It is no secret that 2016 was a bad year for diverse representation on television, especially for the LGBT community. Out of all of the shows that used harmful tropes to both mistreat and kill off diverse characters for shock value, The CW’s sci-fi drama The 100 caused the biggest uproar and received the biggest backlash and criticism after killing Lexa. Not only was she mistreated, but so were the once passionate, invested, and supportive fans. As a direct reaction to the harmful mistreatment of diverse representations in the media today, Clexa Rikleimt was formed: a non-profit, fan-driven movement striving to correct the damage done by the third season of The 100.
I’ve commented on the successes and accomplishments of the Clexa fans many times now, and Clexa Rikleimt is the newest addition to the growing list. Like their other amazing achievements, such as their contributions of $162,541 to the Trevor Project, their billboards, fanart books, and global Twitter trends, Clexa Rikleimt is a project solely organized by angry, hurt fans. However, through fanfiction, it is also an entire fan-rewriting of the third season of The 100 where diversity is portrayed respectfully, equally, and positively, unlike in the show itself. After the use of the “Bury Your Gays” trope in The 100, fans rallied around one another and created an incredible movement where harmful representation is criticized, condemned, and protested. Clexa Rikleimt is a project where angry fans, who felt betrayed by Lexa’s death, are able to rewrite The 100 in a better, more inclusive way where diversity is celebrated and treated equally. While speaking with the organizers of the project, they made their goal very clear: “If film and television writers keep killing LGBTIQ characters, then we’ll make our own stories instead” and “Fans said ‘we could do better than that’ so we will.”
Clexa Rikleimt will be a multimedia project with writers, artists, musicians, and other talented fans coming together to create this project for the fans themselves in order to reclaim the positive representations of all diverse groups, not just the LGBT community. Clexa Rikleimt will expand on the world of The 100 by reworking the plot of the season and adding more depth to the characters that the fans once loved. In addition to the re-writing, the project will also include animations, illustrations, original music, wiki articles, side stories, and facts about the world of The 100.
For the fans of The 100 who felt and continue to feel disregarded, devalued, ignored, and baited by the show after Lexa’s death, Clexa Rikleimt is striving to cleanse that pain and the mistakes of the past by providing a more hopeful, inclusive rewriting where the passions of the fans are respected and upheld, and their voices are valued and heard. Clexa Rikleimt proves how important fans are and why they should never be taken for granted and tricked and used for ratings. These fans are incredibly creative, passionate, and motivated to reclaim positive representation and bring hope back into the fandom. Clexa Rikleimt is an influential movement, and its writing, art, music, and other illustrations are created by fans for fans in order to fight against harmful tropes and unequal representation.
I’ve been excited about Clexa Rikleimt since I heard about it! To learn more about the project and when it will be released, be sure to check out their social media accounts for updates: