Fun fact: I auditioned for this show last February. It was for the role of Adam, played by Thomas Dekker (far left in the poster). Obviously I didn't get it. Oh well! But it was interesting to finally watch the script I'd read seven months ago up on the screen.
What's it about?
The story of a young woman who moves to a new town and discovers that not only is she a witch and part of a secret coven, but she's also the key that will unlock a centuries-old battle of good versus evil.
So, how was it?
I have never been a fan of the CW. The only show I've ever watched more than pieces of was GOSSIP GIRL in its first season, and even my guilty love of soapy dramas couldn't keep that show from getting tiring. I don't watch THE VAMPIRE DIARIES (die hard TRUE BLOOD fan over here), and I thought the pilot of RINGER was only mediocre, so I was prepared to really dislike this... So I was shocked when I didn't hate it!
The pilot starts off with a particularly impressive opening sequence. The events are mysterious, the way it was shot was fascinating, and the mere presence of Gale Harold (QUEER AS FOLK) acting like a badass only served to heighten it even more. Off to a strong start. Roll title screen with creepy lullaby-like humming. Then we jump forward a month as our protagonist, Cassie (played by the lovely and accessible Brittany Robertson) moves to her new home. We're introduced to all the citizens of the town and, in a shocking turn of events for the CW, they can (mostly) all act! We are slowly and cleverly introduced to the idea of witchcraft as the teenagers of the town experiment with their power, which is supposedly amplified by the appearance of the last member of their Secret Circle (Cassie, natch). Soon she's drawn into the Circle and learns about her own powers in a surprisingly beautiful sequence.
So THIS is why the effects on RINGER were so atrocious. All the CW's money went into THE SECRET CIRCLE instead. In fact, this show seems to be everything RINGER was attempting to be. It's got levels of mythology that are way more interesting to me than "How's she gonna juggle two handsome men? And what's her evil twin up to?" The storyline has multiple levels -- the kids and their growing powers; the adults of the town and their possibly nefarious plans; some mysterious event that happened years ago -- that are handled in a surprisingly deft manner.
Sure, maybe the characters aren't the most unique -- the kids each fit an archetype: the new girl, the queen bee, the mean girl, the sidekick, the sultry loner, and the sexy-but-taken love interest. But the kids who play them are surprisingly not terrible (even Thomas Dekker, damn him) and obviously they're pretty -- this is the CW we're talking about. I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I'm interested in watching these characters develop and seeing where the story is going.
Rating:
*** Solid. I'm interested and will definitely keep watching.
Everything the pilot of RINGER should have been: exciting, mysterious and sexy. It could be that the show just had a really strong start and will quickly peter out into typical tween nonsense, but I'm willing to give it a chance. Plus, you can never really go wrong when Gale Harold is involved. It looks like the CW may actually have a show I will watch more than once! Now please don't let me down...
Chime in, Fellow Addicts! Should I be embarrassed for liking this pilot? Or did you also find it unexpectedly strong? How did you feel it compared to RINGER? Vote in the poll and then hit the comments!
(For a quick glance at the other pilots coming out, check out my Fall TV Preview.)
No comments:
Post a Comment