Ever since Monty left his final message to his friends, The 100 has frequently gone back to the question of whether its main group of characters is able to deviate from war and do better. Now that the endgame is approaching, war looks inevitable, but what the remainder of the human race needs might be something else altogether.
Season seven has been the most sci-fi and mystery driven of The 100, and I've been really enjoying it, even though here and there it's difficult to keep track of what's going on (all that time dilatation is not easy to follow). Now it looks like we are ahead of a prophecy about a final war, only Jordan believes it could be a different kind of challenge: not a battle, but a final test. A test of what, though? Centuries ago, Becca saw the other side and she said humanity wasn't ready. What is the final destination of the Anomaly Stone? Is the test a way to select those who are worthy to cross to the other side?
The Three Most Dangerous Women on Any Planet
If the test has anything to do with being a better person and not going on a killing spree, Echo's chances of success are not high right now. It was clear the three most dangerous women on any planet were only faking their loyalty to the Disciples, but it was nice to have confirmation this week that that was the case. But I didn't really buy the angle the episode went with Echo. It would have been believable if she wanted to kill all the Disciples to prevent them from harming her friends at Sanctum, since the way they control things resembles a bit what the Mountain Men used to do to the grounders. But her motivation being to revenge Bellamy's death didn't carry a lot of weight simply because Echo and Bellamy haven't been given enough screentime as a couple for her relationship with him and her grief over his death ground her actions. Clarke, Octavia and Raven all have much more developed relationships with Bellamy, and none of them were going off the rails from Bellamy's death, why should I believe Echo would?
Having that said, I liked how Echo knew that her actions didn't compare to what Clarke had done in the past, rendering Clarke's approach to stop her from killing everyone in Bardo a bit ineffective. In the past, Clarke did what she believed was necessary to save her people, whereas now Echo just wanted revenge, pure and simple. I insist that it would have worked better if Echo was taking drastic measures to keep her people safe, but since that wasn't the case, I'm glad the writing had her aware of the moral implications of her choices and that, in the end, she didn't go through with them.
The real emotional meat of all that dilemma came in the very final moments of the episode, though, when Hope decided to do what Echo wasn't able to. Now, Hope being the emotional volatile person who just wants to kill all the Disciples works much better, because they have ruined her life yet again. And with Diyoza scared of what had become of the little one she tried so much to keep away from violence, it was fitting that her final action would be to save her daughter's soul. What a terrific character arc Diyoza had from the first time she appeared on the show to now. It's a shame to see her go, but the conclusion to her journey was very poignant. From killer to mom, from terrorist to savior, Diyoza is easily in my Top 5 of The 100 characters. May she rest in peace. And may Hope not fall into despair for causing her mother's death.
The Most Dangerous Commander on Any Planet
This season, the stuff in Bardo has held my interest more than the plot in Sanctum, but with a title like "A Little Sacrifice," this episode had me worried that someone was going to die (someone did), and when Indra and Sheidheda started to fight, I was in the edge of my seat nervous about Indra's fate. I was so worried that I paused the episode and wrote this down:
If Indra dies, I swear... Okay, I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm just writing this down because I'm nervous.
I kept waiting for Murphy to shoot Sheidheda, or for anyone to do anything that would save Indra, and then freaking Madi came flying out of nowhere to save her. Wow, I did not see that coming. So symbolic that she cut his eye, and also very believable that she didn't stand a chance against him. I like how in the end it was all about family. Indra didn't understand why her mother bowed to Sheidheda, but now she did it herself for Madi's safety. Madi wanted a chance at a normal life, but to save Indra's life she rejoined the battle, putting herself at risk.
Now Sheidheda rules over Sanctum. He is so good at being scary and manipulative. What a writing upgrade from last season. I mean, he's still the mustache twirling type of villain, but he is also much more, infused with personality and presence, and it doesn't hurt JR Bourne is doing such a great work with the role. Did he really need that grounder hairdo, though?
Credit where credit is due, season seven is doing really well in the villain department. Both Sheidheda and Shepherd are very good villains, and also very distinct from one another. I'm curious to know where the season is headed and how the two major arcs are going to collide with one another.
Bits and Pieces
- Murphy has come a long way, hasn't he? I love that he can't just be a cockroach anymore. He cares.
- Poor Levitt, I hope Octavia goes back to rescue him.
- This season has been surprisingly light on Clarke, hasn't it? Considering Bellamy is MIA, the original co-leads of the series have taken a backseat this season. The final episodes better fix that.
- Sheidheda's real name is Malachi.
- Okay, so the people in Bardo spent centuries studying the symbols and didn't interpret them correctly, but Jordan, who had never seen the symbols before, is able to figure out their true message in two minutes? How convenient for the plot. I loved Jordan saying he was a genius, only to be followed by Niylah dismissively saying all he had was a theory.
- Another plot convenience: none of the four women captured by the Disciples were turned. Talk about an ineffective brainwashing program.
Quotes
Echo: "What? You didn't really think I believe this garbage?"
Gabriel: "How are you still alive?"
Shepherd: "Cryogenics. Plus a well-balanced diet."
Niylah: "Every war seems like the last one until the next."
Gabriel: "Earth was pretty terrible."
Shepherd: "It got worse after you left."
Gabriel: "Good for the cult business, though, am I right?"
Jordan: "What are the odds everything works out and we just walk out of here?"
Three out of four letters stacked in blocks of syllables.
--
Lamounier
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