Of War Drums, Immortality and Two Hedas

Well, that was certainly an episode, wasn’t it? I’m still shivering with excitement after that final scene because my favorite character is back. But also because this show -undoubtedly- only gets better and better each week. I’m awed. I’m in love. I’m in a relationship with The 100 that I don’t plan to break up anytime soon.

That being said, let’s get to the good part! As always, this review CONTAINS SPOILERS of both Wanheda: Part One and Two, so read at your own discretion.

Pike and the Farm Station

I want to start this one with the new characters introduced in this episode because, oh boy, there’s so much to say about them. We finally come face to face with another group of survivors from the Ark, a group that belongs to the Farm Station -where Monty’s parents and Miller’s boyfriend are from- and they are being led by Charles Pike, a man that used to teach the Earth Skills class while living on the Ark. Now, the first time we meet them, they have coordinated an ambush, they are all wearing Ice Nation clothes as a diversion tactic and they are armed to the teeth; on our first encounter with them, the Farm Station is ready to eliminate what they believe is a threat without asking questions first. To me, that seemed like a great indicator regarding the kind of life these people had led ever since they landed on Earth.

Although the fallen snow managed to absorb the hard blow of their impact -therefore saving all their lives, something that couldn’t be said for the Factory Station- the moment the people from the Farm Station stepped outside, they were attacked by the ruthless Ice Nation; losing almost half of their people in the process, including Monty’s dad. They have been at war with the Ice Nation ever since they landed, they have known nothing other than death and blood, and they will do whatever it takes to protect their own.

Now, this ideology wouldn’t be problematic if it weren’t because their leader Charles Pike -along with most of his people- also believes that all grounders are the same. He thinks they are all savages. He thinks they are all murderers. He thinks they are all monsters. And he couldn’t be more wrong. I know the people from the Farm Station never got time to experience the alliance, that Pike and his people never got the chance to enjoy the peace that Lexa’s cease fire order has brought to the rest of the sky people, but those facts do not excuse Pike’s obtuse way of thinking. For God’s sake, the guy walked into Niylah’s trading post, uninvited, and demanded that she spoke English just because he couldn’t understand her. In just one episode, Pike showed us that he already posses the ABCs that make for an awful dictator. And the way he generalizes without knowing full facts is just as appalling, too. Once again, we have an arker -even worse, a leader- that knows nothing of the ground, of their people, of their culture; but that still believes that he’s superior and that he and his people should kill them all.

Pike is another example of a blatant display of selective morality, a trait that is, sadly, deeply embedded in the sky people’s blood. And all his actions throughout this episode were an irrevocable proof that he’s nothing but trouble. Pike is the Donald Trump of The 100; and just like Mr. Trump -who blindly believes that all Muslims are terrorist and that everyone in America should only speak English because you know, it’s Amurica!- Pike is the kind of guy that should be stopped before he gets a chance to have actual, real power that will allow him to mess everything up. Bellamy was completely oblivious, but both Kane and Monty seemed to notice that Pike is just not a good seed. Hopefully, they’ll do something about it before it’s too late.

Whatever happens, though, I can already tell that having to deal with Charles Pike will be as infuriatingly frustrating and agonizing as it was having to deal with Game of Thrones’ Joffrey Baratheon for as long as he lived. That being said, I have to add that Michael Beach is an absolute acting beast, and that the way he portrays Pike -so arrogantly yet calm- is bound to make the whole story arc even better.

The City of Light is No Longer a Myth

Okay… Where do we being here? Ah, yes, this is the one plot that will definitely span throughout the whole season. The one plot that keeps unraveling, slowly and quietly, behind the back of all of those that will be affected. The one plot that with each new episode becomes more and more mysterious. We have finally seen the idyllic City of Light. It’s pristine, organized, bright, hopeful, lovely and, I have to confess, it looked as astoundingly wonderful as both Jaha and ALIE promised it would be. Compared to the fragility of the Ark, the claustrophobic sensation of Mount Weather and the chaos of the ground, the City of Light looks like the kind of place that everyone would be dying to live in.

Except, guess what? Nobody actually dies in the City of Light.

