The Circle came onto the scene and completely surprised fans. While it was expected that the show might feature a lot of drama, backstabbing, and lying, the focus was far more on how well the players made one another feel and teamed up together.
Of course, there was still tons of strategizing and the odd conflict, as well as lying from those playing as people other than themselves. But there were a lot of genuine friendships that formed on the show between the various cast members.
Joey And Shubham (Season 1)
Joey and Shubham had one of the most unexpected friendships on The Circle. They were completely different people; Joey was the brawny, loud muscle guy, and Shubham was the quiet academic. But they found commonalities in one another.
Fans loved how they stuck together through to the end, never once turning their backs on one another. Both playing as their actual selves, neither likely would have ever met or hung out with someone like the other outside of the show. Stripping all judgment from the equation meant they became open to friendships that very possibly never would have been on each other's radars.
Courtney And River/Lee (Season 2)
Courtney and River were instantly like kindred spirits. They both believed the other to be a young gay single man in his 20s, which put them on a level playing field in that they could relate to one another.
Courtney had no idea that River was actually Lee, a much older man. Nonetheless, all of Lee's words were genuine, beyond lying about his age, occupation, and relationship status. The fact that they were true to one another and always stood by one another made fans love them individually, but they loved the two of them together even more.
Trevor/DeLeesa And Mitchell (Season 2)
The effort DeLeesa put into playing her husband Trevor was tremendous, so it's no surprise she won the season. Part of her strategy was to bond with the other guys, and one such guy was Mitchell. DeLeesa as Trevor had developed a strong, flirtatious bond with Chloe, and the moment she mentioned this to Mitchell, he instantly backed off.
They had never met one another but were quick to honor a "bro code." From that moment, they knew they could trust one another and had a blast strategizing and playing together.
River/Lee And Lance Bass/Lisa (Season 2)
One of the best friendships on The Circle was between River and Lance Bass who, interestingly enough, were both playing as other people. River was being played by Lee, while Lance Bass was being played by the celebrity's real-life assistant, Lisa.
Even though River suspected he might not be talking to the real Lance, the very possibility that it could actually be the former NSYNC boy band member had River elated. He was happy to open up to Lance, who found solace in River, one of the few people playing who actually knew right off the bat who he was.
Calvin And Nick (Season 3)
Nick was one of the best catfishes on The Circle when he played as Vince in a secondary account. But, as himself, he developed a strong bond with Calvin. The two chatted as though they were friends who had known one another for years.
It was one of the bromances that fans knew would likely continue outside of the game as they spoke to one another without hesitation or doubt that the other person might not be who they claimed they were.
James And Daniel (Season 3)
James and Daniel had a different type of bromance in that it was more like a big brother-little brother relationship. Sadly, it was a decision by James that sent Daniel home. But it was a tough decision that he truly didn't want to make but had to for the sake of his game.
At the reunion special, James instantly grabbed Daniel and lifted him in the air to hug him, showing how much he cared for the young man and wanted to make sure he was okay. It was a sweet moment that proved the cast members were able to make strong bonds behind screens without ever having met in real life.
James And Jacki (Season 3)
As one of the funniest cast members on The Circle and the winner of season 3, James came into the game late, but he managed to make an impact. This was in large part through a connection with another new player Jacki.
While Jacki isn't a "bro," per se, she is a traditional "guy's guy" in that she loves video games and comic books. She could relate to James and his hobbies in a way that the other players, regardless of gender, could not.
Jackson/Rachel And Nick (Season 3)
Nick's jaw hit the floor when he saw Jackson and discovered that Jackson was not only actually a woman named Rachel, but that she was totally his type. It was tough to reconcile that the bro he had grown so close to was someone he might actually want to date in real life.
She seemed just as smitten with Nick, but when the two were talking in the game as two single straight men, they had good times chatting about life and typical "guy stuff." Rachel managed to keep up the persona enough to convince Nick, and others, that she was really a guy named Jackson.