Sunday, November 13, 2011

The Secret Circle, Season 1, Episode 9: Balcoin



It’s time for a new episode of Secret Circle! Will Jakes realise that working for Witch hunters is like a fish working for Captain Birdseye? Will a man on this show not be immediately entranced by Cassie? Will Melissa actually be allowed to speak? Let the angst and love triangles commence!

Cassie has taken the warning that was given to her from Calvin (before he sacrificed himself nobly for her) to Jane, her grandmother (my gods, is this common sense returning to them again? Asking her grandmother rather than asking random witches in the street?) UnfortunatelyEvil Parent #2, Charles, used a spell in the last episode to make Jane forget the whole murdering Henry and kidnapping her thing (and stole her magical bling) but the side effects seem to include forgetfulness. It seems to
Jake is there to find the hidden message Cassie and Jane missed – finding John Blackwell (really? The black practitioner bloodline has the surname Blackwell?) – Cassie’s father’s – family tree. She’s descended from the Balcoin family, one of the origins of dark magic that the Hunters thought they had annihilated. Apparently now it is confirmed that she does have Black Magic they can’t kill her and must go to the council instead… what, a guaranteed black witch needs discussion but any other witch is kill on sight? They also have to leave to take Jake away from the circle so he doesn’t come to his senses about the whole “witch working for witch hunters thing”. I’d like to think it was common sense and absence from a cult getting through to him, but it’s more Cassie’s blonde magnetism it seems.

Anyway, Adam and Faye are suspicious of Jake’s suspicious naughtiness, which would give me hope that someone is noticing the very obvious badness were it not for the fact that both of them dislike Jake because of jealousy reasons

Back to the witch hunters. Cassie’s just too dangerous to kill or leave behind, so they’re going to kidnap her and use her powers to their own ends like they do Jake! Ok, I think this takes a prize for being the worst plan and the most empty headed thinking we’ve seen on this show so far. We’ve already seen what happens when Cassie is kidnapped – and if she’s too dangerous to kill how do you expect to contain or capture her? Add in that the only reason Jake is helping them is because he has some strange idea about Witchcraft being deadly – all in all there’s not so much flaws in this plan as the plan is one great big flaw. But Jake does lure her outside by means of cunningly asking her to follow him. But they are spotted by Adam and Faye (see, jealous stalking does have a use!) and they know he’s a witch hunter! Scoobies unite!

And Jake tells Cassie about her super dark-magic powers and heritage. Also, Cassie has the Worst Poker Face ever. There is a show down, magic, action – actually it’s pretty well done though I still think the special effects budget could be better – and the Witch hunters head off into the distance

And Melissa is back! She gets like, 3 lines the entire episode. And she is joined by Holden, Melissa’s cousin who is here to cure her depression. Ok, new PoC character guys so let’s take bets: dead, villain or appears for 1 or 2 episodes before vanishing? Place bets now! The winner gets to fast forward through all the teen dramas.  Oh and wait, didn’t Melissa have a living mother not a father? Anyway it’s confirmed that now Melissa has a living father.

Faye is sad over her grandfather’s death and is giving her mother, Evil!Parent 1, grief over it. Given that she was the one who murdered Henry, I think any and all guilt extracted is richly deserved. The Evil!Parents are still snarking at each other over who gets to keep the magic bling (and, I have to say, YUM Evil!Prarent 2, Charles, can work a suit, yes yes he can)

Teen drama update. Jakes likes Cassie. Cassie likes Jake and wants to go on a date but is worried he doesn’t like her and is pulling away. And he says he doesn’t like her but he does really (and also looks good in a suit)! Faye likes Jake. Diana misses Adam. Adam (who doesn’t look that special in a suit, but then, that’s not a very nice suit) still pines for Diana and we’re beginning to get hints (oh gods no) of Faye and Adam together. Shoot me now. Oh, and new drama – Diana likes Holden! He’s been here 5 minutes and they’re already pulling him into the love triangles. It’s like an angst powered black hole. Sparky still doesn’t care

And the cliffhanger! There is another child of the Balcoin bloodline in the circle (DUM!DUM!DUM!)

Well it was better than last week’s. Though that’s not saying an awful lot. And finally some plot is advanced and teen drama was kept to a relative minimum. May it continue! Though I still don’t even know why Melissa is a character, she has a completely non-existent role. And I doubt very much Holden is going to live for long