TV Review: THE SECRET CIRCLE – Season 1 premiere

By SEAN ELLIOTT / Contributing Editor

Posted: September 16th, 2011 / 10:49 AM

Stars: Britt Robertson, Thomas Dekker, Shelley Henning, Phoebe Tonkin, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Louis Hunter, Natasha Henstridge, Gale Harold, Ashley Crow
Writer: Andrew Miller, Based on the book by L.J. Smith
Director: Liz Friedlander
Network: The CW, airs Thursday nights
Original Telecast: September 15, 2010

So THE SECRET CIRCLE and the show right before it on The CW, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES seem to be a really good fit for each other. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone since they are both based on book series by L.J. Smith.

THE SECRET CIRCLE was described to me as THE CRAFT the TV show. Yes and no. While the show certainly has some elements of that great somewhat cheesy horror movie from the 90’s, there are a lot of fresh elements that make this series uniquely its own brand of magic.

The story of the pilot follows teen Cassie (Brit Robertson) who goes to live with her grandmother Jane (Ashley Crow) after the death of her mother. Now her mom just didn’t die, but is actually killed offed by Charles Meade (Gale Harold) who has magical powers. Cassie after her first day at school is confronted by a group of teens, who are witches and claim she is as well. They need Cassie to complete their circle so they can do even more with their powers. With me so far? It’s all about families and bloodlines and power and rites and things that need to happen so the powerful can get even more juiced up. Teen angst and drama abound and we have a series that is off and running.

I think this show has a lot of potential. The pilot was an interesting episode that held my attention and made want to tune in next week. I really like the cast so far, and let’s be honest, I’ve missed Thomas Dekker since TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES went off the air.

I am a bit astonished that Ashley Crowe is playing “grandma Jane” to a girl that is roughly the same age as her other TV daughter on HEROES. I guess it must be a Kevin Williamson thing. He had Jasmine Guy playing a grandma on VAMPIRE DIARIES so he tends to cast young.

Speaking of, the adults in the show, they don’t seem old enough to have teenagers. They look too young and good. I am used to Gale Harold having 16 year olds on QUEER AS FOLK, but him having one for a child is weird to me. Natasha Henstridge is wonderful as always. She has a way of playing an undercurrent of sinister without much effort, though when Cassie is in the Principal’s office I had a feeling Henstridge was going to devour her literally.

The effects in the series are well done and look natural and not over the top campy magic. It will be interesting the further we get into the season as everyone’s powers develop to see just exactly what they all can do.

To enjoy the series you only have to really remember one thing. “Mister, we are the weirdoes.”

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

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