Now that we’re halfway through “The Secret Circle’s” first season, we thought it about time to take a look back on what they’re doing right — and what could use a little tweaking. We’re totally obsessed with the witchy new drama, particularly now that we’re starting to get some more insight into Cassie’s dark side and the horror that unfolded 16 years ago in Chance Harbor.
What we love:
3. Dawn is the perfect evil villain. When we saw the pilot, we thought that Charles (Gale Harold) was going to be the one to beat, but we were wrong. It turns out he’s pretty flaccid (but more on that later). The person who is really running the show here is Dawn (Natasha Henstridge), and the more devious she gets, the more we love to watch her. Force Charles to kill a child that she could have easily saved? BAMF. Suggest that Charles help her plot to kill his own mom? BAMF. Tell Ethan that Charles is abusing her with his secret crystal magic? BAMF. At this rate, you could tell us that the woman eats babies and kittens for breakfast and we’d probably throw her a parade.
What we’d love to see change:
2. Use the talent that you’ve got. Speaking of not writing to an actor’s strengths, Gale Harold and Jessica Parker Kennedy are phenomenal actors who are relegated to the sidelines way, way too often on this show. Harold didn’t accrue an army of devoted fans by playing the rube for years. He’s capable of carrying an entire show — give him something to do here (other than repeatedly get proven wrong by Awesome Evil Dawn) and we’re confident he can recapture the charisma that had us hooked on Charles in the first scene of the pilot. As for Kennedy, we’ve already sung her praises in our Underrated TV Stars of 2011 list. But seriously, we meant it.
The Secret Circle
Into the Woods
