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The Best Episodes of The Circus

Every episode of The Circus ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of The Circus!

The Best Episodes of The Circus

Come one, come all to The Circus. This real-time documentary series pulls back the curtain on the current political stories, revealing the intense, inspiring and...

Seasons8

  1. Background image for Shocking But Not Surprising
    10.0/10(1 votes)

    #1 - Shocking But Not Surprising

    S2:E1

    Mark Halperin takes a ride on Airforce One with President Donald Trump. We look at the debate surrounding the healthcare bill and hear from both sides, including Sen. Ted Cruz, Sen. Rand Paul and the White House.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  2. Background image for Checking and Balancing
    10.0/10(1 votes)

    #2 - Checking and Balancing

    S2:E2

    Mark Halperin talks with Senator Patrick Leahy about Neil Gorsuch’s Supreme Court nomination, Congressman Adam Schiff weighs in on Trump’s alleged ties to Russia and Joe Biden enters the fray surrounding the healthcare bill.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  3. Background image for How's He Doing?
    10.0/10(1 votes)

    #3 - How's He Doing?

    S2:E3

    What do people outside the Beltway really think about President Trump? Mark Halperin takes a trip through America to find the answers. Then he heads to New Orleans to discuss his surprising findings with Mary Matalin.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  4. Background image for The Whole World is Watching
    10.0/10(1 votes)

    #4 - The Whole World is Watching

    S2:E4

    What in the world is going on? This week is all about foreign policy: President Trump's military response to the use of chemical weapons in Syria and its impact on his ongoing delicate dance with Russia.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  5. Background image for Man of the World
    10.0/10(1 votes)

    #5 - Man of the World

    S3:E3

    State visits by the heads of France and Germany command the administration's attention; John Heilemann and Mark McKinnon talk with Wendy Sherman, architect of the Iran deal; Alex Wagner interviews the imam behind the travel-ban challenge.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  6. Background image for Fake News?
    8.3/10(15 votes)

    #6 - Fake News?

    S8:E4

    The Circus examines the $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit brought by Dominion Voting Systems against Fox News. John Heilemann speaks with legendary First Amendment attorney Floyd Abrams, Mark McKinnon with prominent journalists, and Jennifer Palmieri with Trump voters about the case.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  7. Trending NowTRENDING NOW

    The 20 WORST Episodes of The Circus

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  8. Background image for Life During Wartime
    8.3/10(13 votes)

    #7 - Life During Wartime

    S8:E12

    Hosts John Heilemann, Mark McKinnon and Jenn Palmieri go behind the scenes of the wildest political show on earth for an unbiased, inside look at the stories beyond the headlines.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  9. Background image for Nothing but the Truth
    8.2/10(14 votes)

    #8 - Nothing but the Truth

    S8:E6

    This week The Circus examines the historic indictment of Donald Trump, the nation's first former president to face criminal charges, and tracks the legal and political fallout from the bombshell development. In addition, John Heilemann and guest host Andrew Weissmann discuss the two special counsel probes focused on Trump, Mark McKinnon speaks with Mike Pence after the former VP was ordered to testify in one of those inquiries, and Jennifer Palmieri looks at the investigation into Trump’s election interference in Georgia.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  10. Background image for Rule of Law
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #9 - Rule of Law

    S7:E10

    The Circus examines the myriad legal threats facing former President Donald Trump. Mark McKinnon speaks with journalists Susan Glasser and Peter Baker, authors of a new book detailing the Trump administration. Jennifer Palmieri sits down with Sarah Matthews, the former White House Deputy Press Secretary who testified before the January 6th Committee. John Heilemann speaks with legal experts Andrew Weissman and Neal Katyal to discuss the implications of the wide range of investigations into Trump.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  11. Background image for State of Denial
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #10 - State of Denial

    S7:E11

    The Circus travels to Arizona, a key battleground in the upcoming midterm elections and the epicenter of election denial. Jennifer Palmieri, John Heilemann, Mark McKinnon and guest host Tim Miller travel the state, where every top Republican candidate has echoed former President Donald Trump's false claim that the 2020 election was fraudulent, exploring what's at stake if election-denying candidates win office and control of the state's election system.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  12. Background image for Buckeyes and Bulldogs
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #11 - Buckeyes and Bulldogs

    S7:E12

    Buckeyes and Bulldogs

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  13. Background image for This Land is Greene-Land
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #12 - This Land is Greene-Land

    S7:E13

    The Circus is on the ground in Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's Georgia district, examining her meteoric rise within the Republican party. The team also catches up with her Democratic opponent to discuss his longshot strategy to head off her re-election.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  14. Background image for Here Comes the Flood
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #13 - Here Comes the Flood

    S7:E15

    No description available

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  15. Background image for Exhaustion, Depression and Dread... Oy Vey
    8.0/10(16 votes)

    #14 - Exhaustion, Depression and Dread... Oy Vey

    S8:E7

    Hosts John Heilemann, Mark McKinnon and Jenn Palmieri go behind the scenes of the wildest political show on earth for an unbiased, inside look at the stories beyond the headlines.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  16. Background image for Steal This Election
    7.9/10(21 votes)

