The Secret Circle 1.10 ‘Darkness’ review: Defense Against the Dark Arts

It’s 2012 folks, and the Mayans may have been on to something with their “end of days” mumbo jumbo. Cassie Blake is certainly exhibiting a doomsday brand of witchcraft that could be responsible for the death of us all, or at least for chatty Cathy’s like Adam. On the surface “Darkness” descended into the fatal attraction of magick moste evile: Charles wanting control, Faye’s temper tantrum for individual power, and Cassie’s dark revelation that “the scary part is I liked it…letting my fear save me. I know it isn’t right, but it felt really good.” However, Cassie’s nightmare in the opening scene was the perfect frame for the larger picture. Tonight’s return to Chance Harbor had most of the witches awake in their own worst nightmare.

Let’s start with Cassie. Her nightmare is her dark magic being outed and hurting someone she cares about. Despite her defenses against being labeled “a daddy’s girl”, her connections to Blackwell were revealed. First, Adam told Diana about Cassie’s corrupt lineage, and she responded by Darth Vader-ing him. The connection between her nightmare with Jake and reality was made explicit through her dreams realization. This led to a powwow between the Circle, in which Faye and Melissa were clued into Cassie’s extra abilities.  I know they cautioned safety first and all, but I’m going to pretend the talk was so that Faye could keep a tight leash on her mouth. Wouldn’t want her to be on the receiving end of a Blackwell inspired smackdown. Does Jake’s arrival at the end of the hour signify the true beginning of her nightmare (since he was in her actual dream), or is it a reversal of that fate?

Faye next, because we all know she’d bitch since I took on Cassie first. Faye’s awakening horror is that it’s been finite incantatum for her individual powers since the Circle’s been bound. The situation becomes even direr when she attempts to release those shared powers through the very touchy ritual administered by the Voodoo Douche, Lee. He told Faye he could help her get her groove back, but nope!

Diana’s trust in her family is admirable, but tragic. Sure, her bloodline isn’t polluted by dark magic like Cassie’s, but her families wicked choices make them just as evil as a Blackwell. Diana’s nightmare is the violation of her trust. She experienced that tonight when her grandma attempted to murder her Cassie. I can’t wait to see what happens when she realizes her dad is one-half of Chance Harbor’s grim reaping duo.

Adam’s fear was more indirectly hinted at in the episode through parallels to Jake. First, Cassie dreams about Jake, magically chokes him, and in real life this all happens to Adam. Jake knew about Cassie’s dark magic before anyone in the Circle. Cassie confides in Adam second. Adam throws rocks at Diana’s window to come in to talk to Cassie. Well lo and behold, Jake is outside of Cassie’s window at the end of the episode. Does he fear competition or that he has more in common with Jake than he wants to admit?

Charles’ teenage dream of romancing Dawn turns into a nightmare when she plays along with their fake relationship to convince Grandma Kate of her innocence. Of course Dawn uses the situation to her nefarious advantage, and arguably attempted to poison Grandma Kate with her wine. Unfortunately Charles’ feelings and loyalties are caught in the crossfire of Dawn’s homicidal tendencies.

And finally Dawn. Another elder has caught a whiff of foul play, and we all know murder is her natural instinct. However, her tangled ties with Charles bind her hands. He thwarts her plan, and once again refuses to handover the crystal.

Although Grandma Kate brewed some mischief, she also offered some powerful insight into the best defense against the darkness: “faith…in who you are…in who you want to be” may “determine a spell’s success”, but that also applies to a person’s character.  The episode’s exploration of each witch’s fears reestablishes where they are, and what they’ll constantly confront for growth until they believe in the good in themselves. Great return to jaw-dropping style for The Secret Circle!

Elsewhere in Chance Harbor:

-Melissa is afraid she won’t get an interesting storyline.

-The Elder’s are clearly skinny-dipping in the Fountain of Youth. Grandma Kate is mildly cougarish.

-Grandma Kate going all ashes-to-ashes on Cassie was awesome. Especially the visual of the forest rushing to suffocate Cassie in the coffin, and her explosion out of it.

-Potential continuity error: Why was it raining in the scene when Charles and Dawn had their weekly power struggle convo in the car, and then nowhere else?