John Blackwell returns to Chance Harbor. This is big because he is Cassie’s father. Many thought he died in the fire sixteen years ago, but Cassie’s trip through Jake’s memories revealed that Blackwell used his family’s medallion to save himself. Ever since she discovered she comes from a line of witches with the talent of dark magic, Cassie has been obsessed about learning more about dark magic and her family. She even used the medallion to reach out and connect with her father. She wanted to know him, and then, after last week’s events, she didn’t. Well, Cassie, he didn’t get your last memo.

This is a recap, so expect spoilers.

Cassie decides to move out of Diana’s place because she feels she has taken advantage of Diana’s hospitality for too long. She lies to Diana, telling her that Jane, Cassie’s grandmother, is back in town. Diana tells Charles this, and he is not pleased by the news, but he has to hide how he feels. A few weeks ago, Charles altered Jane’s memory to cover up that Henry Chamberlain had died (Dawn killed him; Charles hid the body) because Dawn and Charles didn’t want people to know the Elder was dead. The spell Charles used on Jane backfired, causing Jane to have severe headaches and other memory lapses. For a few weeks, Jane has been at a healing clinic.

When she arrives home, Cassie notices the door is open. She drops her bags and cautiously enters. The house seems to be empty. Cassie picks up an umbrella and yells that she has called the police. Jake pops out. Cassie is not thrilled to see him. He thought he saw someone, so he came over and checked the place out. He thinks someone was cleaning the house, but Cassie notices dirt on the floor. Jake examines the dirt and goes outside. Surrounding the house is a mixture of salt and ash, so Jake knows the witch hunters are back in town. Jake disturbs the mixture so her power isn’t affected. He wants to stay and protect Cassie, but they had a falling out because Jake wanted her to use her anger to fuel her dark magic, making Cassie think he only sees her as a fascinating oddity. She gives him a magical shock with the umbrella and tells him that she can take care of herself.

Cassie got a job at the local coffee shop. She gives drinks to a table that hasn’t ordered yet. Adam is there, and he gives her tips on how to hold the tray. He points to the table the drinks go to. She tells Adam about the witch hunters being back in town and that Jane is not coming back. He wants to protect her too, but he guises his request as an excuse to go out on a date. Cassie agrees to let Adam come over to her house later. Faye and Melissa are at the coffee shop as well, and Faye takes delight in ordering Cassie around. Melissa says that if Faye was really over Jake she would move on; Melissa suggests Lee, but Faye says that he is below her standards. I didn’t realize Faye had standards. Anyway, Callum comes in and invites them to his party. Faye passes, but Melissa says she might go. Considering Melissa just had a drug overdose, I’m surprised Faye doesn’t try to stop Melissa from going to the party of the man who gave her the devil’s spirit or at least offer to go with her. Last week, Faye tore into Diana for not being a good friend to Melissa; it seems Faye didn’t listen to herself.

Cassie is on the phone with Jane; she lies to her and says she is over at Diana’s. Someone is outside. Cassie stands in front of the door and readies herself. She uses magic to open the door. Standing there is John Blackwell. He introduces himself, and Cassie asks how is she supposed to believe him, but he says that she can sense that he is her father. She used the medallion, so no DNA test is needed because the medallion formed a connection between them.

I’m not sure how I feel about him just showing up on her doorstep. After all this build up, I thought Blackwell’s entrance would have been grander. Perhaps this entrance is to set up what we learn about him later, or this could be the writer’s way of saying that sometimes crap just appears on your doorstep.

Blackwell enters. Cassie tells him that she is fine with him leaving and staying away for good. He tells her that he stayed away to protect her. There are people after him, and they would have harmed Amelia and her if he were around. When he felt the medallion activate, he knew Cassie was in real trouble, so he came to her. He tells her that no one should know he is in town. Adam arrives, and Cassie and Blackwell agree to meet later.

Of course Cassie tells Adam about her father. Adam doesn’t want her to meet him. Cassie says it is the way to find out the truth. Adam thinks Blackwell is in town for other reasons; he could have come back earlier when Cassie was in need. Cassie says that she will meet Blackwell alone because she knows he will not hurt her.

