The Secret Circle 1.16 'Lucky'

This episode was a little strange. One could argue that it got basically nowhere, and pretty much everything that happened had very little impact, but as far as I’m concerned this was all about set-up. From the bubbling love triangle, to Cassie’s struggle with her dark side, it all seemed to promise that the journey was about to reach a major turning point, but how soon that point will arrive remains to be seen.

Cassie begins to questions her father’s true motives for returning in ‘Lucky’ when she finds him searching for something in the abandoned house. Faye learns Lee’s secret but her involvement in his life inadvertently puts them in danger.

Characterisation and internal dynamics played a huge role here, as well as played out teen drama, but now that we’ve gotten to know everyone a little better it’s a lot more appealing than it would have been earlier on in the season. Diana started out this season as a co-dependent, bright eyed enthusiast ready to make her mark on the magic world, but somewhere along with way she’s shed that clingy side to her, and that’s something that I’ve grown to like about her over the past few weeks. The overhaul of her character paved the way for this romance all her own and though I’m not all together taken by the story so far, I can already see the secrets that are about to boil over.

Faye, on the other hand, started out in a vastly different position. Though there have been a lot of attempts to break her down somewhat, she’s still held onto her confidence and attitude, attributes that make her run ins with Lee all the more delicious. I think this was my favourite part of this episode, seeing her refuse to back down, even when confronted with a girl clearly desperate to get him back. Set-up was written all over this subplot, with Eva starting to lose her marbles. I get that speeding arcs up to a supernormal pace is Kevin Williamson’s thing, but I think this might have been given some more time to gestate, even if she’s woken a week or two earlier, this downward spiral would have hit home a little more. It was still perfectly crazy, and this quick turn of events was just what this series needed to get things moving. I’m a little bummed that Lee died before he and Faye got further, right now I’m not sure that his death was powerful enough.

I think Lucky was the first episode where I really bought into Cassie and her dark magic being such a huge part of her. Adam and Jake had been arguing about the mechanics of it for so long, but nobody every stopped to look at what kind of effect it would have on Cassie as a person, and what a detrimental effect it could have on her life. I think John’s arrival heralded that change in pace, signalling the beginning of a long struggle to balance the forces within her, especially considering he’s a living, breathing example of all that could go wrong should she chose to embrace it. But, I mean, we know she’ll lose control it’s only a matter of time, but she’s gotta start somewhere, right?!

Similarly, Cassie and Adam’s written in the stars romance finally felt right for the first time. A lot of the time their chemistry is flat and forced, any promise of a destined bond getting lost among the awkward pauses and long gazes, but here it felt quite natural. Just as they found themselves starting to tear apart by their parents past rivalry, they are inextricably drawn back together. The idea that their feelings and passion could all be manufactured is an interesting twist, but I just can’t help but feel it sprung up out of nowhere.

At this point, Lucky doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. That being said, it was still one of the better episodes in a while. I just hope next week’s events don’t put a damper on things.

8/10

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