- This topic has 74 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 7 years, 5 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
Well, the next season would be who becomes the next ruler of Polis if everyone backs a nightblood then anyone can take the flame. That leaves this pretty open.
[adrotate group="5"]‘We will rise’ – was another excellent episode. This is now my S4 favourite.
– Loved the Luna, Raven, Murphy team up. Where were Abbey, Jackson and Emori? Who cares? I certainly didn’t.
– Luna displayed some much needed depth in this episode. We knew she was a peace maker by nature, but this is the first time we really got to SEE it.
– Murphy trying to soothe himself with a mistranslated grounder phrase was as touching as it was funny. Beautifully raw, beautifully vulnerable.
– What will happen to Raven now? This doesn’t look good. They can’t manage without her. If she’s incapacitated, they’ll all be reduced to drinking large quantities of nettle leaf tea and hoping for the best!
– The Arkadia storyline with Skaikru wanting revenge against Ilian was brilliant. It’s now been firmly established that Skaikru are just as blood thirsty as their terrestrial brethren. Oh, and Daddy Miller disappointed me. How could he be on the mob’s side?
– Octavia’s cold bloodedness really hit home for the first time. The flashbacks to Lincoln were heartbreaking. I still think she and Ilian will get together at some point.
– Bellamy and Clarke’s conversation about Octavia was along the same lines as about a million other TV convos – except that this one was about a brother-sister relationship, rather than a romantic one. Big kudos.
– Niylah, with her kindness, is like a light in the darkness. I agree with Clarke. Niylah needs to stay and be part of the gang for ever.
– The Niylarke scene was sweet and realistic and a nice tribute to Lexa. Niylah is obviously a great source of comfort for Clarke, though not a long term prospect. Again, she must have a big heart because she was fine with the fact that it was basically a threesome, what with Lexa’s drawing watching over them from a prominent position.
– Finally, we got some fantastic dialogue in this episode. Thought provoking, character building, relationship defining, tension sparking dialogue. Great job writers!
I was expecting big things from ‘Gimme Shelter’ thanks to the Hypable preview, but it was a slight let down. Not bad, just not great.
– Octavia and Ilian got together – I knew it! Octavia’s made some progress in processing her grief, so good for her. I wonder where this new path will take her (apart from Ilian’s farm).
– The black rain storyline was disappointing. I would have cared more about the Harper stuff if I’d actually known the man she was crying over. Bellamy’s desperate attempt to save people was…well, it got boring for me. We already know about Bellamy’s saviour complex. It was nice that Kane felt so protective of Bellamy, but the rest of the dialogue was a drag (apart from ‘I’m proud of you’). People acting irrationally due to issues, and having to be talked down gets old pretty quickly.
– Abby and Kane’s conversation was alright, but there was nothing new there either. We’ve established many times over that you have to do unpleasant things to survive. The very fact that Abby feels repulsed is proof that she’s not losing her humanity. So just grit your teeth and do it Abby. Or EVERYONE dies. The conversation felt more like Abby seeking validation than anything else.
– The best parts of this episode were the domestic moments with Clarke, Emori and Murphy. Clarke had a relatively stress free time this episode :O! It was wonderful to see her put her feet up for a well deserved moment, but it was quite literally just a moment, as a banging window brought back the usual violence and life and death decisions. Oh, and Murphy cooking? ‘The 100’ writers have been delving into some cute fanfics, that’s for sure.
– The problem with Emori’s backstory was that it was a whole lot of exposition dumped on us very suddenly. No show, all tell. I felt like I couldn’t really connect to it, or to her.
– These people are smart, so it’s astonishing that they believe that one test subject will be enough. Are they really expecting the first or second trial to be successful?
“Gimme Shelter”
I more or less felt the same as @sciencevsmagic so I’m just going to add some points of my own to the above ones
Octavia and Ilian got together – I knew it! Octavia’s made some progress in processing her grief, so good for her. I wonder where this new path will take her (apart from Ilian’s farm).
Yeah, you were right. I have a ton of mixed feelings on this, if I’m going to be honest. It’s hard to not sound like a hypocrite because I did like the Niylah/Clarke hook up last week but those two have an already established connection, both sexually and emotionally, and for them to come together after Lexa’s passing makes a certain amount of sense. They’ve already been there for each other.
Illian and Octavia do not have this; in fact last week she had him on his knees with a gun to his head. Just beforehand she’s yelling, “I need to feel something” so for me it’s not about her processing her grief so much as trying to cover it up with whatever she can–death, black rain, sex with a guy she hates.
I’m also not digging this from a social commentary standpoint. First, I really hate the “sex heals broken hearts” trope especially when it’s combined with the “enemies until sex” one. I really hope the writers aren’t going to make Octavia and Illan a thing because that seems really hurtful to Octavia’s character. This storyline only works for me if Octavia realizes that hooking up with Illian was a huge mistake, a wakeup call that she’s not handling Lincoln’s passing at all and she turns to someone–Clarke, Bellamy, Abby, anyone with whom she has a long established positive connection–for help.
