The Secret Circle (TV series)

The Secret Circle is an American supernatural fantasy teen drama television series that aired on The CW from September 15, 2011, to May 10, 2012. It is based on the book series of the same name written by L. J. Smith.[1] Set in the town of Chance Harbor, Washington, the series focuses on Cassie Blake who, after moving to Chance Harbor, discovers that she is a hereditary witch and soon after joins a secret coven of five others. The series was developed by Andrew Miller and was picked up on May 17, 2011, by The CW.[2] On October 12, 2011, The CW ordered a full 22-episode season of the series.

The Secret Circle
Genre
Based onThe Secret Circle
by L. J. Smith
Developed byAndrew Miller
Starring
Country of originUnited States
Original language(s)English
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes22
Production
Executive producer(s)
Producer(s)
Production location(s)Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Running time42 minutes
Production company(s)
Distributor
Release
Original networkThe CW
Picture format1080i (HDTV)
Original releaseSeptember 15, 2011 (2011-09-15) –
May 10, 2012 (2012-05-10)
External links
Website

On May 11, 2012, The CW canceled the series. The ratings declined in the second half of the season; the high costs of special effects and location shooting were cited as reasons for the show's cancellation.[3]

Synopsis

Following the death of her mother, Cassie Blake (Britt Robertson) moves to Chance Harbor, Washington, to live with her grandmother. Her attempts to adjust to the new town are crushed when five of her classmates, Adam Conant (Thomas Dekker), Diana Meade (Shelley Hennig), Faye Chamberlain (Phoebe Tonkin), Melissa Glaser (Jessica Parker Kennedy), and Nick Armstrong (Louis Hunter), reveal to Cassie that she comes from a long line of witches and is the final member of their coven; with her they are able to unlock the full extent of their powers. Initially Cassie refuses to believe that she is a witch, even after Adam helps her to unlock her powers. It is only after she discovers an old leather-bound book of spells left to her by her late mother, Amelia, that Cassie begins to accept her power. Inside the book is a message to Cassie explaining that she kept their real family history and her powers a secret in order to keep her safe; as the circle soon finds out, their powers attract dark and dangerous forces that constantly puts them in harm's way.

Main cast

Circle members
  • Cassie Blake (played by Britt Robertson) is a newly discovered witch who, since the death of her mother, Amelia, has resided in the town of Chance Harbor, Washington. While Cassie initially dislikes the idea of being a witch, she later begins to accept her destiny and her family's heritage of magic. Her mother's side goes all the way back to the beginning of witchcraft, while her father, John Blackwell, comes from a long line of dark witches. She is Diana's older half-sister through John Blackwell.
  • Adam Conant (played by Thomas Dekker) is a natural born witch and one of the two male members of the Circle. Adam is instantly attracted to Cassie Blake, despite his relationship with Diana Meade. It is Adam who helps Cassie unlock her powers and encourages her to join the Circle. The attraction that he and Cassie share causes a strain in his relationship with Diana.
  • Faye Chamberlain (played by Phoebe Tonkin) is an eccentric and free-spirited witch who uses her powers recklessly and selfishly. Frequently brash and irresponsible, Faye often challenges authority. She is best friends with Melissa Glaser. She does not believe that Diana Meade deserves to be the leader of the Circle and resents the fact that Diana has found her family's Book of Shadows while she has not found hers.
  • Diana Meade (played by Shelley Hennig) is a witch and the responsible, but strict leader of the Circle. Diana is good friends with Cassie Blake, despite the attraction between Cassie and Diana's long-term boyfriend, Adam Conant. Diana is the first member of the Circle to discover witchcraft and, as of the series' start, the only member to have found her family's Book of Shadows before Cassie found hers. She is also Cassie's younger half-sister through their father, John Blackwell. She also has dark magic and Balcoin blood.
  • Melissa Glaser (played by Jessica Parker Kennedy) is the fourth female witch of the Circle. She is Faye Chamberlain's closest friend and the former girlfriend of Nick Armstrong. In contrast to her counterparts, Melissa is more quiet and keeps to herself, but she is responsible and loyal to the Circle.
  • Nick Armstrong (played by Louis Hunter; regular in episodes 1–5 and 20-21) is the second male member of the Circle. Prior to the start of the show, he and Melissa Glaser developed a sexual relationship. He showed reluctance to make it anything more than just about sex. After being threatened by Faye Chamberlain, however, he began to act nicer to Melissa and their relationship deepened.
  • Jake Armstrong (played by Chris Zylka; guest episodes 6-13, regular 14-22) is Nick's older brother. He used to work for a group of witch hunters, thinking that witchcraft was responsible for the death of his family, before finding out that his parents were dead because the witch hunters killed them. He has an interest in Cassie Blake but a sexual relationship with Faye Chamberlain throughout the show.