Not only does this gorgeous and perfect place promises a world free of unbearable pain, free of uncontrollable anger and free of any kind of trouble that might have tormented you; it also offers the one thing that humanity has always ached to have: Immortality.

A century before, ALIE wiped an entire planet via nuclear bombs in order to make life better because there were too many people. Now she’s offering the remaining inhabitants of Earth a chance to be immortals in the City of Light. Oh, what a beautiful contradiction. ALIE is a poised adversary, she’s always watching, she has everything calculated and she makes it impossible for us to try and figure out what her next move will be.

Meanwhile, Jaha said that he wants to fill the City of Light with his people -and he said it with such air of superiority, like he honestly still believes that he’s in charge of the sky people- because that’s the only way the human race will be saved. The City of Light unburdened me, it made me whole. He believes this because it’s what ALIE has been feeding him. He believes this because, after losing Wells, instead of going mad Jaha just started to believe that he was destined for something greater, something divine. Thelonius is so obsessed with his own savior complex that he doesn’t even realize that he’s just another pawn in ALIE’s deathly game. Does he knows what ALIE did with the rocket he brought down from the Ark? Does he realizes that you cannot touch anyone while in the City of Light, that everything is, perhaps, just an illusion that ALIE is creating? Has he, maybe, seen Wells already?

One thing is clear for me, however, and that is the fact that ALIE is using Jaha’s prophetic ways just to get to the Sky People, because she desperately needs inhabitants for her own city. I mean, we already know that ALIE is her own sentient being -she adopted the form of her creator as her avatar even though she didn’t think it was necessary to have one; she was smug when confronting Murphy; she was the literal cause of the end of the world- so, does this all mean that she grew bored of being alone for such a long time, bored of not having people around that actually understands technology? Or does she genuinely believes that she is still following her core command, the one that programs her to make life better? Ally or foe, we still don’t know.

When it comes to this storyline, I have more questions than answers, that’s for sure.

I am, however, slightly terrified over the fact that when Jaha does reaches Arkadia, both Jasper and Raven will fall under the charm of the promised City of Light. I mean, it is only logical, since we have already seen both of them struggling to keep themselves afloat because they feel like they’re being swallowed by their pain and anger. Jaha will offer them a way out, but more than that, Jaha will offer them the kind of peace they can’t seem to find in any other place. It would be an offer hard to refuse, don’t you think? I hope I’m wrong -at least when it comes to Raven- but I’m pretty positive I’m not. Have I said #PROTECTRAVENREYES2K16 today? Not yet? Well, I just did.

Roan and Clarke

It seems like Clarke just loves to be dragged around by hot warrior grounders, doesn’t she? First Anya, now Roan and then… who knows, right?

Seriously, though, the scenes between these two were some of my favorite moments of this episode. Here we have two stubborn, proud warriors that won’t give up no matter what. Clarke has always been great at surviving and my favorite thing about her is that she never stops fighting, not even when the odds are against her. Roan is an Ice Nation warrior -a Prince, actually, but more on that in a bit- and he’s so good that he killed 3 of his own people in less than a minute. And yet, Clarke managed to fool him like it was child’s play. Clarke knew that regardless of her new title -wanheda, commander of death- Roan would underestimate her because at the end of the day she’s just a kid from a clan that isn’t known for their fighting abilities. He did, and she almost managed to off him… If it weren’t because Roan also played dead and then Clarke fell for the same trick that she used mere seconds before. Yes, I’m still rolling my eyes at this.

Another thing I liked between Roan and Clarke was their spectacular bickering. These two were a snark fest! The sarcasm, the biting words, the glares, it was all great. It reminded of all those Clarke / Anya scenes at the beginning of season 2. It made me realize that Roan and Clarke are not so different from each other even if they believe they are. Just like Clarke, what drives Roan forward is his need to reunite with his people, to be home again. He was banished from the Ice Nation by Lexa and he has been her prisoner ever since. But then Roan saw a real opportunity of going back to his people when Lexa offered him a deal -bring Clarke back to me, unharmed, and I will lift your banishment- an opportunity that died the moment Lexa decided not to honor her word because the Ice Queen wasn’t honoring hers.  

