?

Doesn't change anything
for me though. [chuckles] Still my rival.

"Question four!"

Spin that wheel! Come on! Let's do it!

[Matthew laughing] Oh!

It is the catfish question!

[gasps loudly]

I knew it was about to get messy!

"Who is the player
most likely to be a catfish..."

"...and why?"

I feel like everybody here really wants
to know the answer to this.

This is a big question.

The worst question of the night.

All these people are gonna hate my ass.

Would hate this question.

I would not want it.
Puts a target on your head.

[groaning]

Hey, Kai, who do you think's the catfish
if you're catfish-hunting so much?

I'm really hoping that this goes to James,
because at least if it goes to James,

I'd feel more comfortable
that he wouldn't throw me under the bus.

Don't ask me.

I'm ready to ask it, but don't ask me.

Oh my God. [sighs deeply]

I don't know what to do.

Do not pick me, Jacki.
I'm not here for this question.

[sighs] This is a tough one.

This is probably, like,
the harshest question.

Um, I wanna know this answer.

I feel like everyone likes James.
Like, I feel like he's a power player.

I want to know
his answer specifically to this question

more than anybody else here. So...

[chuckles]

[chuckles] There it is. James.

[groans] Okay!

[groans] What is he gonna say?

Saying somebody could be a catfish

is bad, regardless.

So it's like go hard or go home, right?

This is a huge question.
Saying "catfish" in The Circle

is like calling
somebody's mama out their name.

There's no good way out
of answering this question.

He might say me,
and I don't need that target in my life.

So I have to answer this question
and try to get the most out of it.

If James drops my name,
that could really get people to thinking,

and, like, I'm gonna be under
a microscope with everything I do.

I had feelings early, early on.

Oh, I just know it's gonna be me! [whines]

I think James is gonna say Ashley.
I hope he says Ashley.

I might be wrong.

Don't you absolutely dirty-dare!
I have been trying to lay low.

This would ruin it. Don't do this to me.

[sighs] I guess I gotta answer.

James, if you do say me,
you're dead to me, bitch.

I really hope James doesn't say Nick.

[sighs] I don't want it to be me.
Please don't be me.

-Please be anybody but me.
-[sighs]

[Jacki] Okay, James,

what's good?

Man, you know what?
I'm just gonna say it. Circle, message...

[theme music playing]