One horrible split decision last week on The Secret Circle had the possibility of changing everyone’s lives forever, so you’d think this week we’d be experiencing the repercussions of that action. We do a little, but mostly I feel like it’s all just setup for what’s to come.

In “Wake” we see just what you’d expect, a wake for their fallen member of the circle who was killed last week. But what we also see is how quickly new character Jake has come in to derail the witches grief and take the missing member’s spot in the limelight.

Melissa: You can’t just replace Nick with Jake. It isn’t right.

Melissa might have a personal stake in her belief, but I’m inclined to agree with her about Jake. He really feels shoehorned into the plot this week when I feel like the characters should still be dealing with the aftermath of Nick’s death. Everyone except Cassie had known Nick since birth, their circle is also supposedly now broken, and I wanted to see more of that.

Instead, in between Diana collecting pictures for Nick’s wake, Melissa crying on Nick’s bed, and Faye taking drugs Nick made, we get this new guy Jake who is suspected of burning crescent moon shapes on Cassie’s lawn. While it’s safe to say nothing stays the same in Chance Harbor for long, I’m not happy with how Jake was so blatantly replaced with Nick in all promotion before he’d even died.

Let’s focus on the good though, mainly everyone’s grief over what happened to Nick. I really liked everyone’s different reactions to his death, but most of all Charles’ increasing disconnectedness as a result of how he had to kill demon Nick for the sake of all the kids. When Diana mentioned to her father how they’d known Nick since he was a boy, it was the saddest thing.

I’m annoyed by how Dawn is dealing with everything. She’s not the one who killed someone, but she’s pushing Charles to keep it together. It just shows how she doesn’t care about him or anyone, only by how she can quickly get more power. Anyone who stands in her way, like Jane when she comes to say Nick’s death wasn’t an accident and Dawn secretly pulls a knife out, is just collateral damage.

It’s a good thing then that Jane gives Cassie a crystal to use so she can do magic outside of the circle. Sure it may make her a target if anyone ever finds out, but with everything that’s going on, she’s going to need it. And in an interesting turn of events, Jane also tells Cassie her lineage is older and stronger than the others, and she’s meant to lead the circle.

First, she’s responsible for Diana breaking up with Adam, and now she’s going to be responsible for taking Diana’s position in power? Diana might consider Cassie her best friend now that Adam’s out of the picture, which I’m really sad about, but I see a potential rivalry in the making for the future.

Right now there’s more important problems: Jake and his group of witch hunters he just brought to Chance Harbor. Jake’s a witch who’s aware of his own powers, but he’s also a witch hunter. (Just like Mikael on Vampire Diaries is a vampire and a vampire hunter.) His mission to avenge his brother’s death and rid Chance Harbor of witches doesn’t seem to mesh in my mind with the fact he’s a witch. Oh well, no one ever said revenge was logical.

Notes and Quotes:

Diana and Adam, Cassie and Jake, that’s what I’m shipping. I’m just not feeling Cassie and Adam despite how they’re supposed to be destined. I hope the writers have a Plan B.

Cassie: We bound that circle with no clue what we were doing. And look what’s happened. I think it’s for the best it’s broken now.

Jane: The ceremony binds you to each others’ bloodlines. You were born with the responsibility to lead and protect your circle.

Faye: Who died and made you queen witch?

Ethan: She was too distraught over Blackwell. (I can’t wait until this storyline gets going.)

Diana: You’re acting like a jealous boyfriend, and not mine.

Ethan: The sooner you let him go, the sooner you’ll be free.

Jane: It’s the most coveted magic there is, but it can bring out the worst in people.