The 100 5x05 Review
May. 27th, 2018 05:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
iariaShifting Sands
Good episode.
"We could have used you Clarke." - Jackson. I love how this can have multiple meanings. He could simply be talking about Clarke's training as a doctor or he could be talking about Abby and her addiction. But he could be talking about Clarke as a leader. They all went through a really traumatic six years and I can see him thinking that if Clarke had been there things wouldn't have gotten so bad. Whether as a mitigating influence on Octavia, or that she would have found some other ways around the problems they faced or that she would have been a better leader.
+ "You can't just do whatever the hell you want here." Ha, I love this call-back and that it's aimed specifically at Clarke. It was interesting to watch Clarke fall right back into her usual 'take command' attitude... and then get pretty much shut-down each time by Wonkru. Even though she is the Grounder with the knowledge of the land. Even in a situation where someone is hurt/dying Wonkru (well, Kara) is stepping between her and what she needs to do. I kind of love it? I mean, she is absolutely right in every instance and yet - cult.
+ The reveal that Clarke has returned to Polis "a dozen times" was sad. I wonder when she gave up trying to free the bunker?
+ I was relieved that Miller actually spoke up for listening to Clarke because I honestly thought he was fully in the Blodreina thrall. This and his relationship with Jackson (loved the kiss bye) gives me some hope for him.
+ I love that Bellamy's decision to follow Octavia through the desert is to save Raven/Murphy and not an attempt to try and protect Octavia. They are his main priority and it makes me happy.
+ I found Clarke/Bellamy's interaction in this scene so interesting. We get Clarke the one wondering what they should do instead of making the choice/plan of action. We have Bellamy voicing his own course of action as an I not a we. He's the one that has to go. But then he also offers Clarke her pack, silently asking her to come with him and she accepts. It's a different dynamic than usual and I like it. I also like that even though things have changed they're also stayed the same. Clarke and Bellamy have each others back and have fallen back into trusted partners pretty well. Them continuing their shared 'wtf' reactions to everything this episode also amused me.
+ Diyoza continuing to cement herself as Clarke 2.0 by being the fun killer at the Eligius criminals partying (how very Deliquent of them) delights me. Except as an older, wiser and slyer version of Clarke she lets them have their fun too. Stick and carrot.
+ Clarke being impressed by what Octavia accomplished was a little unexpected. I loved that Bellamy immediately turned the discussion around to how Clarke surviving alone was impressive too. I think a part of it was definitely about changing the subject because he was not feeling the same but that he chose to do it by showing his admiration for Clarke made me so happy.
+ "I love you." - Indra. ♥ Indra definitely came off as the quiet MVP of the episode for me. She is very clearly afraid for Octavia and so done with this entire blodreina cult and what it has done and is doing to everyone, and you see it in her every reaction. I love the tightrope she is walking between loyalty to Octavia and her clear dislike of Wonkru and the Blodreina cult while at the same time also being worried for her about it. Also I love how completely done with Kara she is.
I love the subtle ways she's trying to encourage the sibling bond to try and help Octavia return from being Blodreina. I mean, even after six years considering the enmity Indra once felt for Bellamy (deserved!) it really speaks to how afraid she is that she purposefully takes a moment to tell Bellamy not only that Octavia needs him but "I'm glad you're here for her." That she talks him up to Octavia. She clearly thinks that Bellamy is the best person to save Octavia. I wonder though if that person isn't Indra herself?
+ I want to know more about Indra and her daughters. Her love and concern for Octavia delights me as always but what about Gaia? Where does Gaia fit in in this?
+ Octavia's whole 'love is weakness' and downer attitude in general to attachment is suddenly making me very worried about Niylah. We haven't seen her since the flashback but I haven't really thought about it because there was so much interesting stuff going on. But now I'm worried but also kind of sure that something terrible happened to Niylah during the Dark Year and that's why Octavia is so closed off. ):
+ I really need Gaia to show up soon because, while she hasn't been seen much, her presence has been very felt this season. She is the architect of the entire Blodreina cult and I want to see how much power and influence she still wields, especially over Octavia. She is clearly the source of Octavia's new "love is weakness" outlook. I feel like she is also the obvious source for the ritual around (the probably necessary) eating of people.
