Contributor: John Keegan
Written by Andrew Miller and Andrea Newman
Directed by Dave Barrett
The season arc for “The Secret Circle” has been a complete mess, but I have to give credit to the writers: they managed to bring a number of threads to a conclusion, even if some of the resolutions felt sloppy along the way. And while I was a bit annoyed at the final resolution of the Blackwell arc, it did force the story into an interesting direction.
The whole question of what happened with the previous generation of witches has been resolved. Charles took himself out in the process of taking down Eben, so the witch hunters are scattered to the four winds. The endless bit about the crystals is now over, with the creation of the crystal skull. The current circle has been broken in the process, and now Cassie and Diana are marked with the Balcoin legacy, as their four siblings arrive in Chance Harbor to form a new circle of Blackwell spawn.
Despite my reservations over how it was framed, I like the notion that Blackwell’s endgame was to use the crystal skull to kill all the witches but his own progeny, since there are so few in this universe, thus leaving all the power in the hands of a single circle fueled by dark magic, under his command. I think I’d like to see that show, actually, even if it meant losing the delectable Faye in the process.
The disappointment is that it was all done to gain power for power’s sake. Blackwell’s motivations were all too typically black and white. How much better would it have been, in terms of setting up a second season, if Blackwell was trying to do all of this because of something far, far worse coming for the witches? That still might be the case, but as it stands, if the series is renewed, the drama looks to be centered on Cassie’s (and Diana’s) temptation to choose her siblings over her friends.
With the circle broken, and everyone’s individual power back in their own hands, it’s going to be difficult to get them to work together or consent to being bound again. Faye is frankly a lot more fun on her own, and Adam looks a lot more interested in alone-time with the crystal skull. (And how creepy was his expression towards the end?) Since the writers never seemed to figure out how to get the entire circle into a scenario where their combined powers could be used, it actually makes sense to keep everyone apart, unless or until such a massive threat emerges. (Another reason why they should have introduced one.)
In the meantime, Diana is leaving town to have some along time with Grant, Faye and Melissa look to be trying some of that old time sex magic, Adam is becoming an addict for skull sculpture, and Jake is getting weird ashes in a convenient carrying case. Even with the arrival of the Blackwell Gang at the very end, this could easily serve as a fitting series finale. If nothing else, this struggle of a first season ended on a high note.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 8/10
(Season 1 Final Average: 6.4)