Netflix's The Circle is series about a social media competition where you’re ranked by popularity. Without ever seeing the other contestants, the participants in this game communicate solely through messaging. This means that they could be whoever they want. While some chose to take the route of authenticity, some chose to take a more calculated approach.
Alliances were formed in order to keep themselves in the competition. While some of these alliances were purely strategic, some were genuine friendships that lasted beyond the show. On the other hand, a few friendships have gone down a bad path and didn't feel like true bonds.
Updated on January 1, 2023, by Kevin Pantoja: A lot of reality shows are grounded in focusing on the drama, The Circle takes a more wholesome approach. Even the contestants who play a strategic game end up forming solid relationships built on trust and become beloved by the viewing audience. That has led to a much greater number of positive friendships over the course of four seasons than negative ones. Season 5, which premiered on December 28th, 2022, looks to add more to the list.
Best
Season 1: Joey, Sammie, Shubham, Chris, & Rebecca
Nearly any combination of the season 1 finalists could be considered for best friendships. Joey and Shubham became best friends complete with Joey excitedly calling him "Shooby," Rebecca/Seaburn and Shubham were almost like siblings, Chris and Sammie bonded and got emotional about their pasts, and the list goes on.
Even though later seasons have had great friendships among the final five, it's hard to match the bond these five shared. The finale where they all met in person for the first time made for one of the show's best moments because the warmth and love were evident.
Season 1: Joey and Miranda
Joey and Miranda had a few emotional moments together on the show. These two had a very real connection through flirting, which was taken off-screen when Miranda went to see him after being blocked. Miranda and Joey admitted to having genuine feelings for one another and their meeting ended with a kiss.
Their connection was as real in the chats as it was in person. The two are not romantically involved currently but have stayed close friends since. They proved to the viewers that online friendships can be lasting.
Season 2: Courtney, River, & Chloe
Dubbing themselves the "Cardashians," the trio of Courtney, River, and Chloe became one of the most pivotal bonds ever formed on The Circle. Although it wasn't designed for strategic purposes, it ended up having that effect as all three made it to the finals and they always had each other's backs regardless of the situation.
River and Courtney were close on their own but bringing Chloe into the mix was perfect. They understood each other's humor and were more loyal to one another than most other groups in series history. This friendship was also part of what made Chloe the fan favorite of season 2.
Season 3: Ruksana & Daniel
Daniel was someone who played up his youth quite often and anyone who was close to him viewed him as a younger brother of sorts. However, Ruksana was truly an older sister to him due to how much they bonded and how he came to her for sage advice. Daniel also wanted to make sure that she knew he had her back.
They complimented each other well and their personalities played well off of each other. Daniel was crushed when Ruksana got sent home in an undeserving blocking and as she was his closest ally, he went home in the very next elimination without her around.
Season 3: James & Kai
It was surprising that Kai didn't win season 4 because she was such a strong, popular player from start to finish. Even when a handful of contestants viewed her as a threat and tried to eliminate her, she hung on and even turned some of those enemies into friends. Meanwhile, James bonded with almost everyone immediately.
That's why if anyone had to beat Kai, it made sense that it would be James. They found common ground through their backgrounds and family relationships, while also relying on each other after Ruksana was sent home.
Season 4: Alyssa & Carol
Similar to Kai, Alyssa felt like someone with a legitimate chance to win her season of The Circle because of the relationships she formed throughout the show. One of those bonds was with "Carol," who was actually played by John Franklin, who was impersonating his mother.
They made it through awkward conversations (for John) when he went to her for sexual advice. It helped them bond in a special way and the two have actually gone on to start a romance away from the show. Since their friendship had no flirting on The Circle, it proved that their relationship is grounded in the friendship they built before ever meeting.
Season 4: Frank & Yu Ling
Yu Ling played a smart game throughout season 4 as she found ways to form alliances with several different people. Though they all didn't pan out, the one she held dearest to her proved to be the best as she stood side-by-side with Frank to the finale, where Frank eventually won.
During the antivirus software blocking, Frank opted to save Yu Ling, which only helped strengthen their bond. Both are free spirited people who just want to have fun and that made them connect in a way that was almost unmatched in their season.
Worst
Season 1: Sammie and Ed
Ed was one of the contestants added toward the end of a season. While he and Sammie had a lot in common in terms of colleges and heritage, Ed was clearly taking a more flirtatious approach to him and Sammie’s conversations.
When Ed gets blocked, instead of going to see Rebecca who he confidently believed was a catfish, he went to see Sammie, in hopes of asking her out. Their friendship didn’t have any substance and was shallow compared to many of the other ones. Sammie also was clear on her end that she wasn't interested in anything romantic with Ed.
Season 2: Savannah & Terilisha
For an example of how poorly this friendship went, there's a good chance that most people don't even remember they were friends. Savannah and Terilisha made an instant impact and became the first pair of influencers on the show but things quickly went sour for the two.
A round of "Truth or Dare" saw Savannah call Terilisha a game player, while Terilisha called Savannah untrustworthy after news of how they chose to block someone spread throughout the apartments. Things got heated quickly, showing that they never had any trust.
Season 4: Alyssa, Bru & Yu Ling
After the success of "The Cardashians" in season 2, the trio known as "The Throuple" looked like they'd have similar results. Alyssa, Bru, and Yu Ling did their fair share of flirting, they also had a ton of fun and clearly liked each other.
Unfortunately, when it came time to back each other up, things went poorly. With two chances to save Alyssa at a crucial point of the game, both Bru and Yu Ling opted to save others, leading to a dejected Alyssa getting sent home.