+ I am super curious about what Gaia's reaction is going to be once she learns about Madi. Gaia convinced herself at the end of 5x02 that Octavia was the path to salvation for Wonkru. She twisted her belief system enough to make it possible to also completely believe in this new Heda-less version and to convince everyone else (scary!) But she told Octavia that she 'would get them back to the surface' and... she has. Done. Now amazingly, miraculously even, upon reaching the surface they find a surviving natural Natblinda? That seems rather like a sign.
It's possible that Gaia will stay loyal to the new leader she created but I think it's far more likely that we're going to see Gaia decide that it's time for the return of the Heda. That in turn could lead to a really interesting conflict between Gaia and Octavia with Madi (and Clarke and Indra) caught in the middle. Octavia has bought into her Blodreina myth so completely at this point that I really don't see her being willing to let go of it. Her interest in Madi, especially at first, could be an attempt to cut Gaia off. I could even see a struggle for power between the two of them devolving into a war that tears apart Wonkru. I'm so excited to see how this plays out.
+ Love Raven and Murphy's concern for each other. They are so great together.
+ I completely understand why Raven was so pissed off at Shaw but at the same time I'm a little surprised that she let her anger overcome her strategic and planning side even if for a minute. I actually don't blame Shaw at all. He was in a really bad place and made the best choice he could see and while that did lead to Raven and Murphy being tortured it also saved everyone in Polis and he was clearly willing to work with them to try and save everyone. I loved Murphy being the voice of reason here.
+ I loved Raven taking charge of the situation. I love that she immediately knew exactly why Shaw did what he did and the way she so quickly came up with a better plan.
+ "Octavia's my favourite, no offence." It's still like she's talking about storybook characters not real people, or about celebrities. I loved Murphy's expression. He absolutely is offended and is judging Madi so hard and it amuses me so much.
+ I loved getting to hear Echo and Harper appreciate what Clarke did for them.
+ Emori is still so mad at Murphy but her immediate reaction when he's shocked is to reach for him. That and her choice to stay with him speaks far louder than any harsh words. I am pleased at this further proof that they're going to find their way back to each other but at the same time I have really been loving Murphy/Raven so I'm a little torn.
+ The Clarke/Bellany tent scene was so lovely. I really like Clarke giving Bellamy his due for everything he's done and accomplished. I think hearing her validate the choices he's made, especially not killing the prisoners, probably meant a lot to him.
+ This Bellamy/Octavia exchange is great:
"Thanks to you we're stuck between razor-blade winds and burrowing parasitic bugs."
"Thanks to you we're at war, Bellamy."
"Only if you insist on fighting it."
I'm enjoying this turn in Octavia and Bellamy's relationship and the fact that he is getting in her face and questioning her. Also Octavia's continued insistence that Bellamy is at fault here is so ridiculous and annoying.
+ Octavia was a badass. I love that she was just 'get it out' about Clarke cutting the sandworm out of her arm and then was immediately in Blodreina solving problems mode as soon as it was out. It was so clear that Bellamy's reassurances weren't actually needed and ended up being more for his own sake. Also I loved doctor Clarke and her being all competent.
+ The Wonkru people-huddle tent was crazy. Also they could have used a couple of their tents for even a little bit of extra protection for that outer layer of people.
+ Dizoya/Kane ended up pretty fun. I liked his snarkiness with her. I wonder how much of Kane's decision to work with Diyoza is about keeping himself and Abby safe while being held captive and how much is seeing her the lesser of two evils. I think him choosing to back her as his best bet at saving Wonkru from itself/Octavia makes complete sense and I can't blame him. Uneasy allies and all that. Plus I think they're actually more similar than he thinks.
