“The time has finally come for a cleansing.”
This episode had to be amazing, didn’t it? Just to make it even more awful for me to say goodbye. Ugh. 'Family' wasn’t altogether shocking; in fact everything that happened was kind of to be expected. Predictable doesn’t adequately describe it though, because it was all stuff that had to happen. The Secret Circle was headed in the right direction, characters were even more appealing than they were before and the future looked bright. One thing’s for certain: season two would have been amazing.
There’s was very little left to learn in 'Family'. Everything of value had been divulged in bit and pieces all year, but the way that all of the information was presented here tied everything up quite nicely, with Blackwell’s full plan reaching fruition, and the truth about their parents’ deaths making more sense than it did before. The only new information here was the revelation about the Balcoin circle. The possibilities it could have provided are endless, and it was a wonderful way of ushering us into what was supposed to be the show’s sophomore year. With some new blood and a fresh take on the show’s group dynamics, who knows what could have happened.
Like a lot of episodes, this one dedicated a lot of time to the exploration of dark magic. One thing I don’t’ get is what possessed Cassie to hurt Diana like that, even if she was desperate to get her to stop their father? And why was Diana so reluctant to use hers? It was great seeing them face Blackwell together, but I have no idea what the consequences could have been for them individually. Would Diana have had to fight her inner darkness like Cassie? From what I could derive from it, the last scene with Cassie seems to point at her becoming a lot more personal with her own dark magic, probably giving the new Blackwells the opening they needed. So many questions that can never be answered!
After watching this episode, I don’t know why the circle wasn’t unbound before. Group magic was never really used to its full potential at all, just a few mass chanting sessions here and there, but the solo magic proved far more exciting and volatile, even just from what we got to see here, not just exploding light bulbs and floating raindrops. There was a lot of fun to be had with it, and it helped bring this episode to a satisfying climax.
It’s hard to analyse any of the cliff-hangers we were left with, considering they’ll never really go anywhere. I’ve discussed Cassie, and the new Blackwell off-spring already, but it seems as though Adam was about to follow Cassie down the seductive magic road. Faye and Melissa’s scene was really great, full of all that fun and magic that I’ve talked about before, with their solo magic making things even more fun than it did when they were bound. Charles seems to be falling into Heather’s footsteps, and Jake’s final scene was a little bit too vague to derive anything from it, other than the crystals were being replaced with other annoying magic item. I don’t think Diana would have found any solace other than a few moments to herself on her trip with Grant. Her bond with the circle is far too intense, and she’s much too moral to leave the rest of her circle hanging when they would have undoubtedly gotten themselves in danger.
Over the past year I’ve really grown attached to these characters, which is strange considering how difficult so many others found it to connect with them at all. Faye was awesome from the start, taking sassy to a whole other level. Cassie was immediately engaging, even if she went a little brain dead for a while there. The biggest surprise was Diana, someone who started out so straight forward, but grew and blossomed into one of the show’s defining personalities. The parents were a little harder to get used to; popping in and out and muttering about crystals wasn’t enough to solidify them as integral parts of the cast. Family was the first episode to bring them into the fold properly, even changing Charles into a martyr, sacrificing everything for his daughter. If there was one thing this show did best, it was giving us an easily accessible cast.
Now that it’s all been said and done, and the show’s fate is sealed, it’s hard to pinpoint where it all went wrong. Why didn’t it catch on? Was it the lack of Ian Somerhalder? Not enough carnage? Did you just not connect with the characters, or was it just not your thing? Despite a few misfires, The Secret Circle’s first season proved far more cohesive and consistent than The Vampire Diaries’ first attempt. It may not have been as throttling, or as crazily paced, but I wouldn’t say it was inferior. The Secret Circle had its own identity, it’s just a shame it wasn’t one that found its own audience. I can’t really blame The CW for renewing other shows over it either, but I can’t wait to see Beauty and the Beast tank, just for the sake of justice. I’m not getting my hopes up for it returning in another format either, which is a shame ‘cause if there’s any other show more deserving of a second chance, it’s this one.
'Family' was exactly the finale this season/series needed. Despite the fact that the circle was splitting apart, the show itself felt more bound together than it ever had been before and the prospects for next season were incredibly exciting. I’m really going miss this show, and Faye, and Diana, hell, I’ll even miss Cassie’s dark magic/constipation face. RIP The Secret Circle, you’ll be missed. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go cry into my book of shadows.
