‘The 100’ Season Six, Episode 12 Review: “Adjustment Protocol”

Michelle
13 Min Read
Image courtesy of The 100/The CW
Image courtesy of The 100/The CW

Previously on The 100: This is how we make more hosts–bone marrow…which we get from Madi; Take out the drive, we save Clarke…but not before she mind-kills Josephine; You weaponized Red Sun Toxins…as part of our “Adjustment Protocol,” which is to say we trigger a mass hallucination; I’m going into Sanctum…as Josephine!

Such dramatic tension just in the “previouslies!”

We zero in on King Russell, who’s “operating” on Clarke. He’s pontificating like a bad guy should. Madi is not okay with it. She makes Clarke cry with her screaming and struggling and basic revenge outrage. Raven and Abby rush in to rid her of the bad influence in her head — Sheidheda — but he’s onto their game. “I know what you’re up to and if you don’t stop, I will kill this child!” Luckily Madi gets tranqed so Russell can work. He gets “Josephine” up and running, and Abby is about to take up Madi’s KILL THEM ALL mantra. Then we learn that Russell has four doses of bone marrow serum, but needs six for the Primes. Basic math tells us he’s two doses short. Only Madi probably doesn’t have two left in her. Abby agrees to “do it” at Russell’s order, as Josieclarke jumps off the table and bids them a fond “toodle-loo.”

Credits.

In the dark, Bellamy, Gabriel, and his Children are waiting for the electric fence around Sanctum to be deactivated by Clarke. Octavia reassures Bellamy that Echo is strong and will be fine, but Bellamy’s not so sure. She tells him to have some faith. Man, I love Octavia and Bellamy together again. I know they’re not fully mended, but they have such a great dynamic, so it’s good to see them playing off each other again.

Meanwhile, Murphy’s trying to convince Emori that they need to play nice to get their friends out of trouble. Beeteedubs, they’re sitting at a banquet table full of food again. *SMH* Josieclarke comes in and bitches about being in Clarke’s clothes. She snips at Murphy and finds out Echo is still Echo and not yet Simone.

In the lab, Jackson and Raven are bickering. Also, distracted. Abby offers her own bone marrow rather than take Madi’s. Jackson protests, but Abby quotes Kane and says she’s turning the page and doing the right thing. They have a reconciliation that leads me to believe one of them will not live through this episode.

Josieclarke comes strolling in in fresh Josephine clothes, then outs herself. SURPRISE, I’M CLARKE! She immediately questions what’s up with Madi, and Raven reports she needs Becca’s magic notebook to get rid of Sheidheda. Clarke tries to get Raven to come along to turn off the fence, but she can’t go anywhere since she’s basically keeping Madi alive. Josieclarke decides to try and convince Riker to help her instead.

Yeah, he’s not going to be able to help, thanks to Echo.

Images courtesy of The CW/Warner Bros.

Clarke quickly removes his drive before Russell and Co. join her, all beside themselves with the upcoming Resurrection of Simone. He gives the order to “shoot to kill,” and Clarke sets off to find Priyah7 (HBHN) to help with that darn fence.

Over in the lab, Raven’s getting nowhere in the removal of Sheidheda. Russell brings in Murphy and Emori, the future hosts of Primes. Would I bow down and worship Murphy? Probably.

Okay, definitely.

Motorcycles rev in the distance, and Bellamy and crew wait in the bushes for the pesky fence to go off. They overhear some Sanctum guards talking about the upcoming Namings Day. Namings, plural. Gabriel cannot. He storms the fence (Night Blood) and finds out all the Primes are set to be “Named.” He flakes on the plan to save Bellamy’s people and makes a new plan for himself: prevent all the namings forever and ever, amen. Stuck outside the fence with their plain red blood, Bellamy, Octavia, and the Children watch him swipe a motorcycle and peel off into Sanctum.

In Sanctum, Priyah7 (HBHN) is pacing and bitching. Josieclarke arrives, trash-talks Riker, then asks for help. Echo, Miller, and Gaia jump out and TCB. Sanctumites down, they make plans to…ya know, turn off the fence. Seriously, how complicated of a process is this fence-turning-off business?

Meanwhile, Abby frets over Madi, as Raven wanders among the creepy Primes of Yesteryear Exhibit at Sanctum Museum of Unnatural History.

Images courtesy of The CW/Warner Bros.

“They keep the bones of all their hosts like trophies.”

Yeah, that’s what serial killers do.

Abby joins and laments about her decision to resurrect Kane. She admits she was focusing on what she lost, not what she had. She apologizes to Raven for disappointing her. Raven accepts and forgives.

Russell brings in Murphy and Emori, I mean future Daniel Prime and Kaylee Prime, Hallowed Be Their Names.

Oh snap. Ish is getting real up in here y’all.

Abby tries to convince Murphy not to go through with the Resurrection, but he tells her his arrangement is good for her and the others too. They leave and then Abby does some quick math: 5(primes) + 6(doses) = 1 bad situation for Abby.

Images courtesy of The CW/Warner Bros.

The words you’re looking for: I told you so.

