The 100 season 2 led us to believe the Grounders and the Sky People were finally getting along. And then it pulled the rug right out from under us.
It’s been a long road to get to where we are now. A lot has happened to Clarke and her people, and the Grounders have played a huge part in that journey. Season 1 showed us how formidable they could be, and season 2 gave us hope that the Sky People would finally have an ally in the Grounders, led by the fierce and ruthless Lexa. These two women learned a lot from each other, and everything was beginning to look up, despite the threat Mount Weather’s soldiers were posing.
But that tenuous alliance did not hold for long. Lexa saw a way to guarantee safety for her people, and instead of helping Clarke knock down Mount Weather’s front door, she struck a deal with the Mountain Men, retrieving those her enemies took prisoner and promising a retreat. It was a fatal blow to Clarke’s plan, who had to kill innocent people in order to neutralize the threat she was facing.
Clarke will have to answer for her actions, as will Bellamy and everyone else involved. Jasper must live with his friend’s betrayal and Clarke will have to live with his anger. But, in the end, Clarke’s hand was forced by Lexa’s decision. The Grounder commander clearly thought it was the best solution to her own people’s problems, but in getting rid of one enemy, she may have gained back an old one in the Sky People.
Can Clarke forgive Lexa? There’s no denying the betrayal was particularly personal given the kiss they shared earlier in the season. They had come to respect and trust in each other, and now that friendship is marred. But will Clarke understand that as a leader you must do the things no one else is strong enough to do in order to save your people? Considering she killed so many innocents when she pulled that lever, it seems reasonable to deduce she can sympathize with Lexa’s decision.
But what about us, the viewers? Clarke has long been the pure one for us, killing only in self defense, and only warriors at that. She’s been the voice of compassion to stop Bellamy from acting out plans that were just too ruthless for her liking. This situation has shown us that even Clarke can be tainted. Perhaps that’s a good thing, to keep our expectations of the character realistic. But knowing Lexa is the one who drove her to this point, especially given that if she had just stuck by Clarke’s side they could’ve taken down Mount Weather together, makes it that much harder to forgive the Grounder for what she did.
The 100 season 3 premieres tonight at 9:00 p.m. on The CW. Clarke has been on her own for quite some time, dealing with the consequences of her actions. Has Lexa given any thought to what she did to Clarke? Will the show present us with a Lexa we can forgive? As fans of strong, complex, interesting characters, we can only hope.