Are we all still weeping over Bellamy’s love for Clarke? No? Just me? Okay.
I’m super stoked to see Bob Morley (Bellamy) directing this episode. I love it when an actor steps behind the lens. They usually bring added dimensions to the screen. I’m looking forward to seeing what Bob brings to the table.
Previously on The 100: Madi goes on a Prime killing spree & Murphy utters the magic words: bone marrow.
Zoom in on Madi, She Who Will Not Be Executed. She’s strapped to a medical table where Jackson is draining said bone marrow from her. She is just not having it though, so she jumps up and tries to practically murder Jackson. He’s swift, that one. He manages to tranq her before she takes him out. Well, she wasn’t really trying to take him out out, just kinda out? And Sheidheda is all up in her brain being angry about it. He wants her to kill everyone who gets in her way, getting revenge for Clarke. He doesn’t care that Jackson is her friend and ally. He just wants to murder Primes and anyone standing in the way of getting to Primes.
Madi?
Mark Madi down for a yes on that.
After the credits, we find ourselves in the forest with Octavia. Bellamy is inside playing Nurse Nightingale to Clarke, who’s been taking a nap. He apologizes, she thanks him. They try to hatch plans to convince Russell that Josephine’s still in her mind. Gabriel wants to reinsert the drive, of all things. We don’t get a lot of thinking time before we’re whisked away to Sanctum.
In the holding cell, Gaia’s praying, Murphy’s bitching, and “Houdini Miller” is attempting to break out. Good thing Raven’s on the job and will have Becca’s magic notebook to set them free later. Before too much goes down, Murphy is escorted by guards to the castle, where Echo is now on trial. The sentence passed down is death, but hey, Russell can give her a pass because Jordan saved Priyah (HBHN). Russell wants to know who else Echo has been talking to. Naturally, she ain’t talkin’. So, once Abby’s bone marrow technique is up and running, guess who gets to be the new Queen Simone??? (Hint: it’s Echo.)
Murphy strolls into the castle (as much as one being escorted can) and wonders aloud, “So, who do I get to be?” LOLZ Murphy. I love you. Russell has his number though, and he likes Murphy because he knows how to save his own ass and with that, he is predictable. Knowing what he’ll do, Russell gives Murphy the ultimate quest for the ultimate prize: bring Josephine back to him and Murphy, along with Emori, gets immortality. If he fails, Emori dies.
COLD. HEARTED.
Next, Bellamy, Clarke and Octavia discuss plans to save the Earthers with Gabriel. It isn’t long before Bellamy’s swiping at Octavia, calling her the queen of cannibals. (Man, e’rrbody being a “b” tonight, y’all.) Gabriel states O is “special,” because she went into the anomaly and came back out. He can’t say more, because the Children of Gabriel come a-knocking with guns. Gabriel outs himself, and it doesn’t go as expected. They go after him, slicing his face with a knife. (Blood = black). These children of Gabriel really got some Daddy issues. I mean, Gabe’s been lying to them for ten years and they don’t like it. Bellamy saves Gabe’s hide by proposing they wait to kill Gabe — wait until he and his Night Blood walk weaponized red sun toxin past the electrical security fence and into Sanctum, create some chaos so they can get all their Earth people out. After that, CoG can TCB with Gabriel and all the Primes. They’re all for the plan as long as they get to kill Clarke, whom they think is Josephine reinserted. Y’all, this is so damn complicated and I love it. Gabe refuses to build the sun toxin bomb if they kill Clarksephine, who’s actually just Clarke now. So, tentative truce, I guess.
In Sanctum, Gaia is about to claw the walls down herself. No need for Houdini Miller. Guards come in with food and orders to put hands on the wall, and when Miller refuses, the guards pummel him… long enough for Miller to pick-pocket a blade from them.
Ah. Houdini!
