#all this to say that the actual tragedy with isaac isn't just him being alone amongst couples but also him being no one's best friend

[whitestopper]

Elaboration time

Tao, Charlie and Isaac would say that they're each other's best friends which is technically true, but really Tao and Charlie are each other's best friends but it'd be too awkward if anyone - or the show - acknowledged it.

Tao and Isaac don't actually gel that well but they're used to being in a quartet/trio together, so they just kind of default to each other.

Tao hasn't really given anyone else in the squad a chance - he thinks Nick is nice but the core of their friendship is Charlie so it doesn't really count. Somehow Isaac hasn't realised that Tara is probably his second best/favourite friend, but maybe one day.

Tara might say Elle is her best friend and Nick would probably deny having a favourite (especially in front of Imogen, who is actually only his second favourite), but really they are each other's best friend given their mutual vulnerability.

Tara and Elle get along well with similar attitudes and Tara is Elle's best friend, but they usually take the supporting-supported dynamic.

Darcy also considers Elle their best friend and Elle considers them her second best friend, but it's kind of similar to Tao with Nick and Isaac where Tara is kind of the glue. Darcy coming out as non-binary did add another layer though.

Darcy's fondness for Charlie is based on their gayness because they're so used to shame that they kind of rely on him to be an icon, but when it comes down to it they're more likely to stick with their Higgs peers, with their best friend probably being Sahar because the only other option is Imogen.

Imogen's best friend (even if we include Sahar) is Nick, valuing his opinion even when trying to shed her dependence on men/boys.

Imogen's second best friend is probably Elle or Tara but they're honestly not that close, because Elle would rather just give her opinion/know the gossip and Tara's just too accommodating for her own good.

Sahar is an undeveloped interesting case because she vibes with Tara and Darcy in S2 (though this is probably more improv on the actors' part than direction/writing), but in S3 the only non-Imogen character she really interacts with is Charlie and that's more for the band than a desire for interaction. No one even looks after her at Halloween, so I guess now she's only hanging out with the group for her crush and getting her support externally. Fair enough, I guess.

Paris Squad and their top two/three favourite members (PLATONIC STUFF ONLY)

Charlie - Tao, Isaac

Darcy - Elle, Sahar/Charlie

Elle - Tara, Darcy

Imogen - Nick, Elle/Tara

Isaac - Charlie, Tao/Tara

Nick - Tara, Imogen

Sahar - Darcy/Charlie, Tara/Darcy/Charlie

Tao - Charlie, Isaac

Tara - Nick, Elle