- 5.7/10(11 votes)
#1 - Points On the Board
Loading...S6:E8The Circus keys in on the Biden administration’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. As Republicans scrutinize, the question remains: can centrists come together to pass the bill as the US surpasses 500,000 COVID-19 deaths? From the White House perspective, Jenn Palmieri sits with Communications Director Kate Bedingfield and John Heilemann interviews bill author Brian Deese and Domestic Policy Director Susan Rice. And exploring how the package is viewed among conservatives, Mark McKinnon speaks with Rep. Dan Crenshaw. Mid-season finale.
0 CommentsView allDirector:N/AWriter:N/A - 5.8/10(18 votes)
#2 - Shocking But Not Surprising
Loading...S2:E1Mark 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.
0 CommentsView allDirector:N/AWriter:N/A - 5.8/10(14 votes)
#3 - Being Green
Loading...S6:E7The Circus shifts its focus onto an administration fresh off implementing a series of ambitious climate motions. With several early executive actions in place, how is President Biden filtering jobs into his climate agenda moving forward? In Minnesota, where construction of the Enbridge Pipeline is sparking controversy, Alex Wagner speaks with indigenous protesters along with Rep. Ihan Omar. And Mark McKinnon takes a spin in a new electric car from Ford, a company that has pledged fully electric emissions by 2030.
0 CommentsView allDirector:N/AWriter:N/A - 5.9/10(19 votes)
#4 - Nobody F... Knows
Loading...S1:E25Polls 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.
0 CommentsView allDirector:N/AWriter:N/A - 6.0/10(13 votes)
#5 - Circus Recap
Loading...S1:E13From 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.
0 CommentsView allDirector:N/AWriter:N/A - 6.0/10(13 votes)
#6 - The Whole World is Watching
Loading...S2:E4What 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.
0 CommentsView allDirector:N/AWriter:N/A - 6.0/10(11 votes)
#7 - Recess Reset
Loading...S2:E5Congress may be in recess but Mark Halperin is on the job, covering the White House and the Syria fallout. John Heilemann and Mark McKinnon hit the road to see what Americans think about how President Trump is handling the situation.
0 CommentsView allDirector:N/AWriter:N/A - 6.0/10(8 votes)
#8 - California Dreaming
Loading...S3:E11The Circus travels to California to gauge the resistance to the Trump administration; with almost a dozen Republican-held house seats in serious contention, any potential blue wave in the midterm elections will begin here.
0 CommentsView allDirector:N/AWriter:N/A - 6.1/10(8 votes)
#9 - Senatorial Combat
Loading...S3:E12As the battle for the Senate heats up with polls forecasting a Republican resurgence, "The Circus" travels the country charting the shifting dynamics in three of the closest races: Arizona, Nevada and North Dakota.
0 CommentsView allDirector:N/AWriter:N/A - 6.2/10(20 votes)
#10 - On Wisconsin
Loading...S1:E12Ahead 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?
0 CommentsView allDirector:N/AWriter:N/A - 6.2/10(22 votes)
#11 - From Russia With Love
Loading...S1:E23Clinton 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.
0 CommentsView allDirector:N/AWriter:N/A - 6.2/10(14 votes)
#12 - How's He Doing?
Loading...S2:E3What 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.
0 CommentsView allDirector:N/AWriter:N/A - 6.2/10(11 votes)
#13 - Looking Back and Moving On
Loading...S2:E8Washington insiders join John Heilemann, Mark Halperin and Mark McKinnon for a look at some of the thrilling, amazing and logic defying acts performed during President Trump's first 100 days. Season finale.
0 CommentsView allDirector:N/AWriter:N/A - 6.2/10(19 votes)
#14 - Closing Arguments
Loading...S5:E2In the last full week before the caucuses, the focus is on Iowa and the closing pitch all of the Democratic candidates are making to voters. Campaign leaders for the major candidates weigh in on their final sprints, what they're excited about, and what is keeping them up at night. And even as his impeachment trial is underway in Washington, President Trump makes an appearance at an Iowa rally and The Circus is there to cover it.
0 CommentsView allDirector:N/AWriter:N/A - 6.2/10(15 votes)
#15 - What Happens in Vegas
Loading...S5:E5All eyes have turned to Nevada and its Democratic caucus. Bernie Sanders has the chance to cement his frontrunner status with a strong showing, and the other candidates are looking for opportunities to challenge him. The arrival of Michael Bloomberg on the debate stage shakes things up, with every candidate seeking to take on his controversial campaign.
