After having watched the pilot episode for The CW's new show, The Secret Circle, here are my first impressions and the inevitable comparison to The Vampire Diaries.What works: I was expecting a teen show full of cheesy moments, but instead the story is well written and surprisingly mature. It has an early creepy feeling brought on by Gale Harold's villain Charles Meade, and the secrecy vibe surrounding... well... the secret circle works well for the moment. I'm pretty excited about Cassie's background, as first clues suggest it's an gripping one. I'm also intrigued by the past and the accident that killed part of last circle's members.Brittany Robertson was a good choice to play Cassie Blake. She managed to give life to a likable and believable character - as opposed to Elena Gilbert, whose story is slightly similar in that they have both lost their parents. She seems to be mature without overdoing it and so far acts her age, which is refreshing. It is what one would expect from a teen show.Thomas Dekker also works as Adam Conant, Cassie's possible romantic interest. He's cute, honest (so far) and I'm amused by the whole "written in the stars" thing. What doesn't work: Phoebe Tonkin as bad girl Faye Chamberlain is not doing it for me. She doesn't have what it takes to play such a role - so far, she comes off as whiny and spoiled, but nothing much. Similarly, Natasha Henstridge is simply not made for acting. She may look good on TV, but I can't help but cringe every time she throws a fake smile at us.It's more of a teen show than The Vampire Diaries, which has a darker feeling. I'm not seeing many adults wanting to check out a show that deals with what appears to be a summer camp-like secret society.The Secret Circle vs. The Vampire Diaries: Both book series were written by the same author - L. J. Smith - and have showrunner Kevin Williamson on board. Both are young adult fantasy romance series, but while TVD has the makings of attracting an older public (which it already has), I don't see TSC doing the same thing. In terms of main characters, I like Cassie more than I liked Elena in the beginning - she starts off as more mature and less gloomy and as long as she doesn't spend half her time writing in her diary, I'll be happy. On the other hand, as cute as Thomas Dekker is, he's no Ian Somerhalder or even Paul Wesley, so I don't expect any of that craziness happening around The Secret Circle. Overall, TVD is a lot more sexier.As a personal preference, while I enjoy the witchy stuff, vampire mythology has always held an important part in my life ever since I read my first Anne Rice novel and saw Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so just from this perspective TVD will always have more appeal to me.Even though this is your basic teen drama with a supernatural element, it might just make it and find a devoted public, especially since it benefits from the fact that it will air right after its sister, The Vampire Diaries. I find it interesting enough to get past the cheesy stuff for now, as long as it delivers good action.You can find the full review on the pilot episode here.
Entertainment Magazine
After having watched the pilot episode for The CW's new show, The Secret Circle, here are my first impressions and the inevitable comparison to The Vampire Diaries.What works: I was expecting a teen show full of cheesy moments, but instead the story is well written and surprisingly mature. It has an early creepy feeling brought on by Gale Harold's villain Charles Meade, and the secrecy vibe surrounding... well... the secret circle works well for the moment. I'm pretty excited about Cassie's background, as first clues suggest it's an gripping one. I'm also intrigued by the past and the accident that killed part of last circle's members.Brittany Robertson was a good choice to play Cassie Blake. She managed to give life to a likable and believable character - as opposed to Elena Gilbert, whose story is slightly similar in that they have both lost their parents. She seems to be mature without overdoing it and so far acts her age, which is refreshing. It is what one would expect from a teen show.Thomas Dekker also works as Adam Conant, Cassie's possible romantic interest. He's cute, honest (so far) and I'm amused by the whole "written in the stars" thing. What doesn't work: Phoebe Tonkin as bad girl Faye Chamberlain is not doing it for me. She doesn't have what it takes to play such a role - so far, she comes off as whiny and spoiled, but nothing much. Similarly, Natasha Henstridge is simply not made for acting. She may look good on TV, but I can't help but cringe every time she throws a fake smile at us.It's more of a teen show than The Vampire Diaries, which has a darker feeling. I'm not seeing many adults wanting to check out a show that deals with what appears to be a summer camp-like secret society.The Secret Circle vs. The Vampire Diaries: Both book series were written by the same author - L. J. Smith - and have showrunner Kevin Williamson on board. Both are young adult fantasy romance series, but while TVD has the makings of attracting an older public (which it already has), I don't see TSC doing the same thing. In terms of main characters, I like Cassie more than I liked Elena in the beginning - she starts off as more mature and less gloomy and as long as she doesn't spend half her time writing in her diary, I'll be happy. On the other hand, as cute as Thomas Dekker is, he's no Ian Somerhalder or even Paul Wesley, so I don't expect any of that craziness happening around The Secret Circle. Overall, TVD is a lot more sexier.As a personal preference, while I enjoy the witchy stuff, vampire mythology has always held an important part in my life ever since I read my first Anne Rice novel and saw Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so just from this perspective TVD will always have more appeal to me.Even though this is your basic teen drama with a supernatural element, it might just make it and find a devoted public, especially since it benefits from the fact that it will air right after its sister, The Vampire Diaries. I find it interesting enough to get past the cheesy stuff for now, as long as it delivers good action.You can find the full review on the pilot episode here.
