Hey Kru, I’m going to take shake things up this review. Instead of going through the episode chronologically, I’m going to break it down by character, because this episode included several things we’ve been waiting to see and many character moments worthy of highlighting.
First up, Octavia: I’ve been waiting for Octavia’s big moment all season. If you remember, she’s still reeling from the traumatic events in the bunker. Then basically, she led her people to immediate slaughter in the valley, and then her brother literally dumped her in the woods. Also, she’s been carrying a death wish this entire season. I mean, who wouldn’t after all that? Poor Octavia. She’s come a very long way from Bloodreina.
Her story this episode opens with Gabriel forcing her to tap into the crazy-dangerous mist that makes people bananas, so that she can remember everything she forgot roughly .23 seconds after she came out of the Anomoly. In her drug-fueled trip, she literally battles her demon-self and emerges from the experience with a renewed sense of purpose: earning her 2nd chance, a.k.a., her Redemption with a capitol R.
We all knew Octavia wasn’t really going to off herself, right? I love how they allowed her to come to terms with everything in her past. She basically got a walk down memory lane like Clarke got, and as you’d expect, Octavia’s mind went straight to all the things she’d done in the bunker. For instance: cannibalism, killing Pike to make a point, and forcing Bellamy to fight to the death. We even got a glimpse from further back in the day when she relived Lincoln’s death. (Oh hey there, Ricky Whittle, we miss you as much as Octavia misses Lincoln!)
Facing all these demons was the catalyst she needed to take her from depression back to her fighting spirit. I can’t wait to see what she does now in an attempt to earn that Redemption. I anticipate that I’ll shed at least three buckets of tears when she and Bellamy make up.
Kane/Abby: Kane has woken up in a body that isn’t his. He’s now a total hot beefcake, yet he’s not digging his makeover. (Queer Eye guys would’ve done as good a job, and it wouldn’t have been so…permanent, but whatevs.) As you’d expect from Kane, he immediately starts questioning what Abby did and shows concern for the original owner of the body, Gavin. Abby reasons her way around Kane’s questions, and Kane even agrees to a little make-out sesh, but it doesn’t go far because Kane ain’t kissing with his own lips. “Everything is different,” he laments.
Soon Marcus pulls a Marcus and decides to take one for the team. In the happiest news of my night, Henry Ian Kusick appears for one final time on The 100. Abby sees his face as he explains the reasoning for his choice to kill himself. He tells her she has the strength to carry on before he floats himself, along with the raw materials for Night Blood making.
In Peace, May You Leave This Shore…May We Meet Again.
What I love most about this scene is that it really brought home how closely related the Primes’ (and people of Sanctum) and the Earthers’ points of view are. They both believe in the sacrifice of self, yet one does it for others and the other does it so the others won’t have to.
That’ll make you think for a hot minute.
Bellamy/Clarke/Josephine – Well, he had the best of intentions, but Bellamy went and got himself and Clarkesphine kidnapped by the Children of Gabriel. Bellamy wants an audience with Gabriel, but Josephine is in there saying there is zero chance that Gabriel will show up. She knows a lot about Gabriel because she’s been in love with him for 2095710657234 years, or something like that. Jo lets Clarke into the driver’s seat long enough for her to kick some CoG ass (and for Bellamy to swipe some keys to the chains he’s currently wearing.) Proving, once again, Bellarke is a good team. Only problem is, Clarke starts seeing Josephine in the flesh, indicating the wall separating them in the mind is starting to break down. It gets really interesting when Clarke starts picking up some of Jo’s traits and knowledge.
It’s no secret I’m enjoying watching Eliza Taylor playing two characters. There’s another layer now in that she’s seeing Josephine hallucinations. As her mind deteriorates, it’ll probably get weirder and a lot harder for Bellamy to navigate. Josephine is stirring things up in Clarke’s mind too. She is constantly poking at Bellamy about how much he cares for Clarke. And she’s doing it knowing Clarke can hear her. (They are Clarke’s ears, after all.) I can’t figure out if she’s trying to drive a wedge between them or drive them together. (Bellamy is attractive, after all).
Finally, Indra: Indra!! Why on Sanctus didn’t someone wake up Indra before now, huh? HUH? (Probably because the whole thing would have been solved in two episodes and there would be nothing to watch, save for ten episodes of Murphy singing and talking himself out of dangerous situations. Note to writers: I’d watch that show.)
Raven proves, once again, she’s the brains of the bunch when she finally wakes up Indra, who quickly assesses the sitch and agrees to help Kane and Raven execute the plan to rid the world of all the raw materials to make Night Blood. (See above.) She’s totes not cool with Kane being in Gavin’s body, but at the same time, doesn’t want to knock anyone’s religion, yo. Her presence is so welcome. At least by me. Also: Raven and Kane. I have a feeling she’s going to be influential in the aforementioned Octavia’s Redemption as well as keeping Madi from Sheidheda’s influence. And she’ll come in handy in the big war between the Primes and Earthers that seems inevitable at this point.
There we have it, kru: an episode full of endings and beginnings, along with some beautiful character moments to think about until next week. Tune in to The 100 on The CW Tuesday, 9/8 pm central. Until then, I’ll be practicing saying “I missed you Indra” in Trikru.