Faye does her nails. Her phone rings. Diana wants to know if Faye has seen Melissa. Diana and Melissa had plans, but Melissa is not there. Faye mentions Callum’s party. Diana is shocked Melissa would go to his party after the whole devil’s spirit fiasco. Faye pretends to be as concerned as Diana and says she knows someone who will know where the party is.

Lee is with his former girlfriend, who is still unconscious. There is a knock. Lee exits the room and enters where he keeps all his voodoo stuff. Faye and Diana tell him about the party. Lee is concerned because Callum is a taker and practices dark voodoo, which is different than witchcraft. All three go to Callum’s party.

Cassie meets Blackwell at the dock. All is not puppies and rainbows. Cassie never knew her father, so her anger, doubt, and suspicion are reasonable. Blackwell says that the truth about everything—the fire and the family—is bigger than she knows. He knows Amelia is dead; he loved her, and he will do anything to protect Cassie because she is the daughter he and Amelia dreamed of. He asks for the medallion. Cassie’s anger erupts. She doesn’t need the medallion, she doesn’t need his help, and she doesn’t need him around at all.

Cassie storms off and goes to her car. When she is inside, Eben, the same witch hunter who tried to kill Blackwell sixteen years ago, grabs her. Eben takes her to where the other witch hunters are. Cassie is tied to a chair.

At Callum’s party, Callum offers Melissa some devil’s spirit, but she refuses. They flirt a little. Callum brings out two totems; they are exactly like the ones Lee gave Faye. He manipulates one and sends a surge of energy to Melissa. She likes the rush and wants to do it again. They switch totems; he wants her to do the same to him. The surge she sends him is bigger than the one he gave her. Callum becomes very interested in Melissa. Lee, Diana, and Faye arrive at the party and begin to look for Melissa.

Blackwell is at the Blackwell house. He starts to open a compartment in a column, but Jake’s arrival interrupts him. Blackwell slams Jake against the wall and tells Jake who he is (so much for keeping his identity a secret). Jake can’t find Cassie. Blackwell asks if Jake has any other ideas about where Cassie could be. Jake tells him that she could be with Adam, but Jake seems to know where Cassie is all of a sudden.

Jake goes to the witch hunters. He is grabbed. Because Isaac has failed twice, Eben is there to finally take care of the Cassie situation. Jake wants to save Cassie, so he tells Eben about Blackwell. Cassie wakes up; the same material surrounds her that Blackwell needed the medallion to break through sixteen years ago. Eben believes Jake, so he has changed the plan. Blackwell’s presence is a surprise, and he is the priority, so Eben forces Cassie’s head back and puts a drop of a liquid in her eyes and mouth.

Blackwell goes to the Boathouse Grill. He introduces himself to Adam. Ethan enters and is stunned to see Blackwell. Ethan tells Blackwell to leave town and refuses to help him with Cassie. Blackwell leaves. Ethan tells Adam to stay away from Blackwell.

Outside, Jake tells Blackwell that he thinks the witch hunters have Cassie. They get into Jake’s vehicle and leave. Adam sees Jake and Blackwell talk. He calls Diana.

Callum takes Melissa to a back room; he locks the door. He tells her that he knows she is a witch. He won’t let her leave. Melissa says that since he knows what she is, he wouldn’t want to test her powers. Callum lets Melissa leave. Melissa runs into Faye; she tells Faye that Lee is using her because the totems take power, not give it. Faye confronts Lee; Lee says it is the spell that matters, not the totem. Diana tells the girls about Adam’s call, so they leave. Callum tells Lee what he knows about Faye and her friends, and now he knows why Lee abandoned his former girlfriend. Callum says that they both use people.

Blackwell and Jake are in the woods. Blackwell is curious about how Jake knows about the witch hunters; Jake says he has a history with them. Eben comes out holding Cassie, and other witch hunters are with them. If Blackwell uses magic, Eben will kill Cassie. Eben agrees to trade Jake for Cassie. Blackwell doesn’t know Jake is a witch hunter, so he doesn’t realize how easy the situation is being resolved. The exchange is made. Eben puts iron bonds on Jake’s wrist so he can’t perform magic. Blackwell takes Cassie away.

