This week, The 100 will be on a brief hiatus, bringing us episode six, “Memento Mori,” next Tuesday.
While we anxiously wait to see what happens when two sociopaths form an alliance to live, literally, forever, I wanted to take this week to bring you up to speed on all things The 100.
First up: Season Seven! We’re not even halfway into season six, but according to TVGuide.com, The CW announced the renewal a week before the season premiere. Showrunner Jason Rothenberg is already hard at work plotting what will happen to Clarke, Bellamy, and our kru in season seven.
According to his Twitter account, The 100 writers are “fixing to do some very bad things.”
A sweet first day of Season 7! #the100 pic.twitter.com/iUFJxpZuXJ
— Jason Rothenberg (@JRothenbergTV) June 3, 2019
That should probably make us nervous, but really, it makes us excited for what’s to come.
One of the things that sets this show apart from standard youth-centric genre fiction is the bravery of The 100 writers. They are not afraid to kill off major characters. (Nope. Still not over Finn.) Viewers of this show watch it knowing that no one is safe from Rothenberg’s ax. Just ask anyone who loved Jasper, Lincoln, or Monty. With everyone potentially just a keystroke away from oblivion, it gives the audience a true sense of tension. Of course, this potential death tension doesn’t exclude our main protagonist, Clarke. With her mind MIA at this point of the season, we’re forced to ask if we’ll be stuck with Josephine forever? Not that being stuck with Clarksephine is a bad thing.
That brings me to the second thing we love about The 100 writers: they do bad really, really good. Case in point: John Murphy.
If you’ve read my reviews this season, it won’t be a secret that Murphy’s my favorite character. Not only is he played brilliantly by Richard S. Harmon, but he’s written so well. I mean, close to everybody loves a bad boy, but Murphy’s more complicated than just a bad boy. He lives in a moral gray area that I find not only fascinating, but thought-provoking, and that’s due to the way the writers have written him. When last we left Murphy, he’d had a close encounter with death and was not interested in going down that road again. It made him a perfect mark for Josephine. We can’t wait to see where this alliance leads us. (Note to Jason and writers: I’m prepared to offer things in exchange for keeping Murphy around, just so you know.)
This season, the “insertion” story line has presented us with an interesting idea worth debating, and it’s easy to see the ambiguity in the thought of keeping your loved ones around you forever. Anyone who’s lost a family member would be quick to tell you it’s not a simple matter of right and wrong. We’re loving the story line so far, but maybe you can take it a bit father, Jason. Here’s an idea for season seven: a body-swapping episode! Richard Harmon plays pregnant Diyoza! Bob Morley plays Octavia! Marie Avgeropoulos plays Miller. The fun and hilarious possibilities are endless!
Seriously though, before we go too far into season seven, let’s discuss what else season six has brought us. Our kru has found a new home on the moon, Sanctum. A new locale means new rules and dangers and, so far, Sanctum has delivered a fair amount of those things. It’s certainly made us rethink eclipses.
Season six has also brought a fantastic new character in Jordan. The son of Monty and Harper (May We Meet Again) Jordan has quickly become a fan favorite, and for good reason. He has been the perfect face for the reinvigoration of the show itself. Jordan’s a good guy who’s not afraid to show his heart, but he’s not afraid to speak his mind either. I love how the writers have taken the best qualities of Monty and Harper and fused them into Jordan. He and this new moon have breathed new life into the show.
Don’t worry, kru, while we love the new guy, we know Rothenberg and his ‘writerkru’ are sure to bring us exciting and heartbreaking adventures of our other favorites too. Bellamy and Echo appear to be out of sync, Kane’s still literally ten minutes from dying, and poor Octavia has a death wish like none other. Throw in our dubious new Sanctum King Russell, the mysterious Children of Gabriel and with their “old man” leader, and the rest of season six is shaping up to be a thrilling, twisting, tortuous ride. We wouldn’t have it any other way.
Tune into The CW tonight for an encore presentation of episode one, “Sanctum.” Then join me watching episode six next week with my review posted shortly after. Until then, I’ll be waiting for Jason Rothenberg to share his cupcakes with me.