In the seventh episode of the second season of The 100, this show is exhausting. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch The 100.Â
I mean, I’m having the time of my life, but my gods, SO MUCH IS HAPPENING ALL OF THE TIME AND THERE’S NO BREAK AND IT NEVER STOPS.
G O D
Mount Weather
Let me try to address the billion things that just occurred by splitting it up based on the two major regions. I still can’t foresee how this story is going to unfold because there are so many variables at play. There are two major ones within the Mount Weather facility itself: Jasper, Monty and those he’s confided in, and Cage/Dr. Tsing. Both are quietly escalating matters independent of each other, and it won’t be long until they openly clash with one another. But the question is how they’ll do that. Dr. Tsing and Cage have already experimented with the effect of the 47’s blood on outdoor exposure. (And killing the woman who led the 47’s tour of Mount Weather in the season premiere.) I suspect that Dr. Tsing’s theory about the bone marrow will prove fruitful, and then what? It’s obvious that President Wallace cannot actually stop these two monsters from using the 47 as a human harvest. So how long can they get away with it before someone notices?
Not long, I imagine, especially since “Long Into an Abyss” features Jasper finally getting rid of his worship of Mount Weather. Truthfully, I think Monty is far more responsible for this, but whatever. GIVE HIM HIS SPOTLIGHT. The point is that there’s now a (very) tiny group working within Mount Weather to escape. As I said on video, I don’t actually see how they’ll get out, and I’m worried more than ever that they’ll need to make an escape attempt or Dr. Tsing/Cage will begin to kidnap the 47 to use for bone marrow transplants. I admit that it’s fascinating that President Wallace still continues to be more and more moderate and ethical, despite that he is well aware of the horrific nightmare he’s sanctioned concerning the Grounders and the Reapers. I mean, he could like… let all those people go? And stop stealing people’s blood to survive? That would make him truly a good person. So why this? Why does the bone marrow plan inspire such revulsion in him? Is it because he got to know the 47? I’m guessing that the key difference is that he sees them as people, not a product. He can’t divorce the reality of their lives from the exploitation he’s used to.
I’m actually surprised Cage didn’t kill him off in this episode. I THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA HAPPEN.
The Eve of War
Seriously, it’s like this show can’t resist throwing one moral terror after another at its characters, and I love it.  I really do. I think it makes for good storytelling, and I think it makes The 100 compelling to watch. The main decision that the characters outside Mount Weather must face is about faith. Do these people believe that Clarke’s plan will work? If Lincoln can be cured of the Reaper addiction, can they then offer that to the Grounders to facilitate some sort of truce? On either side of this argument is a truth. We know for certain that the Grounders take their threats seriously, so Jaha’s side makes sense. If they stay at camp, they’ll be slaughtered by the Grounders. I never doubted that! At the same time, is it worth the risk to delay an evacuation if another option exists?
That other option did revolve around a bluff, since Clarke didn’t actually know if they could heal Lincoln. And for Jaha, the risk wasn’t worth it. He wanted to guarantee his people’s survival. But doesn’t Clarke want the same thing? She wants everyone to live, and she means everyone, including the 47. She wanted to believe that she could find a solution that benefitted everyone. And in the greatest moment of this whole episode, SO DID HER MOTHER. That doesn’t mean that Jaha is an awful person. He still genuinely wanted what was best for these people. Clarke, however, wanted a far more permanent solution aside from an exodus.
It is certainly a tense and uncomfortable journey to that point. Y’all, I just loved all the scenes between Clarke, Lexa, and Indra. Watching these characters navigate such a delicate arrangement was electrifying, and all three actresses are incredible in these roles. I think that we’re getting a better sense for Grounder culture and society because of this, and I hope that means the show will explore it further. How was Lexa chosen to be the Commander? What sort of organization will there by if an alliance really does become reality? How will the Grounders continue to clash with the other groups? Oh lord, WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN THE MOUNTAIN MEN REALIZE THEIR REAPERS ARE DISAPPEARING BECAUSE THEY’RE BEING CURED?
I have a lot of questions. Clearly, this journey is going to be a rough one, but there’s something more immediate that they all must deal with: Lexa’s demand to hand Finn over. His crimes were horrific, and while Clarke seems willing to forgive him (or at least begin to), Lexa is not the least bit interested in such an arrangement. Blood must have blood, as she says, and I don’t see an out for Finn just yet. I also don’t think the show is going to kill him off because… well, characters like him usually get second chances. That’s just how this works. So how? How can Finn placate the people who are justifiably angry at him?
I DON’T KNOW.
The video for “Long Into an Abyss” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
Mark Links Stuff
– I am now on Patreon!!! MANY SURPRISES ARE IN STORE FOR YOU IF YOU SUPPORT ME.
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– My Master Schedule is updated for the near and distant future for most projects, so please check it often. My next Double Features for Mark Watches will be seasons 1 & 2 of The 100, Death Note, and Neon Genesis Evangelion. On Mark Reads, Diane Duane’s Young Wizards series will replace the Emelan books.
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