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The Best Episodes of The Circus Season 1

Every episode of The Circus Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of The Circus Season 1!

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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 infuriating stories behind the headlines. Key characters and events are

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    The Circus Season 1 Episode 1 - The Outsiders
    7.1/10(42 votes)

    #1 - The Outsiders

    S1:E1

    The campaigns of three "outsiders" - Ted Cruz, Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump - are given behind-the-scenes attention on the road to the Iowa caucus. Series premiere.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. The Circus Season 1 Episode 2 - Prisoner's Dilemma
    6.6/10(28 votes)

    #2 - Prisoner's Dilemma

    S1:E2

    The second episode follows Sen. Marco Rubio, Gov. Chris Christie, former Gov. Jeb Bush and Gov. John Kasich as they prepare for the all-important, first-in-the-nation primary in New Hampshire.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. The Circus Season 1 Episode 3 - Tension City
    7.2/10(27 votes)

    #3 - Tension City

    S1:E3

    This episode follows the angst and drama leading up to the Iowa caucuses, with a showdown brewing between Democrats Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton and the GOP's first real test of outsider candidates versus the establishment.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. The Circus Season 1 Episode 4 - The Big Mo
    7.0/10(29 votes)

    #4 - The Big Mo

    S1:E4

    The fourth episode goes inside the Iowa fallout and the momentum leading into New Hampshire's primary. Who¿s got it? Who doesn't? And how can the Clinton and Trump campaigns pick up the pace to beat back the surge of Sanders and Cruz?

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. The Circus Season 1 Episode 5 - The Winnowing
    7.1/10(25 votes)

    #5 - The Winnowing

    S1:E5

    From the electric jolt of New Hampshire to the hard truths coming up in South Carolina and Nevada. Trump tastes victory, Kasich picks up momentum - and Bush faces the prospect of an impending do-or-die reality.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. The Circus Season 1 Episode 6 - Fear and Loathing
    6.9/10(24 votes)

    #6 - Fear and Loathing

    S1:E6

    As the campaigns head towards the final stretch leading to Nevada and South Carolina, there's growing anxiety among both frontrunners and stragglers about just how high the stakes are - and the significance of falling behind.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  7. The Circus Season 1 Episode 7 - Confidence Game
    6.8/10(25 votes)

    #7 - Confidence Game

    S1:E7

    With the field narrowed down to The Big Five, the campaigns spread their game across the country and play to their strengths - with eyes squarely focused on the all-important upcoming prize: Super Tuesday.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. The Circus Season 1 Episode 8 - The Reckoning
    7.2/10(21 votes)

    #8 - The Reckoning

    S1:E8

    With big wins for the frontrunners on Super Tuesday the rest of candidates are reckoning with the results. But the biggest story of all might be one both Democratic and Republican establishments can agree on: how do they stop Trump?

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. The Circus Season 1 Episode 9 - Dead or Alive
    7.1/10(21 votes)

    #9 - Dead or Alive

    S1:E9

    It's make or break time for Rubio, Kasich and Sanders. As the candidates pin their hopes on Florida and Ohio, can they gather enough momentum to force a brokered convention - or will their campaigns finally run out of steam?

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. The Circus Season 1 Episode 10 - High Hopes
    6.8/10(19 votes)

    #10 - High Hopes

    S1:E10

    While Rubio gets trumped in Florida, the rest of the candidates remain cautiously optimistic. But are high hopes what they need to pull off a win and secure the nomination - or are they just delusional?

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. The Circus Season 1 Episode 11 - Home And Abroad
    6.9/10(20 votes)

    #11 - Home And Abroad

    S1:E11

    Foreign policy comes to the fore as the political climate grows fiery in the wake of the attacks in Brussels. As Trump and Clinton prepare to square off, can either of them prove their presidential mettle in handling the heat?

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. The Circus Season 1 Episode 12 - On Wisconsin
    6.2/10(19 votes)

    #12 - On Wisconsin

    S1:E12

    Ahead of a Wisconsin showdown the candidates crisscross the state in pursuit of competing agendas. Can Kasich, Cruz or Sanders secure their position as spoilers - or will Clinton and Trump finally be crowned their party's Big Cheese?

