Everything you need to know about The Circle season 2

Get ready to hop onto your couch to watch someone else hop onto theirs. Netflix's social media-based reality show The Circle is logging back on for season 2.

In 2020, Netflix gave its subscribers a New Years Day surprise by releasing the Black Mirror-esque reality show The Circle. For a chance to win $100,000, eight strangers are all quarantined into separate apartments in the same building in the U.K. The only way to compete with the other players during daily challenges is through a speech-to-text social media platform. The concept of the show was a bit ahead of its time, as it's eerily similar to what many of us have experienced sitting on our phones waiting for the world to re-open amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some contestants choose to show up as themselves, while others opt to be a catfish in order to manipulate others in disguise. As the competition begins, each player creates their own cute bio, like what you would see on Tinder. They can DM and group chat their fellow contestants. The challenges show off their personality, like an anonymous round of Ask Me Anything.

Fans quickly fell in love with season 1's contestants, including the winner Joey, and finalists Sammie and Shubham. After the finale, Joey appeared on shows like Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen and also strutted for New York Fashion Week.

It will be fascinating to see the strategy players have since they've had an opportunity to watch what happened in the first season. And if you're into a little international flavor, Netflix also released seasons of The Circle for its Brazil and France fanbases.

Since it may feel like an eternity since the first season aired, EW has broken down everything you need to know about what's to come.

When can I watch The Circle season 2 on Netflix?

Much like with last year, The Circle will be dropping episodes by batches weekly for a month. The first four episodes will be on the streamer on Wednesday, April 14. The show will then continue to roll out every Wednesday with episodes 5 through 8 arriving April 21, episodes 9 through 12 on April 28, and the finale on May 5.

Can I see a preview?

Yes! Watch the trailer below:

Who is the host?

As seen in the season 2 teaser, actress and comedian Michelle Buteau will be back to offer hilarious commentary on what our contestants are up to as they navigate alliances and feuds. Buteau will also help all the tea spill during the live finale, which brings together the pool of eliminated players and finalists to name the season's ultimate winner.

Who's are this year's players?

EW exclusively revealed this year's starting lineup, a group that includes a Netflix reality show crossover with Chloe from Too Hot Too Handle as one of the first eight contestants inside The Circle apartment.

Take a look at the cast below:

Chloe, 22, from Essex

Bryant, 27, from Chico, CA

Courtney, 28, from Los Angeles, CA

Deleesa, 32, from The Bronx, NY

Jack, 20, from New Haven, CT

Lee, 58, from Dallas, TX

Savannah, 25, from Los Angeles, CA

Terilisha, 34, from Dallas, TX

Are there any new twists?

The first season of The Circle had no shortage of surprises, and season 2 will be no different. As seen in the trailer, there will be a "Joker" added to the game. What the Joker wrinkle means, however, is yet to be known.

We also know from the trailer that there's a celebrity eventually added to the competition. A profile for NYSNC member Lance Bass leaves players agasp, with Too Hot to Handle's Chloe unsure of who he really is. Of course, Bass is one of the five members of the famed early aughts boy band who has appeared on Dancing With the Stars season 7.

How do players get eliminated on the show?

Behold the dreaded player ratings. Even though eight players start things off, the same eight don't wind up in the finale. Each episode, the players vote on a ranking system for who they think is the most popular influencer in The Circle (and it can't be themselves). Alliances can be the key to getting a high rating, as in The Circle: Brazil season when contestants Romain, Valeria, and Elea all agreed to rank each other high heading into the final eliminations.

After an episode's round of ratings, the top two vote-getters are chosen as the episode's influencers. These influencers then discuss in a secluded "hangout" which one of the remaining players should be exiled from The Circle. In some cases, The Circle format may change how influencers are chosen and how they can wield their power. In one instance during the first season of The Circle U.S., the producers flipped the script and allowed only the top vote-getter, dubbed a super influencer, the chance to unilaterally decide who gets eliminated.

What happens after a player gets eliminated?

Once a player is booted, they have the choice of which remaining player they can meet face-to-face. In season one, this famously led to Joey and eliminated player Miranda's make-out session after they had been flirting with each other over DMs.

The eliminated contestant also gets a chance to have a final video sent out to the rest of the group. Some choose to stay democratic and wish the other contestants well. Some are left a little bitter. In season 1, eliminated player Antonio went to go meet Mercedeze, who happened to be a catfish whose real name was Karyn. In his elimination video, Antonio let it slip that the person he met was not all that meets the eye.

The Circle brings on new players as old ones get tossed. These new players have to fight the added pressure of forming bonds with the players that have already started to build out a strategy.

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