Raven and Jackson scream in horror as Abby flashbacks on her life, then fades away. May We Meet Again.

Gabriel puts on his best black hooded cloak (which he got from where, exactly…?) and casually strolls through Sanctum to the tune of “Namings Day Announcements” coupled with mysterious chanting. He nonchalantly dumps the red sun toxin as he surrenders, allowing himself to be taken to Russell.

Russell’s already sporting his golden robe/crown combo as he struts in spewing venom at Gabriel. Gabriel wants no more Namings, no more killings, but Russell tells him it’s too late. There’s a back and forth that goes something like this:

Gabriel: the people know now and you’ll never be able to ge away with this.

Russell: Die.

Gabriel: the truth will set us free.

Russell: Die.

Gabriel: We can’t continue this travesty.

Russell: Seriously, die.

Red Sun Toxin alarms go off, but Russell calms the crowd, referring to the Primes as Gods and Gabriel as a Demon. He joins the Primes at another feast (sigh) where Gabriel is introduced to Murphiel and Emorlee and the other primes, who are all dressed in gold from head to toe. They’re all shiny. (Like, is there leftover gold paint from Goldfinger lying around?) Gabriel drops the news that Daniel and Kaylee are actually brother and sister. Murphy and Emori drop hands (and possibly stomachs) at that news.

I’ma take a moment to be totally shallow and say that Richard Harmon looks fabulous in eyeliner and gold eyeshadow.

Anyway, the dang fence FINALLY goes down. Bellamy is proud of Clarke, and then the CoG (and Octavia) do what they do best: attack.

They’re met on the road by Clarke, Echo, etc. They discuss various options on what to do and land on…telling the truth.

The crowd is gathered in Sanctum. Bellamy, spokesperson for truth: “They steal your bodies so they can live forever!”  He forces Priyah7 (HBHN) to admit what they’ve been doing for centuries. They’re not really one with the hosts — the hosts are killed so they can live. Upset at their secret being shared with the world, Russell invokes the “Adjustment Protocol.”

Images courtesy of The CW/Warner Bros.

Next, it hits the fan, kru. HITS. THA. FAN.

I swear on my life I heard someone in the crowd shout “Shun the Non-believers” and if you get that reference, you are automatically my friend.

Anyway, the crowd goes bonkers; Delilah’s mom stabs Priyah7 (HBHN); Miller sees BF Jackson being carted off and freaks; Clarke and Gaia go off in search of Jackson and Madi; the people of Sanctum start targeting the Earth kru.

But that’s out on the street among the commoners. Inside the palace, Josieclarke struts into the banquet hall where the remaining Primes are gathering. Murphiel calmly breathes into a gas mask, his posture and mannerisms showing Daniel to be droll and unaffected. I love how I can tell this with zero dialogue. (Thinking I’d probably worship Richard Harmon, too.) Next, Clarke hears Abby’s voice, but turns to find Simone in her body.

Okay, so, it’s her mom, but not her mom, because it’s her mom.

Wow.

Gabriel hits it on the head when he says, “Her mother murdered her mother. Isn’t it ironic, don’tcha think?” (SHOUT OUTTTTTT to the writers for throwing another present(ish) day reference into one of the characters who would be from “our” time!)

Clarke pulls her Josephine together enough to fool them all. The Primes plan to get out of this mess: to the space ship! Absimone threatens to kill Madi, until Raven agrees to pilot their getaway space ship. They leave Sanctum to Gabriel, then…oh gosh, I am dying… As Murphiel walks by, Clarke questions why he isn’t going. WITH TEARS IN HIS EYES, he yells at her, thinking she’s Josephine and she had killed Clarke.

TEARS.

LOOK:

Images courtesy of The CW/Warner Bros.

I need a moment.

Okay, continuing…Murphy and Emori are staying in Sanctum to save their people. Clarke whispers that she’s proud of Murphy. His response: “Just so you know, Josephine called me John.”

Nope. Can’t.

Tissues please.

In my defense, Clarke is crying too.

Russell orders Josephine to hurry up, but spots Gaia and wants her killed. Josieclarke convinces Russell they’ll need Gaia to get on the Elegius.

Which I love the hell out of, cuz you know who’s waiting there, right?

Image courtesy of The CW/Warner Bros.

She’s hella confused about things too. We close this episode with Abby, Russell, and Clarke pointing guns at Raven, Gaia, and Madi.

Oh, my Primes.

This episode had me all up in my feels. It was so tightly-paced and hit the emotions right at the perfect moment. These writers know what they’re doing, folks.

The season finale will be next Tuesday on The CW. Until then, I’ll be applying my gold eyeshadow and adjusting my protocols.

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Michelle is Young Adult fiction writer, professional fangirl, and card-carrying nerd. (Her mint collection of Empire Strikes Back collector cards prove it.) She spends her days expanding young minds in a classroom and her nights glued to the television, where you'll find her watching her fave sci-fi/supernatural (lowercase) shows, Supernatural (upper case) or binging an obscure show from another country. In addition to her fictional work, she’s written for a local newspaper, corporate website, and pretty much every one of her husband’s papers in college. You can follow her on Twitter @EmCeeCollins
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