The 100 (Season 2) (1 Viewer)

[Adam Lenhardt]

I agree with you that the story that led to Finn's predicament was poorly conceived and executed, and failed to adequately justify his 180 turn from voice of reason to brutal killer.However, I think the aftermath of it was actually pretty true to the reality of these massacres. People who are forced to do monstrous things are often haunted by them. But people who choose to do monstrous things find ways to justify their actions to themselves. Certainly many of the Mai Lai massacre perpetrators never lost sleep over it, and the soldiers who fired upon protesters in Fallujah continue to assert they were acting in self defense despite physical evidence that contradicts their story.In Finn's mind, turning himself over to the Grounders and massacring the villagers are part and parcel of the same impulse: to protect Clarke and the rest of his people at all costs. The flashbacks to how he earned the Spacewalker label captured how far he'd fallen, but also demonstrated that same impulse to protect those he cares about at all costs.And though he couldn't have known it at the time, his reckless stunt with the airlock for Raven's spacewalk cost the Ark three months of air that they couldn't afford to lose, likely resulting in the necessity of many more volunteers to be sacrificed.

 

[DaveF]

However, I think the aftermath of it was actually pretty true to the reality of these massacres. People who are forced to do monstrous things are often haunted by them. But people who choose to do monstrous things find ways to justify their actions to themselves. ...In Finn's mind, turning himself over to the Grounders and massacring the villagers are part and parcel of the same impulse: to protect Clarke and the rest of his people at all costs.

I agree that could be the story. I disagree however, in that The 100 failed to tell this story, or other possible story variations around Finn. It was devoid of emotion, of character expression, or embracing or regretting decisions. And it tried to cheaply manipulate the audience rather than tackle the challenging story they set up.

 

[mattCR]

Renewed.


http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cw-renews-arrow-flash-supernatural-762522

The network used its platform at the Television Critics Association's winter press tour to announce an early renewals for eight series: Arrow, Jane the Virgin, Reign, Supernatural, The 100, The Flash, The Originals and The Vampire Diaries.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Terrific news!

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

"Out, damned spot! out, I say! One; two: why, then, ’tis time to do ’t. Hell is murky! Fie, my lord, fie! a soldier, and afeard? What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account? Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?"

Terrific episode from beginning to end. Lots of great character work and more exploration of the grounder culture and language.

Time and time again, we've seen the sky people and the grounders on the precipice of peace, only for misunderstandings to shatter it. I liked that, just when we appeared to be at that point again, they were able to salvage it and move forward. It's forward progress, hard won and fragile, but it validates our investment.

My favorite moment in the whole hour though, was Raven seeing what a grounder ritual death for such crimes looks like, and understanding why Clarke did what she did.

 

[mattCR]

Yes, I thought that was a powerful illustration that let Raven understand why Clarke made that decision.

 

[DaveF]

Wow! The opening minutes are some of the strongest I've seen in televised scifi.

The soft transfer of leadership from Abbey, Jaha, Marcus to Clarke is fascinating.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

It's been a while since we've had a ferocious mutant animal episode, so it was fun seeing Clarke and the grounder commander battle King Kong.


Interesting development with Jaha. He's Moses leading his people out of Egypt to wander in the wilderness for forty years in search of the promised land. And he's bringing the psychopath John Murphy along for the ride.


Octavia continues to be the bridge between the grounders and the sky people. I really appreciate that Marie Avgeropoulos (along with the show's producers) is willing to get grimed up and bruised. The contrast between Octavia in the pilot, where she looked like she'd stepped out of a clothing catalog, and now is striking.


The final sequence, in which Bellamy is selected for Harvest, was very well done. Bellamy looks over as Lincoln gets injected with Red, and realizes just what a sacrifice Lincoln has made.

 

[DaveF]

I thought this was an amazing episode. Everything worked. It was taut, and I was tensed nearly every moment.

Octavia fighting, and being nearly beaten to death was unexpected. A lesser show would have had suddenly, through strength of superior spirit, overcome the Grounder. And because I'm rooting for her, I shamefully admit I was hoping a little bit for that. But The 100 took the story in its organic path, a very rich opportunity.

And ratcheting the stakes, to Jaha Octavia signals that her "people" are the Tree People, not the Sky People.

Counterpoint to Octavia's strength and will, Lincoln tragically loses his will to resist the Red. That was a gut punch to end the episode.

 

[David Weicker]

The final sequence, in which Bellamy is selected for Harvest, was very well done. Bellamy looks over as Lincoln gets injected with Red, and realizes just what a sacrifice Lincoln has made.

I might have misinterpreted that scene. I didn't see it as a sacrifice, but as a betrayal, albeit an unconscious one.

I thought the plan was Lincoln would take the syringe, leading to a fight, so Bellamy could slip in unnoticed.

The way it ended up, with Bellamy chained up, he won't be able to help the people outside.