Now, both Clarke and Roan have been burned by Lexa. That’s bound to bring some repercussions, don’t you think?

Other things to consider are… Why did Lexa put the fate of someone she values greatly, someone that she cares about, in the hands of the person that she knows hates her? Did Lexa make a gamble? Did she know that Roan wouldn’t kill Clarke as a revenge for keeping him prisoner? He obviously knows that Clarke means a great deal to the Commander, if only for the deal Lexa was willing to make with him in order to make sure that Clarke would survive the hunt. Did she choose Roan as the one warrior that would carry out her mission because she knew he was the best fighter and wouldn’t fail her? And in turn, why didn’t Roan just ignore Lexa’s order and took Clarke to his mother? He could have obviously done so, since he was unsupervised and he even crossed paths with his mother’s army, but he chose not to. Was it out of honor, because he wanted to keep the end of his deal? Was it because he knew that the death of Wanheda would only bring war and he was trying to spare his people of more loses? Or was it, perhaps, because he despises his mom just as much as Lexa does?

Prince Roan of Azgeda is definitely an incredibly interesting character that I look forward to knowing more of. And I hope he sticks around for more, since Zach McGowan is doing an awesome job.

Bellamy and Clarke

Oh, Bellamy, what am I going to do with you? First he’s told by Kane not to screw things up… and he does. Then, he tries to save Clarke… and he fails. Poor guy cannot catch a break, ah?

I want to touch this dynamic because I have always been fascinated by it. Bellamy and Clarke have supported each other for a long time now, they have helped each other become better people, they have learned to trust each other and, more importantly, they love and care for each other fiercely. I’m not saying this in the romantic way, however. Remember that, unless it is canon, everything is up for interpretation; and my personal view of Bellarke has never been a romantic one. Sure, I am certain that Clarke and Bellamy love each other, but I’m also certain that they are not in love with each other. At least, Clarke definitely isn’t. Bellamy gives me a different vibe each episode and the way he said We can’t lose her, like his very life depended on it, made me rethink one or two things.

Regardless of my personal opinion, I cherish Clarke and Bellamy’s relationship because it is refreshing to see a female and male lead working together but not necessarily being together. I’m a sucker for female/male friendships and Bellarke is a great example of one. The way Bellamy infiltrated himself without a second thought into the enemy’s army just to get to Clarke. The way Clarke gave up her will to fight so just Roan wouldn’t kill Bellamy. It’s touching to see how much they truly care; but I also fear that Bellamy’s reckless actions will be his undoing. He always become a machine that only spits out bad decisions whenever he thinks that he or the people he cares about are in danger, and this is a constantly present trait that, in my opinion, will eventually lead Bellamy to his doom.

The Sky People + Mount Weather

In this episode we went, once again, back to a place that still haunts many of the characters.

The unbeatable fortress. The legendary monster. Mount Weather.

Let’s start with Jasper, who has a hardcore breakdown -and woah, wasn’t Devon Bostick incredibly amazing in this scene?- when he walks into Maya’s favorite room, trashing the place and then falling to his knees because he just doesn’t seem to figure out how to go on without Maya, how to go on knowing that his friends are responsible for the death of the girl he loved. Jasper keeps spiraling out of control, he’s losing his mind with each passing day and his friends can only stand beside him and try to ease a pain that simply won’t go away. I don’t think he can recover from this, honestly, just like I don’t think he’ll ever leave the City of Light once he decides that escaping his harsh reality is better than anything else.

Then there’s Abby, still struggling to know if she’s a leader or if she’s a doctor because she’s never been particularly good at being both at the same time, who decides that she will reopen Mount Weather because their medical facility can help them save many lives. In that instance, Abby chooses to be a doctor, the kind of person that took an oath to save and protect, over being the kind of leader that should have known reopening the place that caused so much misery to the grounders was a bad political move in the middle of a still fragile alliance. I personally think that she made a good choice, after all, Nyko was right: places are not evil, people are. They can use the mountain to help those in need even more than they were able to do in Arkadia, but the problem resides in the fact that Mount Weather isn’t just a hospital, but it also happens to be a nuclear powerhouse. To reign over the mountain, specially if you know how the technology works, is to be untouchable, to be unbeatable.