    #15 - Steal This Election

    S5:E18

    The Circus dives into voting integrity, specifically issues concerning election day disputes, voter suppression and re-election rhetoric from the President himself. Eager to stave off fears of negative polling numbers, Trump is hot on the campaign trail, despite his recent COVID-19 diagnosis. Among a myriad of perspectives, Mark McKinnon speaks with ACLU Director Andre Segura in Texas, where Republican officials are limiting mail-in voting. And Alex Wagner talks to a militia leader in Michigan about his view on the necessity of poll-watchers.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  17. Background image for Raining Chaos
    7.7/10(33 votes)

    #16 - Raining Chaos

    S6:E1

    In an extended season premiere, The Circus attempts to make sense of a country reeling from the grave implications of a Capitol siege.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  18. Background image for Kevin's House
    7.7/10(13 votes)

    #17 - Kevin's House

    S8:E3

    The Circus heads to Capitol Hill to cover the new Republican-controlled House of Representatives. John Heilemann, Mark McKinnon, and Jennifer Palmieri follow two freshman members of Congress, Republican Mike Lawler of New York and Democrat Maxwell Frost of Florida, as they navigate a week dominated by Tucker Carlson's coverage of January 6th, hearings on the Biden Administration, and a fight that threatens to tip America over a fiscal cliff.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  19. Background image for Wheels of Justice
    7.7/10(12 votes)

    #18 - Wheels of Justice

    S8:E5

    This week The Circus examines the multiple investigations facing Donald Trump that could lead to the first indictment of a U.S. president. Jennifer Palmieri speaks with former Justice Department prosecutor Andrew Weissmann about the hush-money probe. Mark McKinnon charts Michael Cohen’s journey from Trump fixer to star witness with Vanity Fair reporter Emily Jane Fox. John Heilemann talks with New York Times reporters Michael Bender and Katie Benner about the myriad investigations and their political fallout.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  20. Background image for Piercing The Bubble
    7.7/10(13 votes)

    #19 - Piercing The Bubble

    S8:E8

    In the wake of the shocking terrorist attack in Israel, The Circus tracks the political fallout as Republican presidential hopefuls respond to the ongoing crisis.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  21. Background image for The Year of Living Dangerously
    7.6/10(16 votes)

    #20 - The Year of Living Dangerously

    S8:E1

    The Circus is in Poland tracking President Biden as he stuns the world with a visit to the embattled capital of Ukraine to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion. Host John Heilemann talks with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan about the covert trip to Kyiv and the monumental challenges of confronting a nuclear armed Russia. Back in the U.S., Mark McKinnon speaks with Bush White House veteran Nicole Wallace, while Jennifer Palmieri sits down with former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Admiral James Stavridis.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  22. Background image for Off to the Races
    7.6/10(16 votes)

    #21 - Off to the Races

    S8:E2

    The Circus is on the ground in Florida, South Carolina, Maryland and New Hampshire to mark the unofficial kick-off of the Republican Party's presidential nominating contest. The week begins as a leading potential candidate, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, launches his book tour and ends with CPAC, the annual conservative gathering that’s friendly territory for former President Donald Trump, who’s already in the race. John Heilemann, Jennifer Palmieri, Mark McKinnon and guest host Tim Miller examine the fault lines already emerging in the party.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  23. Background image for The A.I. Election
    7.6/10(14 votes)

    #22 - The A.I. Election

    S8:E11

    The Circus examines the impact of AI on the 2024 election, as world leaders convene an AI Safety Summit. The Circus team, along with guest host Jordan Klepper, explore the myriad concerns, including AI-enabled disinformation and deep fakes.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  24. Background image for Desperate Times, Desperate Measures
    7.5/10(14 votes)

    #23 - Desperate Times, Desperate Measures

    S4:E12

    How are key players responding to these desperate times? The President seems to have crafted his defense of the impeachment inquiry, and he's pushing it forcefully. The whistleblowers risked their careers to come forward, can they be protected? And the lower-tier 2020 Democratic candidates must fight even harder to be heard over the tidal wave of impeachment news, while Joe Biden faces a critical test of his candidacy. Special guest Jennifer Palmieri, a veteran of the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Bill Clinton White House, joins the hosts.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  25. Background image for Field of Dreams
    7.5/10(14 votes)

    #24 - Field of Dreams

    S4:E15

    The Circus is in Iowa for the all-important Liberty and Justice Celebration, aka Jefferson-Jackson Dinner, where past Presidential winners like Barack Obama and Jimmy Carter have broken out from tight races. The hosts go behind the scenes of 2020 Democratic candidates’ campaigns to evaluate their infrastructure and strategy for the event. Will there be a breakout star this time around?

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  26. Background image for The Crucible
    7.5/10(11 votes)

    #25 - The Crucible

    S8:E9

    The Circus examines President Biden's high profile wartime trip to Israel, a nation reeling in the wake of the terrorist attack by Hamas. Meanwhile, House Republicans struggle to elect a new speaker, two weeks after ousting Kevin McCarthy.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

Best Episodes Summary

"Shocking But Not Surprising" is the best rated episode of "The Circus". It scored 10/10 based on 1 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 3/19/2017. This episode scored 0.0 points higher than the second highest rated, "Checking and Balancing".