Blackwell and Cassie are alone in the woods. Without realizing what she is doing, Cassie takes a branch and twists a vine around it. She turns on Blackwell and performs a spell. Blackwell is in pain. Eben put a spell on Cassie so she would kill Blackwell. Cassie draws a circle around Blackwell. She tells him to use his magic, but he can’t. He cannot perform magic anymore. He tells her to fight it; she is stronger than she thinks she is. The circle catches on fire.

Eben is with Jake. He forces Jake to the ground. Eben has decreed that Jake’s usefulness has come to an end. Before Eben can harm Jake, he flies through the air and is impaled on a branch. Adam, Diana, Faye, and Melissa save Jake. The ladies unlock Jake’s bonds. When they look up, Eben is gone.

Eben put Cassie under a spell and survived being impaled by a branch. The witch hunter either knows magic or has a magical friend.

The five find Cassie with Blackwell. Cassie cannot stop the spell. They chant, but Cassie isn’t focused. They get her to focus on the words and what her body is doing. They chant again, and this time Cassie says the words with them. The power of the circle breaks Eben’s spell.

Adam, Faye, Diana, Melissa, and Jake are at the Blackwell house. Adam wonders if they did the right thing in saving Blackwell. Ethan was scared when he saw Blackwell, and Adam has never seen his father like that before.

Blackwell and Cassie are at her house. When the Elders stripped the circle of its powers sixteen years ago, his power was affected. He wasn’t a part of the circle, but he did have two children with two of the female members of the circle, so perhaps this is a possible explanation for his loss of powers. He is glad the dark power is gone; dark magic took everything from him, and now he is a changed man, a better man. Or so he claims. Only time and his actions will reveal the truth. Cassie tells him that she destroyed the medallion. Blackwell says that he has to stay because now she does not have a way to protect herself. He also wants to stay to find out what is going on.

I know the medallion was powerful, but Jane gave Cassie the Blake family crystal several episodes ago. Has Cassie forgotten she has it?

Faye goes home and finds Lee in her bedroom. He swears that he wouldn’t hurt her. He has her give him the totem. He breaks it. Faye believes he broke it because he cares. They kiss. We see Lee’s former girlfriend. She wakes up.

Blackwell goes to Jake. He forgives Jake because he can see how much Jake cares for Cassie. He asks Jake to work with him.

Adam is at the Boathouse. Cassie goes to him for comfort. Adam puts his arms around her. They sit together in comfortable silence.

Blackwell not having any magic is an interesting twist. The big bad evil being powerless gives him the opportunity to interact with everyone. If he was pure evil and powerful, then everyone would suddenly have a common enemy. With him in the picture, I am very curious to see how Dawn reacts. Dawn had a crush on him (and possibly a fling), so her reaction will be great to see. The only reaction I am anticipating more is Charles’s response. Charles and Blackwell didn’t get along that well, so I expect some tension when they meet again.

I enjoy this show, but I have to admit that it’s crowded. The circle has its issues, Dawn and Charles want the crystals so they can get their powers back, the events from sixteen years ago have not been completely explained, and there are witch hunters (not only are they after the circle, but one seems to have access to magic). On top of this is the voodoo storyline. I’m not anti-voodoo; I think the circle going up against a powerful voodoo person would make a great Season 2 storyline. It’s just the voodoo plot better help reveal who the other Blackwell child is or have some other great payoff because Lee and Callum are boring. If the voodoo is connected to revealing the other Blackwell, then there are two candidates, Melissa and Faye. With so much going on and with only seven episodes left, many of these plots need to be resolved soon. Blackwell’s return might be the catalyst that finally brings us the answers we have been waiting for.

If you missed the previous episode, be sure to read our “The Secret Circle: Valentine’ recap.

‘The Secret Circle’ will return March 15.