"We have to find hope somewhere."
It's looking pretty grim on the hope-searching front, but on the character development /plot/relationship fronts, I am all in for the season.
When stuck in an almost constant state of war, how important is it to have hope? Jasper doesn't seem to have any, and he is completely reliant on those around him to care for him. Monty, on the other hand, just found his mother and lost his father in the space of a few hours and is fine with it because he has to be. Maybe in this situation hope is just a coping mechanism to get through all the heinous realities.
I don't know if it's the loss of his floppy hair, the gash in his neck or if the actor is just that good, but Jasper is almost unrecognizable to me. He's hanging on by a thread. No longer the fun-loving kid crushing on Octavia, and it's written all over him. Impressive work by Devon Bostick, and his mini-breakdown after finding Maya's favorite painting was the first time that I felt even a little sorry for him. In comparison to Monty hearing about his father's heroic death and Bellamy risking life and limb to get Clarke back (and failing), it could have fallen flat, but it didn't.
The Ice Nation is the new black. Irrationally lashing out at people for little reason makes for a dangerous enemy. They don't even have Clarke in custody to sacrifice for her magic powers, but they're already breaking treaty borders and banging on war drums? Talk about poor planning. I guess the radiation must have killed all the chickens and thus people forgot not to count them before the eggs have hatched.
We learned a ton about new kid on the block, Roan. He's a prince that was banished from his home and he desperately hopes to get accepted back. To where, though? I would assume to the Ice Nation with his Queen mother, but if the Ice Nation soldiers are actively marching against the coalition, then surely they wouldn't care about a Lexa-imposed banishment. Roan wouldn't need her permission to go home if the Ice Nation were the home he was trying to get to. Here's another question – why didn't he kill Bellamy? Because Clarke agreed to go quietly if he did?
Nyko is back (yay), but he is seriously injured and needs a blood transfusion (no yay). Luckily Abby has access to state of the art medical facilities. Why exactly did Jasper have to go, though? Aren't there other Arkadians that Abby would have believed more qualified to help her and Lincoln get Nyko to Mount Weather? For that matter, there is still a kill order on Lincoln. Why is it all of a sudden just accepted that he'll be going on field trips? When Nyko woke up in the hospital bed in the mountain, I couldn't stop wondering what he thought of the pillows. As far as we've seen, the most comfortable bedding the grounders have are extra leaves over the dirt. He didn't really state an opinion about them but he was pretty quick to defend using the mountain. So maybe he dug the pillows?
It's hard for me to write about Jaha and his acid trips, because I just don't care about what's happening over there. At least not yet.
One of the most interesting parts of this season so far has been the different reactions to Clarke. In part one Niylah looked at Clarke like a celebrity or idol. She risked her own life lying to the bounty hunters to protect the woman that avenged her mother and even seemed shocked that Clarke didn't celebrate her kills by marking them off on her back. Roan, on the other hand seemed like meeting the commander of death was a let down for him. And I'm really not looking forward to Clarke and Jasper interacting any time soon. Mostly because he is probably going to treat her like Maya's murderer instead of someone that repeatedly saves his ass. Not only am I sick of his ungratefulness, I seriously doubt how much more guilt Clarke can take on.
And finally Clarke and Lexa came face to face for the first time since the big betrayal three months ago. What a powerful scene. The ego on Lexa to think she could betray Clarke and then have her abducted and brought against her will with any kind of positive result is outrageous. For Clarke's sake, I hope she doesn't get painted into corner where forgiving and forgetting is her only option. It was hard enough watching her go through that after she couldn't save Finn, and I don't want the writers to keep sticking her on the same train going nowhere. If you ask me, Lexa earned Clarke's rage. You go girl -- spit to your heart's content.
Sometimes rating episodes can be confusing. Last week the episode got a 3.5. I thought it was good but not 4 worthy. Part 2 was even better than part 1, but I still don't think I can give it a 4. So...?
3.75999 out of 4 memory foam pillows.
Bits and pieces
There were lyrics of the Star-Spangled Banner on the wall of the underground tunnel.
According to Jasper, Maya's favorite painting was a depiction of the second circle of hell. That is the circle reserved for those overcome with lust. Was this the writers telling us that Jasper and Maya were definitely not in love?
The Ice Nation is led by the ice queen. No mention of a king (yet). I can't tell you how much lighter my heart is watching a show with so many female leaders.
