The 100: Coup de Grâce Review

Spoilers ahead.

The 100  is back to doing what it does best—stacking the deck against our favorite characters and allowing them to shine. Clarke rises to the occasion once again, stepping in to fill the power vacuum left by her mother. But more on them in a bit.

Instead, let’s talk about Jasper, who finally decided to take matters into his own hands. While he hasn’t exactly been sitting idly by as his friends have slowly disappeared, but with best friend Monty missing, Jasper has reached his breaking point. A lot of credit goes to Devon Bostick for imbuing what was once a lighthearted character with a lot of unexpected emotion and gravitas. He wears his heart on his sleeve and his fear on his face. He wants answers and decides the best way to do that is by confronting President Wallace directly. Not only does he call out Wallace for his many lies, he pulls a sword on him, too. This truly gets Jasper’s point across, no pun intended. Wallace, to his credit, owns up to everything, and decides the time is nigh to hold Dr. Tsing and his son accountable for their actions. On paper, it’s a great idea, and it’s great to see Wallace is a man of his word. But his power only extends so far. Just as his suit is showing great wear and tear, his ability to inspire his people has worn thin. And now, in the first of two bloodless coups in tonight’s episode, Cage Wallace assumes the mantle of president. Now, with Dante Wallace locked away, what does this mean for Jasper, Monty and the rest?

As for the night’s second coup, the power struggle between Clarke and Abby finally came to a boil tonight. Since being reunited with her daughter, Abby has been selling Clarke short. Yes, some of this stems from Abby’s wanting to be needed, but as I’ve said before, she’s holding Clarke back. Even Kane understands the Grounders respect Clarke, but Abby is having none of it. At this point in the season, I’m finding it very difficult to root for Abby as chancellor, but maybe that’s the show’s intention, to slowly turn us against her so that Clarke can emerge as a believable leader. If that’s the case, it’s definitely working—which made Clarke’s coup all the more convincing. Abby may be the acting chancellor, but Clarke is the one in charge. Hell, the Mountain Men were sent to assassinate Clarke and Lexa, not Abby and Kane.

And as for Bellamy, things weren’t looking so good for him at the beginning of the episode. While I doubted the show would dispense with him (especially after killing off Finn), I nevertheless wondered how he’d set about contacting Camp Jaha. Enter Maya, who I also really liked in tonight’s episode. Her struggle to do the right thing was evident. She’s loyal to her people, but she knows terrible things are happening all around them. Seeing Mount Weather through Bellamy’s eyes was a good reminder that many people in the bunker are innocent. They’re trying to survive, just like everyone else. But even with Maya’s help, Bellamy still has his work cut out for him, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Some closing thoughts:

I’ll admit it, seeing Jasper and Monty reunited was very moving. I’m glad the show is keeping these two characters busy—and alive—for now. But the person I’m worried about is Maya. I have the feeling her days are numbered.

Octavia’s training as Indra’s second has begun in earnest. And for what it’s worth, Octavia seems to be fully embracing the role. At this point it’s safe to say she’s more of a Grounder now than she is a child of the Ark. But that’s the key to her survival—and the survival of her fellow sky people. I noticed Octavia’s physicality was different tonight. She seemed leaner and meaner. Even the steely look in her eyes suggested a cool confidence that comes from embracing one’s animal instincts.

As for Raven, she hasn’t let Clarke off the hook for killing Finn.  Still, she’s no quitter, and she expects the same of Clarke—even if she doesn’t like taking orders from one of her own peers. In the end, Raven understands Clarke is their best bet for getting their friends out of Mount Weather. The great thing about their scene together is that Raven tests Clarke’s credibility as a leader in a way that bolsters the show’s going all in with a young leader. Yes, this is a CW show, so it makes sense that The 100 would hang its hat on a younger talent like Eliza Taylor, but the great thing is that Taylor really sells it, especially tonight. Clarke’s at her best when she’s at her most confident, and in that regard, Coup de Grâce truly delivered.