‘The Circle’ season 7 review: Disruption shakes up the game for the better

Disruption is the name of the game for the latest season of Netflix’s social media competition, The Circle. A season of profiles and blockings was injected with a heavy dose of twists that shook the game to its core. While The Circle Season 7 carried over many elements from the previous season, this round paid a greater focus on strategy instead of relationships. Many of the profiles were more cutthroat than in previous years. More were just as naïve to believe the lies. It’s a change of pace in this new era of The Circle – one that had us reeled in from start to finish.

A game of catfish and mouse

From a foundational standpoint, The Circle Season 7 is a lot like the previous season. The game is shot in the same new apartment building from Season 6, and many of the core game elements are utilized. The tweaks for the new era also carried over, like the host (Michelle Buteau) being kept to voiceover only, and the finale turning into a joint full-cast reunion instead of a separate dinner. These adjustments didn’t have any major effect on The Circle as a whole; the momentum kept the same movement as the previous season. I wouldn’t be surprised if The Circle Season 6 and Season 7 were shot back-to-back. We’ll most likely get further big tweaks in future seasons.

The Circle Season 7 excelled in its casting as the players brought a lot of excitement and strategic gameplay. We had the typical bros (Andy, Darian, Kevin,) the personality catfishes (Rachel, Gianna,) and the open-to-dating players (Savannah, Madelyn, Jadejha) to name a few. Even the more under-edited players (e.g., Tierra) seemed distinctive from one another. Each have their own mini-arc and personality in the footage. It wasn’t perfect by a long mile, but there was a general understanding of each player’s archetype and style. And with any season of The Circle/reality TV, the players broke through those early roles to give us so much more. This season, we had a fun group ready to play the game!

And what changed this time around was the continued decrease in the number of players. The Circle Season 7 only had 10 profiles. No third wave of new contestants, no fake double profiles, and no replacement catfishes – it was the core group playing together from start to finish. This number is the lowest The Circle has ever had. You would expect with a lower number that each player would get a lot of screen time, but that still didn’t happen here (we’ll get to this later on.) Throughout the series’ run, I stood behind that The Circle needs a few rounds of blockings and new players to refresh things. That approach hasn’t changed yet, even after witnessing the smallest cast yet.

To disrupt or not to disrupt

The biggest update to the game was the introduction of the “disruptor” twist. For those unfamiliar with the twist, The Circle would give the players the opportunity to activate a secret good or bad power that would affect the game. The players wouldn’t know what the power would be, and if it was good or bad, until it was claimed. The disruptor creates an interesting air of tension because it pops up so infrequently. We wouldn’t know what would happen next or who would claim it until the players started screaming at their screens. Many of the disruptor twists were variations of past twists. Still, the reveals are refreshing as they put the power in the players’ hands.

Items like party invites and canceled blockings were pretty expected in the grand scheme. As mentioned above, it’s not the first time these have happened on The Circle. (New players tend to decide the invites for their first Circle party.) I’m a little suspicious about how specific twists were dolled out. For instance, it’s very convenient Gianna got the first disruptor and then miraculously got her blocking canceled. There’s no proof to contradict the outcomes. It just became noticeable throughout the season. However, the best of the disruptor twists has to be Madelyn & Rachel switching profiles and Damian getting to choose the second influencer.

We need to have these return in future seasons. Rachel and Madelyn switching profiles was so brilliant as it forces profiles to start thinking strategically and play. The pair wouldn’t have changed their rankings if the other didn’t do the damage control to fix things. And this move in particular changed up the entire season – the downfall of the bros and Jadejha wouldn’t have happened if Rachel and Madelyn hadn’t teamed up together. In Damian’s case, his twist could’ve fixed his position had he chosen the right player for the influencer spot. These twists are small decisions that had a huge impact.

Do it for the plot

The storyline of The Circle Season 7 had a great captivating narrative that made it easy for new and long-time fans to get into. Firstly, we had the battle forming between the Bros and the girls; then after the Rachel/Madelyn switch, it became a season of distrustful allies and blow-ups. Sure, the season suffered under the mighty grip of its frontrunners – the grip doesn’t give up at any point, unfortunately. However, the season as a whole felt unpredictable. The Circle Season 7 had many unexpected blockings you wouldn’t have seen coming, especially with their alliances. And the winner is also a surprise to see them get to the end. Plus, there were many fights and retorts. This cast wasn’t shy to clapback and let their frustrations be known.

Still, it’s a shame that some players didn’t get the clips they needed in a small cast. For example, Tierra and Garret arguably got the least screen time. Both players seemed to have their friendship in the game, but they got minimal attention as more footage focused on long-standing profiles. Like, where was the footage of Garret and Jadejha being besties? Apparently, they had a very deep connection, but it didn’t seem that way. In comparison, while Savannah was the first person to officially get blocked and leave, she still had enough footage to showcase her exit. It made sense why the influencers targeted her and betrayed her.

The real blindside

Another issue for The Circle Season 7 comes from the baffling game decisions made by the players. Don’t get me wrong, I love a shocking game move! These moves keep us on our toes, and the players make their choices whether good or bad. However, if you’re a gameplay-focused viewer, it may frustrate you at times. Why did many players blindly believe what was told to them? Why did players betray their number ones so often? And why did people start fights over issues they had a hand in doing? This season will leave you scratching your heads at ties about the mindset of the profiles.

The Circle Season 7 got a much-needed jolt of excitement and fun in its latest iteration. The contestants threw out all caution to the wind and came ready to play. Expect plenty of Circle chat arguments, shocking blockings, romances, and bold game moves throughout the 13-episode run. The disruptor twist created lots of drama and pushed the players to think of their games. However, with such a small cast, you can feel every bad move and lack of screen time come through during the season. If you want to see how strategy dominates in The Circle, this season is one for you.

The Circle is available now to stream on Netflix.

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Images courtesy of Netflix.