In the third episode of the third season of The 100, the twelve clans converge on the capitol to negotiate a truce with the Sky People, and then EVERYTHING FALLS APART. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch The 100.
Now that’s more like it. This is the show I came to adore and appreciate! The writing for “Ye Who Enter Here†is brutal, uncompromising, and utterly captivating. SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED. Let’s discuss!
Mount Weather
Before we get to THE THING (which I don’t think is The Thing that broke the Internet, though maybe I’m wrong?), I wanted to start with the decision to occupy Mount Weather. I think there could have been a better way to do this, so shout out to Octavia for vocalizing how wrong it was of the Sky People – namely the Farm Station people – to move into Mount Weather. There was a chance for Abby to open a functioning hospital there, one that could have benefited more than just the Sky People. That could have been a further bargaining chip not just in the initial negotiations, but in the altered plans for there to be a 13th clan.
Instead, people rushed into that building to enjoy a respite from the harshness of life outdoors. They set up shop in a place that represented death and destruction to others, and they did so without any sense of self-awareness as to what they were doing. That doesn’t justify what happens to them, but I also think it’s important to acknowledge the arrogance.
Of course, there’s SO MUCH MORE GOING ON HERE THAN JUST THIS. I actually thought that the attack on Mount Weather was specifically orchestrated to punish the people who were using it. Oh, how naïve I was, y’all.
The Summit
It is refreshing to me that after two full seasons of this show, The 100 can still impress me with its worldbuilding and attention to detail. “Ye Who Enter Here†provides us with the first chance to truly see inside Polis, the capitol for the Grounders and all their various clans. There’s a fantastic scene where Kane and Abby discuss their misconception of the world: that it had been empty before they arrived and that they were returning to repopulate it. The brilliance here, then, is that the thriving marketplace and capitol shows them that they’re just a small part of the machine. It’s a humbling moment, and I’d like to think it’s directly responsible for their willingness to compromise. This is not their world, as they once mistakably believed; it’s one they must share with people who survived a nuclear apocalypse.
It’s why all the scenes with Abby and Kane felt so raw and real in this episode. The writers are honest about their positions in this world. Abby might be Chancellor, but she’s spread too thin. Kane might want to exist on the sidelines, but he’s got a knack for being a leader who is willing to compromise and empathize with others. (HOLY CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, I LOVE IT.)
It’s fascinating, then, to compare his style with Lexa’s. Throughout this episode, she’s cunning, brutal, and vocal about her need to be in control. Both are effective, though Kane is more muted than Lexa in some regards. Of course, he’s dealing with far less than she is. LET’S JUST BE REAL. She’s got the Ice Nation breathing down her neck (AKA TRYING TO KILL HER AND EVERYONE ELSE), she’s got a peace to negotiate with the Sky People and the other clans, and she has her own people to contend with. Namely: Titus, who seems to respect Lexa while also despising the direction she’s taking. He comes off as more of a traditionalist than anything else, so peace treaties are absurd to him.
Yet that’s the future, isn’t it? Constant war isn’t going to help either side, you know?
Betrayal
Except that’s what the Ice Queen wants: war. She wants war because it’ll destabilize everyone else, allowing her and her people to take control. The alliance may have given the clans an advantage, but what if this is the thing that unravels it all?
I’m still a little confused about the ritual that the Ice Nation warrior went through. I wonder if that existed solely as a red herring to make us think he was in Polis or if it’s part of the culture. Regardless, I feel for it. I assumed Echo was there to help. I assumed she was telling the truth! Actually… she technically was, wasn’t she? The summit was a trap. JUST FOR THE WRONG PEOPLE, JESUS CHRIST. I hope Monty’s mother survived, but I’m guessing that the remaining Farm Station members – especially Pike – will not be happy at all with this recent development. And the Ice Queen is going to get exactly what she wants: chaos.
THIS SHOW IS MESSED UP.
The video for “Ye Who Enter Here†can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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