The Circle - who’s watching?

[Standrewsschool]

The first three are wannabes.

Hunter - trying to revive his career.

I think the thing is Femi is playing a Nigerian immigrant who only came to the U.K. in Aug 2019 so would he know what the TV show Gladiators is? Hence him saying he didn’t expect to see a ‘Gladiator’ looks a bit fishy.

I thought James was out of order in that meeting with Manrika. I thought he was manipulative saying that he was in here to raise money for the NHS. He was surely there to revive his career.

Watching on plus 1 again
And yep I think he has double standards

His parting shot
‘Grow up’ as he flounced off

I don't understand why they make such a big deal about being yourself and integrity. A certain number of people have to play catfishes, it's just part of the game. If you want to be yourself don't go on telly ffs. The only reason to make a meal out if integrity is if you're not a catfish and want to win and belittle all the catfishes and manipulate them in to feeling bad. Kate/Alex won series 1 because he stood firm and refused to give in to the mind games and kept lying. There have been pretend doctors and nurses in the Circle before.

@Rummikub

His parting shot ‘Grow up’ as he flounced off

He's like twice her age. And was so rattled.

James was out of order in that meeting with Manrika. I thought he was manipulative saying that he was in here to raise money for the NHS. He was surely there to revive his career

100% for sure! Of course he can offer to give half to NHS, when he believes the offers will start flooding in! Next you'll see him on IACGMOH, The Celebrity Chase, Pointless Celebrities & whatever else comes up....

Manrika actually said during that the Felix was too good and she wondered if it was a woman. I kind of think she has her head screwed on. She will know he could be a catfish. She’ll think no matter what it’s useful and gets screen time.
Not suggesting it’s all fake - everyone (not
Vithun) is trying to win.
Also I think she does honestly
Like whoever Felix is
Makes her feel.

Likes how ‘Felix’ makes her feel. That should have read.

I think the only difference with playing as a nurse this time was it was in the middle of a pandemic at a time when the whole nation had just been clapping for NHS staff and where videos and images and stories around how hard it has been on the medical staff have been all over the media. Nurses have been hailed as heroes far more in the last year than in previous years and we all know how tough it has been for those on the frontline during the pandemic. It wouldn’t have felt to poignant or relevant that players on past series were doctors/ nurses because they weren’t filmed during covid times. It did annoy me that the few times James was asked how working through covid was he mentioned how tough it had been etc when he could have just said he was lucky that as a paediatric nurse he hadn’t had to work in covid areas himself but he knew how tough it had been for his colleagues or something similar, he could have at least downplayed ‘Gemma’s’ role in it rather than obviously using covid and the pandemic as a way to gain popularity.

(That’s not to say that it hadn’t been hard on paediatric nurses btw and I also know some NHS staff were moved out of paediatric wards to meet the need in other areas of the hospital, I’m just saying James could have easily constructed a story where Gemma wasn’t using the pandemic to win popularity rather than talking as if it had been tough on her.)

@LaganinaBubble

James was out of order in that meeting with Manrika. I thought he was manipulative saying that he was in here to raise money for the NHS. He was surely there to revive his career

100% for sure! Of course he can offer to give half to NHS, when he believes the offers will start flooding in! Next you'll see him on IACGMOH, The Celebrity Chase, Pointless Celebrities & whatever else comes up....

Yes I’m sure he will pop up in all sorts of places

Even though hashu is a catfish I feel
that he is staying close to his own values within the constraints of the game. his exuberance is infectious and a joy.

He's like twice her age. And was so rattled.

Wasn’t he just!

I did like how andy said he wanted to look after Vithun in the circle sibling chat. That sounded like genuine care to me.

With James all I saw from really early on was a man seething that he wasn't winning and desperately trying to keep a lid on it because he knew he was on telly.

Glad he's gone. I found it really uncomfortable watching him and although I'm not a huge Manrika fan I feel she did a good job standing her ground against him. Yes she's probably a bit gobby but basically this hulking strange man just walked into her flag looking like he wanted to have it out either her.

I miss Tim and Woody

Tim and woody indeed. What a series. Tim was a beautiful man. Adored him.