I saw it as Lincoln wasn't cured, and that he succumbed to the Red. And Bellamy's look was one of horror and sadness.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Sacrifice in the the sense that Lincoln knew what was coming, but proceeded anyway. When he tried to persuade Bellamy to turn back, he knew he wasn't going to be able to resist the drug. When Bellamy convinced him they had to move forward, Lincoln knew what was waiting for him at the end of the tunnel, and had to know that he'd succumb to the temptation. It's the same reason heroin addicts don't want to leave rehab; because they know that, when presented with the option of heroin, they're likely to relapse. But in a universe of undesirable options, Bellamy entering Mt. Weather in chains was the least bad outcome.

 

[DaveF]

I might have misinterpreted that scene. I didn't see it as a sacrifice, but as a betrayal, albeit an unconscious one.

I thought the plan was Lincoln would take the syringe, leading to a fight, so Bellamy could slip in unnoticed.

The way it ended up, with Bellamy chained up, he won't be able to help the people outside.

I saw it as Lincoln wasn't cured, and that he succumbed to the Red. And Bellamy's look was one of horror and sadness.

Yes. It was a betrayal in that Lincoln succumbed to his temptations, causing Bellamy to also be captured for harvest, and the plan disrupted at best and possibly destroyed leading to an even worse outcome for Clarke, who is waiting and counting on Bellamy.


But it was not an evil, intentional betrayal by Lincoln. It was tragic: A strong character undone by forces beyond him, and undesireably harming those in his sphere.

 

[mattCR]

I really liked last night's episode. Particularly strong I thought. This show is really turning into a solid scifi effort. The power dynamic is pretty good, and Clark is getting it because she is the one making the tough decisions rather than avoid them.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

My favorite scene in the episode was when Bellamy had the moment with the preschooler and then, seeing his backpack, realized he'd just killed the boy's father. The show should never make things too morally clear.

For a second there, I thought the president was actually going to let the 47 go. That would have created an interesting moral dilemma for the Ark/Grounder alliance; obviously atrocities would still have been perpetrated on the grounders by Mount Weather, but the Ark wouldn't have had skin in the game any more. Would they risk their own people to save the lives of strangers? It would have been interesting to see.

As it is, I kind of hope that the new president and the doctor are there to see their people get slaughtered one by one. Barbaric hubris on their scale deserves a reckoning.

Raymond J. Barry is doing terrific work on this show. On one hand, President Wallace took a moral stand on the 47's behalf, willing to forgo his dreams of returning to the surface in order to protect them. On the other hand, he's presided over the expedient torture and murder of grounders for God only knows how many years. He reminds me a bit of the American presidents before the Civil War who were personally opposed to slavery but who nevertheless presided over the institution's continuation. It is amazing the horrors to which mankind can accommodate itself, given enough time.

 

[todd s]

I am curious how they handle the moutain people "when" they beat them. Do you kill them all?...The sky people would not want to....the grounders will. On a side note. They do show all of the historic items in Mt.Weather. I hope they show how they try to preserve it and not let it get destroyed.



I mentioned earlier how the personalities of Finn & Bellamy switched. We have seen it again with Jaha and Marcus. When the show first started Jaha was the "good" one and I was sure Marcus was the "bad" one. But, the show has proven me wrong. Marcus from the beginning was not the conniving guy who just wanted to be chancellor.


Finally, I am happy to see Indra start to accept some of the skypeople.

 

[DaveF]

Post-break, this show is running full bore. This is every bit as good as the start of the first season. Everyone who longs for good sci-fi on TV should be watching.

The most frightening moment for me was Bellamy killing the guard, Lovejoy. Every ounce of Bellamy's fear, anger, desperation was in it. Losing that fight would lose everything for Clarke and all the sky people, and I felt it. It was personal, brutal, terrifying.

Second up, were the parallel coups. Previously, the parallel to the grounders was established. This episode put Clarke in symbolic alignment with the Mt Weather president, taking power forcibly from his father.

 

[mattCR]

Yeah, I really appreciated the parallels. This show really has surprised me in how it really fits into a unique scifi storyline that builds on the universe it has created. There aren't many of these out there right now.. and The 100 does it VERY well, especially since the break.

 

[Jason_V]

Almost predictibly, I was angry when Abby told Clarke she was the chancellor and in charge. I literally laughed out loud over that comment. It was another example of the adults, who haven't done anything of real consequence, are trying to exert their titles and responsibilities over the "kids" when, in fact, Clarke, et al. have done pretty much everything there is to do.


Then I was ecstatic as Clarke confronted Abby later by saying Abby might be the chancellor, but I'm in charge. That was perhaps the one moment I was waiting for all season. The thing is, I think Abby always knew it. (Kane certainly does.) This is, beneath the sci fi stuff, about parents relating to their kids growing up. This is playing out in Mt. Weather and in camp. Clarke has been the one to orchestrate almost everything from moment one on the ground.


Very much enjoyed this week since it was a quick and well balanced hour. We didn't get bludgeoned with the torture vs. no torture debate. It got serviced and we moved on to something else. Two episodes left this year and I don't feel, in any way, they're trying to buy time or string this out right now. There's no filler in this show, all courtesy of the 13 episode seasons.

 

[Duane R]

I believe there's 16 episodes this season.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I believe there's 16 episodes this season.

You're correct, two runs of 8 and 8 this year. The CW is committed to shorter seasons on this show, but the exact number of episodes is going to vary slightly from season to season based on the network's scheduling needs.