Diversity of race, gender, and sexual orientation is a hot button issue in Hollywood more than ever before. It seems as though The Secret Circle had an opportunity for diversity, and then went in another direction.

Fans on social media and elsewhere demand, “where is a character who represents my experience?” The days of “white-washing” an entire cast are hopefully coming to an end since here are concerted efforts, more than ever before, to make sure Hollywood includes minorities in non-stereotypical, major roles. More importantly, beyond race, shows are also being pressured to reflect the sexual diversity that is present in any society. In an interesting discussion on Zap-It centering on the shows Bunheads and Girls and their racial diversity, or lack thereof, an intersting tidbit came out about The Secret Circle.

In early drafts of “The Secret Circle,” one of the main characters — Melissa, played by Jessica Parker Kennedy — was gay. The show was based on a series of books first published a decade ago, and because Melissa was one character who didn’t exist in the source material, there was a license to update the story. Initially, Melissa had a crush on her best friend Faye and was struggling to come to terms with her sexuality. After the show was further developed at the studio and the network level, Melissa became a straight girl with a thing for bad boys. At some point, some powerful person decided that was the story worth telling.

Often during the season, many fans expressed that Melissa just felt like an add-on, and that the writers didn’t know what to do with her character. Do you think that the original intention for the character would have made for a more interesting and layered story?