The second season of The Circle has recently come to a close, and it was every bit as good as the first season—if not better! The gameplay and strategy seemed more cutthroat, but it still retained the show's signature sense of camaraderie, togetherness, and passion. And, like the first season, it was packed with many great catfishes.
Of course, the two greatest catfishes of the season had to be "Trevor" and "River." Both were there from the very beginning, both were finalists—with Trevor even winning—and both were entirely convincing. Who was the "best" is up for debate and discussion.
Trevor: She Won!
Of course, by a clear and objective standpoint, Trevor was the better catfish—DeLeesa won, after all! While everyone praises The Circle for its inclusivity and cute sense of camaraderie, it is a game at the end of the day, and the point of the game is to win.
By all accounts, DeLeesa was the better player. In fact, she overtook fan-favorite and likely winner Chloe in a bit of an upset win. Everyone loved Trevor, and DeLeesa played one heck of a game.
River: More Convincing
Regardless of DeLeesa's win over Lee, Lee was arguably the more convincing catfish. As the game wore on, many players began to express doubt regarding Trevor's identity. Owing to the nature of the games and DeLeesa's performance within them, players began to harbor suspicions that Trevor was actually a woman, and they were obviously right.
Lee didn't have this problem with River. Most people were convinced of River's identity, and Lee's consistent performance must be commended.
Trevor: Playing A Different Gender
Of course, DeLeesa arguably had the tougher job of pretending to be a different gender altogether. "Trevor" is actually DeLeesa's husband, so pretending to be him was probably easier than another player pretending to be some random personality.
She knows how "Trevor" thinks, talks, acts, etc. Yet, she still needed to be a man, and this obstacle repeatedly reared its head—specifically in the games they were forced to play.
River: More Strategic & Cutthroat
DeLeesa was a great player, but her strategy only really came alive at the end of the game, especially in regards to her plan with Mitchell. On the other hand, River was far more strategic and cutthroat throughout the entire length of the game.
He quickly made connections with Chloe and Courtney, and he remained steadfastly allied with Courtney, even when Courtney became a target of the other players. He also cut Mitchell at the right time, knowing that it was best for his game.
Trevor: Tougher Job Of Pretending
Playing a different gender comes with a unique set of obstacles and difficulties. Unfortunately, DeLeesa crashed into these obstacles head-on.
There were various instances throughout the game in which DeLeesa had a difficult job pretending to be Trevor, like the make-up mannequin challenge in which everyone thought the make-up was a little too good and the "name these basketball players" challenge. Luckily, DeLeesa was able to overcome these obstacles, and it proves that she was the better player.
River: Playing Younger
Of course, Lee also had a unique set of challenges, and that was playing a much younger version of himself. Whereas Lee is an older gentlemen, River was supposed to be a young man fresh out of college. As such, Lee was forced to "act young," and that included integrating lots of "lingo" into his speech.
It's easy for older people to come across as a little too "how do you do, fellow kids?", but Lee pulled it off with incredible skill. Not once did the other players doubt his authenticity or age.
Trevor: Everyone Loved Her
River was well-liked by his fellow players, but he was obviously and firmly on "a side" (the side of Courtney). Meanwhile, Trevor was able to fluidly pass between alliances and players without causing much consternation.
DeLeesa charmed everyone with Trevor's personal story (that of being a single father) and general friendliness, so it's really no surprise that she came out on top.
River: Better Influencer
Despite everyone loving Trevor, they obviously didn't love "him" enough to make him an influencer. River, meanwhile, was an influencer on two separate occasions. The only time Trevor became an influencer was when he placed second in episode ten, with Chloe placing first.
River was an influencer on two separate occasions. The first time, he was made influencer because of Courtney's Joker power. The second time, he placed first in episode twelve. On the first occasion, he cut Terilisha, and, on the second, he cut Mitchell.
Trevor: More Consistent Performance
River really came alive during the endgame. He placed fourth on the first two rankings, placing him firmly in the middle of the pack. After Joker week, he placed third on two separate occasions before earning first. Trevor, meanwhile, had a more consistent performance.
He earned three straight third-place finishes, and, on the first week, he was saved by Savannah, ndicating that he was already making firm connections. After earning fourth in episode eight, Trevor placed second, finally becoming an influencer alongside Chloe.
River: More Enemies
In some ways, River had the tougher job of surviving, as he made numerous enemies throughout his time in The Circle. He was never explicitly hated, but, as stated previously, he was firmly on the side of Chloe and Courtney. As such, he was seen as a target by the likes of Trevor, Mitchell, and Khat.
Despite this, he managed to survive the blockings. In fact, he even performed better in the later rankings, despite making more enemies as he went.