The Circle has been eye-opening. While fans initially believed it would be the most popular people from the real world who would instantly become popular on the show, that wasn't necessarily the case. The underdogs on every season managed to stand out. Whether they were playing as themselves or catfishing as someone else, they found common ground with people they likely would never have crossed paths with outside of the game.
Despite that, there were a lot of unlikely bonds formed on the show, many of which were truly heartwarming. Oftentimes, the players opened up to one another, sharing their insecurities, fears, and private details of struggles they have been through in life, which helped bring people together that would never otherwise have become so close.
Shubham And Joey (Season 1)
Arguably the most unexpected and sweetest friendship of all was between Joey, the outspoken young man from Jersey, and Shubham, the quiet and reserved player who had, in real life, shunned social media and everything it stood for because of how people like him would never be viewed as "popular" online. Shubham, thanks, in part, to Joey, was proven wrong.
The friendship between these two men, who both played as their authentic selves, developed over time, but became a sweet one. So much so, in fact, that Joey referred to his buddy as "Shooby," both through text messages and when they finally met in person.
Courtney, River (Lee), And Chloe (Season 2)
What made Courtney and River's friendship so unexpected was that Courtney was very loud and animated while River came across as more down-to-earth and reserved. Interestingly, River was actually Lee, a man old enough to be Courtney's grandfather. This made River one of the most convincing and best catfishes on The Circle.
But the real surprise in their bond was how close both of them also grew to Chloe, creating a force to be reckoned with among the three players. Even though one person was a catfish, they were all still being their authentic selves, which is why the trio were inseparable, having each others' backs through thick and thin.
Jack And Lisa (Season 2)
Jack and Lisa interestingly didn't bond much when they were playing separately, both as catfish. Jack was playing as a girl named Emily, using the photo of one of his good friends. Lisa, meanwhile, was pretending to be mega pop star and former member of N SYNC Lance Bass, who she, in the real world, actually works for as an assistant.
When both were blocked on the same day, they found themselves entering an empty apartment together where they were given the opportunity to play together as a new person named John. They lived together from there until they were blocked (a second time) but seemed to get along well, working together to decide who to trust and what to say, and even enjoying a dance party as friends.
Rebecca (Seaburn) And Shubham (Season 1)
It was heartbreaking when Shubham discovered the young woman he had surprisingly grown so close to and viewed as a sibling through her text messages was actually not the person he thought she was. It was Seaburn, a man who was playing as his girlfriend.
Still, Rebecca and Shubham had one of the best friendships on The Circle. The pair bonded so well in the game despite their very different backgrounds and priorities in life. Rebecca would have been the "popular" girl that would never have otherwise given someone like Shubham the time of day. They looked out for one another in a beautiful brother-sister-like relationship and built a solid foundation of trust in the game.
Adam (Alex) And Rebecca (Seaburn) (Season 1)
Adam and Rebecca's friendship was so unexpected mainly because they were both playing as completely different people. Still, based on their profiles, each felt their persona would probably fall for the other, so they began a flirtation.
Even though both were suspicious of the other, they still put their hearts and souls into the game, and their conversations, in hopes to make it further. The buff and handsome Adam and the pretty young woman Rebecca would easily have bonded. But as catfishes who were completely different from those online personas, fans did not see the relationship coming.
Daniel And Ruksana (Season 3)
There was an instant connection between Ruksana and Daniel that fans did not see coming, but for good reason. With Daniel being the youngest player in the game at just 20 years old, he was feeling isolated very quickly. Ruksana, a mother, became like his surrogate mother in the game.
He reached out to her for when he was feeling down, and she provided the advice and words he needed to hear, thanks to her nurturing motherly instincts. From there, Daniel leaned on Ruksana when he needed comfort while she felt compelled to protect and be there for the young man. It was a surprising but sweet friendship.
James And Jacki (Season 3)
In the third season, James was playing as himself but pretending to be single (with the blessing of his long-time girlfriend) and instantly struck up an unlikely flirtation with Jacki, the gaming Twitch host and streamer.
He found common ground with her from the angle of their mutual love of video games and instantly used that to his advantage. Despite fans believing Jacki might flirt with the younger jocks, she was intrigued by James and his amazing sense of humor. Indeed, James was one of the funniest cast on The Circle season 3. And an unlikely bond formed between the pair and their ally Kai.
Calvin And Nick (Season 3)
With both Calvin and Nick being strong personalities from different worlds, Calvin a chef and volunteer firefighter and Nick pretending to be a musician, it seemed they didn't have much in common. But a bromance formed quickly between the two.
Their bond was so strong, in fact, that when Calvin was blocked and was given the opportunity to gift an advantage to another player, he opted to give it to Nick instead of Kai, with whom he had a romantic interest.
Vince (Nick) And Everyone (Season 3)
One one of the best twists from The Circle season 3, when the catfish Vince profile was revealed to the players, they were terrified at his gothic look and occupation as a ghost hunter. Unbeknownst to them, it was just Nick pretending to be this temporary profile. Some of the players were so scared, they hid under tables and were reluctant to strike up a conversation.
But Vince (a.k.a. Nick) quickly won them over, providing advice, listening to their ghost stories, and even hosting a special ghost tales event where everyone got dressed up and slept in tents. Even the players themselves were surprised at how much they liked Vince, proving that it's never good to judge a book by its cover.
Michelle And Daniel (Season 3)
Before Michelle was blocked from the game, she was the motherly figure Daniel needed in the game, helping the young man through his insecurities and reservations being the youngest player. Daniel was missing home and he found comfort in the things Michelle said, which reminded him of his own mother.
With Daniel coming across as a strong and confident young man, fans never predicted he might need some motherly advice and comfort as he did in Michelle, then later Ruksana.