In the tenth episode of the second season of The 100, this show continues to surprise me. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch The 100.Â
Trigger Warning: For talk of addiction.
Seriously, this show is unreal.
Jaha
At first, it seemed strange to me that Jaha would be so utterly opposed to an alliance, particularly one that allowed for a peace between the Grounders and the Sky People. But Jaha doesn’t think in the short-term. His whole characterization is about the long-term plan for humanity, and that’s why he chose to remain behind on the Ark before he found his way down to Earth. He thinks in terms of the Greater Good, and he’s almost obsessed with the concept of sacrifice. Initially, he sacrificed other people, and John Murphy exists here to remind him of that. He can talk of sacrifice as much as he wants, but he shouldn’t forget that the sacrifice wasn’t personal to him, at least not until the 100 were sent down to earth. Even then, many other people besides Jaha paid the price for that sacrifice.
So it makes sense to me that Jaha would continue on this path, though at least in a way that’s a little more conscious of the stakes. I want the alliance to work, first and foremost. And I don’t understand where the Sky People could go, either. Jaha was so certain that an evacuation/exodus was the best option, but where would they go? I should have known that he was still entertaining the idea of traveling to the City of Light. But we know so little about this post-apocalyptic world, and it worries me. The City of Light sounds like the most stereotypical, trope-filled fairy tale imaginable! (And thankfully, Murphy pretty much called it out as such.) At the same time, I’ll admit a selfish interest in this plotline: we’ll get to see more of irradiated America. I’M TOTALLY INTO THIS.
Wow, who thought that Murphy and Jaha would team up? IT’S SO SURREAL.
Bellamy / Lincoln
The same goes for these two. WHO KNEW THEY’D BE TEAMING UP AND THAT BELLAMY WOULD APPRECIATE LINCOLN’S ROLE IN OCTAVIA’S LIFE? But I think that’s a sign of a repetitive theme that I adore within The 100: adaptation. These people changed their opinions of one another because the situation warranted it. They work together because they now have a common goal that they’re both working towards. Unfortunately, that doesn’t negate the history of trauma and addiction that Lincoln has. The whole plan to get Bellamy into Mount Weather under his own terms fell apart because of this, and it was heartbreaking to watch. We know Lincoln had every intention of getting Bellamy in that place, but his fear about what the Mountain Men would do to him overruled that.
It’s so sad, and it makes me hate Dr. Tsing and Cage all the more fervently. Lincoln is trying his hardest to do right by himself, to make-up for what he’s done, EVEN THOUGH HE SHOULDN’T HAVE TO! And yet, he couldn’t resist the pull of those drugs. Ugh, IT HURTS SO MUCH. And what of Bellamy??? Will Doctor Tsing realize he’s not a Grounder?
Octavia
There’s a great moment during a scene between Bellamy and Lincoln that solidifies Octavia’s character growth. She did not need Lincoln to be a strong person. And it’s clear that this is the case, because Lincoln is nowhere to be found in any of the scenes where Octavia does what she can to prove herself to the Grounders. She rushes into battle here because she is desperate for validation. I don’t think that’s inherently a bad thing; there’s nothing wrong with wanting to belong to a group or a culture. And even if Octavia is an outsider, I think that the Grounder Culture allows for people to become a part of their ways if they are willing to demonstrate that they’re serious and genuine.
Her fight against one of Indra’s men is absolutely foolish, and it is perhaps the most Gryffindor act in the entirety of the show. (You better believe I’ve already sorted all these characters, I swear.) She is not suited to fight this man, but that’s not the point. Her spirit is, and it’s why Indra asks her to be her second. WHICH IS ONE OF THE COOLEST PLOT TWISTS IMAGINABLE. I just love that through this, we are already seeing another side to Indra as well. I hope that means both characters will get depth to them in the future! At the very least, I think that Kane’s request of Octavia will bring about issues of loyalty and identity in her. Which group does she belong to? Both or neither?
Clarke / Lexa
JUST… HOLY SHIT. I DIDN’T EXPECT ANY OF THIS. Well, I should back up. I did expect that some of Lexa’s people would be resistant to pretty much anything that Clarke suggested. While I understand her faith in Bellamy, I don’t think it’s something you can ask people you just allied with to accept as the key to your whole plan. It’s just not reasonable. That doesn’t mean Bellamy is incapable of helping, but Clarke needed something else to go on.
And then this entire discussion is sidelined by SOMEONE CHASING CLARKE and then BYRNE’S ARM BEING TORN OFF and then GIANT IRRADIATED GORILLA. Oh my god, I am obsessed with that zoo set, y’all, and I love that the National Zoological Park is used in this matter. I’m still a bit confused about the physical arrangement of all these places, but it’s nice to get a bigger sense for the location of everything within D.C. and Virgina. It makes sense that the zoo isn’t right next to the Grounder camp, but is close enough that Clarke could ostensibly walk/run somewhere near it. Plus, it gives a greater idea of how the animal world has also adapted to life after the bombs dropped.
ALSO IT’S SUPER SCARY. THAT, TOO.
But the scares provided by this creature pale in comparison to the kind of growth we get to see between Clarke and Lexa. I love so much that this show is examining what weakness is and how often it’s used poorly to denigrate actions that are just a different type of strength. Understandably, the Grounders rely on brute strength, physical prowess, and detachment. They’ve had to. And while Clarke or Octavia or many others have shown similar qualities, they have other skills that have allowed them to survive. Clarke in particular is cunning. She’s extremely good at negotiation and diplomacy. And she’s a natural leader. She has things that work for her and her people. It’s not all about strength, is it? I love that we get to see both sides of this through these characters, and I’m hoping that further episodes will only explore this more.
THIS SHOW IS SO GOOD, Y’ALL.
The video for “Survival of the Fittest” 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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