Another week, another stiff and boring episode of Secret Circle. All of the pieces are there to create an fun show, but the magic still isn’t there (horrible pun intended). One day, I hope this show figures out that it needs to be a plot heavy show; sadly, today was not that day.
I spent the better part of an hour trying to figure out exactly what I want to say about tonight’s episode of The Secret Circle and here’s what it comes down to: now that we’ve finally looked into the past maybe the story can move forward. Since Nick died all those episodes ago, the show has been at a stand-still. Stories happen each week and the witches quibble among themselves, but nothing ever really happens. The feeling I was most struck by when watching tonight’s flashback to 1995 is that I’d rather be watching that show. Those characters interest me; that story is compelling. Watching Adam pine over Cassie is not.
This week’s Secret Circle episode, “Fire/Ice” continued to explore the growing strength of Cassie’s dark magic and its affect on the circle. Unfortunately, it sounds more exciting than it was.
Back in the fall when Secret Circle introduced dark magic into the equation, I thought we were on the edge of the show morphing into something great. Two episodes into the latter half of the season and all that potential has yet to transform into a consistently awesome show. The show vacillates between being a fun ride and completely boring. Sadly, this week’s episode fell into the boring category.
The Secret Circle returned from its long winter hiatus with an overload of dark magic and a new roadblock to Dawn and Charles’ fool proof plan to world Chance Harbor domination.
Cassie
Poor Cassie is struggling with the discovery of her dark magic. She eventually turns to Diana’s grandmother, Kate, who is the latest of the mythical Elders to drop by to “visit relatives.” These people may be powerful, but they are not subtle. Kate immediately senses that Cassie is struggling with her dark magic and offers to help. I’m pretty sure every single person in Chance Harbor was taught the wrong definition of help as a child because they ALL do it wrong. Seriously, why bother trusting anyone? They’re all such turncoats. Kate tricks Cassie into traveling with her into a random deserted part of the forest so they can do a spell together. I guess Cassie was never taught about “Stranger Danger” as a child either. Never wander into the woods alone with an almost complete stranger, kids. You’ll end up performing a weird ritual and then being buried alive.
Secret Circle fans, please join me in a moment of silence to mourn the CW’s long winter hiatus. This week’s mid-season finale was a solid, plain old awesome hour of television. I need more now.
The Blackwell Family
Looks like Cassie’s evil. Well, at the very least she has the potential to be evil. Cassie and Jake learn that Cassie’s father, John Blackwell, or J.B. as he’s listed on Calvin’s secret family tree, comes from a line of super evil magic. This is the first we’re hearing any details about Cassie’s father and the revelation just raises a whole new host of questions. What was Amelia doing with someone so full of dark magic? And also Dawn, who alluded to a past relationship with Blackwell. Clearly, the ladies of Chance Harbor have a bad boy complex. But did Dawn ever follow through with that old attraction to Blackwell? Could Faye be the second Blackwell descendant in the circle? We don’t know much about Melissa or Jake’s parents, so it’s hard to make an educated guess without a little more backstory from those two. Just for fun, I’d like the second Blackwell descendant to be Diana. I have a feeling a dark magic showdown between Cassie and Diana could be epic.
Continue reading “REVIEW: The Secret Circle Mid-Season Finale “Balcoin”” »
It’s Halloween in Chance Harbor! Time to break out your witch costumes! I love a good Halloween themed episode of TV and this week’s episode of Secret Circle didn’t disappoint!
Poor Luke
We barely knew ye. Such pretty hair, yet so little talent as a witch hunter. I love a good death scene as much as the next person, and Luke’s was pretty awesome. Who doesn’t want to set a person on fire with their brain?! Award yourself one point if you saw Luke’s reveal as a witch hunter coming. I certainly didn’t! Back in Luke’s first episode (3? 4? I don’t remember which it was…) I expected him to pop up as a recurring love interest for Cassie, but I have to say I much prefer this version of events.
