The Secret Circle "Heather" Review

The teenage witches of Chance Harbor have to deal with demons now--small, slithery demons with a taste for possession. Cassie was convinced speaking with Heather Barnes would lead to answers about her mother and the boat fire, which it did, but those answers came at a dire price. The stakes are more dangerous now, especially with the binding spell, and the quest for answers is more urgent. The Secret Circle's been a better series each week. The show never lacked for confidence in its tone, pacing, story, acting, or directing. "Heather" was an essential episode because it showcased what to expect from the rest of the season, and the previous episodes weren't forthcoming about that.

Kevin Williamson actually promised the show would be about dark magics, and he expressed interest in telling a story about how the teenage characters react to that magic and the inherent evil in it. In some ways, this isn't entirely different from the initial three seasons of Buffy because Joss used demons and vampires to represent common problems in a teenager's lives. The Chance Harbor teens existed in relative innocence throughout their life. Their parents tried to protect them from the truth. Diana's discovery of the Book of Shadows shattered their innocence, and now she and her friends are completely involved in the dark, evil world of witchcraft. The process from teen to adult involves a sort of discovery about truth and how the world really works. Without that discovery, one's chances of survival in the adult world's aren't so great. The theme of discovery has been significant in the four episodes. Each discovery's dramatically changed every character. Eventually, they'll discover the truth about the boat ride, as well as the duplicity of Dawn and Charles. The separation from parental figures will increase until the only ones the circle can rely on is one another.

The coming-of-age story's a staple in genre television. The Secret Circle, like its sister series The Vampire Diaries, centers on children who've lost a parent. The characters in TVD came together as family when their families were distant. Buffy, ANGEL, Firefly, and Dollhouse were about make-shift families as well as how one needn't share the same blood to be family. Williamson's been trying to tell coming-of-age stories for audiences since the inception of Dawson's Creek. He experienced several failures in between Dawson's Creek and The Vampire Diaries but his knack for the teenage voice never left him or his understanding of the teenage experience. The coming-of-age story in TSC is the most interesting aspect of the show because the writers have devoted time and energy to making the audience feel for, and care about, the teenagers in the circle.

The information about demons and dark magics was secondary to the character stuff in "Heather." Cassie sought out Heather because a damaged man tried to kill her in an effort to prevent witchcraft from spreading once more in Chance Harbor. Our heroine didn't care about the effects of witchcraft in 1995 as much as she cared about her mother's legacy and how she's remembered by those who knew her. Cassie felt bothered by Zach's assertions that Amelia dealt a far worse fate to Heather than death, so she wanted answers to confirm what she's known all along about her mother--that she was a genuinely good person.

Likewise, Faye agreed to help Cassie break the spell because she shares the same need for answers. The death of her father left a wound in Faye, a vulnerability that Faye protected by using her magic; without it, she's exposed and vulnerable. Faye's mother won't tell her a thing about the accident that claimed her dad's life, which pisses her off, and that's why she'll help Cassie.

Cassie and Faye act without an iota of research about the spell in their heads, so they're speaking Latin without a clue about what'll happen if the spell works. The information within the Book of Shadows is completely different depending on the witch. Diana warned Cassie against the spell but she was ignored. The girls happened to awaken the demon possessed Heather in 1995 the day of the accident. Heather explained that darkness follows witches. The day of the boat fire began as an attempt to eradicate the demons. Something went wrong. Some got in. Amelia cast the original spell on Heather to numb the pain of the demon inside her. Cassie and Faye's reversal spell awoke the demon, which inevitably led to Heather's death and a lesson for Cassie about the value of research.

The sequences between Heather the Demon and Cassie/Faye inside of the Grandma Cassie house weren't very effective. The demon pushed Cassie, leapt from the first floor to the second floor, and wildly convulsed before getting hit by a car. I forgive the series for its cheesy effects because the character stuff was great. I'll note the demon slithered from Heather's skull, into Nick's jacket, and into the ear of Melissa following their intercourse. The possession of Melissa flashes me back to Vicki the Vampire in TVD's first season--I'm not hopeful of Melissa's chances. The Melissa possession story in #105 is important. I wonder if these writers will share the same resolve about offing main characters, if Williamson and Miller will let the room be as daring and unpredictable as its sister series. I hope so.

"Heather" was the strongest episode thus far. The absence of Dawn and Charles made the episode infinitely more watchable. Cassie and Faye are the best characters by a long shot. The writers need to do more work on Diana, Adam, Nick, and Melissa. I'm optimistic about the show's future, though. The ratings are horrible but The CW has nothing else to take its spot, so I expect a full season. I'm committing myself to write about the series until the end of the season or whenever it's cancelled.

Dave Ehrman earned the writing credit. Dave Barrett directed it.

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