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. The Circus Season 1 Episode 13 - Circus Recap
    6.0/10(13 votes)

    #13 - Circus Recap

    S1:E13

    From the early primary battles to the Super Tuesday showdown and beyond, pull back the curtain on the 2016 presidential race with Mark Halperin, John Heilemann and Mark McKinnon - and catch up on the electrifying first twelve weeks.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. The Circus Season 1 Episode 14 - Game On
    6.5/10(17 votes)

    #14 - Game On

    S1:E14

    While the nation celebrates July 4th, Trump and Clinton engage in their own fireworks. With the reemergence of Clinton's email scandal and Trump's latest faux pas, the titans go on the attack to take each other down.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. The Circus Season 1 Episode 15 - Veepstakes
    7.2/10(20 votes)

    #15 - Veepstakes

    S1:E15

    No president is complete without a veep. As Trump auditions Chris Christie, Mike Pence and Newt Gingrich and Clinton considers Tim Kaine, can the candidates find the right-hand man for the job who will make, not break, their campaign?

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. The Circus Season 1 Episode 16 - The Trump Show
    7.1/10(20 votes)

    #16 - The Trump Show

    S1:E16

    The political circus goes into overdrive as Trump is crowned the Republican nominee - and Melania, controversially, speaks! Capitalizing on his children to help humanize his image, can Trump plus Pence finally rally a unified party?

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. The Circus Season 1 Episode 17 - In the Arena
    6.2/10(19 votes)

    #17 - In the Arena

    S1:E17

    The jeers and boos of Sanders diehards ring out in Philadelphia, before the Democrats at last make Hillary a historic nominee. But is shattering a glass ceiling enough for Clinton and Kaine to unite the party into a winning coalition?

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. The Circus Season 1 Episode 18 - Closing the Gap
    6.4/10(20 votes)

    #18 - Closing the Gap

    S1:E18

    With ten weeks to go until the election the Trump campaign finds itself running from behind. As members of his party start to publicly jump ship, can Trump find a way to close the gap with Clinton or will he just fall further behind?

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. The Circus Season 1 Episode 19 - Fit to Serve
    7.0/10(22 votes)

    #19 - Fit to Serve

    S1:E19

    As Clinton's pneumonia and scrutiny about Trump's medical records comes to the forefront, their fitness to lead is questioned.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. The Circus Season 1 Episode 20 - Battleground
    6.5/10(19 votes)

    #20 - Battleground

    S1:E20

    As Clinton and Trump prepare for their first debate, their campaigns target the swing states with an eye on Florida.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. The Circus Season 1 Episode 21 - The Newsrooms
    7.4/10(23 votes)

    #21 - The Newsrooms

    S1:E21

    Preparations for the debate; the candidates cede the spotlight to those who cover the political news.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  22. The Circus Season 1 Episode 22 - Tale of the Tape
    6.4/10(23 votes)

    #22 - Tale of the Tape

    S1:E22

    The fallout from the second debate and the current scandal surrounding a recently publicized audio tape.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. The Circus Season 1 Episode 23 - From Russia With Love
    6.2/10(22 votes)

    #23 - From Russia With Love

    S1:E23

    Clinton faces the scandal of her highly sensitive, private emails being made public on WikiLeaks, amid claims of foreign hacking and intervention and international espionage of the 2016 election.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. The Circus Season 1 Episode 24 - His Word as Biden
    6.6/10(23 votes)

    #24 - His Word as Biden

    S1:E24

    With only two weeks until election day, Clinton bets on the one man who has the potential to swing those states still up for grabs: Joe Biden.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  25. The Circus Season 1 Episode 25 - Nobody F... Knows
    5.9/10(20 votes)

    #25 - Nobody F... Knows

    S1:E25

    Polls predict the differing outcomes; both campaigns make a case in "far-fetched battlegrounds"; to most, the race is either up for grabs or already decided.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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Season 1 Ratings Summary

"The Outsiders" is the best rated episode of "The Circus" season 1. It scored 7.1/10 based on 42 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 1/17/2016. This episode is rated 0.5 points higher than the second-best, "Prisoner's Dilemma".