+ Octavia thanking Clarke for saving her life and being completely genuine in it and even slightly respectful surprised me but I liked it.
+ I loved that final Bellamy/Octavia scene. It was such a nice moment between them (the hug! the verbal affection. the kiss!) which makes Octavia's subsequent Blodreina batshittery all the more shocking and also kind of delightful. Bellamy's wtf expression was great but Clarke's "daaamn" reaction made me laugh.
+ Clarke/Madi's joyful reunion was so great. I loved them running into each others arms. I loved Clarke's hopeful expression when the rover pulled up.
+ I loved the little Monty/Octavia hand-raise greeting. I hope we get more of them. He killed his mother to save her and I hope that little bond comes into play at some point.
+ I am a little sad that Monty's cute little wave wasn't at Clarke. If we don't get a Monty/Clarke reunion and hug in the next episode I'm going to be really upset. I demand allllll the reunions. This includes Monty/Harper/Miller.
+ The way that Echo and Bellamy's reunion was shot confirms to me that they are not a long-term couple, nor does the show really care about making us invested in them. We get a distance shot of them running towards each other but their actual reunion is in the foreground and blurred so that we can see Clarke's reaction to learning they are a couple and then Octavia's reaction. It's not really about Echo/Bellamy but rather what their relationship means to other people.
+ So Clarke's expression... that was definitely something! I don't know that it was a full "I've been talking to you for six years and realised that I was in love with you" or if she is taken aback and unhappy about the kiss but doesn't yet know why. Either way I am so here for jealous and pining Clarke! I love how their relationship has now switched up. I'm really hoping we don't get any conflict between Clarke/Echo over Bellamy. I want Clarke to be jealous but not to act jealous. Stoic pining jealousy all the way. If she took it out on Echo (or Bellamy) I would be so unhappy. Still I trust the show mostly. I really like that after a moment of staring Clarke returns to her joy at having Madi back and doesn't lingering on the negative emotions Bellamy/Echo has caused. It's a good start for how this potential storyline could play out.
Good episode.
"We could have used you Clarke." - Jackson. I love how this can have multiple meanings. He could simply be talking about Clarke's training as a doctor or he could be talking about Abby and her addiction. But he could be talking about Clarke as a leader. They all went through a really traumatic six years and I can see him thinking that if Clarke had been there things wouldn't have gotten so bad. Whether as a mitigating influence on Octavia, or that she would have found some other ways around the problems they faced or that she would have been a better leader.
+ "You can't just do whatever the hell you want here." Ha, I love this call-back and that it's aimed specifically at Clarke. It was interesting to watch Clarke fall right back into her usual 'take command' attitude... and then get pretty much shut-down each time by Wonkru. Even though she is the Grounder with the knowledge of the land. Even in a situation where someone is hurt/dying Wonkru (well, Kara) is stepping between her and what she needs to do. I kind of love it? I mean, she is absolutely right in every instance and yet - cult.
+ The reveal that Clarke has returned to Polis "a dozen times" was sad. I wonder when she gave up trying to free the bunker?
+ I was relieved that Miller actually spoke up for listening to Clarke because I honestly thought he was fully in the Blodreina thrall. This and his relationship with Jackson (loved the kiss bye) gives me some hope for him.
+ I love that Bellamy's decision to follow Octavia through the desert is to save Raven/Murphy and not an attempt to try and protect Octavia. They are his main priority and it makes me happy.
+ I found Clarke/Bellamy's interaction in this scene so interesting. We get Clarke the one wondering what they should do instead of making the choice/plan of action. We have Bellamy voicing his own course of action as an I not a we. He's the one that has to go. But then he also offers Clarke her pack, silently asking her to come with him and she accepts. It's a different dynamic than usual and I like it. I also like that even though things have changed they're also stayed the same. Clarke and Bellamy have each others back and have fallen back into trusted partners pretty well. Them continuing their shared 'wtf' reactions to everything this episode also amused me.
