The 100 season 3, episode 13 was like one big game of Tic-Tac-Toe, with crosses and full circles all around. And I think X won this round.

Guys, you know I love The 100, but that opening scene in Polis was straight up cut-and-pasted from Game of Thrones season 4. You know that scene where Daenerys was riding towards Meereen, and the Masters nailed slave children to crosses along the road? Tell me I’m wrong.

As gruesome as nailing Kane to a cross was though, you can’t exactly call this new territory for The CW, seeing as Supernatural season 3 featured a very similar scene of Dean in hell.

Every time I wonder if The 100 is getting too bloody, I always go back to shows like The Vampire Diaries and Supernatural, both of which are technically a lot bloodier. Maybe we feel it more because in The 100, death is actually permanent? (Unless the City of Light is about to change all that.)

Related: The 100 Podcast Special #4 – The Delinquents vs the World

I see a lot of people claiming The 100 has “suddenly” gotten super violent, but I just think it’s important to remember that, as ruthless as this show is, it’s not doing anything the network hasn’t been doing for years. I honestly applaud The 100 for taking the risks it’s done this year, but I do wonder if the backlash won’t mean a somewhat toned down season 4? I wouldn’t say no to a bit of downtime for these poor, tortured characters — if any of them make it out of the CoL alive, that is!

But don’t let the sea of blood distract you: This episode was actually chock-full of parallels and important character moments. Not only have Kane and Abby now taken exactly the same path, to get back to exactly where they started (doing Thelonious Jaha’s questionable bidding), but “Join or Die” also did a lot to show us just how far both Octavia and Murphy have come.

At the end of this episode we’re left with Pike, Murphy and Indra on the same side and we’re rooting for them. Isn’t that amazing? Meanwhile our four delinquent heroes have made it to Luna, bared their hearts and souls, and are now stuck in the middle of the ocean with absolutely no plan for where to go from here. Just another day on the Ground.

Let’s discuss.

At the beginning with you ?

I really enjoyed these Ark flashbacks, although I couldn’t help but feel like it was a bit of a wasted opportunity. Yes, it was great to see Monroe, Fox, Mbege and some of the other dearly departed delinquents again, but where was Charlotte? Where was Wells (solitary, my ass)? Where was Finn?

Considering that we hardly ever get flashbacks on this show, I think including these key players would have had a bigger emotional impact. I did appreciate the fact that they got so many familiar faces back though. I miss season 1.

What I did love about these flashbacks was getting to see Octavia in what we have to assume is her first significant interaction with someone who isn’t her mother or brother. We had no idea she’d ever met these people before getting on the dropship but I’m willing to forget the retconning because it was such a small class — all those expositional cries of “it’s the girl who lived under the floor!” in the pilot could have come from the kids in Monty’s class (I wonder who Pike beat up in that group, btw. I bet it was Atom).

And let’s just take a moment to appreciate that this is the first time Octavia has ever been taught anything by a teacher, in a classroom. This is the first time she’s sitting among other people, out in the open, without having to be afraid. It’s the first time she’s seen fire. It’s the first time she makes a joke, which makes other kids her age laugh.

And it’s probably also the first time she sees someone get beaten up, when Pike decides the best way the kids will learn is to use Murphy as a punching bag (ironically, this is a pretty accurate prediction of what’s gonna happen on the ground). Pike beats up Murphy, but hey, the news just taught me that some American teachers actually do this in real life, so excuse me for not being that shocked by this.

Pike, for all his brutality, does teach the kids some valuable lessons, like the fact that the delinquents are on their own against the world. And, very importantly: “Keep fighting at all costs, against all odds. The minute you give up, you’re dead.” Clearly, both Octavia and Murphy took that lesson to heart.

The flashback sequence ends with a flashback (!) to the pilot, and a slower reprise of Imagine Dragons’ “Radioactive.” And this is a perfect time to plug my in-depth interview with The 100 composer Tree Adams, whose work on season 3 has been STUNNING.

Have a little faith

I guess some kind of dimensional portal opened up and transported Kane and Pike to Westeros, because it’s straight up “Where are my dragons” territory as they walk along the road of blood and sees Grounders nailed to crosses.

Guys, who do you think came up with THAT particular form of punishment for the Grounders who refused to take the chip? It’s gotta be Jaha with all his religious symbolism, right? It’s so messed up. I’m surprised he didn’t nail himself to a cross, considering how he’s pretty much been trying to convince everyone that he’s Jesus since season 2.

