The 100 (Season 2) (2 Viewers)

[Jason_V]

My bad, guys. I looked at the Wiki very quickly and it had episodes updated through 13. I didn't do the math to get to the March 11 finale date.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

No worries, Jason. Easy mistake to make.

Tonight's episode may have been my favorite of the season. We needed the satisfaction of watching the slow agonizing death by radiation exposure of Rekha Sharma's Josef Mengele-esque surgeon character to balance out the horrors that confronted our protagonists in the rest of the episode.

There is a minority view among some historians, never conclusively proven, that FDR knew about the imminent Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Knowing this, he ensured that none of the three Pacific Fleet air craft carriers were in port when the attack came. However, he did not evacuate Pearl Harbor because it would have tipped off the Japanese about our intelligence capabilities and deprived him of a rallying cry and unifying pretext to enter World War II. I don't know if it's true or not, but if it is, Clarke and the Commander faced the same choice and made the same decision. The junior President Wallace thought he was delivering a death blow to the alliance, when in fact all he has done is awaken a sleeping giant.

It was nice to see Clarke's indignation at her mother reflected back at her. It was the tactically smart decision, but if there's an afterlife she'll burn in hell for it.

I enjoyed the tale of the Mutant and the Psychopath in the dessert. There was some beautiful cinematography in those scenes, too. I wonder if they're shooting those scenes in Vancouver, or if they're filming somewhere else.

 

[mattCR]

Yeah, this is REALLY well filmed. I loved the uprising in level 5 as well, I thought it was well done with a lot of great tension. Now, can they release the captured grounders? That's where this could tilt

 

[DaveF]

This show is developing the clarity of story and characters, coupled with grand human themes, that were present in Joss Whedon's Buffy and Angel, and also BSG. Again, the show is riveting in every scene. The decisions being made are real; they're not overly complicated nor are they eliding a better, easier solutions to force the bleak outcome.

Really good stuff.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

The amount of bang this show gets for its very miniscule buck continues to amaze me. Re-watching the first season on Blu-Ray, it's amazing how well the visual effects hold up to the clarity of high bitrate 1080p. Some of the shots of the Ark floating in space took my breath away.

And now I see via IGN that when it came time to shoot the dead zone scenes, the production took an empty lot in Vancouver and built a desert of sand dunes that stretch as far as the eye can see.

 

[DaveF]

Wow. That's quite an undertaking.

 

[mattCR]

This show is just brutal in the undertaking. Lots of great action tonight and it manages to ride that line where you can ever be really comfortable in the outcome of your characters being positive. I loved the moments in both captivity and with the sniper

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

My only complaint is that after such a catastrophic missile strike, all of the deaths amounted to red shirts. I thought at one or two more prominent characters should have bitten the dust.

My favorite part was when Abby was seething at Clarke's choices, and Kane got it immediately. He framed Clarke's decision in Ark terms, and then you see how the choices of the children reflect the choices of their parents. It was nice that Abby and Clarke got one last moment before the shit hits the fan where they could look at each other clearly, without all of the baggage, and acknowledge what needed acknowledging.

 

[Jason_V]

My favorite part was when Abby was seething at Clarke's choices, and Kane got it immediately.

I haven't seen this week's episode yet, but I am tiring of Abby, honestly. Her character hasn't stayed consistent in my mind for the last two years, let alone this year. I feel like she wants to do everything, be everything and ends up doing not a lot right or "right."


First, she covertly sends Raven (a kid, mind you) to Earth in order to establish communication with the other kids. Fine, she trusts Raven enough to do this. So when the Ark comes down to Earth, Abby wants to play mother to Clarke again and basically tell her what to do. I get that's a mother trying to protect her daughter, but that invalidated everything Clarke did-the decisions she made-in the first season.


Abby is only chancellor because Kane abdicated. Remember, an episode or two before that, he has her whipped in front of everyone. And then he says he's not chancellor material, making THE DOCTOR the leader. All the while, Abby and Clarke are butting heads about what to do. Do you listen to the adult who was just thrown into her position, or do you listen to "the kid" who has been one of the defacto leaders since hitting Earth?


This is a story about a mother trying to maintain control over her daughter after the daughter has left the proverbial nest. Once you leave and your kid is on their own, you don't get to make rules for them anymore "just because." Abby needs to find a new way to relate to Clarke as an adult, as co-leaders, or some such. Or I see Clarke clearly taking over from Abby.


And she's not going to be wishy washy on it.

 

[mattCR]

Great Clark and Belamy geared episode this time, and having characters wing it after plans fell apart was great.

 

[Jason_V]

I'm one week behind (just watched "Resurrection") and I am constantly impressed with this show. The budget can't be terribly high, but they manage a large cast of characters, good action and solid story every single week. Big kudos to the production staff, especially the writers, for plotting this second half the season near flawlessly.


Something I also noticed for maybe the first time...the music. "Resurrection" seemed to covered in music from beginning to end that helps amp up the stakes. I'm really hoping for a soundtrack album at some point.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Great Clark and Belamy geared episode this time, and having characters wing it after plans fell apart was great.

The moment when the junior Wallace realized that a massive Grounder/Sky People army that he had incited was marching on Mount Weather, and Mount Weather was completely without adequate defenses, was a deliciously satisfying moment. The finale looks like it's going to be epic.

Something I also noticed for maybe the first time...the music. "Resurrection" seemed to covered in music from beginning to end that helps amp up the stakes. I'm really hoping for a soundtrack album at some point.

