“The game has definitely evolved.
Warning: This article contains spoilers aboutThe Circleseason 5,episode 8.
As the first player to return toThe Circlefor a second time,Shubham Goelknew he had to swing big.
Netflix
Unfortunately for Shooby, it didn’t work.
At the time of his blocking, he said he had no regrets.
Has that changed in the months since he filmed season 5?
“Not at all,” Goel tells EW.
“It was a great move.
After playing the first time, I just knew where the puck was going in this game.
The originals had control, they were the center part of every major alliance and major relationship.
All we can do is try, so try I did.”
Below, Goel breaks down his return toThe Circle, his failed Newbie Revolution, and more.
SHUBHAM GOEL:I was super grateful to come back.
There’s a lot of moving pieces with it.
I was like, “Yeah, let’s do this.”
I love the game so much, so I was absolutely down.
I would’ve gone to Mount Everest and back to go back.
It was so thrilling to go back.
What were you told in those initial conversations about how you’d return to the game?
And then I’ll have to take it from there.
Had you watched every season since you were on the show in season 1?
Yeah, I loveThe Circle!
I’ve watched every season.
I still saw a lot of that this season.
It evolved strategically, but still it has that cornerstone of connection.
What were you most worried about going intoThe Circleagain?
Look, I have so much love forThe Circle.My heart beats forThe Circle.
My biggest concern was getting blocked.
I was like, “I can’t get blocked!
This is going to be traumatizing.
It’s going to be super sad.”
You played so well your first season that you ended it as the runner-up.
For me, it was just form the genuine connections I did in season 1.
But honestly, for me, it was just play the same.
Did you get any tips or advice from season 1 winner Joey Sasso before going in this season?
So I definitely took parts of their game and adapted it towards mine.
The first season I wanted to prove a point to myself that I could be myself.
I just want to apologize to all the catfish I hunted successfully and unsuccessfully in the first season.
[Laughs] But yeah, first time I saw the catfish, I was stoked.
She was a blogger, that was sick.
I was super stoked, to be honest.
What was that like having such a difficult debut?
Yeah, that was definitely not a great way to start.
But on the flip side, I was like, you know what?
Walk me through how you made that decision?
It was so unfortunate.
That decision was so tough.
It was just a choice I had to make even though it sucked.
Do you regret blocking Bruno knowing how your game ended soon after?
I have no regrets.
When you play a game like this, you’re free to’t have regrets.
But who knows what would’ve happened if I kept Bruno.
It could have put me in a winning position.
It could have put any of the newbies in a winning position.
What surprised you about how that didn’t work out?
Thank you so much for saying that, that really means a lot.
If we pulled it off, that would’ve been such a sick move.
But I do think people were down.
I think Tamira was the only one that was hesitant.
I haven’t seen any of it yet so I’m not really sure how it affects it.
But I hope the revolution never ends.
It was a great move and I’m glad the legacy lived on past my blocking.
Have you remained friends with anyone you met from this season?
All of us are good friends.
We have a group chat, but we’re all in different parts of the country.
I was so psyched to see him in the Circle.
Do you have any interest in competing on other reality competition shows in the future?
Hey, the more the merrier.
I have so much love for these shows that that’d be sick.
I grew up on all these shows, so I just love them all.
My family and I would always watchSurvivortogether, I loveSurvivor.
What did you think of the most recent season ofSurvivor, withGabler’s shocking win?
[Laughs] I’m super stoked Gabler wonSurvivor.
I love when older people win the game.
But I was shocked that he won.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
The Circleseason 5, episodes 1-8 are streaming now on Netflix.
