Last night’s capper of The 100‘s season three premiere, ‘Wanheda Part 2’, finished off what would have been a wonderful episode if allowed to be released as a two-hour special. Tensions built up from Part 1 escalated instead of being paid off, new characters were introduced and given context as to how they fit into this fiendish world and old alliances clashed with new ones as new moral grounds were broken, sure to be explored as the season moves along.
[FULL SPOILERS AHEAD]
Jaha and A.L.I.E.’s City of Light turns out looks just like every Tomorrowland version of the future we’ve seen since the 1950s. We haven’t seen very much of it but we also feel like we’ve seen a lot of it, as buildings with a futuristic sheen loom over a lush green and blue landscape. If it feels too good to be true, then your feelers are working correctly.
Coming out of his drug-induced “meditation”, Jaha takes Emori’s tribesmate into the woods to get a bit Evangelical. As the disfigured hulk, Gideon, still maintains his own religious experience, Emori convinces Murphy that stealing the techno-backpack that harbors A.L.I.E. is a good idea. Unfortunately, Gideon catches her and begins hulk-strangling her. As Murphy’s attempts to bludgeon Gideon fail, Gideon states, “There is no pain in the City of Light,” just before Emori slashes his throat.
Emori and Murphy don’t get far with the technopack as Emori’s tribesmate, now fully under the spell of Jaha’s Light, and Jaha catch up to them. Murphy and Jaha have never seen eye-to-eye but are a great pair on screen because of their opposing worldview and their sometimes willingness to overlook the means to get the ends. Here, though, Murphy and Jaha face another setback as Murphy tosses the technopack in to the lake and he and Emori take off on the boat.
Entering the City of Light for what must be the hundredth time and seeing the same exact thing as always, Jaha learns that as well as no pain in the City of Light, there is also no death as Gideon reveals his now non-disfigured, very much alive head.
Have I mentioned that the City of Light is BAD NEWS?
Back at Arkadia, Lincoln’s Grounder brother Nyka rides into camp sporting a gruesome wound. Abi tells Octavia and Lincoln that the only blood that can help him resides within Mt. Weather, which has been considered forbidden grounds in lieu of the Skaikru-Grounder agreement. Lincoln decides to risk it, and Nyko is taken to Mt. Weather and saved from certain death. Finally, Nyko comes to believe Lincoln that Mt. Weather is something to use, not something to be afraid of.
Also, Jasper goes back to the mausoleum that has become Mt. Weather and mopes and cries and destroys priceless pieces of art. His sadness is warranted but it’s now very well-documented and any further time witnessing Jasper lash out will be sadly wasted as the hammer has driven the nail firmly into oblivion.
Elsewhere, our pals Bellamy, Monty, Kane and Indra discover that the trap sprung on them isn’t a Grounder one but, in fact, one set by the surviving members of Farm Station including: a teacher from the Ark and now expert Grounder-killer known as Charles Pike and… MONTY’S MOMMA! Pike isn’t quick to understand why Kane and those at Arkadia have aligned with the Grounders but is on board for now. Also being an expert tracker, Pike leads the group to Niyah’s trading post where she is almost killed by the partner of Clarke’s captor, looking for Wanheda. Niyah’s saved for now and I’m sure will get the chance to rear her ugly (not actually at all) head once Clarke and Lexa start getting comfortable again.
Still scouting for Clarke, Bellamy glimpses her across a field (blonde again after a scuffle in a river), bound and being led by her captor. Unfortunately, there is also an army of Ice Nationers marching straight down the field as well, blocking the path to Clarke’s salvation. The group hides in a cave and, like clockwork once everyone’s heads are turned, Bellamy sneaks off on another crazy-ass infiltration plan. This time, he goes full Sam and Frodo into the Plateau of Gorgoroth and fits himself with nearby Ice Nation garb. Quickly infiltrating their ranks, Bellamy slips through and finds where Clarke is being held prisoner. Not quickly enough though as the captor slams Bellamy to the ground holding his sword to Bellamy’s throat. Clarke begs for Bellamy to be shown mercy and after some uncomfortable seconds where other notable deaths flashed before my eyes, he is spared, albeit stabbed in the leg to ensure Bellamy doesn’t follow.
Clarke’s captor, fulfilling his duty, brings a hooded Clarke to the feet of who we’re led to believe is the Ice Nation Queen. The captor stated that Clarke is his readmission ticket after having been banished from the tribe for reasons unknown. Clarke’s hood is removed and we realize that this isn’t the Ice Nation Queen, IT’S LEXA. Lexa, with Indra now standing at her side after she left to warn her upon seeing the huge army on the plains, tells her guards to take away Clarke’s captor, Prince Roan, refusing to lift the banishment and nullifying whatever deal they had in exchange for Clarke. Lexa tries to apologize to Clarke but the hate and anger is still too fresh on Clarke’s mind after Lexa’s betrayal at Mt. Weather. Clarke is dragged off screaming, threatening, promising that Lexa will feel the wrath of the Wanheda once and for all. Lexa walks off onto her balcony, letting us see the makeshift skyscraper from which she operates. Grounder Nation is mighty indeed.
Now having seen the full premiere, I think The 100 finds itself nicely set up for all the action and moral complexes to follow. When Roan held the knife to Bellamy’s throat, I flashed-back to a young Wells Jaha being murdered just a few episodes into season one and a captive Finn being mercy-killed in season two. Bellamy is too key a piece to be killed off so unceremoniously and early in this season but I’m also reminded of how vicious this show can be. Roan brandishing that knife and evoking this fear was Jason Rothenberg and co. winking their eye at the viewer. They remember what they’re doing, so don’t get all comfy on them yet. Character relationships and moral lines need to be established and drawn before any actions are taken. Everything feels a tad too reactionary to prior events but we’re also set up well for the future. Now, we are ready to witness Nyko and Lincoln attempting to convince the Grounders to use Mt. Weather as a tool, Clarke and Lexa having to reconcile Lexa’s betrayal and Clarke’s ensuing capture, Farm Nation coming to terms with a Grounder truce (sure to place Monty’s poor mom in danger) and the estranged Ice Nation Prince, Roan’s, comeuppance now having also been betrayed by Lexa and taken into custody all going forward as central conflicts.
The 100 always spends time building its castle before tearing it down but never for too long. I’m sure other shoes will drop very, very swiftly and we’ll be just as shocked and heartbroken when they do.
“Places aren’t evil, brother. People are.” – Nyko
Find my review of ‘Wanheda Part 1’ HERE.