Others
  • Charles Meade (played by Gale Harold) is Diana's father, he is a member of the previous generation of the Circle. Following the fire at the Boat Yard, Charles' powers are stripped from him, along with the other surviving members of his Circle. In episode 1, he kills Cassie's mother with magic he got from the crystal.
  • Jane Blake (portrayed by Ashley Crow) is the grandmother of Cassie Blake and mother of Amelia. While initially she acts as though she does not know about the Circle, Cassie eventually realizes that they need her help and tells her the truth.
  • Dawn Chamberlain (played by Natasha Henstridge) is Faye Chamberlain's mother, the principal of Chance Harbor High School, and a member of the previous generation of the Circle. While she and Charles act as a team, she is the more sadistic of the two. However, she also prefers to have Charles do the work, including murdering Amelia Blake.

Recurring cast
  • Sally Matthews (played by Logan Browning) is a sweet girl who befriends Cassie. She often butts heads with Faye, who accidentally kills her when her power was out of control. Dawn manages to revive her with a crystal, leaving her with a broken arm. Sally then becomes suspicious of Cassie, Adam, Diana, Nick, Melissa and Faye, especially after they left the hallway a mess from using their powers, but still tries to be friends with Cassie. She does not appear after "Loner".
  • Luke (played by Zachary Abel) is a boy who is friends with Adam and is attracted to Cassie when she first arrives in Chance Harbor. Through Adam, he asks her to the school dance in "Loner" but amicably leaves her after she ditches him. In "Masked" he is asked to attend a party at Cassie's house on Halloween organized by Faye, and is revealed to be a witch hunter.
  • Ethan Conant (played by Adam Harrington) is Adam's father. He is an alcoholic, and owns the Boathouse Bar and Grill where Adam works. Like Charles and Dawn, he was stripped of his powers sixteen years prior to the series' beginning. He continually complains about how he never was with Amelia Blake, despite the fact that they were "written in the stars" and misses her more than Adam's mother. He eventually tells Diana that Adam is destined to be with Cassie, resulting in their breakup. Later he recovers from his alcoholism, realizing he needs to be a better father. He has a rivalry with Charles Meade, mentioning multiple times that he has always been a bully. He also hates John Blackwell, at one point trying to kill him. He does not appear after "Lucky".
  • Amelia Blake (played by Emily Holmes in her first appearance, Andrea Brooks in her second) is Cassie's mother. At the beginning of the series she is killed by Charles Meade to bring Cassie back to Chance Harbor, but is mentioned many times throughout the series. She was John Blackwell's girlfriend, and let him into the Circle, but left him after realizing who he was. She stopped the demons Blackwell summoned at the boatyard fire, and was stripped of her powers along with Charles, Dawn and Ethan. In a flashback, it is revealed she also knew Blackwell was the father of Diana.
  • Isaac (played by JR Bourne) is a high-ranking member of the witch hunters. He is the one who Jake reports to regularly, and even after leaving the witch hunters, Jake still seems to have some respect for him. He arrives in Chance Harbor in "Wake" and leaves in "Balcoin", but later returns to get Balcoin's medallion from Jake, showing that he also respects Jake as a person. His faction of the witch hunters is called the "True Believers".
  • Ian (played by Richard Harmon) is a witch hunter. He first appears in "Masked" trying to kill the Circle. He later appears in "Traitor" having returned to Chance Harbor in Isaac's place (though only out of respect for Isaac) to warn the Circle about a witch who gave power to the witch hunters.
  • Eben (played by Sammi Rotibi) is the leader of the witch hunters who will do anything to kill them, especially John Blackwell. Sixteen years prior he used Ethan Conant's power to try to kill Blackwell, but it failed. He also killed Jake and Nick's parents personally on that day. After Blackwell returns, Eben summons demons into himself to protect him and aid him in killing witches, which causes a rift with Isaac and other witch hunters.
  • Lucy Gibbons (played by Nina Kiri in her first appearance, Lauren Stamile in her second) was John Blackwell's psychic sixteen years prior, who was at the boatyard the night of the "accident". After seeing Cassie in the memory, she goes to meet her to warn her about the witch hunters, but is later revealed to be working for the witch hunters, as she was sixteen years ago.
  • Henry Chamberlain (played by Tom Butler) is Dawn's father-in-law, Faye's grandfather, and an elder. He comes to Chance Harbor after being called by Ethan Conant, to determine whether or not the next generation is practicing. Dawn kills him after he says he will alert the elders. Charles hides his body twice at his house, but it is eventually found.
  • Kate Meade (played by Stepfanie Kramer) is Charles' mother, Diana's grandmother, and an elder. She is suspicious when Diana tells her Charles and Dawn are dating, and confronts Dawn. Dawn later puts on a facade, where she may have attempted to poison her, causing a rift with Charles. She tries to kill Cassie to destroy her dark magic but fails, and informs Charles that she knows what he has done. She returns in "Family", where she gives Charles and Dawn her power to save the children.
  • Calvin Wilson (played by Hiro Kanagawa) is the owner of Chance Harbor's antique store. He is a witch from another Circle. He realizes Cassie has dark magic and tries to warn her, but is stopped by Jake. He later appears as a hallucination to Jake when he is sick.
  • John Blackwell (played by Joe Lando) is Cassie's father, and a witch with dark magic. He returns to Chance Harbor after Cassie contacts him with his medallion. He is later revealed to be Diana's biological father due to an affair when Charles and his wife were separated. It is unclear what his intentions are until the final episodes, where it is revealed he fathered Cassie and Diana and caused all other female members of the Circle to get pregnant by their boyfriends, and then go to the boatyard, which he knew was a trap, to make their children orphans he could easily manipulate to form his own circle of dark magic. His plans are ultimately stopped by Cassie and Diana. He also had an affair with Dawn, but it did not work because when it started Dawn was already pregnant with Faye.
  • Lee LaBeque (played by Grey Damon) is a practitioner of voodoo magic. Faye tracks him down in an attempt to get her solo magic back. He does a few things, but they all have consequences Faye dislikes, and she believes he is using her. He is using her magic to revive his girlfriend who is in a coma, but he and Faye also develop feelings for each other.
  • Eva (played by Alexia Fast) is Lee's girlfriend, who is in a coma. She later awakens and gains some of Faye's power due to voodoo.
  • Callum (played by Michael Graziadei) is one of Lee's friends. He is also a drug dealer who sells Devil's Spirit. He later realizes that Faye and Melissa are witches after a party and an argument with Lee. In "Crystal" he attempts to steal one of the crystals, but the Circle stops him and "marks" him, ordering him to never return to Chance Harbor.
  • Grant (played by Tim Phillipps) is an Australian boy who came to Chance Harbor on a boat. He and Diana develop an instant attraction to each other, but problems arise because he lied to her about owning the boat (he just works on it), and she is a witch. He later offers her to leave Chance Harbor with him.

