When it comes to pilot episodes they’re almost always flawed. They’re either overly ambitious, creating something messy and indiscernible, or they’re far too slow, with not enough excitement to hold viewers’ attention. I think we’d all prefer to forget the lackluster, trend chasing tripe that was the Vampire Diaries first offering but thankfully, this is one hell of a kick-off point. Like its sister series, the Secret Circle isn’t anything particularly groundbreaking, it is what it is; a teen drama with a supernatural twist. It’s also got a small town mystery edge not unlike Kevin Williamson’s other creation. There’s a major 'The Craft' vibe about it too, which is certainly not a bad thing.
In the premiere we got to meet some great new faces, including Cassie Blake (Britt Robertson), our leading lady who exhibits equal amounts of likability and appeal. Unlike Elena, who spent almost 7 episodes running around Mystic Falls like a brain dead ninnie before she realized what was going on, Cassie figured something was up almost instantly; I mean it WAS one wacky town she had moved to. Although personally, I would be ecstatic to learn I had some serious magical gifts (I know some school bullies who would find themselves with some rather unwanted facial abrasions). Britt Robertson proved that she’s not just a one trick pony; if you came along to see Lux 2, you’d have been disappointed.
We met all the other beautiful teens too. Adam (Thomas Dekker - who I am seriously in love with), the trademark love interest; Diana: the popular, but friendly “leader” of sorts; Faye: the cocky, mean girl: Melissa: Faye’s sidekick; and Nick: the hot but slightly stalkery next door neighbor. Each of them seem to bring something very different to the table, and some are more interesting than others, but I’m most excited to see what happens with loose cannon Faye, played to perfection by Aussie newcomer Phoebe Tonkin. As for the titular love triangle, it’s a little "been there done that" but the magic ends up bringing a whole other element to it, which so far I like.
There seems to be a lot of mystery surrounding the previous circle and the events leading up to their parents’ deaths 16 years ago. Although this episode gave us a few vague tid-bits and teased us enough to want more, I do hope that we find out the truth sooner, rather than later. Charles Meade’s disturbing murder at the start of the episode cemented him as an evil force to be reckoned with. Normally it’s the teen stuff you’d want to see over the parents’ shenanigans, but here I’m equally invested in both right now, especially considering how intertwined all of their actions are.
Unlike ‘The Vampire Diaries’ who’s brooding atmosphere is filled with shadows and darkness, this show is bouncing with color (see the forest scene with the floating raindrops) and instantly feels like a much different series with a starkly contrasting personality. Each type has its pros and cons, I just think that if they wanted to make ‘Circle stand out as a show in its own right, at least visually, they’ve done their job.
As far as first episodes are concerned, this is up there with the best. There’s still more room for it to seek out a more definitive identity, with both its stories and its characters, but it’s a wonderful step-off point.
In the premiere we got to meet some great new faces, including Cassie Blake (Britt Robertson), our leading lady who exhibits equal amounts of likability and appeal. Unlike Elena, who spent almost 7 episodes running around Mystic Falls like a brain dead ninnie before she realized what was going on, Cassie figured something was up almost instantly; I mean it WAS one wacky town she had moved to. Although personally, I would be ecstatic to learn I had some serious magical gifts (I know some school bullies who would find themselves with some rather unwanted facial abrasions). Britt Robertson proved that she’s not just a one trick pony; if you came along to see Lux 2, you’d have been disappointed.
We met all the other beautiful teens too. Adam (Thomas Dekker - who I am seriously in love with), the trademark love interest; Diana: the popular, but friendly “leader” of sorts; Faye: the cocky, mean girl: Melissa: Faye’s sidekick; and Nick: the hot but slightly stalkery next door neighbor. Each of them seem to bring something very different to the table, and some are more interesting than others, but I’m most excited to see what happens with loose cannon Faye, played to perfection by Aussie newcomer Phoebe Tonkin. As for the titular love triangle, it’s a little "been there done that" but the magic ends up bringing a whole other element to it, which so far I like.
There seems to be a lot of mystery surrounding the previous circle and the events leading up to their parents’ deaths 16 years ago. Although this episode gave us a few vague tid-bits and teased us enough to want more, I do hope that we find out the truth sooner, rather than later. Charles Meade’s disturbing murder at the start of the episode cemented him as an evil force to be reckoned with. Normally it’s the teen stuff you’d want to see over the parents’ shenanigans, but here I’m equally invested in both right now, especially considering how intertwined all of their actions are.
Unlike ‘The Vampire Diaries’ who’s brooding atmosphere is filled with shadows and darkness, this show is bouncing with color (see the forest scene with the floating raindrops) and instantly feels like a much different series with a starkly contrasting personality. Each type has its pros and cons, I just think that if they wanted to make ‘Circle stand out as a show in its own right, at least visually, they’ve done their job.
As far as first episodes are concerned, this is up there with the best. There’s still more room for it to seek out a more definitive identity, with both its stories and its characters, but it’s a wonderful step-off point.
9/10
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