photo: cw
Pilot
Original Air Date: Sep 15, 2011
Melanie-TwoCents Reviewer
melanie@thetwocentscorp.com
What happens when a recently orphaned teen returns to her parent’s hometown and discovers she’s a witch? Not only that, but there are others who need her to form their perfect circle of six, magnifiying their power. And if that’s not enough, there’s a mystery surrounding an accident that caused several deaths in their parents’ circle.
This is the premise of the new CW series, The Secret Circle, which follows Cassie as she discovers her ancestry. So what does the series have in store for us?
The mysteries start right away, as the same car is present at our Cassie’s flat tire and outside her house, where her mother Amelia is prepping supper. A man exits the car, and begins to manipulate a bottle of water and a book of matches, causing a burst pipe and an uncontrolable fire, and finally, Amelia’s death.
Enter Cassie’s Grandmother, who takes her in. Grandma lives in the same house Amelia grew up in, and it’s a little eerie as Cassie crawls into bed in the room her mother slept in, that hasn’t changed since she left, following the accident that killed her husband and Cassie’s father.
The eerie continues as several students at the school seem to take an odd interest in Cassie, including the resident bad girl and principal’s daughter, Faye.
As if that’s not enough, when checking out a local restaraunt, the owner reveals he was a friend of her mothers and that he was in love with her. Even more, he says that their families are written in the stars and destined to be together. But it’s ok, apparently he likes his liquor a little too much. This becomes a convenient weapon to use against him and explain away his odd statements for those from the parents’ circle who want to keep things he knows quiet.
Keeping with the theme of creepy, we realize that several of the students taking an interest in her are doing so because they need her as a witch for their circle. In an attempt to push her to use her powers (which she doesn’t know she has), Faye sets her car on fire and locks her in it. A frightening moment, but it fails to get the expected results.
In the end, Cassie joins Diana (the anti-Faye) on a trek through the woods, leading to an abandoned home where the five other local witch kids meet, and learns she is a witch as well, as were her parents.
An amazing moment follows as Adam (a cute boy Cassie has chemistry with), chases her down when she run outs scared and shows her her powers with a simple spell to raise drops of water. Their combined powers cause an entire forest of drops to rise, reflecting the sun and causing a moment of connection for the two. But since Adam (son of the man who told Cassie their families were destined to be together) is with the sweetheart Diana, their moment is best forgotten, but I think we can call foreshadow on this conflict-waiting-to-happen.
Further mysteries include the revelation for the audience that certain members of the parents’ circle that remain know the kids are practicing (though it’s meant to be a secret, get it? Secret Circle!) and seem to have been involved in bringing Cassie here. They need something, but what?
A final eerie moment includes Cassie discovering the hidden drawer in the mantel in her mother’s room where the family’s witchcraft journal, or book of shadows, was hidden. Only one other member of the circle has found their book.
The series promises tension between the witches, as they approach their powers in different ways, and Faye seems poised to abuse her powers (which are amplified now with the arrival of Cassie). The mystery of what happened to cause so many deaths in the circle of the parents, and what some of them want from the new forming circle, will drive the storyline for this first season, as well as the path of Cassie in accepting her identity.
With mostly solid performances from the cast, although a few characters run the risk of falling into the cliche trap, and a fairly solid writing which builds suspence well as well as dropping surprises, I’m excited to see where the story goes from here.
Are you sold on the story The Secret Circle wants to tell? Was the suspense, mystery, and foreshadowed conflict enough to get you to tune in again, like me?
TheTwoCents 
I’m really glad that Britt Robertson is getting another chance at a lead role – I loved her in Life Unexpected and was so bummed when that show was cancelled. Also loved that they used MNDR’s “I Go Away” in the first scene of the show – really got me excited (watch at http://vimeo.com/29586736)
While I was kind of apprehensive when i read the show description, thinking it might be a little too cookie-cutter, the pilot was very solid. The show has good tone – it’s the right mix of dark without being depressive, and it had excellent pacing, which is often overlooked. I’m excited to see if Britt can take this role and run with it!