Plus
I loved that Faye had to turn back and get her cell-phone off that witch-hunter. I also loved her using magic to have a great night out. She's be cool to have around when you're bored, wouldn't she? I’m gonna miss her. I hope Phoebe Tonkin finds another great role soon.
Jake killing Eben was pretty dark, even for him. Would it have had a longer lasting effect on him in the second season?
The activation of the crystal skull was more than a little disturbing. I can only imagine how ridiculous Britt and Shelley felt when they were filming that scene.
Diana’s grandmother didn’t seem to play too much of a role here, other than donating her magic, but I loved her speech about Diana still being theirs, even if she wasn’t blood. Although, shouldn’t she believe the opposite? She did try to kill Cassie for her dark magic; shouldn’t she want to do the same to Diana?
He Said, She Said
Cassie: “How can you kill witches?”
Blackwell: “Because they’re weak, and their weakness has kept us victims for 2000 years. The time has finally come for a cleansing.”
Blackwell: “Stop fighting it. We Share the same blood, we’re the same.”
Faye: “We can still be together, even if we’re not bound.”
Faye: (chained to the stake) “I’m getting really tired of this pole, and these stupid robes.”
Cassie: “Bound or not, you are my sister and you are the only family I have left. “
Diana: “No matter where I go, that is never going to change."
4 out of 4 crystal skulls.
Previously posted at PandaTV.
So sad this has been cancelled :'(
ReplyDeleteI am hoping to get more news about all the support the Make-A-Wish, Save-A-Wish is probably the best chance of our show being renewed or picked up, while supporting a great cause. Let's try to donate to this charity and show us fans not only love the show, but also love children and their wishes while fighting for their lives. I think all the other things we are doing is amazing as well, but nothing like this has been done in the past. For fans to gather together for a cause (Make a Wish Foundation) to show how much we care for that charity, while hoping a network will see that the power of us Secret Circle fans, is the power to make a wish come true. In a way we are doing magic, and hopefully our wish will come true while providing wishes to these precious children in their time of need.
ReplyDeleteThis was an amazing idea with such great and loving "binding" of TSC fans. Just imagine even if TSC does not become renewed or picked up by a network, this charity has already raised a lot of money, I believe the producer or writer donated $20,000 when the charity "Make-A-Wish, Save-A-Witch" started. If you google about the $20,000 donation, you can see exactly if it was the writer or producer. No other fans of a show being cancelled has provided this kind of support to children in their time of need, to show how much we care about them and hope that networks see that as much as we care about TSC, we are doing great things for a great charity. I am assuming all the people donating are not just doing it to save the show, but behind the fact we want to show how much we support the show, the more important factor is these amazing children with an "inner" magic that is keeping them alive and the money we donate is creating a "spell" to provide that wish they so long for, hopefully the networks will also be "spellbound" by our amazing TSC fans are and how much we are doing to save the show, but more importantly while wanting our "wish" granted, we actually are granting so many wishes to those in need.
I just love how much TSC fans globally have united for this cause, even knowing that our show may not make it. We still care about this loving children and their wishes. We will "cast a spell" and hopefully bring healing energy of the power of a "crystal" to this children and miracles can happen and dreams will come true for the children.
Karma is a powerful thing, and I believe just donating for the children, will pay us back in the fact a network will realize no other "binding" of fans for a show have done this kind of thing before.
It just goes to show that TSC has amazing, loving, undeniably "bound" fans. Wow, I am just so happy to see us doing something so great, all because we share the love for the show, and want to spread that love to the children who are needing "magic" in their lives.
The Make-A-Wish, Save-A-Witch campaign has filled my heart with joy, I knew TSC fans were amazing and strong, but beyond that we are passionate and therefore we want to help make wishes come true.
Chance Harbor may return, but for now TSC fans are creating magic of our own, magic to provide wishes, to help those in need. It would be a sad thing for a network not to see the devotion us TSC fans have and that we CARE enough to help those in need, even if a network choses to not grant our "wish". At least TSC global fan community will be remembered for helping out so many wishes for the angels on earth that need them.
AMAZING, just AMAZING!!! Out of all the shows I have strived and combined with other fans to save, TSC fans have blew me away with the outpouring of support for the show, but more for the fact that we care for these childrens dreams and wishes to be granted.....and that is true magic at work. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