The 100 returned after a brief hiatus with “Stealing Fire,” a title that describes the episode in more ways than one.
It’s been two weeks since the last episode of The 100. Two weeks of fan campaigns, angry arguments on Twitter, soul searching and list making, during which I began to wonder why I actually love The 100 as much as I do.
It’s not for any one particular relationship. It’s not for any one character. I’ve prided myself in the past on the knowledge that, no matter who The 100 killed off, I’d continue watching because it’s the story I’m here for. The commitment to character. The ensemble, the mise-en-scene of mythology and morality.
And that is still the case. Watching this week’s episode, even knowing how it was going to end, I found myself marveling at the choices these characters are allowed to make, the never-ending string of consequences their actions have. This show is ruthless, and people are going to die. This week, we lost two major players (three if you count Aden). I’m okay with that, because I know that ultimately, the writers are crafting a story about surviving against insurmountable odds. Sometimes we have to be reminded of those odds.
Of course, as everyone’s well aware, at this point The 100 has shot itself in the foot. Everything it does is viewed through a hyper-critical lens. Setting itself up to be a show in which race, gender and sexuality means nothing, Lexa’s death has caused a sharp shift in fan discourse about the show: Filled by a desire to make The 100 the flagship for TV’s long-standing, widespread problems, over the course of the past few weeks, The 100 fans and non-fans alike have whittled the characters down to pieces of representation.
If you follow discussions online, Lincoln wasn’t a character, he was a POC. His death isn’t about him, it’s about the image of him, as a POC, executed in cold blood. Similarly, Lexa wasn’t a character, she was a lesbian. Her death wasn’t about a mighty leader taken down by a simple accident, or about sending the world she had build spiraling into chaos, but rather about the real-life repercussions of perpetuating a trope.
Of course this was not what the makers of The 100 intended — and we also can’t forget that the sheer amount of representation on the show makes it hard to kill anyone without backlash — but it’s poetic irony nonetheless: Reactions to The 100 have unequivocally proven that you can’t separate art from life, you can’t erase inequalities in society when telling a fictional story, and you can’t perpetuate unfortunate tropes without consequence. You can’t kill three Grounders in one episode and expect your audience to ignore the death of one POC, whatever your intentions. And that’s a good thing, because clearly, extreme action is what is needed to truly bring about change.
America is simply not in a place where artists can ignore the social repercussions of their actions. Fans are demanding more from their fandoms, and I think we’re going to get it. Not just from The 100 but from The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural, Arrow, Agent Carter, Agents of SHIELD, The Fosters, The Walking Dead and all the many, many shows that are found lacking when put under the same scrutiny as The 100.
Truth is, there isn’t a show on TV I couldn’t pick apart and shame for its inadequacies if I wanted to. But I am and always have been captivated by The 100‘s story and its characters; I’m viewing Lincoln’s death in relation to Aden and Titus’, Lexa’s death in relation to Finn’s, within the confines of the narrative. To this end, I’m going to allow myself to talk about Lincoln as a character. Yes, I’m upset about his death, just as I was about Lexa’s, and about Finn’s (and Titus’, but mainly cause it was so gross). But I’m glad that he existed, and that he died for something he believed in. I’m going to celebrate his life, and look ahead to the repercussions of his death. I’m going to continue looking at The 100 as a narrative, and deconstruct it the same way I always have.
Literally the opposite of what I wanted
At the beginning of the episode, Clarke and Murphy are still stuck inside the room where Lexa died.
Murphy, seeing Clarke visibly upset, says, “I’m sorry. I know how much she meant to you.” And can we just marvel at the fact that we’re at a place now where those words will come out of Murphy’s mouth, with complete sincerity? These kids have come a long way.
And a lot can be said, and has been said, for the circumstances that forced them together, but Murphy/Clarke is the dream-team I never knew I always wanted. What an interesting writing decision, to throw these two together in Polis of all places. I only wish they’d been given more time together!
Clarke isn’t about bonding though: Now back to being the pro-active Clarke we know and love, she wants to make sure Aden wins the conclave, in an effort to protect her people. And in a very moving scene, we find out Lexa made all the kids vow to protect Clarke. It would be a beautiful thing, but unfortunately, they’ve all forgotten what show they’re on: It wouldn’t be The 100 if anyone’s plans actually worked out.
So prepare for trouble and make it double, because in marches Roan and Ontari, there to ruin all the heroes’ best-laid plans like Team Rocket in Pokémon.
‘Is she really in there?’
And that’s the big question, isn’t it? Although Clarke tries to stay focused on the mission, the allure of Lexa still existing in some form is obviously a draw.
Titus explains to her what we already knew, that Lexa was special. The AI is the flame, but it “deepens what’s already there.” So every Commander will be a heightened version of what they were before, meaning that Ontari won’t magically transform into Lexa if she gets the chip.
Too bad Lexa doesn’t get a chance to choose among the Nightbledas at all, because Ontari butchers the kids before she has the chance to, taking up the throne and dimming the lights Lion King style, turning Polis into the live-action version of Pride Rock.
Roan spares Clarke’s life though, to repay his debt to Lexa. But it’s not that simple, because Clarke wouldn’t be Clarke if she valued her own life over the safety of her people. “We’re not leaving, are we?” Murphy astutely asks her. And the fact that he stays, rather than saving his own skin? Yeah. I’m loving it.
