"The Secret Circle" SnapCap: "How Many Witches Does It Take to Explode Some Light Bulbs?"

The second episode of The CW's new supernatural drama The Secret Circle was heavy on backstory and light on action. We learn a little bit more about the magical accident that killed Cassie's father and also Adam's mother, Faye's father and both of Nick's parents. That accident got magic banned and the surviving members of that circle stripped of their powers by the circle that came before theirs. That includes Charles, who's been doing his spell-casting with the help of a crystal, and Dawn, whose father-in-law Henry comes snooping after Ethan narcs on Charles. Dawn snags the crystal away from Charles but Henry spots her using it as well as spotting Faye and Melissa using magic to cheat at ring toss. He threatens to tell “the others” about it but Dawn gives him a magical heart attack instead, although I'm not sure if he's dead or if he just left town again.

Meanwhile, Cassie wants nothing to do with the rest of the witches so she jumps at the chance offered her by student body president Sally Matthews to volunteer at the “Sea Fair” selling raffle tickets. Then she starts losing control of her powers whenever she gets upset. She's freaked out enough to take a lesson in control from Adam but still wants the rest of the circle to leave her alone. Faye won't let it go and keeps goading Cassie, first blowing up her chemistry experiment then threatening to whip up another storm at the Sea Fair. Sally gets caught in the middle and Faye whammys her right off a deck onto a rocky shore, possibly to her death. Dawn revives Sally with the crystal and Faye is chastened enough that she agrees to go along with the binding ritual.

And now, the SnapCap!

BEEFCAKE: Another episode of The Secret Circle, another scene of creepy Nick half-naked at his window staring over at Cassie, prompting Cassie to wonder aloud if Nick even owns a shirt. Lord, I hope not.

HEART/DRAMA: Cassie and Adam continue their little dance of attraction while Diana looks on worriedly from the sidelines and Faye's sidekick Melissa and creepy Nick hooked up although creepy Nick totally wants to keep it on the DL. I'm hoping Melissa goes all woman scorned on him because right now she's a total doormat.

AFTERELTON BAIT: Nada. The closest we get even to hoyay is a line from Adam about how Ethan and Charles almost came to blows, but he was talking about fighting.

HUMOR: For a series with such an absurd premise TSC is playing it in dead earnest.

PRODUCTION VALUES/ACTING: Exploding light bulbs. Lots and lots of exploding light bulbs. And lots of other broken glass, from windows to beakers. Any time anyone got emotional another piece of glass got shattered. And I have to say I was a little disappointed by the binding ritual. All of that free-floating energy flying around in all directions, and all binding it did was make the bonfire burn a little higher?

Are you watching The Secret Circle? What do you think after two episodes?