In the first episode of the second season of The 100, everything is messed up, and that’s an understatement. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch The 100.Well, some of our predictions were right! And yet, I’m not trusting that familiarity. Something is terribly, terribly wrong here, and I think I’m supposed to feel this sense of unease. At the very least, President Dante is the least trustworthy character here, and I’m claiming that now. I DON’T LIKE HIM, HE SCARES ME.
Look, there’s a lot that’s going on here. A LOT. If the end of season one seemed like it would simplify the story by sticking nearly everyone on Earth, WELL, THAT’S NOT THE CASE. Nevermind that Jaha is still alive and apparently hears a baby??? (WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT.) Everyone is in different locations, dealing with their own disasters, and it makes for one hell of a set-up for this season. So, in the interest of addressing as much as I can, HERE WE GO.
The Drop Ship
Look, this is all the evidence I need that Dante is a liar. He claims that the Mountain Men searched the camp and one of the crash sites, and yet? He didn’t find anyone. So why was Raven left behind? Why didn’t they find Murphy?
UGH MURPHY. Like, yes, it’s sad that his childhood sucked, but I DON’T CARE ANYMORE. He’s been so unrepentantly awful and cruel. At the same time, he’s on a show that brought about change in someone like Councilor Kane, so is it possible? Is there a chance that maybe even he can change, or will his behavior be enabled by the Ark characters? I have no idea. I’m hoping that at the very least, the reunion between the Ark characters and the 100 means that Raven survives because I’m going to be super mad if she dies.
But I’m also wondering what kind of world the Ark characters are going to try to build. How can they do that when 48 members of the 100 are currently in captivity in Mount Weather? We see Kane – who is apparently now the Chancellor – try to enforce the “law” when Bellamy attacks Murphy, but how does that work? There’s no court. There are no means of fair punishment. (Which wouldn’t exist in this context anyway, given what Murphy did to the 100.) Where are they going to live? In the remains of the Ark itself?
I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS.
Octavia
Given that she’s now at Lincoln’s village (I assume he was named after the statue), I hope that after she’s given the antidote, she has something to do. Right now, she’s perhaps the most static character in season 2, and I’d love for her to have a story that mattered. How will her relationship with Lincoln evolve? What is she going to do when she discovers what’s happened to her brother and her friends? Is Lincoln going to survive his betrayal of his people?
Mount Weather
Wow, I don’t even know where to start. There’s so much worldbuilding done here, both visually and through Dante’s dialogue, that it’s hard to keep track of it all. I’m not necessarily surprised after last season’s finale to discover just how well the Mountain Men live. But I seriously do not trust them. Perhaps many of these people are genuine, nice, and just trying to survive. I wouldn’t pain Maya in a malevolent light, for example. But I’m thinking of Ursula K. Le Guin’s “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” when trying to analyze this episode. Simply put: their lives cannot be this good without some dark secret.
I found the explanation for their quarantine procedures to be feasible and entertaining, but I don’t think that’s part of the secret that Dante is keeping from everyone. This place is too clean. It’s too saccharine. And like Clarke, I don’t feel like the safety they provide is worth it. Something is terribly, horribly wrong. Of course, I don’t know what that is. I suppose the fact that they kidnapped all these people and then expect to be rewarded for it is enough to distrust them. But even Monty and Jasper seem onboard with this! Granted, I don’t blame them. After the horror show they just went through, wouldn’t anyone appreciate the environment that these people have created?
I think that’ll make up a great deal of the conflict of this season. Clarke is going to have a hell of a time trying to convince anyone to leave this place. And look, I think that in terms of characterization, it makes sense that Clarke would refuse to stay put. She’s been indoors her entire life, and I kept getting flashes to “Pilot” while I watched her dash through the Mount Weather facility. On top of that, she’s always thinking of the wellbeing of other people, which is why she can’t bear the thought of leaving Finn, Bellamy, and Raven outside those walls. At the same time, that’s precisely what Jasper invokes when she tries to open the door to the fallout shelter: he reminds her that her actions may kill hundreds of innocent people.
So what’s the solution? We know from the final scene that Clarke is still quietly planning an escape. But can she do it alone? Will anyone else join up with her? WHY IS DANTE SO CREEPY? And why the hell was the timestamp in the surveillance videos counting down?
The video for “The 48” 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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