Secondly, I also don’t really like the visual this presents. Now, I know that Lincoln’s actor, Ricky Whittle, had to go on to bigger and better things (like playing the main character in an adaption of my all time favorite novel!!) but it’s disconcerting that the strong, silent, colored love interest for the secondary female heroine has been replaced by a loud, arrogant, murderous and destructive white one who, from the standpoint of this episode, is going to “heal” Octavia.
Bellamy’s desperate attempt to save people was…well, it got boring for me. We already know about Bellamy’s saviour complex. It was nice that Kane felt so protective of Bellamy, but the rest of the dialogue was a drag (apart from ‘I’m proud of you’). People acting irrationally due to issues, and having to be talked down gets old pretty quickly.
I agree with only some of this. I didn’t get boring for me but I think that’s because I’ve always had a soft spot for Bellamy and last season the writers really took Bellamy through the mud and I’ve been waiting for the “old” Bellamy to be back. I like that his Savior Complex is kicked up another degree but not because of who he is but because of what he did last year. I think Bellamy’s desperation was born from guilt and that’s a newer angle. Bellamy’s heartbreaking conversation with Kane got me, and I love that it’s still all about Octavia for him.
The problem with Emori’s backstory was that it was a whole lot of exposition dumped on us very suddenly. No show, all tell. I felt like I couldn’t really connect to it, or to her.
I almost zoned out during all of this. I wish, instead, we had just seen Clarke getting to relax, sleep, eat and recharge. She needs it. The episode had enough going on elsewhere that we didn’t need this. Also, you want to talk about some clunky dialogue, “today I am the commander of death” made me roll my eyes.
"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"I wasn’t interested in the Bellamy plot either. Octavia’s was okay only in that she saved him. I also have no interest in them being some sort of couple. I still think all the adults should die and that their characters serve no purpose to the plot except to be stupid.
I think it was fascinating seeing Clarke, Emori and Murphy in a real house with electricity and showers and like cleanliness. That was definitely the most interesting part of the show for me. I don’t really care about Emori or what happens to her, but it was interesting that she felt the need to do that. I don’t think that she would have been the one used, but we will never know.
It is sort of a weird thing. They are trying to make someone a nightblood and being a nightblood is a big deal because anyone who is can take the flame and become the new commander. Obviously, they are also trying to save everyone from the rain, though they need to explain where they are going to get water from as well because that is the real problem. The rain is only a problem because it contaminates the water that they need to drink, so they should be looking for some sort of underwater reserve or maybe see where that house is getting its water from. Regardless, when i first saw Emori overhear Clarke and her mother talk about experimenting on someone to make them a nightblood, i actually thought she would want to do it. They are not doing a very good job of talking about the long term implication of making people nightbloods.
They actually did what i thought they would do initially. That Clark would be the first nightblood. I dismissed it last week after they started experimenting on that guy. I imagine that Clark is going to just step out into the rain at some point, rousing speech and all that.
A solid episode. Not my favourite, but definitely thought provoking.
– It took me a few scenes to understand what was going on with the Jaha/Kane/Monty storyline. But it got interesting. The bunker, the locked door and Jaha’s “faith” – anyone else getting flashbacks to a certain island?
– I still don’t understand why they needed the flamekeeper for all of this.
– Everything happening in Becca’s lab was INTENSE. Great conflict, great dialogue. The moral conundrum, though rehashed, held my interest. Perhaps because in this episode, unlike the last one, it moved out of the abstract sphere into painful reality involving well known characters.
– It was nice to see Lexa reincarnate in Roan’s body to give Clarke her usual, encourging speeches about leadership. She also name dropped herself, which was nice.
– I loved seeing Luna and Roan clash. I’m becoming more and more fond of Luna, but I am still conflicted about her leadership. Does Luna have what it takes to save her people? I think not. She’d be wonderful – just and compassionate – in a time of peace, but I don’t think she can do what it takes during a crisis.
– Was Clarke right in injecting herself? Being Clarke, it was the only option, really. But if she dies, who performs emergency medical procedures, creates battle strategies, makes tough decisions, gains enemies’ respect and negotiates peace?
– Jasper has moved from being the trickster into a full blown antagonist, albeit a sympathetic one. Not that I like Jasper – he’s still annoying. But his philosophy has merit. Everyone else is so busy running around trying to survive that nobody has asked the question: is this life worth living? And if the answer is “no” for some, then I can sympathise. Actually, a lot of this point may be more relevant to next week’s episode.
– Jasper himself was as selfish and escapist as he’s been all season. He strode out of the compound knowing full well that Bellamy would follow. It didn’t seem to occur to him that although he might not value life, Bellamy might value his. Jasper had a point about making the most of the remaining time, but he lost me when he revealed that his preferred use of this time was to get high. Frankly, I was shocked and disappointed when Bellamy went along with this plan.