Guest cast
  • Zachary Larson (played by Dave Baez) is a former friend of Amelia Blake who knew about the Circle. After the fire at the boat yard, he blamed Amelia and the Circle for what happened to his girlfriend, Heather. He later became a fisherman who returned to Chance Harbor occasionally. After he discovers Cassie has returned to town, he attempts to stop the Circle by killing one of its members. The Circle defeat him, and Charles and Dawn mark him and force him to stay away from the children.
  • Heather Barnes (played by Camille Sullivan) is a former friend of Amelia Blake and Zachary Larson's ex-girlfriend. Following the fire at the boatyard, she was paralyzed by Amelia, to prevent a demon possessing her from causing harm. When the Circle finds out about her, Cassie and Faye try to help her.
  • Wade Barnes (played by Ben Cotton) is Heather's brother. He takes care of her while she is paralyzed.
  • Kyle (played by Brett Dier) is the captain of the hockey team at Chance Harbor High School. He flirts with Faye and Melissa, but has a girlfriend.
  • Richard Armstrong (played by Marcus Rosner) is Jake and Nick's father. He died sixteen years prior to the series' beginning, but appears in a flashback of the boatyard fire.
  • Sara Armstrong (played by Cindy Busby) is Jake and Nick's mother, and Richard's wife. She died sixteen years prior to the series' beginning, but appears in a flashback of the boatyard fire.
  • Royce Armstrong (played by John de Lancie) is Richard's father, Jake and Nick's grandfather, and an elder. He is a conspiracy theorist who lives alone and is considered crazy. When Cassie, Faye and Jake try to find his crystal, he tells them where it is, and reveals a theory that Blackwell actually wanted children from the Circle, and caused all their births, backed up by the fact that the members (except Jake) were born one month apart. He later sends Jake a bottle with beads in it and a message that the Circles are coming together and his fight is not over, though it is unknown why, or what it means. Despite his lack of sociability, his theories turn out to be true, and he appears to be a very powerful witch, to the point of being able to spell places against dark magic.
  • James Conant (played by Chad Willett) is Ethan's father, Adam's grandfather, and an elder. He died prior to the events of the series, but appears in a flashback of the night of the boatyard fire, where it is shown that he gave Amelia his family's crystal to protect herself. She told him the truth about John, gave the crystal back to him and asked him to tell Ethan that she didn't love him anymore, though both knew she was lying. He had an affinity for cloaking spells, which Adam inherited.
  • Elizabeth Meade (played by Elise Gatien) is Charles' wife, and Diana's mother. She died sixteen years prior to the series' beginning, but appears in a flashback of the night of the boatyard fire. Though she was married to Charles, she and John had an affair while she and her husband were separated, and she knew John was Diana's biological father. After seeing John for what he was, she returned to Charles, but never told him the truth about Diana. When Amelia tried to persuade her not to go to the boatyard, she refused, blaming Amelia for bringing John into the Circle.
  • Holden (played by Arlen Escarpeta) is Melissa's cousin, and possibly a witch. Diana once had a crush on him.
  • Simone (played by Luisa D'Oliveira) is a witch hunter who comes to Chance Harbor along with Jake and Isaac to destroy the Circle. She attempts to kill Cassie immediately.
  • Samuel (played by Chad Rook) is a witch hunter who knows Jake. He arrives in Chance Harbor to assist the Circle after being betrayed by Eben.