I just hope that Abby’s decision to open the mountain to protect people doesn’t become the complete opposite as time passes. After all, Pike already knows of Mount Weather and what it can do, and I’m sure he wouldn’t hesitate to take over it if given the chance.

Queen Nia

Okay, I know she wasn’t on this episode but there’s already SO much to say in relation to this character. The first time we heard of Nia was when Lexa confessed to Clarke that the Ice Nation queen had tortured and killed Costia -her girlfriend then- because Nia believed that Costia knew of Lexa’s secrets.

Instead of retaliating with blood and death, Lexa fought even harder to achieve peace for all the grounders, forging a coalition between all the 12 clans and even managing to make Queen Nia submit under her command. We thought that had been the last of it; we thought that Lexa had taken the higher road after realizing that avenging Costia wouldn’t bring her back; we thought that Lexa had mourned in the privacy of her room; we thought that in the war meetings Lexa had dig her nails into her own palms because she had to stand before Nia, constantly listening to her talk, breathe and live in a way that Costia no longer could do. We thought that Lexa had done nothing to reciprocate such an offense, but oh, how wrong were we.

Not only did Lexa manage to establish herself as the ruler of all grounders -and therefore, their territories- but she also took away from the Queen her most valuable asset. Lexa’s revenge was simple, but equally powerful because by banishing Roan from the Ice Nation, she knew that she had hit the Queen right where it hurt the most. The Ice Nation is obviously ruled by a monarchy and without a Prince, they are left without an heir. Queen Nia, it seems, is the kind of leader that only cares about power; so imagine how bitter she must be, knowing that she has an heir but being unable to guarantee the future of her monarchy because she cannot use him? It was a brilliant move by Lexa, and a simple banishment ended up being more worth it than any head she could have sent back to the Queen.

Back to the present, however, we see that the bad blood between Nia and Lexa still boils just as hot. Nia is hunting Wanheda because she believes that, if she kills Clarke, she will not only hurt Lexa but she will also acquire the powers of the Commander of Death. Powers that will be more than enough to challenge Lexa’s coalition. Indra says that war will happen if Clarke dies, and that is why she was as desperate as the sky people to find their Princess. Indra can sense how close they actually are to yet another war, and the worry reflected on her face when she spots Queen Nia’s army already marching south and ready to attack is just another proof of that.

War is brewing.

To see Lexa so worried is unusual, and I think the shock of seeing her that way serves as enough warning to make you realize that things are about to get ugly pretty soon. Ugh. I swear, this show is too brilliant for my little fragile heart to handle.

Lexa and Clarke

The first time I watched the screeners and saw the Clexa reunion I had to put my laptop down, close it, and take a walk. That’s how much it destroyed me. That’s how incredibly perfect it was.

I spent most of the summer tweeting about how I wanted the reunion to go. I was intrigued by the prospect of an absolutely angry Clarke meeting a headstrong Lexa. I was captivated by the fact that, for the first time, I didn’t want fluff and roses to happen for a couple that I was shipping. I wanted the meeting to be electric, explosive, angry and heartbreaking. I wanted Clarke lashing out. I wanted Lexa allowing Clarke to lash out while also reflecting how much every single one of Clarke’s spiteful words were breaking her. I wanted, I wanted, I wanted… and I got. When I saw the ending of Wanheda: Part Two, I was nothing but unbelievably pleased with the result and I am going to tell you why:

Clarke isn’t the only one haunted by her actions at Mount Weather, at the end of season 2, Lexa made a dreadful choice, she betrayed Clarke in order to protect her people and we can see how much that decision is still tearing her apart. The look of utter relief when she realizes that Clarke is finally in Polis, safe and alive, made my heart want to jump out of my chest. The Commander might look cold and heartless on the outside, but there’s no denying that Lexa lives her life for her people, and that she cares deeply for Clarke. She extended a “cease-fire” order to include the Sky People even though she didn’t need to. The alliance was broken, so she owed them nothing, and yet she made sure that they could enjoy peace, that they could patrol the lands, that they could prosper. Lexa also probably started looking for Clarke the moment she heard she was being hunted by the Ice Nation; she sent Roan to look for her -the best weapon that she had on hand- and she sent Indra as well, her most trusted adviser.

