"I don't trust you. I do, however, trust the love you have for your friends."That line, said by Cadogan to Clarke, is Clarke in a nutshell. Her allegiance shifts in a heartbeat if that's what it takes to protect and save those she's chosen as her family. You want to be on the lady's right side. Now we are watching Clarke search a way out of war and do all that is possible to take her loved ones out of danger for the last time. Will she get it done? More importantly, can she get through to Bellamy and save him from himself?
I worry, I have to say. There are so many religious undertones right now that I'm deeply worried that this series will conclude with a big message of faith. Please, don't. I don't want Bellamy to be right, I don't want Cadogan to be right. Faith has always been a big part of The 100, but in interesting ways. The grounder mythology is fascinating and, although season six had its share of flaws, I liked how they explored Sanctum's belief system and the way the Primes manipulated people through it. But now I have concerns that this season is leading up to a message of salvation. Again, I ask: please, don't.
Over at Sanctum, it was very twisted of Sheidheda to shoot all of Gabriel's children before killing their leader Nelson. A final psychological torture before his demise. Sheidheda takes pleasure in it, in inflincting as much pain as possible. I've enjoyed that character a lot more this season; a big part of that is due to JR Bourne's performance. In this episode, though, Sheidheda was a bit too extra, on the verge of becoming the moustache twirling villain I have no interest on watching. A throne of skulls? Snore. I hope the writers don't lose the ballance there, because overall they have done a good job on making Sheidheda an engaging foe this season.
Differently from Gabriel's children, Nikki the convict knelt before Sheidheda, but honest to the Primes, I thought she was just playing Sheidheda. She is a survivor and she must know that the chances of her people are better in a more or less peaceful life with Raven's people and the others than under Sheidheda's rule. I was expecting her to tell Murphy that she had a plan, but Emori knocked her out and things went in another direction. If Nikki ever had good intentions, we will probably never know.
There was a lot of bonding in this episode, and it made me think of what a rich mythology this series has. Madi and the kid who survived have very different backgrounds, but both faced great tragedies in their lives, and she was able to connect with him by sharing her story. Jason also tried to bond with Hope the same way, but he was less successful. Clarke and Octavia also had a nice moment with one another, and I wish The 100 had given us more of that friendship instead of keeping them at odds so often. Octavia has gained ten years on Clarke and everyone else. Kind of fascinating when you think about it, but Octavia has been underused in the past few episodes and we haven't watched enough of this more mature Octavia. Then, again, there is so much going on that there is always someone from the core group of characters being sideline to accomodate the competing storylines.
Bits and Pieces
- The Stranger is, obviously, Bellamy.
- Murphy being all altruistic is indeed a sexy look for him. Indra is proud of him and so am I.
- I think Clarke has found her equal when it comes to thinking ahead of the game. Cadogan is as smart as she is.
- Would Sheidheda be that good with a gun? I mean, the grounders didn't have guns, did they?
- Can the stone be moved and carried? I had the impression that once it found its "place," it got stuck there.
- Octavia compared the effects of the Gem-9 bioweapon to Medusa turning people into stone. Very in character that she would bring that up in a conversation with Bellamy. I love these little character traits.
- Can Raven go a season without being tortured?
- Poor Echo. She was so heartbroken by Bellamy's behavior.
Quotes
Sheidheda: "Kneel before me or die."
Nelson: "Death is life."
Jordan (to Hope): "[Diyoza] didn't do it to save your life. She did it to save your soul."
Octavia (re: Hope): "A couple of days she was our little girl. Now she is messed up like the rest of us."
Clarke (to Bellamy): "We've seen our share of crazy, but that doesn't change the fact that fighting some war to become the light is as ridiculous as the clothes you're wearing."
Clarke (to Bellamy): "Go float yourself."
Murphy: "All right, I'm awesome."
Yes, Murphy, you are.
Solid episode, but the arc story is a big question mark right now. There are so many planets in space that I wonder if it will all pay off. Three out of four skulls? Two and a half?
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Lamounier
I had huge problems with the episode that are essentially a hangover from the previous one. Like Clarke, I was hoping against hope that Bellamy was playing some sort of deep game (though that isn't really his style), like Echo. And I never really enjoyed the Sheidheda plot in season 6 or 7, but the emergence of Murphy as a heroic figure this season has been enjoyable--and far more believable than Bellamy as religious fanatic.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I can see the appeal of ending the 100 with an "end to war", I find it hard to imagine they're really going to make Cadogan right. My suspicion is that Jason's theory that he was misinterpreting the writing will prove correct, and the "war" will prove to be a test of another kind. At least that's what i'm hoping for.