Episodes
No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code		U.S. viewers
(millions)
1"Pilot"Liz FriedlanderTeleplay by : Andrew MillerSeptember 15, 2011 (2011-09-15)2968083.05[4]
After her mother's death Cassie Blake moves to Chance Harbor, Washington, to live with her grandmother, Jane. Cassie's life is changed forever when her new classmates tell her that she is a witch, the sixth and final member of their Secret Circle.
2"Bound"Liz FriedlanderKevin Williamson & Andrew MillerSeptember 22, 2011 (2011-09-22)2J62522.12[5]
Cassie attempts to distance herself from the Circle, even making friends with a non-witch, Sally Matthews. As the witches use their magic more and more recklessly, Diana is convinced they need to bind their powers. This is a problem for Faye, who revels in the increase of the Circle's magic now that Cassie has returned to Chance Harbor. Adam struggles with his feelings for Cassie, while Melissa flirts with Nick. Dawn Chamberlain receives a surprise in the form of her father-in-law, Henry.
3"Loner"Colin BuckseyRichard HatemSeptember 29, 2011 (2011-09-29)2J62532.12[6]
Each member of the Circle reacts to the upcoming school dance in a different way. Cassie is asked to go by a classmate, Luke, and accepts after seeing Adam and Diana spending time together. Melissa sees it as an opportunity to get closer to Nick, while Faye has no plans to attend it at all. She prefers to focus on regaining her individual powers, now that the Circle is bound. A man named Zachary Larson has been asking questions about the Circle, causing Dawn to ask Charles to watch over the children.
4"Heather"Dave BarrettDavid EhrmanOctober 6, 2011 (2011-10-06)2J62541.96[7]
After the incident with Zachary Larson, Cassie looks up her mother's old friend, Heather Barnes. She discovers Heather has been in a catatonic state since the night of the fire, sixteen years ago. Knowing that Heather was there that night, Cassie decides to use magic to restore Heather, and asks Faye to help — who is willing to do so, for a price. The girls' witchcraft has unforeseen consequences, when a demon that was possessing Heather is unleashed and wants to use the Circle's power.
5"Slither"Liz FriedlanderDana BarattaOctober 13, 2011 (2011-10-13)2J62551.89[8]
Cassie struggles with maintaining her loyalties, as she is forced to keep the Circle's secrets from her suspicious grandmother, and Diana tries to maintain hold of her relationship with Adam and arranges a date night. Melissa recruits Nick and Faye to help her find her family's Book of Shadows; however all is not what it seems. The six members of the Circle are brought together in order to fight off a dark force that threatens them from within. Dawn tries to continue making plans for the Circle with Charles, only to discover that he may have more than business on his mind.
6"Wake"Guy BeeAndrea NewmanOctober 20, 2011 (2011-10-20)2J62562.12[9]
Following Nick's death his brother, Jake, returns to town. His presence re-constitutes the Circle, however it is up to Cassie to try to convince the other members to accept him; Jake is a man with a past, and not everyone is as willing to trust him. Jake is not the only newcomer to town, as a witch hunter named Simone poses a threat to the Circle.
7"Masked"Charles BeesonMichelle LovrettaOctober 27, 2011 (2011-10-27)2J62572.33[10]
It's Halloween and Faye has decided that the Circle needs to have some fun, so she takes it on herself to convince Cassie to throw a party. Faye still has her eyes on wooing Jake back, while a fight with Diana has Adam turning to Cassie, who is trying to make things right with Luke. Meanwhile, the witch hunters have infiltrated the party and plan on doing away with the Circle, once and for all.
8"Beneath"John FawcettDon Whitehead & Holly HendersonNovember 3, 2011 (2011-11-03)2J62582.26[11]
After not hearing from Jane for a few days Cassie begins to worry. Diana decides to enlist the Circle, and Jake, to take up the search for Jane, which takes the group to the isolated home of Faye's grandfather, Henry. A storm turns the day trip into an overnight one, and the teens play Truth or Dare to pass the time. Not all is what it seems at the cabin, however, and Faye is forced to confront something dark from her past.
