Let the shipping wars begin! No, I’m just kidding, The 100 fans should never fight. If the 12 Grounder tribes can set aside their differences and form an alliance, so can you!
Soooooo, anyone else feel like getting into their PJs and gossiping about our crushes? The 100 season 2, episode 14 was hella intense, but also offered a last chance for our characters to breathe before the war begins. This breather allowed us to spend some quality downtime with our heroes, and we got some great insight into Clarke, Lexa and Raven’s current states of mind.
Full disclaimer: I’m always apprehensive when The 100 does romance storylines. Too often they’ve felt inorganic and rushed (Octavia/Atom, anyone?), but every once in a while, the writers use romance to develop their characters in new and interesting ways. I’m 100% on board with Clarke/Lexa for this reason.
It is so much more than a will they/won’t they, and I wish people would stop judging the storyline based on which ship they support. This isn’t The Vampire Diaries. It’s not about who ends up with who, it’s about the characters making authentic, complicated choices.
So, I’m loving that storyline. And then there’s Jaha… um, we’ll get into that later.
And the tin man gets his heart
Like many other fans, I went into this episode knowing the kiss was gonna happen. I therefore appreciated Lexa’s acknowledgement of Clarke’s feelings for Bellamy early on in the episode. It’s like the writers are trying to protect themselves from backlash (probably a wise move) by having Lexa realize that Clarke cares more about Bellamy than she’d like to admit. Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t this the first time anyone in the show has actually acknowledged Bellarke?
In many ways, this episode was all about leadership, and the god-like power that comes with it. As Lexa tells Clarke, being a Commander means looking her warriors in the eye and telling them to go die for her. But while this is exactly what needs to happen in a war, it’s not that black and white.
There were so many brilliant exchanges between Clarke and Lexa this week, but the best came after Lexa sent her assassin after Octavia, and Clarke figured it out (quietly saving an unaware Octavia in the process).
At first, I thought they had Lexa try to kill Octavia to remind the audience that despite her willingness to cooperate, she was still a ruthless Grounder. But now, I feel like it was to counteract her big emotional breakthrough later in the episode. We can’t forget that Lexa is a complicated character, who is always going to be ready to make the hard choices, because that’s what she’s been groomed for her whole life. And while we as viewers want to see her embrace her emotions, her compassion is probably going to be what eventually gets her killed.
For the past couple of episodes, Lexa’s had the upper hand in her and Clarke’s exchanges, because she’s been convincing Clarke (and herself) that feelings are a sign of weakness. But in this episode, Clarke throws all the seemingly heartless things Lexa has done back in her face, and she finally begins to crack. This scene was brilliant. Guys, Alycia Debnam Carey is a goddamn superstar.
Towards the end of the episode, Clarke and Lexa finally get to the core of why they’re different: while Lexa believes she must lock away her feelings in order to survive, Clarke tells her, “Maybe life should be about more than just surviving.”
When Lexa kisses her, Clarke is into it. But then she pulls away. “I’m not ready to be with anyone,” she admits. “Not yet.”
And it was perfect. As with many things in the show, sexuality just isn’t a big deal on The 100, and their connection is not about their genders at all. It’s about the fact that Lexa had Finn killed, that Clarke is busy fighting a war, and that it’s just not the right time.
In general, I’m not big on shipping. While some pairings are super cute (Wick/Raven!), I could honestly take them or leave them. But what I AM big on is romance developments that further storylines and characters. The Clarke/Lexa thing happening right now is brilliant. Watching Lexa and Clarke develop together is fantastic, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
And I mean, it’s not like one ship rules out the other anyway. It’s The 100. Circumstances change, people die. We’ve (hopefully) got many seasons left for the characters to find themselves and discover new connections. As long as a storyline (romantic or not) is servicing the characters rather than the audience, I’m on board with whatever relationships the writers decide to explore.
Bellamy is so badass, he’s impervious to fire!
After a hilarious back and forth with Wick and Raven, Bellamy figured out how to disable the acid fog. And even after the plan went south because the Mountain Men found his radio and cut off communication, he realized that to save his friends, he could blow up the cylinders with the help of the guards’ gunfire, disabling the fog for good.
And let’s get real, this was a last-ditch suicide mission to save his friends. It should have killed him.
But clearly the fire was Team Bellamy, because it conveniently scorched everyone but him – and not even his hair got singed! But I’m strangely okay with suspending my disbelief on this one, because for a minute there I actually thought Bellamy would die. But IF that happened, surely it would be a finale death, right?
