After watching the Circle USA, I was stoked when I found out that there is a Brazil version showing in Netflix. Since I enjoyed the US version very much and the person I rooted for won, I was hoping the experience with watching The Circle Brazil will be the same.
There is no difference with the format of the show as the US version. It’s still same wherein the contestants move into one apartment building. They live in separate apartment units and can only communicate via voice-activated apps on the TV screen. The anonymity allows each contestant to hide their true identities and portray themselves however they want to be. During the competition, the players are asked to rate one another from their favorite to their least favorite. The lowest rated players are at risk of being blocked from the game. The last contestant standing will win The Circle and take home Brazilian Real 300,000 cash prize.
The contestants in The Brazil version is more real in a sense. Most still portrayed as themselves with a lil tweak on their age, profession and relationship status. There’s not much issue on being a catfish. The focus is more on their relationships with each other. It seems in The Circle Brazil, there is a strong focus on bonds. It’s quite refreshing for a change.
I do think though that apart from protecting their friends, there’s also strong strategy at play. That’s why Ray got to where she was in the end. She got really lucky as I felt she was there because the other contestants thought bringing her rating up will increase their chances of winning the top prize.
*** spoilers ahead ***
Similar to my post on the US version, I’m also sharing my thoughts about each contestant. Yet again, the person I was rooting for won the contest! I got 2 for 2! How cool is that?
- Ana Carla – I felt so sad that Ana Carla got booted first. While she’s extremely beautiful, I can definitely see that she’s way more than that. Everyone thought she was too beautiful to be real. Upon learning that she’s real, her cast mates said that Ana Carla’s pick for her profile picture played a major factor in her exit.
- Julia – Not a fan of this character while I thought Rob was nice. He could have better chances if he just played as himself.
- Gaybol – Gaybol is a gamer and I do have a certain fondness for gamers. Too bad he was targeted early on. Not sure how he puts up the vibe of a catfish coz he really isn’t.
- Lucas – My least favorite character in the series and I’m just glad she got booted out.
- Akel – Among all the cast, Akel took his exit hard. He was totally into the competition that he was super careful in all his interactions with the contestants. What I find Akel cute though is his interest in Lorayne. I investigated a bit and it’s too bad they didn’t end up together coz Lorayne has a boyfriend. He was totally smitten during the show.
- Lorayne – I liked Lorayne. She’s fiercely loyal and she’s really going to fight for what she believes in. I admire how she fought so hard for Akel not to be eliminated in one of the earlier episodes. I also admire her friendship with Marina. I do feel that she misjudged JP. Even during the finale, you can see how she dislikes him and she wasn’t afraid to show it to everyone. I hoped she and JP cleared out the misunderstanding.
- Renan – We weren’t able to get the chance to know Renan coz he was blocked quickly. Similar case with Ana Carla.
- Luma – These 2 gay men are cute! They were really playing the game. Voting only based on how they were treated by the other contestants.
- Dumaresq – Dumaresq, being LGBT, is easily likable by the contestants. That’s why it isn’t a surprise that he got into the final.
- JP – I actually think JP is genuine and I wonder why a lot of the contestants think he’s a catfish. He has a crush on Ray but I believe if only Ana Carla stayed a bit longer. They could have been the couple of the season.
- Ray – Her bad move in trying to seduce Akel actually worked in her favor since the other cast didn’t see as a threat anymore. Thus, with all the strategies ongoing, she became a strong contender. She almost won!
- Marina – My favorite contestant of them all and she won The Circle Brazil! There are quite a number of reasons why I rooted for her: (1) she was fiercely loyal to Lucas and despite Lucas being a catfish, she still accepted her for what she is. (2) Marina cried when she found out that Ana Carla was real. I could feel her regret for booting her out. (3) when she forgave Lorayne completely for pushing to kick off Lucas and continued to be her sister/friend in the show.
The Circle US got renewed for another season. I hope The Circle Brazil does the same. So excited for the next season!
For me, my takeaway from watching The Circle is the importance of communication (even if it’s online). In this world of social media, there is a need to be mindful on how we send our messages as people can interpret it differently. There is also the angle that a lot of people are pretentious so we have to be able to discern which ones are genuine and which ones are not.
My rating for The Circle Brazil: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ (4 out of 5 stars).
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