Tonight, one of televisions best shows returns, but if you’re not one of those who will be tuning in, you should be. Need some convincing? Here’s 100 reasons to watch The 100!
1) Sci-Fi Genre: If you like science fiction then look no further! The main characters live in space (cue obligatory space ship shots!), and seeing as it’s set in the future, the technological possibilities are endless.
2) Dystopian Genre: The 100 is also post-apocalyptic. Earth has (supposedly) been inhabitable for nigh on 100 years due to solar radiation. Earth is overrun with wilderness, unknown natural(?) phenomenon, and disfigured and dangerous wild animals. It’s easy to stray into the ridiculous, but fortunately it never goes that far, always staying within the realm of believability.
Reasons 3-5 suffocated from lack of oxygen.
6) Relevance: At its core, The 100 is a social commentary on the world’s current status. The premise of The 100, that the earth will be destroyed in less than 100 years, may be a stretch, but the idea is pertinent to our present state. It’s well-known that the human race is destroying the planet, so you can’t help but wonder if, in some way, this might be where we’re actually headed.
Reason 7 was floated for not rationing the food.
8) Mature Content: The 100 is unlike other CW shows in that it deals with subject matter that is more mature. There are issues of class, ethics, and morality, none of which are glossed over. It respects its younger demographic, and doesn’t treat them like infants who are only interested in fluff and can’t handle more complex themes.
9) Suspense: Twists and turns lay around every corner, tension gripping you until you feel you’ll explode. Cliffhangers (both literal and figurative) are atop every episode. The 100 will keep you so hooked and engaged, and you’ll be begging for the next episode.
Reasons 10-12 ate poisonous berries.
13) Constant New Threats: Just when you start feeling bored of a conflict, The 100 introduces a new threat. Danger is always close and you can never predict what’s next.
14) Villains: Bad guys are not so clear cut in this show. Clichés are thrown out the window (er, floated out the Ark?) in place of ambiguity. It’s difficult to point at anyone and declare them evil, especially when the main characters we’re supposed to sympathize with do some morally questionable things, too.
Reasons 15-21 didn’t survive the Ark’s crash landing.
22) Consequences: A common thread in The 100 is consequences. Unlike other shows, main characters don’t get away with anything and everything. If someone makes a bad decision, you can bet there will be repercussions one way or another.
Reasons 23-30 were massacred by a Sky Person.
31) Torture: For the twisted minds there’s no shortage of creative torture methods, from the psychological to the physical. Those with a weaker stomach might cringe at the more innovative techniques.
Reasons 32-42 were killed by a retaliatory Grounder invasion.
43) Death: The 100 is not one to shy away from killing important characters, so try not to get too attached to anyone. They just might end up dead.
Reason 44 was hanged for treason.
45) Action: For those with a love of action, The 100 has you covered. There are plenty of fight sequences to satiate your desire for violence. The fights are never the same either. From shoot-outs, hand-to-hand combat, and close range knives, you never feel like you’ve seen the same fight twice.
More on page 2: Reasons 46-72 to watch ‘The 100’
46) Character Development: Only one and a half seasons in and already there’s character growth. ‘Development’ doesn’t always mean ‘become a better person,’ though. There’s also character regression. You hate that character? Just wait, you might end up liking them. You like that character? Just wait, you might end up hating them. Experiences and events cause characters to change their behavior accordingly.
47) Interesting Female Characters: The 100 can certainly boast having plenty of strong females, but what sets it apart from other shows is the fact that there are interesting female characters. Everyone loves a badass, no doubt about that. But the women in The 100 are more than warriors, and are vastly different from each other. They each have a unique personality and are not reduced to clichés.
48) Interesting Male Characters: It’s all about equality on The 100! The men are also just as diverse as the women, portraying personalities from all sides of the spectrum. You might even argue that most male characters display traits common to female stereotypes, and vice versa for the female characters. It makes the characters feel fresh and more interesting when not driven by stereotypes.
Reasons 49-50 drowned after a swamp monster attacked.
51) Clever Characters: How often have you watched a show or movie in which the lead character is in danger and they do something stupid prompting you to yell at the screen, “Why would you do that?!” Well the frustration ends now! Many characters in The 100 would not walk towards the creepy noise coming from the dark attic. When put in a bad situation, many characters actually make smart decisions (gasp) to get themselves out of it. Even with the few characters that make you roll your eyes, their poor decisions fit with their character. It feels natural and realistic.
52) Flaws: As awesome as the characters are, they are far from perfect. Even the best of them make mistakes here and there, and that’s what makes them so engaging. It would be terribly boring if you liked everything about each character, there’d be no depth.
Reasons 53-56 burned from sun radiation.
57) Romance: If you like romance, you won’t be disappointed. If you don’t like romance, you also won’t be disappointed. There’s enough romantic subplots to keep shippers satisfied, but not dwelled on too much to be a distraction or annoyance. It’s hard to think about a potential honey bunny when fighting for your life 24/7.