+ Diyoza continuing to cement herself as Clarke 2.0 by being the fun killer at the Eligius criminals partying (how very Deliquent of them) delights me. Except as an older, wiser and slyer version of Clarke she lets them have their fun too. Stick and carrot.
+ Clarke being impressed by what Octavia accomplished was a little unexpected. I loved that Bellamy immediately turned the discussion around to how Clarke surviving alone was impressive too. I think a part of it was definitely about changing the subject because he was not feeling the same but that he chose to do it by showing his admiration for Clarke made me so happy.
+ "I love you." - Indra. ♥ Indra definitely came off as the quiet MVP of the episode for me. She is very clearly afraid for Octavia and so done with this entire blodreina cult and what it has done and is doing to everyone, and you see it in her every reaction. I love the tightrope she is walking between loyalty to Octavia and her clear dislike of Wonkru and the Blodreina cult while at the same time also being worried for her about it. Also I love how completely done with Kara she is.
I love the subtle ways she's trying to encourage the sibling bond to try and help Octavia return from being Blodreina. I mean, even after six years considering the enmity Indra once felt for Bellamy (deserved!) it really speaks to how afraid she is that she purposefully takes a moment to tell Bellamy not only that Octavia needs him but "I'm glad you're here for her." That she talks him up to Octavia. She clearly thinks that Bellamy is the best person to save Octavia. I wonder though if that person isn't Indra herself?
+ I want to know more about Indra and her daughters. Her love and concern for Octavia delights me as always but what about Gaia? Where does Gaia fit in in this?
+ Octavia's whole 'love is weakness' and downer attitude in general to attachment is suddenly making me very worried about Niylah. We haven't seen her since the flashback but I haven't really thought about it because there was so much interesting stuff going on. But now I'm worried but also kind of sure that something terrible happened to Niylah during the Dark Year and that's why Octavia is so closed off. ):
+ I really need Gaia to show up soon because, while she hasn't been seen much, her presence has been very felt this season. She is the architect of the entire Blodreina cult and I want to see how much power and influence she still wields, especially over Octavia. She is clearly the source of Octavia's new "love is weakness" outlook. I feel like she is also the obvious source for the ritual around (the probably necessary) eating of people.
+ I am super curious about what Gaia's reaction is going to be once she learns about Madi. Gaia convinced herself at the end of 5x02 that Octavia was the path to salvation for Wonkru. She twisted her belief system enough to make it possible to also completely believe in this new Heda-less version and to convince everyone else (scary!) But she told Octavia that she 'would get them back to the surface' and... she has. Done. Now amazingly, miraculously even, upon reaching the surface they find a surviving natural Natblinda? That seems rather like a sign.
It's possible that Gaia will stay loyal to the new leader she created but I think it's far more likely that we're going to see Gaia decide that it's time for the return of the Heda. That in turn could lead to a really interesting conflict between Gaia and Octavia with Madi (and Clarke and Indra) caught in the middle. Octavia has bought into her Blodreina myth so completely at this point that I really don't see her being willing to let go of it. Her interest in Madi, especially at first, could be an attempt to cut Gaia off. I could even see a struggle for power between the two of them devolving into a war that tears apart Wonkru. I'm so excited to see how this plays out.
+ Love Raven and Murphy's concern for each other. They are so great together.
+ I completely understand why Raven was so pissed off at Shaw but at the same time I'm a little surprised that she let her anger overcome her strategic and planning side even if for a minute. I actually don't blame Shaw at all. He was in a really bad place and made the best choice he could see and while that did lead to Raven and Murphy being tortured it also saved everyone in Polis and he was clearly willing to work with them to try and save everyone. I loved Murphy being the voice of reason here.
+ I loved Raven taking charge of the situation. I love that she immediately knew exactly why Shaw did what he did and the way she so quickly came up with a better plan.
+ "Octavia's my favourite, no offence." It's still like she's talking about storybook characters not real people, or about celebrities. I loved Murphy's expression. He absolutely is offended and is judging Madi so hard and it amuses me so much.
