The Secret Circle Review: Hesitant Heroes

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The Secret Circle went all Lost on viewers this week, sending a similar message as that ABC hit relayed: Live together. Or die alone.

That's what made "Loner" so interesting. Most of these kids don't want to live together. Some just wanna have sex, others want to explore their powers on their own and others just want to make sure no one gets hurt.

Yet fate has brought the coven together and, whether they desire this unity or not, the kids better learn how to make it work. And quickly.

Help Cassie!

The appearance of Zachary Larson only raised more questions about the events of 16 years ago. Was he there? How does he know about the witches? And what fate, regarding Heather, is worse than death? (Okay, if you've watched this trailer for next week, you already know that answer.)

We're unlikely to find out more from Zach himself, though. You've been marked, dude. Sorry about that.

While the Circle came together at the end, we definitely learned more about each member this week on his/her own. A quick rundown:

There's a lot to Nick. I'd love to see the show focus as heavily on the individuals as it does on their abilities, seeing as there is so much material to mine from deceased parents. Especially when one person has lost two of them.

What makes Melissa so down on herself? Someone has to give this girl the whole lesson about the cow and the milk and what happens when you give it away for free, but perhaps she finally learned that near the end. And she got a movie date out of it. Still, a lack of self-confidence could be a problem down the road if Melissa is called on for anything related to the coven.

Faye remains my favorite. She is power hungry and, let's face it, sort of bitchy. But she gave a great speech to Nick and that smile when she watched him and Melissa walk away was sincere. Faye is tough and mean and straightforward, but a great friend.

I'm digging how Cassie and Adam aren't really beating around the fate-based bush. They have come right out and acknowledged that something is between them ("Sometimes when we're together, street lights explode..."), but they just have no idea what to do about it. Or what it might mean in the big picture. It's hard to fight destiny, after all. Pretty sure she's undefeated.

Then there's Diana. I theorized last week that she's working with her dad, but I'm now hoping that is not the case because it would be an example of manipulative storytelling if so. We saw her and Charles alone tonight, with the latter lying about dating Dawn, something that wouldn't make any sense if they were teaming up. That's too bad. It would have been a nice swerve if Diana weren't as pure as she lets on. There's still hope in some way, though!

And there's hope for The Secret Circle, as well. A great deal of it. The show almost suffers from following The Vampire Diaries because it's not as fast-paced as that series (is anything?), which can make it feel slow. But I prefer to think of it as slow developing and enough seeds have been planted for me to anxiously tune in each week, curious about what will soon grow.

Loner Review

Editor Rating: 4.2 / 5.0
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Rating: 4.5 / 5.0 (133 Votes)

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.

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The Secret Circle Season 1 Episode 3 Quotes

There are still people in this town who remember.

Dawn

Nick: Why do you wanna go to the dance together?
Melissa: Because I'm feeling kind of slutty!

The Secret Circle Season 1 Episode 3 Music

  Song Artist
Song Style Phil Ogden Band
Girls Like You The Naked and Famous iTunes
Lovesong ADELE iTunes