For months, Lexa worried and worried and worried about Clarke. For months, she dreaded losing once again the one person she loved to Queen Nia’s ire. For months, Lexa waited… and then she saw Clarke and she just stood there and took Clarke’s harsh words, spit and anger like she deserved it; even though she knows she does not. Lexa chose her head over her heart; she chose her people over Clarke; she chose to do what needed to be done, and just like Clarke has done countless times, she did it because she believed that it was best for her people. But Clarke cannot understand that, not now, not yet. She’s still too hurt, too raw, too angry. She’s still battling with her own self hate and she knows it will be easier for her to deal with all the repulsion she feels stirring inside her if she chooses to hate Lexa instead.

Clarke blames Lexa for turning her into the monster she thinks she has become, for forcing her hand to pull a lever that shouldn’t have been pulled, for taking away from her what little hope of an actual happy life she had. Clarke is furious at Lexa and her blindly wrathful mind was some sort of payback, some retribution. Clarke is wrapped in a blanket of rage and she will push and push and push because she knows that -regardless of what happened- she can get away with doing whatever she wants. She knows this because she knows Lexa, and because deep down Clarke also knows that Lexa will never intentionally hurt her. However, Lexa might have allowed the initial outburst because she knew that Clarke needed to let some steam out, but she’s not in the business of being a punching bag, and she won’t allow anyone to treat her as such.

The next episode will be a flawless clash of commanders. Two fiercely strong-willed women will go head to head and their battle will either lead them to irrevocable destruction or it will make them stronger than ever. Commander Lexa and Clarke Griffin are both forces to be reckoned with. Eliza Taylor and Alycia Debnam-Carey are like colliding supernovas whenever they’re onscreen together; dangerously explosive, stunningly beautiful and completely captivating to watch. The way they communicate all the emotions they’re feeling only through their eyes will never cease to amaze me; the easiness with which you can read them is simply outstanding. Watching these women play off each other’s talent is like witnessing an acting masterclass that shouldn’t be missed. Just like watching the push and pull between Clarke and Lexa next week shouldn’t be missed.

Seriously. Don’t forget to tune in for a new episode next week. Watch it live. Die while watching it.

These are my thoughts for 3×02, thank you for reading and as always, I encourage you to come talk to me about this show as much as you like. Hit the comments below or find me on twitter!

But before I leave, here’s to bullet points madness!

• WHERE IN THE WORLD IS RAVEN REYES?? (No Raven at all made me really, really sad)
• Give me all the shirtless Roan all the time, please and thanks.
• Octavia and Lincoln cuddling more like be still my heart.
• Aaron is one of my favorite writers because his episodes are always on point.
• Favorite quote of the night: “You bitch, you wanted the Commander of Death, you got her!”
• Emory and Murphy are really cute together and I just hope they were sailing off into the sunset. (Seriously, though, where could those two be headed to now?)
• Those close-ups and JJ screen flares are aesthetically pleasing and I hope we get to keep them.
• Niyla is my favorite brave little angel and she should be protected at all cost and I hope we get to keep her around for the rest of the season.
• Pike sucks. I hate Pike. Do we all agree that Pike sucks?
• Monty continuously being impressed by everything Indra does or says is my favorite thing mostly because same, Monty, same. Indra rocks everyone’s socks off.
• Clarke Griffin being the best student in her Earth Skills class has got to be the best little bit of information we got this episode. Lil’ Clarke was a huge nerd and I love it.
• I hope Miller’s boyfriend wasn’t killed by the Ice Nation.
• What other buyers of tech was Emori talking about? Maybe more survivors from the Ark? Or someone else?
• Sweet baby Murphy pulls a Dorothy and tries to melt ALIE aka the Wicked Witch of The City of Light using water but SURPRISE!… She’s waterproof.
• I seriously, seriously hope the grounders put some sort of elevator or lift on that central tower. Couldn’t have they pick a more reasonable place? For the sake of everyone that doesn’t workout on a daily basis… I hope they have an elevator.
• POLIS. YOU GUYS. WE MADE IT TO POLIS!!!!!!