9"Balcoin"Brad TurnerAndrew Miller & Andrea NewmanNovember 10, 2011 (2011-11-10)2J62592.17[12]
Cassie enlists Jake's help in looking into her father's family, and just why she has powers separate from the Circle. Faye reveals that she suspects that there is more to Jake than he is sharing with the Circle. Adam is torn between his concern for Cassie and his concern for Diana, who has caught the eye of Melissa's cousin, Holden. Dawn and Charles' plans are threatened, as a power shift changes their dynamic.
10"Darkness"Chris GrismerDavid EhrmanJanuary 5, 2012 (2012-01-05)2J62602.05[13]
Cassie learns more about her ancestor, Francis Balcoin, and discovers a secret about herself. She turns to Adam to help her keep this from the rest of the Circle. Diana is thrilled when her grandmother, Kate, comes to town for a visit, who appears to show an unusual interest in Cassie. Still trying to get her powers back, Faye turns to the mysterious Lee LeBeque for help.
11"Fire/Ice"Joshua ButlerHolly Henderson & Don WhiteheadJanuary 12, 2012 (2012-01-12)2J62611.93[14]
Another school dance is upon the Circle, and Adam's father, Ethan, has offered to chaperone it. Cassie and Adam have been investigating her father's past, causing the flame between them to be rekindled. While Adam is ready to move on and embark upon a relationship with her, Cassie is torn between her feelings for him and her friendship with Diana. Faye asks Lee to perform a ritual that will enable her to steal Cassie's individual powers, but it has dangerous consequences that threatens to destroy the entire Circle.
12"Witness"Eagle EgilssonDana BarattaJanuary 19, 2012 (2012-01-19)2J62621.63[15]
Jake returns to Chance Harbor and warns Cassie that unless she determines just what happened to her father on the night of the fire she, and the Circle, will face the same fate. The two cast a spell to allow them to enter into Jake's memories and return to the night of the fire, however Adam and Diana suspect Jake's motives. Charles and Dawn attempt to outmanoeuvre each other, each trying to get Ethan on their side. Faye's relationship with Lee takes another dangerous turn, as she meets his friend, Callum.
13"Medallion"Liz FriedlanderAndrew Miller & Andrea NewmanFebruary 2, 2012 (2012-02-02)2J62631.75[16]
Cassie and Jake meet with a psychic, Lucy, who has information about the medallion found in the previous episode. Cassie calls on the Circle for help unlocking its powers, however Adam worries about the dark magic taking over Cassie. Meanwhile, Ethan has enlisted Diana's help in throwing Adam a birthday party, and Faye and Melissa try Devil's Spirit.
14"Valentine"Dave BarrettRoger GrantFebruary 9, 2012 (2012-02-09)2J62641.82[17]
In honor of the holiday Faye throws a girls-only, "anti-Valentine's Day" slumber party at her house, and the other (female) members of the Circle are invited to attend. The night takes unexpected turns as both Melissa and Diana use Devil's Spirit to get high, and Lee crashes the party to help Faye increase her power. Meanwhile, Cassie turns to Jake and Adam for help after the spirits of vengeful witches begin to haunt her.
15"Return"Brad TurnerDavid EhrmanFebruary 16, 2012 (2012-02-16)2J62651.76[18]
John Blackwell, Cassie's father, shows up on her doorstep; however surprise turns to suspicion when he wants the medallion. Eben and his band of witch hunters take Cassie captive, causing Jake to offer a trade and Adam to call the other Circle members for help. Meanwhile, Faye and Diana are both concerned that Melissa is spending too much time in the company of Callum.
16"Lucky"Joshua ButlerKatie WechMarch 15, 2012 (2012-03-15)2J62661.62[19]
