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The 100: Gimme Shelter

"You can't save someone who doesn't want to be saved."

Likewise, it's a lot harder to kill someone that isn't ready to die. I have no quippy words to hint at that amazing plot twist. It was so so great. That's not a spoiler, right?

Guilt and blame are a running thread through the season. Harper pushed that rando off of her because she was not ready to die and because she didn't help him she gets to watch him die suffering. She felt responsible for that pain and his eventual death, but she was ready and willing to take a place on Clarke's list while others would left outside. Not that I'm mad at or don't understand either reaction. Both seem completely logical to me, but it's an interesting commentary on the human condition. In other words, is it possible to be selfless and still take care of yourself? As Kane said, who we want to be isn't always part of the choice. Sometimes we react before thinking and even though those actions have consequences it doesn't necessarily make us terrible.

Much like Harper had to watch the consequences of her actions, or inaction, unfold, Bellamy had to listen to Mark and his son die over the radio. To him it was because he fell short, but it was also self-preservation. Kane was right, he couldn't have gotten out of the rover and survived, but not saving them will take its toll all the same. And with all this talk about moral ambiguity, it was kind of funny that Clarke and Abby were talking themselves into using that guy as a lab rat right up to the end while Roan was all calm and stone faced probably wondering about lunch plans. Again it comes down to perspective. So maybe that's the key to surviving... learning to alter your perspective.

Easily the weakest plotline this week was Octilian in the cave, so let's get it out of the way. I don't necessarily dislike them as a couple, but the whole situation felt like awkward filler. I don't know if the writing was off or the acting or maybe my blood sugar levels were low, but I rolled my eyes a lot. It's been on the walls for a while that Octavia needs to grieve Lincoln's death and it was kind of cute that Ilian, on his own mini redemption path, wanted to make sure that she was okay. (Side note: Lincoln used to stalk her too. Is this a prerequisite for her love interests?) And now she's taking him home. Are the sheep going to help her heal? Will Ilian inspire peace in her? Are they worried at all that Clarke won't be able to find them when the cure is ready? Is Skairippa no more? I'm guessing that last answer is no, but The 100 has surprised me on more than one occasion.

Apparently it isn't in the budget to have everyone onscreen at the same time in Becca's lab. It's so odd that we didn't see Raven or Luna at all.

Finally, I have to give it up to Emori. Her plan was amazing and perfect down to every last detail. Right up until that guy showed up and attacked her, she planned to make a run for it, but on the fly while fighting off her attacker she revised her plan to sacrifice him. She even made Clarke think it was her idea. Bravo. Wow, I did not see that coming and it made for very exciting TV. It easily made this one of my favorite episodes in a while. Equally as entertaining was Murphy's reaction to finding out. He was in awe of her. Which fits with who Murphy is and endeared me a little bit more to their relationship. Emori may just give him a run for his unofficial ultimate survivor title. The two of them are people that want to live. They've had to fight and claw for their very existences. And it's interesting to see that in contrast to people like Jasper and Octavia hitting walls that make them think about not just not trying but actively (Jasper with a gun and Octavia walking into acid rain) ending their lives.

Emori's acting skills alone made this 4 out of 4 offscreen naps. Give that girl an Oscar. I should maybe knock it down half a point for that cave situation... thoughts?

Bits and pieces

Have you ever stood next to a horse? Or tried to get on one? I have. They're tall. So much taller than TV makes it look. As badass as Octavia has become, she couldn't have flung Ilian on the back of her horse that easily.

When Abby is reunited with her daughter, she touches Clarke's face and asks if she's real. A few episodes ago she hallucinated that Clarke had been exposed to radiation and her face was badly disfigured. Plus Abby said that Raven would recover ONLY if she rested and Abby isn't sleeping. Add that to her shaking hands and I think it's time to worry.

The Kane and Bellamy relationship is endlessly fascinating. It's easy to forget how deep the history runs between them.

The parallels to what is happening now and what happened with the mountain men are unsettling to me. The mountaineers were going to use up every last member of Skaikru they had (40, right?) to save their people and it was going to kill them all. How is Luna's bone marrow going to be enough to save even a fraction of Clarke's people and Roan's people and whatever's left of Trikru without killing her? Also, how screwy is it that if the nightbloods didn't have to fight to the death every time a new leader needed to be chosen, there would be a lot more marrow to go around.

Octavia: "Why don't you make a fire. You're good at that."

Abby: "If I take a life to find a cure, does that make me a murderer?"
Kane: "Abby, I don't know how to answer that. I wish I did."
Abby: "What if it can save us all? Would I be able to live with myself then?"
Kane: "Taking a life should never be easy. I hope it's not easy for you. Your humanity is your greatest strength. Sometimes we need a different kind of strength. We need to survive. Then we can all find our humanity again."

Kane: "Your mother would be proud of the man you've become. I know I am."
Bellamy: "You floated my mother."

2 comments:

  1. Yeah, I thought this one was really good, too. The twist with Emori was so good that I really didn't see an iota of it coming. Bellamy actually staying in the Rover and saving his own life -- what else could he do? This show loses nearly as many characters as The Walking Dead. Like you, I loved that last line in the Kane/Bellamy conversation: "You floated my mother." Wow.

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  2. It's good that the 100 can slow down a bit and do more or less a character piece. Bellamy is my favorite character and I do love what they are doing with him now instead of what happened in season 3.

    I am again distracted by the missing cast members every episode. Makes me twitchy when I think the show might need to cull some of the cast to cut costs for next season. Miller and Bryan are missing the longest, I think it's the 3rd episode in a row.

    Emori gets more interesting and Roan is basically assimilated into Skaikru already and helping with the experiment. I just wonder if they abandonned the space trip completely. I bet they will have to do it anyways without the ability to land.

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