I'm not usually a soap opera or teenage drama fan. I give things like Hollyoaks a wide berth and generally avoid anything in which the key characters are likely to be students at a school. But every now and again something comes along that is worth dipping a toe in the water.
The Secret Circle follows the misadventures of a group of six teenagers. However, in true dramatic fashion, these are no ordinary, angsty, acne riddled teenagers; these six kids are witches.
Following the death of her mother, gorgeous supermodel teenager number 1 (henceforth referred to as 'Cassie') is orphaned and moves in with her grandmother. At her new school, in the small town of Chance Harbour, she encounters a clutch of bad-eggs who, it turns out aren't all bad, but are witches and revel that she also has the power to make stuff explode, set fires and make it rain (or not), both in the traditional direction and also the opposite one. The kids are struggling to expand and control their abilities while Cassie struggles to come to terms with what she has learned about herself and her family. Meanwhile, some adult witches, that have had their power stripped away by the previous generation following a horrific accident, are scheming to get their powers back, and it involves Cassie and the Circle.
I didn't watch the series right away but I'd seen the ads and it look interesting so I recorded it and watched the first three episodes virtually back to back. The Secret Circle is everything a drama aimed at teenagers and young adults should be - there's the angst, the struggle to find oneself, the effort to be independent, the self discovery, and of course, deserving of as much ridicule as one can possibly muster, everyone is skinny and attractive and the teenagers all look about 20 years old. However, all of the typical themes and plot points are very carefully and cleverly woven in with the magical elements to make the situation seem both extraordinary and entirely normal at the same time and, in that respect, it reminds me very much of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
The characters are interesting and satisfyingly flawed, which makes them accessible to the audience. They are thrown together and made to rely on each other despite not really liking each other, which has introduced plenty of conflict; even by episode three, there are already two love triangles established, which is impressive considering the relatively small cast. The back story is intriguing, mainly because it is only really hinted at beyond establishing the key facts, but this aone gives plenty of scope for development and exploration. There is certainly plenty of potential. My hope is that the writing is able to find the right groove for such complex cocktail. Of the first three episodes, the second was probably the weakest, as Cassie spent two thirds of it running out rooms and away from people. So far the writing hasn't quite managed to find that groove, but it isn't far off.
Admittedly, this will not be a show that will have wide appeal (and that may cost it in the long run), but if you enjoyed Buffy the Vampire Slayer, this will probably be right up your street.
The Secret Circle follows the misadventures of a group of six teenagers. However, in true dramatic fashion, these are no ordinary, angsty, acne riddled teenagers; these six kids are witches.
Following the death of her mother, gorgeous supermodel teenager number 1 (henceforth referred to as 'Cassie') is orphaned and moves in with her grandmother. At her new school, in the small town of Chance Harbour, she encounters a clutch of bad-eggs who, it turns out aren't all bad, but are witches and revel that she also has the power to make stuff explode, set fires and make it rain (or not), both in the traditional direction and also the opposite one. The kids are struggling to expand and control their abilities while Cassie struggles to come to terms with what she has learned about herself and her family. Meanwhile, some adult witches, that have had their power stripped away by the previous generation following a horrific accident, are scheming to get their powers back, and it involves Cassie and the Circle.
I didn't watch the series right away but I'd seen the ads and it look interesting so I recorded it and watched the first three episodes virtually back to back. The Secret Circle is everything a drama aimed at teenagers and young adults should be - there's the angst, the struggle to find oneself, the effort to be independent, the self discovery, and of course, deserving of as much ridicule as one can possibly muster, everyone is skinny and attractive and the teenagers all look about 20 years old. However, all of the typical themes and plot points are very carefully and cleverly woven in with the magical elements to make the situation seem both extraordinary and entirely normal at the same time and, in that respect, it reminds me very much of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
The characters are interesting and satisfyingly flawed, which makes them accessible to the audience. They are thrown together and made to rely on each other despite not really liking each other, which has introduced plenty of conflict; even by episode three, there are already two love triangles established, which is impressive considering the relatively small cast. The back story is intriguing, mainly because it is only really hinted at beyond establishing the key facts, but this aone gives plenty of scope for development and exploration. There is certainly plenty of potential. My hope is that the writing is able to find the right groove for such complex cocktail. Of the first three episodes, the second was probably the weakest, as Cassie spent two thirds of it running out rooms and away from people. So far the writing hasn't quite managed to find that groove, but it isn't far off.
Admittedly, this will not be a show that will have wide appeal (and that may cost it in the long run), but if you enjoyed Buffy the Vampire Slayer, this will probably be right up your street.
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