The 100: Inclement Weather review

Whoa! New opening credits! New opening theme! Welcome to The 100 2.0!  In its first season, comparisons to Lord of the Flies seemed obvious and almost mandatory. But it was the comparison to Ronald D. Moore’s gritty Battlestar Galactica reboot that turned out to be more apt. It’s also the comparison that stuck. On BSG, nothing was what it seemed. The same is true on The 100, especially in its second season (so far).

Now, on to spoilers that also include 2013’s Gravity. If you’re familiar with the movie, you may already know what I’m hinting at.

Tonight’s episode once again belongs to Clarke, but let’s delve a little bit into the subplots first. Finn may be back at Raven’s side, but I get the sense the hardy zero G mechanic has never felt more alone. And complications from her gunshot wound place her in quite the untenable predicament. Don’t remove the bullet from near her spine, says Abby, and she may never walk again. Try removing it, and the lack of adequate medical supplies may kill her. Raven opts for the risky surgery, and Finn is there to help see her through it. In a moment of vulnerability, Raven confesses she’s scared—and, really, who wouldn’t be?  In the end, she survives the surgery, but loses the ability to use her left leg. It’s a heartbreaking outcome, but at least she’s still alive (for now).

As for Jaha, he’s still in orbit, trapped in one of the derelict stations.  Finding a mysterious baby galvanizes him into rescuing both of them. And it’s here that comparisons to Gravity are inevitable. Again, spoiler warning if you still have not seen Alfonso Cuarón’s stellar survival film. There is a point in the film when Sandra Bullock’s Ryan Stone basically gives up and waits for the end—until George Clooney’s Matt Kowalski, who we know to be dead at this point, talks some sense into her. Likewise, it’s Jaha’s manifestation of his dead son, Wells, which spurs him to save himself from a potentially terrible end. Sure, hitching a ride on a disarmed missile is risky but brilliant, but I do wonder why no one else thought of this sooner.

And then there’s Octavia, who’s nursed back to health by Nyko, a friend of Lincoln’s and the Grounders’ only healer. I’m sorry, I have a hard time believing Octavia would be able to overpower a big Grounder like Nyko, especially after being poisoned (Nyko is even surprised to see she is already on her feet). I also had a hard time believing her life would be so easily spared once she marches into the camp with Nyko as a hostage. The lovers’ eventual reunion comes at a steep price, as Reapers launch a surprise attack and cart off Lincoln.

And now, finally, let’s talk about Clarke. It’s pretty clear Jasper and Clarke have very different ideas about what constitutes common sense and hospitality. There are valid arguments for accepting the bunker’s creature comforts at face value. As Jasper notes, they’re being fed, they have a place to lay their heads, and no one is trying to kill them. But Clarke still isn’t convinced. Not only is she NOT convinced of the safety and stability being offered by the president, she’s downright distrustful and, as I mentioned last week, incredibly paranoid. Not even reassurances from Jasper can assuage her fears.

As it turns out, Clarke is right to be leery of their benefactors’ altruism. Let’s be honest for a second. In our hearts, we all knew Clarke wasn’t the crazy one here. President Dante, for all of his patient reassurances, is a bit of a creepy guy. He grants her access to things that no newcomer should ever be allowed to see. It all comes across as misdirection. But to what end? It’s questions like this that drive Clarke to tear out her own stitches to gain her access into the medical ward. Once there, she quickly discovers some pretty crazy experiments are being performed on secret captives. In a twist within this twist, one of those captives turns out to be Anya, the Grounder princess last seen in season 1’s “We Are Grounders.”

Sometimes proving yourself right is a double-edged sword. And, sometimes, knowing the truth does not ultimately set you free.

Overall, this was a great episode that was heavy on plot and action, but a little light on character development. That being said, The 100 still offers up a very strong hour of gritty sci-fi—and who couldn’t use more of that?

Some closing thoughts:

Kane showed some real heroism last season, but now that he’s on the ground, he’s coming across as a bit of a fascist. Even Abby seems to think so. He refuses to send out a search party, so Abby countermanded his authority.

That Jasper is quite the flirt, no? Is he allowing his burgeoning affection for Maya to blind him to what may really be going on? Sure seems possible.

Another BSG alum joins the cast—this time it’s Rekha Sharma, who played presidential aide Tory Foster in BSG, and plays a bunker doctor here.

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