Alright, I hate to gloss over something because it’s all important, but I’m going to gloss over the relationship between Gabriel and the sister of the guy whose body he’s in. I’ll just say it’s exactly like you’d expect it to be. What I will talk about is that the anomaly has been leaving them scratching their heads for decades. It’s going to be important going forward. I said it here first.
While Clarke and Gabriel work out the deets of which order things will be done, Bellamy and O have a little chat about said anomaly. Octavia is feeling guilt over the anomaly eating Diyoza up, but spitting her out. As they gather the glowing green plants they need for the red sun toxin, Octavia admits Bellamy was right for leaving her behind at the beginning of the season.
Everything has changed since she went inside the anomaly. She realized Bellamy was her compass and without him, she did terrible things. She doesn’t want his forgiveness or trust. She wants him to just be her brother again. He admits she’s his sister, she’s not his responsibility anymore.
There are tears here. And I have to say I love the direction Bob went with the shots in this scene. He went wide with them on opposite ends with all the green glowy in the middle. Not only did it look pretty, it highlighted the distance between them. Plus, the unusual landscape showed that them being at odds wasn’t normal for them. At least that’s what I got out of it.
Anyway, Riker has Echo strapped to a chair as Abby’s bone marrow trial study. She thinks he may let her go after she tells her sob story. Which is: young Echo learns to shoot a bow and arrow and her Queen forces her to kill an innocent man. She purposefully botches the shot, so the Queen does the deed herself in front of her. Because Echo failed the first task, she now has to kill her sister…? Wow. These people need to calm down.
A scuffle ensues and then Echo’s sis surprisingly stabs Echo…then…oh man, she takes her identity! She is Echo now. I know. Right? She’s not even OG Echo! But anyway, she has some experience becoming someone else, so she doesn’t want to do it again. Riker’s response is to try and do it anyway, but Gaia and Miller show up and play guard, so, yay.
Only now Echo’s a Night Blood.
A Night Blood who guts Riker.
Meanwhile, CoG have tied up Gabriel and the Earthers. They think they’re goners…until Murphy comes to “save” them. (That’s Murphy to the rescue TWICE this episode. Not that I’m counting, except that I’m counting.) Remember, he’s got a job to do, which is to take Josephine back to Russell.
He and Jade take Clarke, who’s doing her best Jo imitation, but not before Murphy drops to Bellamy that Echo’s in danger. Don’t fret though: he’s going to try and help her. He also apologizes and lets them know the only reason he’s here for “Josephine” is that Emori’s life is on the line. Aw. Heart. Clarke fakes him out and then heads into Sanctum.
I don’t want to say “told ya so,” but Clarke enters Sanctum twisting a strand of hair. I told you that was going to be used in the future! (Oops, guess I do want to say told ya so.)
The hair twist coupled with her biting wit convinces King Dad that she’s Josephine. He’s happy to see her, but disappointed that “Gabriel took out her drive.” Clarksephine learns Queen Simone is gone, but is soon to be inserted into a mystery body. King Dad is anxious to show Jo how she and her mom are going to be reinserted. He clears the lab to show Jo how they’re making more Night Blood.
Pan to…Madi strapped to a chair. We’ve come full circle since the first image of the episode. That’s the kind of thing I use when I try to convince non-believers how awesome these writers are. Love it. LOVE. IT. *round of applause*
Back to Madi: she’s in bad shape, kru. Clarke keeps it under control, careful not to tip her hand. Madi goes ballistic, shouting the death threats and such. Clarke acts fed up, then tranqs her. We end the episode with Clarke casually turning to Russell saying, “Time for my new drive. Being mortal sucks.”
I can’t believe we’ve got only two more shows this season! A tip of the hat to director Bob Morley. The visuals were tight and purposeful, and I loved the emotion flowing from just about every character.
Tune in with me next Tuesday on The CW to see how long Clarke can keep up her act. Until then kru, I’ll be here picking glowy green plants and practicing my Houdini skills.