Season 3 of Netflix’s social-media reality competition The Circle introduced audiences to 13 new contestants who jockeyed for position in the rankings. As usual, the players voted for Influencers who then deliberated over blockings, eliminating the contestants one by one until there was only one winner left standing.
While some of the blockings this season were shocking and seemingly premature, others were well deserved or even long overdue. Based on the contestants’ performances in the challenges, the connections they formed through their messages, and the strategic moves they made to form alliances, some of the players earned their eliminations while others deserved better.
Updated on June 21st, 2022, by Kevin Pantoja: Although it first broke out in 2020 as the ideal reality show to binge during the pandemic, The Circle has continued to gain popularity as time passes. The series just completed season 4 and somehow always finds new ways to throw twists at the viewer that they never expect. If you haven’t seen season 4 yet, it’s always worth having a refresher about what came before it. Season 3 provided plenty of shocks with the players who were blocked throughout, including some that fans feel deserved it and some who should’ve stuck around much longer.
Deserved
Jacki
Gamer girl Jacki was the last contestant introduced in season 3 of The Circle. As such, she was at a major disadvantage in trying to form relationships since by the time she joined the show, the other contestants were already entrenched in their relationships and alliances. As a result, she was blocked in the last episode before the finale.
Jacki was never really given a fair chance to build the necessary connections on the show. But because of her limited time in The Circle, it would have been impossible to justify putting her in the finale over the other contestants.
Michelle
As the oldest competitor in the game, Michelle played as her real self. Unfortunately, she failed to make enough strong connections and was voted last in the first ranking. Though she survived this blocking, her profile was cloned, and she was eliminated when she could not convince the other competitors that she was the real Michelle.
Michelle was a fun contestant, and her reactions during the clone profile ordeal were entertaining, but she never quite learned how to play the game. This, she had probably the weakest strategy of any player in The Circle season 3. She dropped the ball in terms of relationships and challenges, earning her early elimination.
Ava And Chanel
Playing as a shared profile, the sisters were the first ones blocked but were allowed to come back as a clone of another player’s profile. They chose Michelle, who had no strong connections and was easy to play as, but ultimately was in a bad position and they were eliminated once again.
So far, The Circle has added twists with each new season, and the clone profile twist was a fun new addition to season 3. However, the sisters wasted it by choosing to clone Michelle’s profile, because she was likely going to be the next player eliminated no matter what. It was a miscalculation that worked in the short term but earned them a blocking shortly after.
Rachel
When Rachel, playing as Jackson, joined the Circle, she instantly caught everyone’s attention and the expectation was that she would become one of the power players. However, she was never quite able to find her place in the game and did not make enough moves to stand out. She was eliminated after finishing eighth and then fifth in the rankings.
In each season, The Circle requires strategic moves and Rachel simply did not make enough of them. She was not necessarily a bad player, just a mostly forgettable one who was not able to earn her spot on the show going forward and deserved to be blocked.
Matthew
Matthew came into The Circle playing as the Ashley profile. He worried that people would be intimidated or guarded because of his intensity and appearance so he decided to play as a catfish. While many of the other contestants suspected him of being a catfish, he somehow managed to fly under the radar and make it into the finale.
Matthew played a solid game but he mostly hovered around the middle of the rankings outside of the one time he was selected as an Influencer. He was a good player who deserved to go far but would have made for a shocking and disappointing winner.
Didn’t Deserve
Calvin
When Matthew, playing as Ashley, announced the decision to block Calvin, he cited the lack of meaningful relationships as the reasoning behind his elimination. This was met by shock from the rest of the contestants as Calvin was well-liked and connected to many of the other players. The actual motivation for his blocking was Matthew’s desire to weaken Kai.
Calvin did not deserve to be blocked as he had done a great job of endearing himself to the group and establishing solid relationships. He was blocked only out of a political decision meant to attack Kai. He could have made it to the finale but was surprisingly one of the first players to go.
Ruksana
Ruksana was one of the biggest fan-favorite cast members in The Circle in season 3. Her confident attitude, caring personality, and genuine approach to the game instantly made her one of the strongest and most likable players in the game. But her alliance with Kai made her a target, and Nick used a twist that gave him unilateral blocking power to eliminate her way too soon.
Ruksana was close to universally loved by the other contestants. If Nick had not been given the power to independently choose who to block, it is hard to imagine her getting blocked after a debate. She was the unfortunate victim of the timing of a twist and deserved a spot in the finale.
Nick
From the beginning, Nick was unapologetically himself, and many of the other players gravitated toward his fun personality. He was a calculated and intentional player who also managed to maintain his likability by upholding his promise to Kai, even when he had the opportunity to eliminate her. Nick made it all the way to the finale but came up just short.
Throughout the season, Nick consistently proved himself to be one of the best players. He benefitted from several fortunate breaks, such as the Vince profile and the ability to independently block Ruksana, but also earned his success with smart gameplay and strategic alliances. Because of his strong performance, he could have been a worthy winner.
Kai
Kai came out of the gate strong, earning an Influencer position in the first two rankings. Because of this, she built a reputation for herself and formed a powerful alliance that essentially made it impossible for her to be voted out. She rode this alliance all the way to the finale but missed out on walking away as the winner.
Kai embodied strategic gameplay this season, carefully choosing every action and message. She played the game perfectly and controlled much of the action throughout the show. Kai was a worthy finalist and had an argument to be crowned the champion.
Sophia
Playing as the Isabella profile, Sophia combined her intelligence and personality with her sister’s looks to create an unstoppable character that immediately became one of the major contenders. Sophia was able to align herself with Ashley and Nick, working her way into the finale before ultimately getting blocked.
She played a strategic and calculated game, making the smart decision to embrace Nick’s flirting and gain a powerful ally. By taking these big risks and making some aggressive moves, she could have easily been justified in winning the whole thing.
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