Monsters of Television

Two lead roles in the CW in two years? Um, I don't get it.

I only have ten minutes, so I am going to write what I can and then maybe add more later. Here’s the summary judgement–I kinda liked The Secret Circle.  The reviews I’ve read haven’t been the most positive, but if you like cheesy TV with a side of angsty star-crossed lovers, then maybe this is for you.

Here’s the thing with the CW this year–I tried LUX but quickly figured out that the show was doomed, and then the show got so whacky trying to wrap things up.  But I just wasn’t that into the actors.  The irony is that only 2 of the 3 main actors are back on the CW this season, and they are the 2 I was less into.  Ah, well.  There is nothing wrong with cute little blondie, Cassie (Britt Robertson).  She is earnest and wears those sweet outfits with military boots well.  But am I going to root for her?  Unclear at this moment.  I’m way more into her grandmother–let’s make the show about her.

The other problem with this show is that you can’t ask too many questions.  Um, why do they need 6 to form a circle?  Why did their parents generation clearly need more?  [I’ve counted, and so far we have Cassie’s two parents, lover dude’s dad, mean girl’s mom, nice girl’s dad, but that doesn’t account for the neighbor dude (guy who opens curtains is about all we have to go on for his personality), and the other girl (there is another girl, right?) so presuming ALL the kids have a witch parent are involved (cause this is all “written in the stars” after all), then we have at least 7 parents.  Course that presumes Cassie’s Dad is not one of the people we’ve already met, but I’ll leave that for the plot to reveal].

BTW, those character types I just wrote there–that’s pretty much all the development we got this episode.  Not exactly deep on the character development.

The lover dude, Thomas Dekker, is actually pretty charming.  I liked him on Terminator: Salvation, and I plan to like him here.  The mean girl is among the more interesting characters, presuming there are reasons she is mean beyond, well, cause the show needs a mean girl.  And of course, the key complication–Cassie likes the boyfriend of the nice girl!  But her dad is super evil, so I’m guessing she won’t last too long (will that end the show?  If one of the characters dies, the circle is over?  Hmmm, the ultimate stake is not possible here–none of the young people can die?  Just asking more questions.)

All of those complaints aside, there are basic elements in place here.  The heroine has suffered a lot, and she’s spunky, so that works.  The young lover boy is already torn, so that’s interesting–and his girlfriend seems, by all rights, perfectly lovely.  There are old people who have real roles in this show (not just serving as silent, supportive parents–they are actively plotting, which at least gives them something to do).  If I don’t let my brain get too involved with this show, we may be okay.

And I’ve read lots of negative comparisons to TVD.  Well, duh–that show has a pretty unique factor in Ian Somerhalder–he has “it.”  But we may find these young actors on The Secret Circle have more to offer, if the material ever lets them show it.