We also learn that Luna is the Nightbleda whom Lexa spared. It’s now Clarke’s job to take the flame to her, making her the Flamekeeper — or, if you will, making her literally responsible for keeping Lexa’s legacy alive. If you’re looking for symbolism, here’s a whole bucketload.
Clarke escapes Polis, leaving Murphy behind. Luckily, he and Ontari seem to be getting on just fine. Titus kills himself, “for Lexa,” to avoid them being able to perform the ritual. And, while I hated Titus, I loved Neil Sandilands’ portrayal. I’m sad to see him go, and that death scene was brutal. Talk about your gratuitous deaths, huh?
Families torn apart
In Arkadia, the poor Grounders are still locked up — helpless, to the extent that they apparently don’t even speak English.
Kane tells Lincoln that he inspires them, and they bond over being allowed to be strong men with agency on a show designed to promote equality and strong female characters. You go, guys!
Speaking of men, Bellamy and Monty go to make amends with Harper and Miller, in what was almost my favorite scene of the episode. Their little stand-off was evidence of how fractured our little group of survivors has become, and it was heartbreaking. And let’s just take a moment to appreciate that a couple of tertiary characters held their own against two of the show’s leads. Chelsey Reist and Jarod Joseph should’ve been regulars from day 1, and I hope season 4 brings us much more Harper and Miller.
After Bellamy leaves, Monty is left to plead with Miller and Harper. But they’re unrelenting. “After everything we’ve been through, you don’t trust me?” he asks. “Does your mom know you’re here, Monty?” is Harper’s scornful reply. In a way, this is even more heartbreaking than with Bellamy, because these three characters literally went through hell together in Mount Weather.
Props to first-time The 100 writer Heidi McAdams for the subtleties of silence and dialogue in this scene. So well crafted!
Bellamy meets Octavia at the dropship, and she, uh, drops him. After bringing him to Indra, she is completely unmoved by his attempts to convince her to let him help. “You’re the reason they need saving,” she tells him, and oh boy is this going to come back to bite them both. Not only did Bellamy turn against Lincoln and the others, but in Octavia’s eyes, he’s the one that got Lincoln killed. Whatever hopes I had of a Blake family reunion have pretty much been shot to pieces.
Love stories
In this episode, I have to admit, I’m beginning to get on board the Bryan/Miller ship. Sorry fellow Minty shippers… here’s to season 4?
Since he was first introduced, I’ve been requesting a save-the-cat moment for Bryan — it’s not enough to introduce him as Miller’s boyfriend and then show him fraternizing with Pike (even betraying Miller’s trust) and expect us to like him. But here, now, Miller finally cuts the crap and tells Bryan to pick a side. Bryan, rightly, chooses Miller, albeit subtly. He isn’t about to outright defect from Pike, but he does help the delinquents pull off the rescue mission.
Alright Bryan, you’re on my good side. Now go make out with your boyfriend.
Speaking of shipping, we also had some great developments for Abby and Kane! I actually loved how Kany refused to kiss her, when he thought he was dying. Abby was heartbroken, seeing another man she loves about to be executed, but he insisted: “Don’t make this any harder than it already is.”
Or, as I wrote in my notes, ‘Kane, stop cockblocking yourself.’
But later, after he escapes, we get our kiss. And it’s glorious. Abby chooses to stay behind, but hopefully they will indeed meet again, because I need more Kabby in my life. Oh, man, these two have come a long way. Remember when he tried to have her executed? Nope, me neither!
Anyway, the gang pulls off the old “hidden in the floor” trick, which of course Octavia has perfected. Way to guilt-trip Kane, O. I’m still all about their father/daughter dynamic, and hope to see much more of this.
Unfortunately, just as things are looking up, Pike has to go and ruin everything again. Hearing Pike’s message, Lincoln decides to save his people one last time. And, in a horrific and haunting scene I won’t soon forget, Pike executes Lincoln.
Octavia watches it happen. Her face goes from heartbroken to cold and dead in an instant, and one thing is for sure: Octavia will never, ever be the same. And neither will we.
The 100 is quickly running out of heroes.
For your consideration
- I might be reading too much into it, but the whole thing about a non-Nightbleda dying if they insert the chip has me super worried about Clarke.
- Sinclair is alive, right??? I kind of lost track of him at the end. But he’s fine. Right? RIGHT?
- When Indra said, “Octavia is my people,” I squealed. As horrible as Lincoln’s death is, Octavia and Indra can now finally fully commit to each other. Without Lincoln to (ironically) bind her to the Arkadians, she can now become a Grounder for real.
- What the hell is gonna happen to Bellamy after this? He didn’t kill Lincoln and never wanted this to happen, but his support of Pike indirectly led to this happening. Bellamy continues to be one of the most complex characters on television, and his is another story I’m excited to see play out.
- So obviously hindsight is 20/20, but imagine if, instead of killing Lincoln, the show had pulled a fast one on us and had Kane take Lincoln’s place at the last minute. It makes sense, Kane was willing to stick up for the Grounders before, and his death to save them would have given Lincoln a reason to keep championing the Grounder/Arker alliance. Ah, well, that was not to be. And I’m happy that at least Kane is alive, for a minute there I thought we’d lose both of them.
- I AM SO DAMN EXCITED FOR AMERICAN GODS. I started reading the book when he was first cast, and Ricky Whittle is the perfect Shadow. As heartbroken as I am about Lincoln being gone, knowing that his career is only just getting started makes me so happy.
Next week on ‘The 100’ season 3, episode 10
Here’s the promo for “Fallen,” in which Jaha might just force Abby to inject one of the foreverchips:
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