0 CommentsView allDirector:N/AWriter:N/A - 6.2/10(16 votes)
#16 - Super Duper Tuesday
Loading...S5:E7In the run up to the Democratic primaries on Super Tuesday, The Circus covers the political theater of the annual Civil Rights march in Selma, AL, the endorsements of candidates who dropped out, and the remaining candidates crisscrossing the country in a last-minute hunt for undecided votes. And when the results of Super Tuesday turn the race upside down, the hosts check in with experienced Democratic strategists to wade through the repercussions.
0 CommentsView allDirector:N/AWriter:N/A - 6.2/10(15 votes)
#17 - The Cruelest Month
Loading...S5:E8The results of the Big Tuesday Democratic primaries in 6 states cemented Joe Biden's frontrunner status and gave him a seemingly insurmountable lead in delegates over rival Bernie Sanders. But Sanders has announced he isn't dropping out, and is planning to debate Biden and continue to push his progressive agenda. Meanwhile, with cancelled rallies and limits on travel, the coronavirus pandemic is affecting the race in ways large and small.
0 CommentsView allDirector:N/AWriter:N/A - 6.2/10(17 votes)
#18 - Crisis Mismanagement
Loading...S5:E17In a turbulent week following President Trump's COVID-19 diagnosis, The Circus is covering all the inquiry surrounding his health. As more people in Trump's circle test positive, the current functionality of the White House and outlook for the campaign has come under scrutiny. Alex Wagner talks with Kevin Madden, one of the top GOP communication experts, to discuss the White House's strategy in the days remaining until the election. Meanwhile, John Heilemann sits down with members of The Lincoln Project on the heels of the first Veep debate.
0 CommentsView allDirector:N/AWriter:N/A - 6.3/10(20 votes)
#19 - In the Arena
Loading...S1:E17The 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?
0 CommentsView allDirector:N/AWriter:N/A - 6.3/10(21 votes)
#20 - Closing the Gap
Loading...S1:E18With 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?
0 CommentsView allDirector:N/AWriter:N/A - 6.3/10(12 votes)
#21 - Learning Curve
Loading...S2:E7What has President Trump learned from his first 100 days in office? As Congress reconvenes, Mark McKinnon and John Heilemann head to Capitol Hill to find out. Mark Halperin is in New York City to get Wall Street’s perspective.
0 CommentsView allDirector:N/AWriter:N/A - 6.3/10(16 votes)
#22 - Calling the Shots
Loading...S6:E9The Circus returns and while the weather may be cooling down, the temperature around the country is still overheated. As Gavin Newsom fights off an anti-vax motivated recall election in California, Asa Hutchinson tries to thread a needle by fighting the pandemic in Arkansas without resorting to a mandate. Meanwhile, Washington fears another incursion from January 6th insurrectionists galvanized by recent vaccine mandates. With the culture war still very much alive, will President Biden be able to heal the country’s political divisions?
0 CommentsView allDirector:N/AWriter:N/A - 6.3/10(12 votes)
#23 - The Biden Doctrine
Loading...S6:E10Against the backdrop of President Biden’s powerful speech to the UN, The Circus focuses on his administration’s approach to foreign policy. With a new defense arrangement announced between the US, UK and Australia, Jenn Palmieri speaks with former Aussie PM Julia Gillard in London. In the wake of ongoing turbulence in Afghanistan, John Heilemann examines the refugee crisis with IRC head David Miliband and Alex Wagner speaks with families in Richmond, Virginia, home to a significant refugee community.
0 CommentsView allDirector:N/AWriter:N/A - 6.3/10(13 votes)
#24 - State of Denial
Loading...S7:E11The 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.
0 CommentsView allDirector:N/AWriter:N/A - 6.4/10(23 votes)
#25 - Tale of the Tape
Loading...S1:E22The fallout from the second debate and the current scandal surrounding a recently publicized audio tape.
0 CommentsView allDirector:N/AWriter:N/A


The Worst Episodes of The Circus
Genre:Documentary
Network:Showtime
Every episode of The Circus ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst 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...
Episodes
130
Avg. Rating
7.0
S1
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S3
S4
E1
E2
E3
7.1
5.8
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6.6
7.0
7.0
7.4
7.2
6.2
7.0
7.1
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Worst Episodes Summary
"Points On the Board" is the worst rated episode of "The Circus". It scored 5.7/10 based on 11 votes. Directed by N/A and written by N/A, it aired on 2/28/2021. This episode scored 0.1 points lower than the second lowest rated, "Shocking But Not Surprising".