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

By SEAN ELLIOTT / Contributing Writer

Posted: October 20th, 2011 / 03:52 PM

Stars: Britt Robertson, Thomas Dekker, Shelley Henning, Phoebe Tonkin, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Louis Hunter, Natasha Henstridge, Gale Harold, Ashley Crow
Writer: David Ehrman, Based on the book by L.J. Smith
Director: David Barrett
Network: The CW, airs Thursday nights
Original Telecast: October 6, 2010

THE SECRET CIRCLE continues to be an entertaining show, even though they are parceling out the story a little bit at a time. I know that this series and THE VAMPIRE DIARIES are two different shows, but they are both based on books by L.J. Smith, and they both deal with the supernatural, and they follow each other on Thursday nights – so it’s tough for me not to compare the two.

The cast on this series seems so much younger than DIARIES, and it might just be because the show is so new. We’ve had a couple of years to get through most of High School with the DIARIES cast, and with CIRCLE we’re just starting out all over again.

I don’t feel like I know enough about all of the members of the circle itself to love them or hate them yet. We’re only getting bits and pieces at a time, and these kids seem like they don’t even really know themselves yet.

“Heather” is an episode that is curiously absent of adults. A lot of the layered on conspiracy that we’ve seen from the very first few minutes of the pilot, involving Principle Chamberlain (Natasha Henstridge) and Charles Meade (Gale Harold) is pretty much absent from this episode. Or is it? Now we know that they were dabbling demon summoning and control, and that Cassie’s (Brit Robertson) Mom was not only trying to stop them, but also to keep the demons that were summoned locked away so that they couldn’t cause harm.

Last episode it was set up that Cassie’s mother’s friend in High School, Heather (Camille Sullivan) was somehow damaged by what the original circle tried to do. That whole to-do ended in a fireball that killed a lot of the kids’ parents and trapped a demon inside of Heather. Cassie’s mom made her a catatonic not only to protect people around Heather, but to also stop Heather from harming herself.

I like the idea that demons can be small animals like the snake used in this episode. The snake was creepy and the visual of it slithering under the skin was effective and harkens back to THE X-FILES and the black oil that took people over on that series.

So we know that demons are out there. What else supernatural is going to turn up on the show? Is it possible we might see a crossover with VAMPIRE DIARIES? I wouldn’t rule it out just as of yet. Both series have witches so it’s something that would seem logical down the road; the same way BUFFY and ANGEL used to tie together on The WB and UPN.

Of course, in more urgent matters, the nicest member of the circle Melissa (Jessica Parker Kennedy) is probably going to go Dark Phoenix from the slithery little friend she inherited once Heather got hit by a car. Ironic that she was worried about Nick (Louis Hunter) becoming more of a douche, and now she’s going to be a complete bad girl.

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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 – “Bound”

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