Posted by Dustin on 09.18.2011 at 5:10 pm

So this post contains my thoughts on the latest episodes of “90210,” “Ringer” and “Secret Circle.” If you haven’t seen the premier episodes, then there are potential spoilers here!

First up, “90210.” I’m not going to lie, I have been reorganizing my Tivo recording lists and removing programs that got canned last year. I’ve already removed “90210” from my Tivo. I’ll watch it if nothing else interferes, but my interest in the show was lost last season. This season I don’t see much that is going to suck me back in . . . yet. They criminally overhyped the Teddy story last season, which was hardly present save for maybe 2 episodes. This season we’ve already learned Trevor Donovan is going to be written out after about 6 episodes. That hasn’t stopped the show from hyping his major “touching story” this season. Fool me once, shame on me, fool me twice . . . . It’s already been spoiled that Teddy is going to get gay-married (See After Elton). Thanks but no thanks! Last season’s storyline with Dixon and Navid running Shirazi Studios really was one of my breaking points, and now we have Navid and Silver raising Navid’s bratty teen sister? Again . . . thanks but no thanks! The one story I really did enjoy in the later half of last season was Naomi’s storyline involving her love affair with the nerdy Max, and ending up pregnant. Now we learn not only was it a false alarm, but a relieved Max dumped her and left town! Jeeze! Let’s not even talk about the annoying cowboy character they introduced as pure eye candy. I’m just going to go ahead and predict this will be the final season of “90210.”

Next up is “Ringer.” This show was called by many entertainment sites/magazines as the best new show of the season . . . the one to watch . . . and so on. I didn’t know if that was true, or if it was some serious Buffy butt kissing! I never did get into Buffy, so I am not coming in with a SMG bias. I have to say . . . I loved it! The show is basically a soap opera “twin sister replacement plot” taken to an insane level . . . and I think that’s why I liked it. Sarah Michelle Gellar plays dual roles. Bridget is a down and out stripper and ex-addict, who is on the run from a mob boss who wants her dead to keep her from testifying against him. Siobhan (pronounced Shah-von) seemingly has it all, a rich husband and an amazing life . . . but is cheating on her husband with her best friend’s husband, and has a step-daughter she hates. When the two estranged sisters meet after years of not speaking, Siobhan mysteriously disappears during their “get to re-know one another” boat ride off the coast of the Hamptons. Apparently having killed herself, Bridgett sees a way out of her troubles, by pretending to be her sister. Of course she only ends up realizing her sister had as many issues as she did! To say anymore would spoil the show’s premier, and if you haven’t watched it you should! This show will make you say “Holy Bleep” several times, and the final twist was one of the best! It’s really a double twist because you expected the first, not the second!

Finally we come to “Secret Circle.” Many of you had commented that it was somewhat slow. It was, but sometimes that is expected in a show that has as many characters as this one does, you have to set things up. That didn’t bother me as much as the fact that I felt I’d seen this show so many times before. The show is also based on a set of books apparently written by the author of “The Vampire Diaries.” I just couldn’t get into that show, which may be a blessing. I may be spared overlapping story/plots between the two!

The show is about Cassie, a recent orphan who goes to live with her grandma after her mother dies in a fire. What she doesn’t know is it was murder, and orchestrated. She arrives in her new town, makes new friends (and enemies) fairly quickly. Cassie eventually learns that she is one of 6, who make up a circle of powerful witches. Their parents were the original 6, but something went wrong and each of them lost a parent in an “accident” the circle was involved in. Because of what happened, the town elders banned witchcraft. Cassie’s father was one who died, and her mother took her away to protect her from ever falling victim to that life. What we learn is that another member of the previous circle (Gale Harold’s character) who is the father of Cassie’s new BF (Shelly Hennig of “Days”) is the one who killed her mother in the fire . . . to bring Cassie to the town, to complete the circle. He and another member of the old circle want something from the new circle . . . . I’m going to guess off the bat it probably has something to do with necromancy or reviving an old member who really isn’t dead . . .but is in a coma somewhere. Of course Cassie finds a letter from her mother at the end, hidden in her grandmother’s house, warning her if she’s reading this then she is dead . . . and nobody is around to protect her from those who will come to use her for her amazing powers.

The show reminded me a lot of “The Craft.” The circle can’t be complete without the main character, who out of all the witches is the one truly gifted with the most power. Other aspects have also been done before, such as the quaint little town which really is a secret society of witches (See the horrid “Bay Coven” on Netflix). I do have a soft spot for witch themed shows/movies, so I will give this one a chance and see how it plays out.