* With James all I saw from really early on was a man seething that he wasn't winning and desperately trying to keep a lid on it because he knew he was on telly. *

Yes I can see that too. Didn’t warm to him at all.

Gosh, James showed his true colours there didn't he. I have said I don't like Manrika, but I also didn't like James. So when they were together I truly didn't know who to back 😂 Ultimately neither of them came out as looking great but James acted like a child.

It will be interesting to see how Manrika reacts to Natalya once Felix is unmasked. I think she is blinded by the compliments, she is hearing what she needs to hear (we've all been there sweetheart!) and I do have sympathy there because she will end up humiliated on a personal level as well as her Circle shtick of keeping it real, not taking any crap off anyone etc. So that isn't easy viewing because the fallout will affect her feelings.

I'm kinda liking Andy, having previously been on the fence. He is playing tactically but he's doing it with (dare I say) a shred of integrity.

Manrika is coming across more and more unpleasant personality-wise.

They barely showed the newbies this episode which begs the question - why are they there! Come on Circle Producers, do better.

Vithun is grating on me. He seemed to enjoy being the misunderstood recluse . I'll reserve judgement based on the coming episodes.

Syed (I can't recall how to spell his name is it Hassu or Hasshu?) is just adorable. I think I may have a huge mum-crush developing. As has been said, he may be visually catfishing but emotionally, he's real. He's also really funny.

Natalya - still not getting much from her, other than the Manrika side of things which is barely down to Natalya at all as I previously said.

Dot/Scott - he has some funny moments, he's quite sweet if not a bit boring.

Am loving the voice over lady, she has provided some genuine LOL moments for me this series.

Yes, voice over lady has made me lol several times too

@Rummikub

I thought James was out of order in that meeting with Manrika. I thought he was manipulative saying that he was in here to raise money for the NHS. He was surely there to revive his career.

This!

When I was saying it was unreasonable of him to go in so hardon Manrika when he had lied about so much more (including lying to Andy the first time he asked!!) DP was taking his side by saying yes but he's doing it for a good cause etc. I said is he heck doing it for a good cause, he's doing it to revive his career and choosing a nurse and donating to the NHS was the perfect game plan because of the whole NHS heroes thing. I've not had an issue with nurses/doctors in the past but it really didn't sit well with me this series.

Wasn’t james donating half of any winnings to nhs. ?
I personally saw him trying to win half for himself and revive or boost his career.
His whole life has been one of intense competition, physical achievement/transformation/challenge. I thought he was solely focussed throughout on winning without some of the more messy human strengths and weaknesses we can see in the others.
Although I don’t like manrika I think she is ‘informed’ by really difficult experiences and very young.
I thought james was awful in that meeting with her. For different and less understandable reasons. She called him out on his weakness and he could not handle that. I actually wondered if they had security there and I hoped manrika had some kind of support left on her own after that. I felt she was incredibly vulnerable.
I don’t ‘like’ manrika and think she is more knowing about Felix than she portrays. But that’s how I felt about that part of last night.

Agree James handled the confrontation badly although it was nice to some genuine emotion not pretend niceness for the cameras. If James had been a nurse then the money wouldn't have been given to the NHS. Why give money to your employer? Nurses are trying to get more pay. I suspect few people working in the NHS view it the way Andy does. The circle attitude to catfishes is odd. It's OK to be a catfish if you are a funny one like Syed. That shows it's not really about integrity and just how much you like someone's real or pretend personality. I wanted more introverts in the show but Vithun is too young and vulnerable.

What I want to know is what book is Andy reading and why we can't know. We are allowed to see Femi's.

I think even though Syed is a catfish his real personality and values are clear.
James didn’t come across like this. I know he said he was himself but I agree with Manrika- no he wasn’t!

Saying half the money was for the NHS was part of the game plan to ensure winning.
Remember Craig Phillips from big brother 1? He didn’t say he was donating all the prize money till he actually won. Much respect.

Yes. Gemma has a definite streak of touchy ego there, maybe sth to do with gradually becoming less and less well-known.

twitter.com/c4thecircle/status/1377546861356199936?s=21

Gemma has been shown the others.