14 September 2011

First Thoughts: THE SECRET CIRCLE Pilot Episode

I feel so silly for not realizing who Kevin Williamson is.

He is the person credited for adapting two book series, written by L. J. Smith, for television --- The Vampire Diaries, which is now it on its 3rd season; and The Secret Circle, which will premiere on Sept 15th.

He is also the person behind Dawson's Creek.

Now I understand the appeal to me. Kevin Williamson is the master of snappy dialogues and sophisticated verbiage, something I've always been drawn to when it comes to what I'm watching.

I've blogged about my new-found appreciation for The Vampire Diaries (TVD) here and having learned from that, I've been ready to give The Secret Circle (TSC) a go.

The series has been released on iTunes earlier than its premiere date (starting on The CW on Sept. 15th).

There's definitely something familiar about how the story on TSC plays out. It does have that Team Williamson stamp --- from the tropes, to the lines and dialogues, and down to the setting. (It's as if the town is next block to Mystic Falls --- TVD's setting.)

But like TVD, which didn't have a fantastic beginning, The Secret Circle has yet to find its hold. Nearly every pilot episode is that way anyway. And the writer himself said in interviews to give this show at least a few more episodes before deciding whether or not to ditch it.

So, that's what I'm gonna do.

The first episode isn't exactly bad. Although the last five minutes looked as if it ended abruptly. I thought my copy had been prematurely cut, with a minute's worth of scene missing.

Two things I have to confess:
  • I had reservations about Britt Robertson playing Cassie Blake. This young and beautiful actress CAN act. But having watched her on Life Unexpected for two seasons, I can almost sense her ticks and mannerisms that it got annoying in the long run.  I didn't get that here (yet). She was the one bright spot for me for this show.
  • I'm not a big fan of Thomas Dekker (who plays Adam, Cassie' "destined" partner).  Didn't like him in Heroes, nor on The Sarah Connor Chronicles. No particular reason. He's just not connecting with me. And he's probably going to make it hard for me to like watching this show. I hope that turns around in the weeks to come. 
The rest of the cast? I'm still getting to know them.

The Secret Circle Members: Adam, Diane, Cassie, Nick, Faye & Melissa
The Secret Circle is about a combined power of 6. The kids are still learning how to control their powers. I'm very intrigued about which character has what power and who is the strongest of all.

I also want to know about their parents' history. Based on what was told in the episode, they were the original power of 6, but had to disband and stop practicing witchcraft because of an unfortunate incident.

Here is the official synopsis of The Secret Circle:
Cassie Blake was a happy, normal teenage girl - until her mother Amelia dies in what appears to be a tragic accidental fire. Orphaned and deeply saddened, Cassie moves in with her warm and loving grandmother Jane in the beautiful small town of Chance Harbor, Washington - the town her mother left so many years before - where the residents seem to know more about Cassie than she does about herself. As Cassie gets to know her high school classmates, including sweet-natured Diana and her handsome boyfriend Adam, brooding loner Nick, mean-girl Faye and her sidekick Melissa, strange and frightening things begin to happen. When her new friends explain that they are all descended from powerful witches, and they've been waiting for Cassie to join them and complete a new generation of the Secret Circle, Cassie refuses to believe them - until Adam shows her how to unlock her incredible magical powers.