Netflix recently released a new original series on January 1st titled, “The Circle,” which is a twist between a reality tv show and a game show where none of the contestants meet each other. At any given time, there are eight contestants in “the circle,” which means they are still in the game and eligible for the $100,000 prize at the end of the show. Each player creates a social media profile, complete with a name, biography, status update, and a few pictures. However, the catch is that the pictures used to complete the program could be anyone’s and could not necessarily belong to the person using the profile in question. Each player has the opportunity to converse with any other profile at all times strictly through the screen.

At the end of each week, players rank their fellow profiles from most to least favorite after bonding with their fellow members of the circle after virtual games and conversations. The two players who ranked the highest (1st and 2nd position) are then promoted to the circle “influencers.” From there, the two influencers decide who to block from the circle, the player who is then blocked is removed from the TV show.

 After watching, the first eight episodes of “The Circle” I’ve decided it’s definitely worth watching. A lot of people watch reality TV as an escape and it takes absolutely no effort. The best part of this show is the fact that your mind can be completely blank while you watch it, you will become so invested in the characters that its all you can focus on while you watch. Plus, all of the characters on the show are incredibly diverse and come from all different backgrounds, it’s very refreshing to see Netflix reflecting the population. 

Episodes are released every Wednesday in batches of four, next Wednesday on January 15th the last four episodes of the series will be premiering. In the 12th episode, the winner of the $100,000 will be revealed, and luckily there’s enough time for anyone to catch up on the first eight episodes before next Wednesday. If you’re looking for a tv show to watch as you take a break from studying for finals, I highly recommend “The Circle!”