+ I loved getting to hear Echo and Harper appreciate what Clarke did for them.
+ Emori is still so mad at Murphy but her immediate reaction when he's shocked is to reach for him. That and her choice to stay with him speaks far louder than any harsh words. I am pleased at this further proof that they're going to find their way back to each other but at the same time I have really been loving Murphy/Raven so I'm a little torn.
+ The Clarke/Bellany tent scene was so lovely. I really like Clarke giving Bellamy his due for everything he's done and accomplished. I think hearing her validate the choices he's made, especially not killing the prisoners, probably meant a lot to him.
+ This Bellamy/Octavia exchange is great:
"Thanks to you we're stuck between razor-blade winds and burrowing parasitic bugs."
"Thanks to you we're at war, Bellamy."
"Only if you insist on fighting it."
I'm enjoying this turn in Octavia and Bellamy's relationship and the fact that he is getting in her face and questioning her. Also Octavia's continued insistence that Bellamy is at fault here is so ridiculous and annoying.
+ Octavia was a badass. I love that she was just 'get it out' about Clarke cutting the sandworm out of her arm and then was immediately in Blodreina solving problems mode as soon as it was out. It was so clear that Bellamy's reassurances weren't actually needed and ended up being more for his own sake. Also I loved doctor Clarke and her being all competent.
+ The Wonkru people-huddle tent was crazy. Also they could have used a couple of their tents for even a little bit of extra protection for that outer layer of people.
+ Dizoya/Kane ended up pretty fun. I liked his snarkiness with her. I wonder how much of Kane's decision to work with Diyoza is about keeping himself and Abby safe while being held captive and how much is seeing her the lesser of two evils. I think him choosing to back her as his best bet at saving Wonkru from itself/Octavia makes complete sense and I can't blame him. Uneasy allies and all that. Plus I think they're actually more similar than he thinks.
+ Octavia thanking Clarke for saving her life and being completely genuine in it and even slightly respectful surprised me but I liked it.
+ I loved that final Bellamy/Octavia scene. It was such a nice moment between them (the hug! the verbal affection. the kiss!) which makes Octavia's subsequent Blodreina batshittery all the more shocking and also kind of delightful. Bellamy's wtf expression was great but Clarke's "daaamn" reaction made me laugh.
+ Clarke/Madi's joyful reunion was so great. I loved them running into each others arms. I loved Clarke's hopeful expression when the rover pulled up.
+ I loved the little Monty/Octavia hand-raise greeting. I hope we get more of them. He killed his mother to save her and I hope that little bond comes into play at some point.
+ I am a little sad that Monty's cute little wave wasn't at Clarke. If we don't get a Monty/Clarke reunion and hug in the next episode I'm going to be really upset. I demand allllll the reunions. This includes Monty/Harper/Miller.
+ The way that Echo and Bellamy's reunion was shot confirms to me that they are not a long-term couple, nor does the show really care about making us invested in them. We get a distance shot of them running towards each other but their actual reunion is in the foreground and blurred so that we can see Clarke's reaction to learning they are a couple and then Octavia's reaction. It's not really about Echo/Bellamy but rather what their relationship means to other people.
+ So Clarke's expression... that was definitely something! I don't know that it was a full "I've been talking to you for six years and realised that I was in love with you" or if she is taken aback and unhappy about the kiss but doesn't yet know why. Either way I am so here for jealous and pining Clarke! I love how their relationship has now switched up. I'm really hoping we don't get any conflict between Clarke/Echo over Bellamy. I want Clarke to be jealous but not to act jealous. Stoic pining jealousy all the way. If she took it out on Echo (or Bellamy) I would be so unhappy. Still I trust the show mostly. I really like that after a moment of staring Clarke returns to her joy at having Madi back and doesn't lingering on the negative emotions Bellamy/Echo has caused. It's a good start for how this potential storyline could play out.