58) Relationships: As stated above, there are romantic relationships, but what’s more, this is a show that puts focus on other kinds of relationships. Male friendships, female friendships, male/female friendships, siblings, parent/child, The 100 has it all. Arguably it’s at its best when dealing with the relationship between enemies who are trying to find common ground.
Reasons 59-63 died in a Mount Weather experiment.
64) Diversity: A strong element of The 100 is the cast’s ethnic diversity. It’s true there could be more representation, as it’s not as equal as it probably should be, but it is far better than most shows. Moreover, a character’s ethnicity is not what drives their storyline. Everyone is treated the same as everyone else.
65) Adults: Unlike most other CW shows, the adult characters are not just thrown in and serve no purpose. The adults in The 100 have storylines as important and as interesting as the teens. Furthermore, what happens in the adults’ stories oftentimes has some impact to the teens’ stories.
66) Age Gap: Too many shows have teenagers acting like children, and adults treating teenagers with little respect. The teens in The 100 are much more like young adults, frequently behaving more maturely than the adults. In turn, the adults ought to give the teens the respect they deserve, and they do. The really satisfying moments are when the adults put their pride aside and let the younger ones take control.
67) Multiple Plots: With so many characters and so many stories going on at once, it’s easy to assume the show will be difficult to follow. But The 100 does a great job creating various plots that at first seem separate from each other, but will ultimately come together in one big moment. Knowing the stories somehow all have relevance to each other makes watching much more interesting. You can try to fit together the pieces and predict what’s going to happen next.
Reasons 68-71 decayed from poisoned mist.
72) Flashbacks: The dreaded flashbacks are not so dreadful after all. Flashbacks are woven into the present story seamlessly, and they’re great for slowly revealing backstory of the characters. Instead of throwing history at you all at once, The 100 takes its time to shed layers of each character. They show why characters have become the person they are and how they got to their present state.
Even more on page 3: Reasons 73-100 to watch ‘The 100’
73) Setting: The environment is so beautiful, the scenic shots will make you swoon. Sure, the show is dark, gritty, and action-packed, but when it takes a moment to breathe, you can’t help but be in awe of the landscape and world this show has created.
Reasons 74-77 were eaten by Reapers.
78) Special Effects: For a new show, the special effects are quite good, and they’re not so poor as to take you out of the moment. Some of the most memorable instances have come from the special effects. Who can forget the deer?
79) Writing: Many of the reasons listed here originate from great writing. On occasion the dialogue feels corny, but for the most part it’s well-done, and as stated above, the writers know how to create great characters and keep the story interesting.
80) Costumes: It is so refreshing to see people in a post-apocalyptic world, who run around the woods all day, and have torn, tattered, faded, dirty clothes. The accuracy of the costumes greatly helps the believability of this world and environment.
Reason 81 died from a bullet wound infection.
82) Down and Dirty: In the same vein as the costumes, the actors are not completely airbrushed to look shiny, clean, and perfect. If they’ve been rolling around in the mud, you can bet they will be covered in muck for as long as it takes them to find water and clean off. It’s also not delicate scratches or little spots of grime like other shows do to ensure their actors are as unblemished as possible. This is full on filthy. They may be beautiful people, but they are not impervious to dirt. It also looks pretty badass.
83) Hot Hot Hot: Let’s get superficial for a moment. It should shock no one that this show has attractive actors in abundance. It is a CW show after all. If there’s one thing the CW is good for, it’s casting beautiful people.
Reasons 84-89 burned in a forest fire.
90) Acting: It’s no surprise the adult actors bring their best foot forward, with the likes of Paige Turco (Damages, Person of Interest), Isaiah Washington (Grey’s Anatomy), and Henry Ian Cusick (Lost) gracing the screen, but the younger actors do a fantastic job as well. For most of them, The 100 is their big break, and they don’t let the pressure get to them. They hold their own really well and consistently give believable performances.
91) Interaction: Watching a show is always more fun when you get to enjoy it with other people. It’s even more fun when the cast and crew of that show interact with you. Many of the cast members and writers of The 100 live tweet during airings of each episode. Fan interaction is important, as it shows that they do see what the fans are saying and perhaps they actually care what the viewers think.
92) Books: If you love reading, you’re in luck. The 100 is based off a book series by Kass Morgan. So far there are two books in the series, The 100 and Day 21. The third book, Homecoming, will be released in February of this year.
Reason 93 was impaled by a giant spear.
94) It Gets Better: Some of you may have actually tried watching The 100 but stopped after the first couple of episodes because you just weren’t feeling it. You’re not alone. In fact, many fans of the show say the same. Stick with it. Yes, the first four or so episodes feel slow, clunky, and contrived. But once it finds its footing and gets the exposition out of the way, it really picks up. Season 2 especially feels like a different show from the beginning of the first season.
Reasons 95-98 were chased off a cliff.
99) Short Seasons: A huge strength of this show is that seasons are short. Stories don’t have to be stretched thin to span 20+ episodes. It’s compacted into 13 (season 1) and 16 (season 2) episodes, making for minimal boring filler and a lot of action.
100) Netflix: No excuses! If you need to get caught up, U.S. Netflix has the first season, and Canadian Netflix is up to date on all episodes. So get watching!