Anyway, Bellamy survived, and Cage’s nefarious plans were foiled once again. Now the Mountain is left without defenses, and the dwarves can finally get their treasure back.
Meanwhile on ‘CSI: Camp Jaha’
Guys, I loved the science stuff. It was such a nice break from the harsh, gritty Grounder life where everyone’s bruised and covered with mud, and anyone could get an arrow in the back at any time. They even had techno music playing! Oh, and WICK IS BACK. Another example of perfect casting. We’ve loved him from the moment he first appeared in season 1, and every time he appears, he just somehow lights up the show.
You know, the casting directors don’t get enough credit. Think of all the background/secondary characters that we’ve fallen in love with just because the actors are so engaging: Wick, Miller, Harper, Murphy, Indra… that’s as much down to the casting as it is to the writing. I hope they’re all main characters in season 3.
Unfortunately, while Wick has captured the hearts of the viewers, he hasn’t really captured Raven’s heart yet. There’s clearly a history between them, but just like Clarke, Raven clearly isn’t ready to emotionally commit to another person so soon after Finn’s death.
UNLIKE Clarke, however, she’s more than willing to use sex to relieve the pressure. She likes him, she’s attracted to him, and they’re about to go to war. It’s all very simple. But when it’s time to talk about their feelings? Raincheck.
I love this about Raven. (As Bellamy knows, she likes a good explosion, wink wink.) She really does use sex to make herself feel better; it’s when it gets emotional that she balks. She’s only given her heart away once, and after risking everything for Finn, she got burned. And now he’s dead. Obviously she’s going to be a bit gun-shy.
Of course poor Wick is now even more infatuated with her, but she ain’t got time for his love poetry because she’s got more important stuff to do. Women, am I right? It’s just so hard to get them to settle down. (I love you so much, The 100.)
Saved the best for last…… lol jk
Knock knock.
Who’s there?
Desert.
Desert who?
Desert Jaha, because he’s a jerk.
BOOM.
And to think, I used to stick up for the guy! But when Jaha gets away with saying things like, “These mines are just another test of our faith” without immediately stepping on one of them himself, I just cringe. I would be so much happier with this storyline if Jaha wasn’t so goddamn full of himself, and kept finding “proof” that his superior faith was protecting him.
By implying that he’s meant to survive, Jaha is raising himself above everyone else. The two people (including the jokester! He was my new favorite character!) who died weren’t as worthy as him. What kind of crap is that?
I like that he has faith. I just wish someone would push him off his high horse, because Jaha has waaaaaay too high an opinion of himself, and I vehemently dislike arrogant people. As is probably obvious by now.
When Jaha, Murphy and the two remaining redshirts discovered the solar panel field, I was so happy. There was no City of Light. Jaha’s moment of desperation (“I flew down from space. I defied death! It was all for a reason. It has to be.”) made me instantly feel bad for him, because of course he wasn’t special. He just really needed to believe that his life had a purpose.
But then they followed a drone (that’s a sentence you never would have heard five years ago), to a little boat conveniently fit to carry only the surviving members of Jaha’s disciples, and off they went across the water. Jaha’s faith in HIMSELF has been restored, and I’m back to rolling my eyes.
I wish no part of The 100 would make me roll my eyes, but there you go. I shouldn’t complain so much because obviously whatever the gang finds out on Long Island or wherever they’re going won’t be a heavenly paradise. But the possibility that it could be just annoys me.
That said, I am SUPER curious about this new place. And don’t get me wrong, I’ve really enjoyed the desert scenes. Murphy is fantastic, and the cinematography is so damn gorgeous.
I just wish Jaha would have been blown up by one of his Faith Mines, and then Murphy could go on to discover whatever lies beyond the Grey Havens.
Questions and comments:
– When Lexa told Clarke, “You were born for this. Same as me,” do you think she was just projecting? Or is she drawn to Clarke because she believes she sees some spiritual energy in her?
– So fire didn’t kill Bellamy. Do you think if the Mountain Men tried to drown him, he’d float?
– Octavia and Clarke’s friendship is officially over. Not that they were ever that close, but this still makes me sad.
– “Sand. It blows.” Never change, John Murphy.
– Next week is THE FINALE!! Part 1, anyway. Don’t forget to vote in our death predictions poll!
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