Cassie catches Blackwell sneaking around the abandoned house, leading Adam to believe that he is looking for a device to drain witches' powers and is still consumed by his dark magic. Faye meets Eva, and is taken aback to discover that she is Lee's girlfriend. Meanwhile, Melissa encourages Diana to date a mortal guy, specifically a handsome Australian, named Grant, who is new to town. Also, Dawn has a reunion with Blackwell, but it isn't entirely what she expects.
17"Curse"John FawcettDon Whitehead & Holly HendersonMarch 22, 2012 (2012-03-22)2J62671.74[20]
Blackwell tells Cassie and Adam that while their love might be destined, it is also cursed; once awakened a member of the Circle will die. It is a race against the clock to find a way to break the curse before it takes Jake's life. Meanwhile, Faye becomes certain that Eva is hiding something once it becomes apparent that Lee is missing, and Charles plots against Blackwell.
18"Sacrifice"Nick CopusDavid EhrmanMarch 29, 2012 (2012-03-29)2J62681.33[21]
Witch hunter Samuel comes to town with a message for Blackwell about Eben's plans; he is trying to resurrect the demons that Blackwell summoned to Chance Harbor sixteen years ago, and plans on making a human sacrifice. Meanwhile, Diana continues her relationship with Grant, but it is revealed that her magic is not the only secret in their relationship. Faye and Melissa compete for the attention of a jock at the Boathouse, while Adam tries to deal with no longer remembering why he loved Cassie.
19"Crystal"Omar MadhaMicah SchraftApril 19, 2012 (2012-04-19)2J62691.14[22]
To protect themselves from the witch hunters, Jake, Cassie and Faye team up to seek out Jake's grandfather, Royce, to find his family's crystal and are confronted with disturbing theories about the events of sixteen years ago. Meanwhile, Diana tries to balance her pursuit of the Glaser crystal with Melissa and Adam with her new romantic life with Grant, who demands to know what she's hiding. At the same time, Callum attempts to re-insert himself into Melissa's life. Also, Charles and Jane plot their move against Blackwell and it is revealed that Diana is the other Blackwell child. Then Blackwell reveals his dark powers are still intact and he wants to use them to create a black magic Circle with his newly found kids.
20"Traitor"Eagle EgilssonRoger Grant & Katie WechApril 26, 2012 (2012-04-26)2J62701.15[23]
When a crystal is magically stolen from the abandoned house, the Circle decides it was the traitor witch working with Eben. Jake calls for a meeting with Isaac to see if they can get him to change sides, only to find out that Isaac has been killed by Eben. Cassie’s loose grasp on her dark magic threatens to destroy any possible alliance when their pursuit of the traitor leads them to the “Creepiest Place on Earth.” Meanwhile, Faye and Jake work together to steal Dawn’s crystal, Melissa and Adam pair up and uncover a new magic trick, and a frustrated Diana reaches out to Charles for help. Diana and Cassie chase the traitor in the “Creepiest Place on Earth” and Cassie uses dark magic to stop him only to find out it's Nick who is supposed to be dead.
21"Prom"Alex ZakrzewskiHolly Henderson & Don WhiteheadMay 3, 2012 (2012-05-03)2J62711.23[24]
It’s Prom night in Chance Harbor and after Adam uncloaks a crystal hidden in the school, Blackwell tells Cassie she can use her dark magic to find it. When Cassie follows this advice, it leads her to a dangerous discovery. Meanwhile, Faye invites Jake to Prom, despite the fact that he stood her up two years earlier. Adam, Diana, Cassie and Melissa finally make it to Prom but when they lose the crystal to Eben, they end up in a life and death situation. Meanwhile, Dawn attempts to stop Blackwell, who casts a deadly spell on Charles.
22"Family"Dave BarrettAndrew Miller & Andrea NewmanMay 10, 2012 (2012-05-10)2J62721.28[25]
When Faye is captured by the Witch Hunters, Jake, Melissa and Adam set out to save her. Blackwell wants to unleash the power of the crystal skull and tries to convince Cassie and Diana that their Balcoin blood is the only way to stop the Witch Hunters permanently. Meanwhile, Dawn and Charles discover a way to get their powers back ... but one which comes at a very big cost.

