The BEST episodes of The Circus season 1

Every episode of The Circus season 1, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of The Circus season 1!

This documentary series pulls back the curtain on the 2016 presidential race, revealing the intense, inspiring and infuriating stories behind the headlines. Key characters and events from the individual campaigns are presented in real time, as they are happening. Produced in cooperation with Bloomberg Politics, THE CIRCUS is a non-partisan, never-before-attempted take on what promises to be one of the most fascinating and consequential elections in modern history.

Last Updated: 2/13/2024Network: ShowtimeStatus: Ended
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Tale of the Tape
star
7.92
36 votes

#1 - Tale of the Tape

Season 1 - Episode 22 - Aired 10/16/2016

Tracking the fallout from the second debate and the scandal surrounding a now-infamous audio tape, could this be the final nail in Trump's campaign coffin - or can he pull off a surprise October Surprise to rally yet another comeback?

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
President Trump
star
7.91
34 votes

#2 - President Trump

Season 1 - Episode 26 - Aired 11/13/2016

In a special hour-long episode finale of the real-time documentary series, Mark Halperin, John Heilemann and Mark McKinnon go behind the scenes of both campaigns in the lead up to Election Day - and the fallout that followed.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Outsiders
star
7.80
121 votes

#3 - The Outsiders

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 1/17/2016

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.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Dead or Alive
star
7.77
35 votes

#4 - Dead or Alive

Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 3/13/2016

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?

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Fear and Loathing
star
7.70
37 votes

#5 - Fear and Loathing

Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 2/21/2016

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.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Fit to Serve
star
7.70
33 votes

#6 - Fit to Serve

Season 1 - Episode 19 - Aired 9/18/2016

Revelations about Clinton's pneumonia and scrutiny surrounding Trump's medical records lead to questions of their fitness to lead. As each campaign tries to avoid the issues, heat is put on their running mates.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Prisoner's Dilemma
star
7.69
72 votes

#7 - Prisoner's Dilemma

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 1/24/2016

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.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
His Word as a Biden
star
7.68
31 votes

#8 - His Word as a Biden

Season 1 - Episode 24 - Aired 10/30/2016

The final two-week push going into the election sees the full weight of the White House come out in force for Clinton's campaign, including one man who has the potential to swing those states still up for grabs: Joe Biden.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Battleground
star
7.66
41 votes

#9 - Battleground

Season 1 - Episode 20 - Aired 9/25/2016

As Clinton and Trump prepare for the first of their debates, the campaigns target a handful of states that could swing the election, including the must-win battleground of Florida.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Closing the Gap
star
7.64
39 votes

#10 - Closing the Gap

Season 1 - Episode 18 - Aired 9/11/2016

The Trump campaign finds itself running from behind and tries to close the gap on Clinton, even as members of his party start to publicly jump ship.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Newsrooms
star
7.62
39 votes

#11 - The Newsrooms

Season 1 - Episode 21 - Aired 10/2/2016

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

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In the Arena
star
7.53
30 votes

#12 - In the Arena

Season 1 - Episode 17 - Aired 7/31/2016

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?

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Winnowing
star
7.51
37 votes

#13 - The Winnowing

Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 2/14/2016

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.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Tension City
star
7.47
59 votes

#14 - Tension City

Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 1/31/2016

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.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Game On
star
7.47
38 votes

#15 - Game On

Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired 7/10/2016

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.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Reckoning
star
7.46
39 votes

#16 - The Reckoning

Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 3/6/2016

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?

Watch Now:Apple TV
High Hopes
star
7.45
33 votes

#17 - High Hopes

Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 3/20/2016

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?

Watch Now:Apple TV
Nobody Fucking Knows
star
7.40
43 votes

#18 - Nobody Fucking Knows

Season 1 - Episode 25 - Aired 11/6/2016

Clinton in Arizona? Trump in Washington? As different polls predict differing outcomes both campaigns make a case in far-fetched battlegrounds. In a race that's either up for grabs or already decided, hope, it seems, springs eternal.

Watch Now:Apple TV
The Big Mo
star
7.39
46 votes

#19 - The Big Mo

Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 2/7/2016

Inside the Iowa fallout and who's got momentum leading into New Hampshire.

Watch Now:Apple TV
Home and Abroad
star
7.34
35 votes

#20 - Home and Abroad

Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 3/27/2016

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?

Watch Now:Apple TV
From Russia with Love
star
7.30
33 votes

#21 - From Russia with Love

Season 1 - Episode 23 - Aired 10/23/2016

Amid claims of foreign intervention, international espionage and widespread hacking, Clinton faces what might turn out to be her toughest opponent to date: WikiLeaks, and the trove of highly sensitive, private emails it's made public.

Watch Now:Apple TV
Trump Show
star
7.27
45 votes

#22 - Trump Show

Season 1 - Episode 16 - Aired 7/24/2016

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?

Watch Now:Apple TV
Confidence Game
star
7.22
27 votes

#23 - Confidence Game

Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 2/28/2016

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.

Watch Now:Apple TV
Circus Recap
star
7.00
11 votes

#24 - Circus Recap

Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 4/10/2016

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.

Watch Now:Apple TV
On Wisconsin
star
6.97
29 votes

#25 - On Wisconsin

Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 4/3/2016

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?

Watch Now:Apple TV