We’ve now reached the halfway point in season three of The 100 and the fates of many of our beloved characters dangle by a thread. ‘Terms and Conditions’ opens with Bellamy directly rejecting said terms and conditions provided by two grounders who have come bearing the viscera of two patrolling members of Arkadia. The masked Grounders state that the blockade is in effect and that they would only leave once Pike has turned himself over. Well, Bellamy has another idea: just shoot them both.
‘Terms and Conditions’ essentially serves as the tipping point for Mr. Bellamy Blake. Exactly to what ends will he go in order to see Pike’s plans through? Who must he betray? Who must he use to betray their own loved ones?
Camp City of Light also has another idea. They aim to steal back their evil chip-making doohickey so that they can recruit some more lemmings to lead to the field of cyber-slaughter. I realize, by the way, that I’m pointing out the obvious when it comes to the evil-doings of the City of Light. I get why this way is enticing for people like Jaha (who needs validation for his torture) and Raven (who needs actual pain relief) but this group is painted in such broad colors in “Terms and Conditions” that the moment when Raven realizes she’s become a brainwashed zombie comes not a moment too soon.
In a master move, the attempt at using and recruiting a willing Jasper backfires because he’s simply too much of an emotionally ruinous time bomb that no inhuman computer program can counter. In a handful of dick moves after having broken into Pike’s office, Jasper keeps reminding Raven of the pain and anguish she should be feeling by remembering Finn. The necklace he made for her, his death, their first kiss. Jasper just won’t shut up. This triggers Raven into remembering, rather, remembering that she doesn’t remember Finn at all but knows that she should. At the last second, she aborts the mission in front of A.L.I.E. and they flee Pike’s office without the doohickey. Score one for team Human.
Kane, now all-in on a couple of coups, enlists Sinclair to hijack Pike’s plans to send a rolling bomb into Grounder frontlines. The only problem is that Pike has discovered the chip in his office that Kane has been using to listen to their plans. When Sinclair tries to sabotage the jeep, Bellamy sniffs out the plot and has Sinclair arrested for treason. Kane can’t be tried on any charges yet, but Pike is close.
In another move to make Pike more of a fascist, he suggests spying on everyone in Arkadia. This is quite obviously a heavy subject and one that I don’t believe is handled deftly enough in this script as it’s simply used as a lightning rod for the sane crowd to more staunchly defend Kane’s actions. I get that Pike wants to spy on everyone. That’s not surprising. What IS surprising is when he sentences Sinclair, Pike states that he won’t execute him because that’s what would’ve happened on the Ark. He is aware that this is a new world and wants to treat things differently. Except, he backtracks that a bit later…
Becoming another shade more nefarious, Bellamy recruits Miller’s boyfriend in lacing his jacket with a listening device. The scene was crucial for this moment but stuck around a bit too long, leading the audience to question why these two were getting exponentially more screen time than they’d ever gotten before. Weighing upon Bellamy’s conscience now is Monty, who he has strung along in undermining Kane’s efforts (also, Monty’s mom has become a really irredeemable POS, right?).
Kane’s final plan involves Sinclair and Lincoln (making a rare appearance this season, having been imprisoned for seemingly years now) striking up a faux fight in the cell which causes Bellamy to rush in unbeknownst to the fact that the prisoners mean to stage a riot. The riot is also a ruse so that Kane is able to get Pike alone, knock him out and try to take him out of the camp and to the Grounders.
Now, we can shout and cheer for Kane all we want but that is truly an effed up plan! He wants to essentially murder a man for his beliefs. That is interesting material! It isn’t until Bellamy catches wind of the situation and stops Kane in his tracks that he doesn’t succeed with his murder plot. Kane is arrested and when Pike brings him up on charges, he’s totally in the right. Pike deserves punishment for his extreme actions. Kane is sentenced to death and Bellamy almost breaks rank. Pike seemingly settles him but it isn’t until Monty’s mom confronts Bellamy and Monty asking about any others who may be following Kane. Before Monty can shout “Miller!”, Bellamy speaks up and says they’ve found no one.
There it is. We’ve found the stretching point. Bellamy rounds the corner and now must answer and make up for all the blood on his hands and all the blood about to be on his hands. This may feel like a sudden turn back to the light for the character but when we think of everything that Bellamy has done against his friends, this is a good point for the character to realize his wrongs. It is definitely a little too convenient but we’re now guaranteed to see Bellamy not just fight for his friends but his own soul. Again.
‘Terms and Conditions’ concluded this stage of Bellamy the Bloody and had some deliciously well choreographed fighting during the prison riot. To the detriment of the City of Light storyline, it showed Jaha and A.L.I.E. to be a little more sociopathic than I think they’re meant to be but there’s obviously something up with Raven to be keying her return to the real light so soon.
Biggest bummer this week: We have to wait three weeks for episode nine.
“When this ends with Arkadia victorious, you’ll only have yourself to blame for choosing the wrong side.” – Pike
Check out my reviews of previous episodes of ‘The 100’ here:
‘Thirteen‘