The tower Lexa has set up camp in cannot be structurally sound.
I wonder how the renegade farm station survivors would have felt about the Mountain Men. They certainly have a blind hatred for all grounders for taking out so many of their friends.
Bellamy: "Are you okay?"
Monty: "I have to be."
Roan: "Looks like the great Wanheda is human after all."
Emori: "Don't try to be a hero and I'll leave you on your feet this time."
Murphy: "A hero? And here I thought you got me."
Bellamy: "We can't lose Clarke. We can't lose her."
Nyko: "Places are not evil, brother. People are."
Jasper: "This was her favorite. Represents the second circle of hell, which is pretty ironic if you think about it."
Lexa: "War is brewing, Clarke. I need you."
Clarke: "Ah! You bitch! You wanted the commander of death, you've got her. Ugh! I'll kill you! AAAAH!"
Typing the words of this exchange does it absolutely zero justice.
This show has quietly become the one I look forward to the most, and I didn't even realize it until it came back.
ReplyDeleteI really didn't click with the last episode but it all fell into place this time (I.e. it was entirely nervewracking, and Clarke was in the same room as both Bellamy and Lexa at various points, yay!).
ReplyDeleteI thought the whole Roan thing was more that Lexa had was going to use her influence as Commander with the Ice Queen (who is.. Roan's mother?) to get his banishment revoked - and getting Clarke back unharmed was her price for doing that? What I'm not clear on is whether the whole Wanheda thing ever did come from the Ice Queen or it was just Lexa all the time (was that Indra in the throne room at the end as well? Which would suggest Lexa has been playing everyone, yet again.)
I too was happy to see Clarke's reaction to Lexa, who REALLY had it coming. After watching her turn her back on Clarke last season, and then apparently refusing to honor her deal with the prince who brought Clark to her, she's long overdue for a generous helping of crow.
ReplyDeleteAnd even though we've only known him a little while, I'm already over that leader of the farm station people. He's got "one-note future villain" written all over his face. The only good news I guess is that he's being so obvious about it that Indra, Kane, Bellamy etc. already seem wary of him.
Laure I'm with you, I really REALLY don't care what's going on with Jaha. They need to find a way to link that storyline back to the others soon, because right now it's just time I wish they were spending on other characters.
Laure, I'm with you, too. The only reason I'm mildly intrigued by what's going on with Jaha is the hint that A.L.I.E. is trying to put all of humanity in something like the Matrix. Why isn't the big bald guy dead? Was he downloaded? And actually, I do like John Murphy, probably because I liked Richard Harmon's work in Continuum. Did you guys notice that for the first time in the entire series, Murphy's hair was clean in this episode? Cool jacket, too.
ReplyDeleteLoved Bellamy risking his life for Clarke going undercover again. I was just bummed that it didn't work. Although Clarke spitting in Lexa's face was worth the price of admission. It's looking like the Ice Nation is the Big Bad this season, or at least another faction of Bad, and I bet Roan the Ice Prince is going to be a major player. Hard to tell what will happen with Pike and the Farm station people. Poor Monty. But hey, he must have thought before that both of his parents were dead. He got his mother back.
Jasper was taking his ire out on innocent art objects. Considering how priceless and valuable the pieces in that storage room must be, I was not happy with him.
So I guess they confirmed the City of Light being a Matrix when the giant guy got uploaded after he died in the real world and looked completely normal.
ReplyDeleteI think Abby has decided to turn Mount Weather into the first Walk-in clinic for Grounders or am I jumping too far in conclusions? Glad to see Vako still alive and ever the voice of reason.
Jasper destroys priceless pieces of art, but after an apocalypse they are mostly worthless anyways. No more art collectors just art hoarders. I'm more dissapointed with Octavia who's angry with Linc turning into a someone he's not while she's doing the same since last season.
Lexa must be in the Capital previosuly mentioned before the attack on Mt. Weather. Looking forward to more Grounder politics.
@Patryk, Lincoln's always been a realist. He knows he and Octavia chose to throw their lot in with the Sky People when push came to shove at the end of last season. He knows he'll never really be one of them, but he's going to make the best of it. After being isolated from everybody her whole life, Octavia had a brief feeling of belonging, and it's harder for her to let go of it.
ReplyDelete