Of course we all know that the real Jesus figure on this show is Kane, and not just because of the beard. Poor, poor Marcus resists the Temptress (sorry Abby) and passes the test of righteousness or some shit like that, and then he is f***ing crucified. I can’t believe that happened. I almost threw up.

So yes, it was awful to watch. But damn was it beautiful symmetry to Abby’s shocklashing in season 2. I’m not saying what goes around comes around, but sometimes we forget how much of an ass Kane used to be. I guess in the twisted world of The 100, this kind of makes them… even?

Of course the one thing that can make Kane take the pill isn’t his own pain, or even the prospect of his own death. Continuing the parallels, Kane only takes the pill when they threaten Abby’s life, just like Abby took it when they threatened Raven’s. Love triangle, anyone? No?

For real though, as long as Kane and Abby both survive this, I’m okay with having to throw up in my mouth a little. #Kabby forever.

The enemy of my enemy’s enemy

Pike’s fate isn’t much better than Kane’s (because yes, bad guys do pay for their sins on this show).

The Grounders are a little too preoccupied to bring him to justice just now, so he finds himself in a cell with some rando Grounders awaiting crucifixion (because Polis clearly hadn’t stocked up on crosses, I guess?)… and then there’s Indra.

Indra immediately gets to work, more than ready to deal out his 300 cuts of punishment herself. But, believe it or not, it’s Murphy who finally stops the violence.

That’s right. Of all people, it’s Murphy who ultimately unites the Grounders and Ark people. And this is a different, more real kind of unity than the one Jaha is blabbering on about: This is the act of setting aside their own need for revenge in an effort to bring peace. It’s exactly what Lexa would have wanted.

So… #MurphyforChancellor20k16?

And you know what they say about misery

The fearsome foursome arrives at the ocean at last, but it’s not the glorious moment of triumph they were hoping for. Because instead of a village, they find a collection of stones (graves?). Octavia is, understandably, devastated. And as I pointed out last week, she definitely has not yet forgiven Bellamy for the role he played in Lincoln’s death.

As Bellamy storms off, Jasper throws floo powder on the fire (come on, you know you were thinking it too), and they figure out that the stone formation is actually the place to signal Luna’s people.

Luckily, Clarke and Bellamy have time for a quick heart-to-heart before they’re swept away to Neverland. And this was a big one, guys.

Clarke once again asks Bellamy if he’s okay — which, clearly, he is not. “Clarke, I’ve lost her,” he tells her, teary-eyed (have I mentioned how much I love that The 100 allows its male characters to cry?). “Octavia will forgive you eventually,” she assures him. “The question is, will you forgive yourself?”

They bond over their shared need to forgive themselves and each other, and finally come to some kind of resolution. Clarke tells him that they need each other to get through this, and Bellamy tells her that he’s ready to move past his anger at her for leaving him.

They hug, and the relief on both their faces is palpable. FINALLY, something goes right for these two lost souls.

And then the water nation attacks.

On board the SS Luna

Soooo “Lincoln” is the magic word that buys them the magic potion, which allows them to enter the water temple? Guys, an open-world The 100 video game would be AWESOME.

The gang is spirited away to an oil station, which seems to have been converted into Luna’s magical land of peace and love.

Unsurprisingly, she won’t just give all that up to become Commander, because like all good Chosen Ones, she has to first reject her destiny. (IMO Clarke played her hand way too soon, and I would definitely have waited until I’d passed a few more speech tests if this was in fact a video game.)

Luna is pretty cool though, committed to peace and all. On our The 100 podcast special earlier this week, my co-host Kristen and I predicted that she’s gonna turn out to be Lincoln’s sister. That would definitely be a cool parallel to Octavia and Bellamy, and I kind of hope this ends up being the case.

For your consideration

Next week on ‘The 100’ season 3, episode 14

With three episodes to go, things are gonna have to progress a lot faster from here on out. I can’t believe we still haven’t properly been inside the City of Light!

Next week’s episode, “Red Sky at Morning,” will bring us back to Raven, Monty, Harper, Miller and Bryan at Arkadia, while Murphy sets out to destroy Jaha’s backpack (…there’s a sentence I never thought I’d write).

Check out the promo:

What did you think about ‘The 100’ season 3, episode 13?