And thanks to Buzzsugar we have another article about the TSC panel, with mentions of Gale:
"Gale Harold is the show's villain, Charles Meade, but he was cagey about what the character's motivations are, saying that there was no clear answer and that Charles "is not even sure what he's up to." He was pretty clear, however, about the fact that Charles is a big bad man, because he's "not just the bad guy, but a very bad guy who's supposed to be a good person.""
The Secret Circle's Mythology Isn't the Same as The Vampire Diaries