Development

On October 28, 2010, L. J. Smith announced that the series had been optioned for a TV series by The CW. On February 8, 2011, The CW picked up The Secret Circle with Dawson's Creek creator and The Vampire Diaries co-creator/executive producer Kevin Williamson now attached. However, he told The CW that The Vampire Diaries companion series he was helming had been put on hold in order to focus on The Secret Circle.[26] Williamson worked on an original script penned by Andrew Miller, creator of the Emmy-nominated web series Imaginary Bitches, with writer credit shared by both men.[26] On February 16, 2011, The Secret Circle booked Liz Friedlander to direct the pilot. Friedlander also directed episodes for The Vampire Diaries, Pretty Little Liars, 90210 and One Tree Hill.[27]

On October 12, 2011, The CW ordered a full season of twenty-two episodes.[28] On May 11, 2012 The CW cancelled the series.

Broadcast

Streaming

The series is available to stream on The CW's free digital-only network, CW Seed.[29]

Reception

Critical reception

The pilot has been met with mixed reviews, with Metacritic giving a score of 55 out of a 100 based on 20 critics.[30] Lloyd Roberts of the Los Angeles Times thought the pilot was "splendidly rendered; effective in the expected ways in a way that makes you forget you expected them." He then wrote "Director Liz Friedlander aims not just for creepiness but for a tremulous sense of beauty that reflects the heightened sensibilities and hair-trigger sensitivities of adolescence" and appreciated the actors "who are good to look at, but also bring a little soul to their roles."[31]

In 2015, three years following the cancellation of the show, Gavin Hetherington of SpoilerTV looked back on the series finale, as well as the series as a whole. He reviewed the show favorably, commenting "the last several episodes really built up the potential of the show and made it pretty exciting, and it would have led into an awesome second season",[32] and saying that the show should have had a second season, "to further develop the characters and the storylines we were left hanging with".

