TV Review: THE SECRET CIRCLE – Season 1 – “Bound”

By SEAN ELLIOTT / Contributing Writer

Posted: September 29th, 2011 / 08:33 PM

Stars: Britt Robertson, Thomas Dekker, Shelley Henning, Phoebe Tonkin, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Louis Hunter, Natasha Henstridge, Gale Harold, Ashley Crow
Writer: Kevin Williamson, Based on the book by L.J. Smith
Director: Liz Friedlander
Network: The CW, airs Thursday nights
Original Telecast: September 22, 2010

Yes, THE SECRET CIRCLE has real promise. The theme song is wonderfully creepy, and it helps to set a tone that hasn’t quite completely manifested on the show yet. The first episode of set the stage for everything to happen, and this second episode “Bound” takes the story in a foretold direction, but a hell of a lot faster than I thought they would.

Cassie (Brit Robertson) is now dealing with the fact not only that elements of the supernatural are real, but that she is a witch with powers of her own that she needs to find a way to control ASAP. I like Cassie as a character. She’s pretty, sassy, and easy to feel empathy with. She’s a nice tour guide for this world, and as she learns more the audience learns more through her. She is clearly the strongest of the group even though she just has come into her own, and it will be interesting to see where her journey takes her, and if she stays lily white in terms of the magic she ends up using.

Cassie’s relationship with Adam (Thomas Dekker) is also something that bears watching. It’s clear that not only are they attracted to each other, but that there is some kind of special magic bond between them. Perhaps this is the same bond that was meant to happen between their parents? Adam and Cassie are able to make pretty interesting magical things happen when they connect, so I wonder if the series will address physical intimacy as we move along and the results of that kind of contact on their magic.

I still don’t know what Charles Meade (Gale Harold) and Principle Chamberlain (Natasha Henstridge) are up to. It’s clear they want the circle to be completed and bound, but there is something that they want the kids to unleash. Is it some sort of Elder God that would grant them their powers again, so they wouldn’t have to use a crystal to do magic? I’m also wondering if they are planning to sacrifice certain kids out of the circle to make it happen.

The episode ends with the teens closing their circle, which I figured would happen a bit further down the road. Now they are all locked together for better or worse, and the fact that their relationships aren’t on the most stable of ground to begin with isn’t going to be a factor in their favor.

The fact that some of the circle are sleeping together, and that others either want to sleep with other members, or are at least attracted to other members is probably going to curdle the magic they are able to do. Plus will they be in tune to each other’s thoughts and desires?

A nice solid second episode with some more deaths, more answers, and even more questions!

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Click on Link: TV Review – THE SECRET CIRCLE – Season 1 – “Loner”

Click on Link: TV Review – THE SECRET CIRCLE – Season 1 – “Pilot”

Click on Link for: Review of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES – Season 3 premiere – “The Birthday”

Click on link for Exclusive Interview with THE SECRET CIRCLE executive producer Kevin Williamson

Click on Link: Exclusive photos of THE SECRET CIRCLE stars at PaleyFest 2011 CW preview

CLICK HERE for AX’s interview with THOMAS DEKKER on THE SECRET CIRCLE

CLICK HERE for photos from The CW’s THE SECRET CIRCLE

Click on Link:10 Things We Want To See On VAMPIRE DIARIES – Season 3
Click on Link:VAMPIRE DIARIES review of Season 2 finale – “As I Lay Dying”
Click on Link: For more VAMPIRE DIARIES reviews and interviews
Click on Link: For AX’s exclusive interview with CANDICE ACCOLA