On tonight’s episode of The Secret Circle, the circle pair off into love triangles and battle their hormones at a dance… where a man from their parents’ past circle is trying to kill them so that history does not repeat itself.
Continuity!
I am happy to report that this show pays attention to the details. It has continuity! Unlike Glee’s second season (I know, easy target… I’ll do better).
Let’s setup the storylines that happened in the first act: Sally, the girl Faye killed and Dawn revived last week, is clueing in on the strangeness. She will be the first victim of the new circle I predict! Cassie and Sally are friends because they are both ‘loners.’ Yeah, because being in charge of everything isolates you socially and being genetically gifted repels people away from you.
Melissa and Nick, the boring but pretty, are boring together, but not in bed. I guess. Melissa wants to go to a dance but Nick and Faye are too cool. They have to do that ‘witchcraft’ from last week, I guess.
Adam and Nick are friends? Who knew? Nope–it’s just another generically beautiful person named Luke, who is interested in Cassie. Speaking of, Cassie catches a drifter’s eye. And Adam. And Luke. Is she really that great or is it the Bella Swan effect of becoming instantly desirable when moving to the Seattle area? Faye and Diana are better already and it is the third episode.
Drifters and Dances
The drifter! Zachary tells Cassie she looks just like her mother; they used to be friends. Does every decision made in high school affect your adult life? I hope not. Also, Zachary sounds really stupid when he talks slow and trying to understand.
Diana and Cassie do magic together and repel the drifter. Diana is kind of like the leader of every club at school (sort of–Sally has that role) and is instantly likable. She sort of has a Margaret Thatcher vibe (which might go over some of your heads completely) but like a hot Margaret Thatcher. Weirdly enough, Diana and Charles have kind of creepy relationship. Like romantic vibes sort of.
It is sort of interesting that the two push-pull relationships on the show belong to Diana and Faye and their respective parents, Charles and Dawn. And that events are playing out like the previous generation, despite efforts against it. ‘It can’t happen again.’ I like that the phrase is this becoming a motif. It is like a metaphor for the spectrum of bad things: from cheating to mass murder.
Speaking of…nothing relatable, Melissa and Faye are practicing witchcraft together. Nick makes a threesome joke before I can. Rats. That’s one triangle down. Melissa isn’t annoying or boring at the dance because she is on the journey of self-worth and is sticking up for herself. Side note: What is wrong with the framing of some of these shots? It really bugged the film major in me.
Faye actually has some sound advice and sounds like a good friend. She shows some concern for Melissa. “He lost both of his parents. He’s double damaged.” It’s nice to know that Faye isn’t just a Cordelia Chase; she actuall Faye’s accent slips occasionally (the actress is Australian), but I only notice because I obsess over that kind of lame stuff.
And the other triangle is the Diana-Adam-Cassie thing. I may be the only person in the fandom who like Diana and Adam together, but whatever. There’s some awkward middle school dancing for Cassie and Adam! And now a note to Thomas Dekker–please act as best as you possibly can; we all know you can do better because we’ve seen it. I saw some John Conner in there tonight, and it was great. Make Adam like John Connor and I promise to stop obsessing about you.
The drifter tracks everyone down at the dance to kill anyone of them. They plan to go about business as normal, even though someone is AFTER THEM. Complaint: what a stupid plan. Now you are leaving Cassie vulnerable since she is a ‘loner’ and Diana and Adam do all the heavy lifting. Note: it is really going to piss me off if Cassie is the most powerful out of everyone.
Together, they are stronger as they take down Zachary. ‘Okay, now what?’ Dawn, the evil principal, interrogates them and together, they are all stronger liars. And Dawn knows they are lying and piles her own lies on theirs. Is lying magic now? Also, how is it that Charles and Dawn are protecting the kids when they kill all these people?
Complications
In conclusion of the triangles (for this week), Faye encourages Nick not to be such a reminds-with-his-name, but may harbor feelings for him. Melissa and Nick walk away arm in arm.
After three episodes ignoring her, Cassie and Diana become friends, even though they both like the same boy. Never gonna last. Diana knows about Adam’s lingering feelings. I’m unsure if this is a calculated gesture or a genuine one. Keep your friends close, enemies closer, that whole drag. Diana seems like a really sweet girl, but she has shown a more Machiavellian side to her and she is Charles’ daughter.
I think the storylines on The Secret Circle are interesting so far and set at a good-ish pace. Though it isn’t always a good sign when you like supporting players better than the leads (I’ve done it before though–Veronica Mars, True Blood). Overall, I am just getting excited at the prospect of the show getting its groove going.
Emily E. Steck
Contributing Writer
(Image courtesy of The CW)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