Phoebe Tonkin's performance was well received by critics; she was featured on Variety's list of new faces to watch[33] and named one of 2011 Breakout TV Stars by E! Online.[34]

Cancellation and fan campaign

On May 11, 2012, the CW cancelled the series, despite being the network's third-highest rated performer. Following the show's cancellation, a formal fan-led campaign website titled 'Save The Circle' was launched.[35] A letter-writing campaign, targeted at the CW,[36] aimed to encourage the CW to reconsider bringing back the show for a mid-season slot. Campaigns were also launched at other TV networks whose target demographic matched those of The CW—MTV,[37] ABC Family,[38] and Syfy. Fans donated between $1–10 to the Make a Wish Foundation in the name of MTV; this aimed to attach a good cause to the campaign while getting MTV's attention. The Secret Circle executive producer Andrew Miller auctioned a signed poster of the show's cast in support of the campaign. In the end, over $7,000 was raised.[39] The campaign targeted at ABC Family asked fans to donate money to fund a delivery of 325,000 golden plastic coins to the network's headquarters. The coins were symbolic of a 'cloaking coin' that belonged to one of the main characters, Adam Conant's grandfather in the episode "Traitor". The metaphor was that The CW 'cloaked' the show by cancelling it, and fans wanted ABC Family to 'uncloak' the show by picking it up.[40][41]

A letter-writing campaign to Syfy was also launched, but ultimately the 'Save The Circle' campaign leaders decided against pursuing the network further due to budgetary concerns. Following the announcement that Warner Bros. had unsuccessfully entered talks with ABC Family about picking up the show and that the series would not be shipped to another network, campaigning targeting potential networks for a pick-up ceased.[42] Nevertheless, a new campaign,[43] aimed at Warner Bros, was launched following the announcement that the series' first season would not be released on DVD or Blu-ray.[44] As of September 2012, The Secret Circle is available on Netflix for immediate streaming.[45] A music project was launched, with the aim of developing and distributing a full-length album of 10 fan songs online and making them available for free download. Fans were asked to either submit an audio recording of themselves singing their own songs, or send in lyrics for potential use.[46] Petitions were also set up, in the hope that they would bring back the series. The three main campaigns together, as of June 24, 2012, amassed over 85,500 signatures.[47] Since the show was canceled, fans have voted it "the show that will be missed most" or "Most Shocking Cancellation" in a number of polls, including E!,[48] Clique Clack,[49] Hypable,[50] Spoiler TV,[51] TV Fanatic,[52] TV.com,[53] and Zap2it.[54]

Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result
2012 People's Choice Awards[55] Favorite New TV Drama The Secret Circle Nominated
Saturn Awards[56] Best Youth-Oriented Television Series The Secret Circle Nominated
PAAFTJ Television Awards[57] Best Main Title Theme Music The Secret Circle Nominated
gollark: The osmarks.tk servers are partly in Antarctica for cooling reasons, but I don't follow the politics there much.
gollark: Happy chicken!
gollark: Initiating protocol 1248-T.
gollark: Hi coltrans!
gollark: I mean, apart from them being better than the alternative in other areas.

References
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  2. CW Orders 'Secret Circle,' 'Hart of Dixie,' 'Ringer' Broadcasting & Cable May 17, 2011
  3. "'Secret Circle' says goodbye: Britt Robertson tells us Season 2 just is 'not happening'". Zap2It. June 5, 2012. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
  4. Gorman, Bill (September 16, 2011). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'The Vampire Diaries,' 'Wipeout' Adjusted Up; 'The Secret Circle' Quarter Hour Ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
  5. Seidman, Robert (September 23, 2011). "Thursday Finals: 'Big Bang Theory,' 'The X Factor,' 'Parks & Recreation' and 'Whitney' Adjusted Up". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved September 23, 2011.
  6. Gorman, Bill (September 30, 2011). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'X Factor,' 'The Big Bang Theory,' 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'The Office' & 'The Secret Circle,' 'Mentalist' Adjusted Up". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 1, 2011.
  7. Seidman, Robert (October 7, 2011). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'X Factor,' 'The Big Bang Theory,' 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'The Office,' 'Person of Interest,' 'Parks & Rec' Adjusted Up; 'Private Practice' Down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 8, 2011.
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  41. "film footage of the delivery of 300 lbs of plastic gold coins to ABC Family offices in Burbank". June 24, 2012. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
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