Contributor: John Keegan
When the writers had Cassie peer back into time in the previous episode, I thought it was a nice way for them to deliver a bit of exposition regarding the “boat accident” and the survival of John Blackwell. This installment puts a twist on that: Cassie was, in a sense, really there, and she was seen by a survivor, who now remembers her. It adds a completely different twist to the entire series thus far, because now we know why Cassie’s arrival was so anticipated.
The previous generation, specifically Dawn, had to know that this moment was coming from the minute Cassie came to town. By the same token, Dawn would then know that Cassie would complete the circle, attain enough power to cast the “flashback” spell, and tap into her dark magic legacy. The question then becomes: was Cassie’s mother killed to force Cassie to come to town so the circle could be formed and their power taken, or something even more sinister?
It’s leading into another potentially strong plot arc, but I’m still not convinced that the writers can find their consistency and retain it. After all, a lot of this episode rests on Cassie’s decision to trust a total stranger who was acting way too nice and helpful from the start. Not that Cassie has ever shown an ounce of caution, but they couldn’t have made the betrayal more obvious if they tried.
This episode also convinces me that Diana is a much better match for Adam, because he and Cassie just don’t have the necessary chemistry to make the subplot effective. Besides, I rather like the idea that Cassie’s dark side would drive a wedge between her and this apparent destiny with Adam. At this point, I’d rather she was with Faye. It would certainly add some controversial spark to the show!
Then again, I’m looking for anything to convince me, at this point, that Cassie is a viable main character. I still think she’s too bland, and when she had the moment of dark euphoric ecstasy at the end of the episode, I just couldn’t buy into it. (The fact that they have her get semi-orgasmic and then coo, “Daddy!” didn’t exactly help things, either.) Cassie needed to be the strongest character on the show, the lynchpin the others were waiting for, and that’s not what they have. Sadly, at this point, I just think Britt Robertson was terribly miscast. (Either that, or she’s been intentionally holding back to make her descent more stark in contrast. But I doubt it.)
I also still have trouble keeping track of the adults, largely because they haven’t been rendered distinct enough in appearance or motivation. I still contrast this to “The Vampire Diaries”, where the fate of one of the adults recently was one of the most involving moments of the season. Would we care if any of the adults were killed?
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 1/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 6/10