Booze, witch hunters, and love written in the stars. Sounds like the perfect combination for an entertaining hour of television. Sadly, this week’s Secret Circle didn’t deliver.
Jake
Nick’s been dead for two days and we already have our newest circle member. Things sure do move fast in Chance Harbor. We all wondered after last week’s deadly episode what would happen to the circle without their sixth member. The answer? Nick’s more damaged, more attractive older brother. Can anyone else imagine executives at the CW discussing casting Jake versus casting Nick and saying, “Yes, we like the idea of Jake…but this time make him blonde?” Chris Zylka certainly fits into the CW mold.
Does everyone remember when Vampire Diaries first started and it took a few episodes to start getting good? Well, I think Secret Circle overcame that hurdle tonight. Episode four, “Heather”, was AWESOME. Also, terrifying. Seriously, I had to cover my eyes for a good portion of the last third of the episode.
It’s only episode 2, but we’re diving right into a ton of mythology. We’ve got binding ceremonies, crystals, spell books, families, elders, past grudges…basically, everything required for a fun hour of witch drama.
As “Bound” begins, Cassie reads the final letter from her mother. Her mother’s sage words of advice? Destiny is not easy to run from. Cassie’s new to her powers, can’t control them, and doesn’t know whom to trust. The solution? Practice on a candle and then end up getting to see your hot neighbor, who also happens to have powers, shirtless in his bedroom window. Some girls have all the luck.
All three new CW network shows are incredibly good this fall season, but The Secret Circle stood out to me from the moment it started. It’s based on the book series by L.J. Smith (who brought us The Vampire Diaries) and centers around Cassie Blake (played by Britt Robertson) who moves in with her grandmother to a new town after her mom dies. She is quite the talk of the town and almost instantly has a new group of friends. She finds out later that these new “friends” are part of a group called “The Circle,” and they are all witches. Up until this moment, Cassie had no idea she was a witch. Add into the mix, Adam (played by Thomas Dekker) whose dad is an alcoholic, Faye Chamberlain (played by Phoebe Tonkin), the bad-ass with a mysterious, distant mother Dawn (played by Natasha Henstridge), Diana (played by Shelly Hennig), the leader of the circle, and her Dad Charles (played by Gale Harold, who we learn in the first scene is responsible for Cassie’s mom’s death). Apparently, The Circle is much more powerful now that Cassie has arrived, and I am very interested to see where that goes.
The town in The Secret Circle, much like Mystic Falls, has an air of mystery. Witchcraft spans generations and there is much more to The Circle than we could possibly know. In the pilot episode, we learn that something really bad happened with the parents’ “Circle” that made them stop practicing witchcraft. And a lot of them (like Cassie’s mom) are no longer alive. Kevin Williamson, who is an Executive Producer on this show and The Vampire Diaries, always brings fantastic mythology to any show he works on, so I’m very excited to learn more about the town and all of the witches in it. And then we add the love triangle of Adam, Cassie and Diana and we have the makings of a hit. The Secret Circle is in a word, enchanting. Britt Robertson is great in her new lead role. Phoebe Tonkin completely blew me out of the water. She was an absolute highlight of the show for me. And Thomas Dekker is fantastic as well.
The show makes a perfect companion piece to The Vampire Diaries, because it exists in a very similar world. While there are witches, these teenagers are going through life like any normal teenager would, just with another element added in. One of my favorite moments of the pilot is when Cassie wasn’t quick to accept she had her powers. She didn’t believe in witchcraft. That part made the whole show feel so grounded to me. And just like Mystic Falls, I am sure there might be more supernaturals lurking about. I personally am holding out hope for a crossover episode with The Vampire Diaries, but Kevin Williamson says it’s not in the works. In any case, if you love The Vampire Diaries for all its drama, angst and great writing (and Ian Somerhalder, let’s be honest), you will also love The Secret Circle. It is beautifully shot, wonderfully written, and all you would hope for in that hour after The Vampire Diaries.
Be sure to tune in tonight at 9 PM to the CW for the series premiere of The Secret Circle!