– This brings me to something about Bellamy – he doesn’t have a strong sense of self, beyond “My sister, my responsibility” and “I have to protect my people”. Because of this, he easily falls in line behind other strong personalities, like Clarke or Pike. Jasper’s little speech hit Bellamy in his weak spot. While he’s brilliant at ‘in the moment survival’, Bellamy doesn’t really have a vision of what life should, or could be. This isn’t a judgement of him; with his upbringing, it’s not surprising that he’d be this way. But it does make him an incomplete leader, and dangerously susceptible to influence.
– So, Clarke’s a nightblood. How does everyone feel about this?
I swear if there’s a button down in that bunker that they have to push every 108 mins…LOL
“God Complex”
–Yeah, a good solid episode. I like the A-plots happening in the lab and with the mysterious Second Dawn. I did not enjoy Jasper and Bellamy’s trip (pun intended). I am so disappointed in Bellamy. It’s like Roan told Clarke, leaders are the ones who don’t give up when it gets hard, even if it’s always hard. And there’s Bellamy, giving in and giving up. Jasper’s philosophy became a bit richer this week, which I appreciate, and it definitely has merit but the fact that his thoughts on life and dead just lead to a giant rave made me roll my eyes right outta my head. It’s so…teenager. And with Bellamy, it’s like the writers don’t really know what to do with him. He can’t be as strong a leader as Clarke because this is largely her show and her story but with Octavia gone, Bellamy’s “center” is removed and he’s just floating aimlessly.
–The lab stuff this week was SO GOOD. And John’s desperate plea to save Emori were really heartbreaking. Major props, also, to Raven for the whole “welcome to Mount Weather” line, right to Clarke. Are there lines people shouldn’t cross for the greater good? When Mt Weather was doing roughly the same thing to Clarke’s crew, look how she handled it (boom). Now she’s using their same ends-justifying-the-means mentality for her own people.
–I’m excited to see more of the Second Dawn stuff. The show has a good sense of world building and this another important aspect. I also like that Jaha’s faith in something larger than himself is coming back into play–consistent character writing even if last time it led to disaster. He has to believe in *something.* Kane and Abby believe in Clarke and while Jaha doesn’t exactly not believe in her, he needs something more. I think that’s pretty reasonable.
– Was Clarke right in injecting herself? Being Clarke, it was the only option, really. But if she dies, who performs emergency medical procedures, creates battle strategies, makes tough decisions, gains enemies’ respect and negotiates peace?
I don’t know about right. It was reckless and possibly stupid. But it was absolutely totally Clarke. I have to applaud the writers keeping her consistent. I also want to know how Bellamy will react to this when he finds out; will he realize that his trip with Jasper was all the more stupid?
– So, Clarke’s a nightblood. How does everyone feel about this?
On the one hand, it was totally predictable. On the other hand, that doesn’t mean it’s bad.
"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"Exactly, there is something to be said for predictability. It is called character consistency. Like i thought Clarke would take the nightblood because she wouldn’t want to harm the others and that is what she did. It makes perfect sense to me that she would do that. And yet, they still did a great job showing her make that choice. I thought it was really well done as well.
Her mother is slightly ridiculous to me because wasn’t she part of the whole throwing people out of airlocks, killing a whole section of people on the arc thing? It has been a long time sense i saw those episodes, so maybe she was against it. I don’t really remember. Those moments are sort of why the parents don’t really work for me as characters. Jaha being the best of them, but still just eh for me.
I think Jasper’s characterization makes sense. I just think it is boring. I think Bellamy is pretty much all over the place now. He has been for a while now. Like you said, he has no center and so his motivation is just really random. They almost need to send him off to find something to center around.
I swear if there’s a button down in that bunker that they have to push every 108 mins…LOL
And if there is, you just KNOW that Jaha will be the one pushing it. 😉
And with Bellamy, it’s like the writers don’t really know what to do with him. He can’t be as strong a leader as Clarke because this is largely her show and her story but with Octavia gone, Bellamy’s “center” is removed and he’s just floating aimlessly.
I do wish they’d develop Bellamy more. Having said that, at least they haven’t made the show all about him and pushed Clarke into the background, or changed her to make him look good, or got them together to make her his salvation. Low standards I know, but still.
When Mt Weather was doing roughly the same thing to Clarke’s crew, look how she handled it (boom). Now she’s using their same ends-justifying-the-means mentality for her own people.
Has Clarke claimed the moral high ground over Mt Weather since then though? There are two definitions of “right” here.
1) Morally right
2) The best way for our people to survive
Raven was talking about 1), but I’ve always thought that Clarke herself justifies her decision as “might is right and it was us or them”. Which is difficult to argue with, in this cutthroat world. But if there is any leeway at all, 1) should be considered. And they do, which is a mark of their humanity.
Exactly, there is something to be said for predictability. It is called character consistency. Like i thought Clarke would take the nightblood because she wouldn’t want to harm the others and that is what she did. It makes perfect sense to me that she would do that. And yet, they still did a great job showing her make that choice. I thought it was really well done as well.
Agreed. At the end of the day, viewers will appreciate character consistency more than some random, shocking twist. Looking at you A & E.
I think Jasper’s characterization makes sense. I just think it is boring.
Jasper’s character or his philosophy about life?
The topic ‘The 100’ is closed to new replies.