The 100: Watch the Thrones, Hakeldama, Bitter Harvest

I had plans to forego my usual three-in-one reviewing pattern for this season of The 100, but time got the better of me and I found myself lagging behind. I'll try to pick up the slack for next week's episode.

Two things are emerging from this season: a theme and a twist. The theme is one of every individual doing what they honestly think is right, with "right" being generally defined as "what's best for my people." As such, tension emerges between the principles of unity and tribalism; the understanding that everyone is of the same origin versus the cracks that are emerging not only between Arkadians and Grounders, but the factions within those groups.

And chillingly, the person doing the most to unite people is Jaha and his City of Light plot, which has suddenly become incredibly more interesting.

The season's "twist" is that despite the lengthy build-up of the Ice Nation and its Queen over the course of the show, it transpires that they're dealt with pretty quickly, leading to the Ark itself as the Big Bad of season three. Furthermore, they've felt the need to make one of our regulars a part of this new antagonistic faction, perhaps to give it a personal edge, or to try and muddy the waters with its treatment of ethical conundrums (ie, do we justify or support bad decisions when they're being made by someone we like?) The role falls to Bellamy, and more than any other creative decision, this is proving to be the contentious point of the season.

The 100: All Ye Who Enter Here

If this episode was an indicator of the rest of the season, then it's going to be a great season. It jettisons the Jaha subplot entirely in order to focus on the political machinations taking place in the Grounder capital of Polis, where three agendas are in play: Lexa's, the Ice Queen's, and (to a lesser extent) Roan's.

The 100: Wanheda Part I and II

As season openers go, this two-parter was pretty damn good. Thinking back to the clunky handful of episodes that opened the show's first season, it's obvious the writers have found their groove and are expanding their world accordingly.

As the first season dealt with Grounders and the second with Mount Weather, the third is clearly broadening its horizons to include the Ice Nation, leading to what will no doubt be a much more complex political arena.

The 100: Blood Must Have Blood Part II

I had hoped to get this finished before season three started, but (unsurprisingly) that deadline wasn't met. So I'll get this review under my belt, discuss the first two episodes of season three as a single instalment, and carry on for the rest of the season one episode at a time. Got it? Got it.

In hindsight, it feels like the entirety of season two has been leading up to the moment Clarke and Bellamy put their hands on that lever. In many ways it's a parallel to the first season's finale, in which Clarke made the call to ignite the dropship fuel and destroy the attacking Grounders, only taken to a much more devastating and morally-compromised degree.

This time around the act of killing her enemies to save her people involves the death of innocent people, including children.

The 100: Resurrection, Bodyguard, Blood Must Have Blood Part I

Watching these three episodes brought to mind this comic strip:

Remember it, as I'll be referring to it again later.

We start with the immediate aftermath of the blast: the injured, the dying, the dead, and Clarke trying to process it all. Perhaps unsurprisingly all of our main characters have emerged relatively unscathed, but the emotional fallout of Clarke's decision to keep quiet about the attack is explored across all three episodes.

We get four reactions to Clarke's decision: Abbie's horror, Octavia's anger, Kane's understanding, and Indra's grim acceptance. Between them, I think that the show ultimately condones Clarke's decision: that it was a tough one, but the right one in the context of the war they're fighting.

The 100: Survival of the Fittest, Coup de Grace, Rubicon

These episodes all revolve around a single theme: what it takes to be a good leader.

Clarke is obviously at the epicentre of all this; adjusting to her new role, getting unsolicited advice/demands from everyone around her, and struggling with how tough it really it. As Kane said: "heavy lies the crown."

But there are plenty of other characters vying for leadership roles (Abbie, Lexa, Thelonious, Cage, President Dante) and these episodes explore the different kinds of leadership they embody, as well as how their choices tread the fine line between what's good for their people and our collective understanding of right and wrong.

The 100: Long Into An Abyss, Spacewalker, Remember Me

Okay I cheated. I couldn't resist the siren-song of the third season's trailer, so I went ahead and marathoned all the remaining episodes of this season. As such, from this point on I'll be reviewing with foreknowledge of how things pan out, which eliminates the chance for any speculation, but at least lets me examine these three-episode portions from within the context of the entire season.  

The 100: Many Happy Returns, Human Trials, Fog of War

So in my last review I talked a bit a lot about Clarke and her tenacity, and I've come to realize that her behaviour at Mount Weather reminds me a lot of Harry's in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Just as Clarke refuses to give up her suspicions surrounding the Mountain Men, so too does Harry insist that Draco Malfoy is up to something during their sixth year at Hogwarts.

But whilst J.K. Rowling was running a double-bluff, relying on the wrong conclusions Harry drew about Malfoy in The Chamber of Secrets to make us believe he was just being paranoid, The 100 has a fairly straightforward utilization of The Conspiracy.  

The 100: The 48, Inclement Weather and Reapercussions

The airdate for the third season of The 100 has been announced, which means it's time to get season two under my belt. Quickly.

When we last saw what remained of the 100 at the end of the first season, they were largely divided. Finn and Bellamy raced off into the forest, Clarke, Monty and Jasper were taken by Mountain Men, Raven was left abandoned in the drop-ship, Octavia and Lincoln decided to head toward the ocean, Abbie and Kane (and the rest of their people) crash-landed on the planet, and Jaha was left in the remains of the Ark.

So in writing this review of the second season's first three episodes, it's easy enough to follow each separate strand one at a time, as for the most part there's little interaction between the disparate characters (with the exception of Finn/Bellamy temporarily teaming up with Abbie/Kane).

Here goes...

The 100: We Are Grounders Part II

I was going to write this up last week but then I got hit by a delightful case of the flu and have spent the last six days in bed. I hate being sick. Especially when it lasts this long and I can't even do basic chores. I could moan about all this for a while longer, I really could, but I'll spare you and get to The 100 finale...

The 100: I Am Become Death, The Calm, We Are Grounders Part I

Let's jump straight in...

The 100: Contents Under Pressure, Day Trip, Unity Day

All my current shows have come to an end, so it's time to return to the backlog of shows I need to catch up on! The 100 is at the top of this list (I'll get to Arrow in due course) particularly since I'm watching three-at-a-time, which means I'm burning through the first season pretty quickly.

The 100: Murphy's Law, Twilight's Last Gleaming, His Sister's Keeper

I'm back! Yes, I'm sticking with The 100 for now – I like the premise and I really like the female lead, and my dashboard is so filled with it that I'm beginning to feel left out of the loop. I'm going to continue watching and commenting in three-episode helpings, just for the sake of getting through the season in a timely manner.

The 100: Pilot, Earth Skills, Earth Kills

So even though I'm currently juggling a dozen shows and have a TBR pile that is stacked halfway up the wall (I'm not kidding) the prevalence of The 100 on my dashboard and its recommendation in at least three emails from my sister meant that my curiosity was sufficiently piqued. It's time to see what the big deal is.

Here are my thoughts on the first three episodes. Now that it's just completed its second season, I've got a lot to catch up on!