Rewatching the first season on Blu-Ray, I was struck by how much popular music was used, since the second season has skewed much more toward a traditional instrumental score.

The scoring for this show is actually pretty interesting, since the composers from from the popular music world. It's a three-person composing team, lead by one of the all-time great indie rock singer-songwriters, Liz Phair. The other two are her longtime collaborator, Evan Frankfort, and Marc Dauer.

 

[Jason_V]

Yeah, I always get a chuckle when I see Liz Phair's name in the credits. IIRC, she also had a hand in the music for the 90210 reboot.

 

[todd s]

I wonder how they will handle the Mt.Weather people once the battle is done? Their are a good amount who are against what is happening and have helped. Just have to wonder if the grounders will allow any of them to survive.


On a completely side and irrelevant note. I hope they address all of the historic items (books, paintings, etc) stored in Mt.Weather. I am sure the grounders don't care. But, I can see the Skypeople wanting to save as much as possible.

 

[Carabimero]

I have to say this show gets better and better. But the mother is self-righteous and annoying. I hope they find something to do with her or lose her.


When I first saw the show I worried it would be young people doing stupid things to create forced drama. I was wrong. if anyone is doing stupid things to create forced drama in this show, it's the adults. But mostly the mother.


Otherwise, terrific show.

 

[DaveF]

Did not expect the relationship between Clarke and Lexa (?) to go in that direction!

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Did not expect the relationship between Clarke and Lexa (?) to go in that direction!

And was Clarke genuinely reciprocating Lexa's feelings, or was she ably managing an essential asset?

 

[Jason_V]

Did not expect the relationship between Clarke and Lexa (?) to go in that direction!

I typically do talk to the TV when I'm watching a show...but when THAT happened, I started screaming my head off, followed by trying to figure out if I missed the clues somewhere else. I don't think I did and this one caught me completely unaware. There was something the commander said early in the episode that started me questioning what was going on, but I figured this show wouldn't go there.


That being said, the way Clarke responded, for me, was more of a "not right now cuz we're about to go into war," not a "eeeewwwww...gross!" Ten bucks, though, says the commander dies before the end of the season and nothing comes of this.


And, maybe it's just me, but this whole City of Light storyline is boring. I was never a Jaha fan, but this whole thing feels like it's leading to a season ending, last second reveal (kinda like Mt. Weather last year). Just get me back to the larger group, forget Murphy and Jaha and we'll call it good.

 

[DaveF]

And was Clarke genuinely reciprocating Lexa's feelings, or was she ably managing an essential asset?

I don't know! It was a well done scene, leaving agendas and motivations vague.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Excellent twist, well grounded in what we know about the characters involved. I like that the cliffhanger left a metaphorical rather than literal gun to our characters' heads. The Mountain Men and the Grounders have each come to the conclusion that the other is a more dangerous adversary than the people from the Ark. The result will almost certainly be more deaths than would have been necessary in all three groups. Both the grounder Commander and the former and current Presidents Wallace believe Clarke will make the cold, rational decision in face of the changed circumstances. This is a drastic miscalculation on their parts. She has a will of steel, and she will not leave her people to die. There will be consequences.

Great work from all the key players. I especially liked Raymond J. Barry here, proving why he deserved to be president. I labeled his strategy of appeasing the grounders to divide and conquer the enemy a drastic miscalculation, and that's true. But I think the elder President Wallace knows it, and it's just the only card he had left to play. Nothing that's happening now is what he wanted to happen. He alone, from the get go, recognized in Clarke qualities he sees in himself, and he respected her for it. And now, because his son didn't recognize the threat, his people -- seemingly having emerged victorious -- stand on the precipice of annihilation.

The writers continue to put Octavia in impossible positions of choosing between what is right and what is pragmatic, and Marie Avgeropoulos continues to make that journey nuanced and three dimensional and interesting. What a wonderful, internal performance for a character that in lesser hands would be all bluster.

Katie Stuart has been on my radar since she brought to life the Meg Murray in my head in an otherwise lackluster ABC TV movie adaptation of Madeleine L'Engle's classic A Wrinkle in Time. After that, she had small roles in X2, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and She's the Man. But then she seemed to drop off the face of the earth, and I thought she'd quit acting. I was surprised to see her pop up in the first season as one of the glorified extras with a couple lines, one of the background 100 that existed mainly to fill up the frame. Over the course of the season, she got a name and after the climactic finale she was one of the few familiar faces outside the series regulars still standing. When the show came back for season two, I was gratified to see her bumped up to full-fledged guest star. Monroe still isn't a huge character, but the role is enhanced by a performer who acts from within rather than without. I hope we get more of her in the finale, and I hope she survives for season three.

Alycia Debnam Carey has been brilliant all season long. She has had to be at turns far older than her years and too young for the burdens placed on her. Lexa has been more certain than Clarke all season long, but Clarke is in many ways more mature than Lexa. And that dynamic has been captured beautifully. When she betrays Clarke, she sells the heartbreak of it, but she doesn't back away from it. Lexa shows Clarke the respect of being forthright about the betrayal, and she accepts the personal consequences as a given.

As for Eliza Taylor, there isn't enough that can be said. She was solid in the first season, and she's been phenomenal this season. But that final moment, when Clarke is standing alone staring at the door to Mount Weather, she showed why she's the star of the show. This entire universe revolved around her in that moment, and everything pivots on what she decides to do next.