The 100 5x09 Review
Jul. 15th, 2018 06:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
iariaSic Semper Tyrannis
Polis/Bunker
+ Well, it wouldn't be The 100 if everything didn't immediately go horribly and disastrously wrong. I rather love that even as Spacekru's plan went off without a hitch it still ended up going wrong.
+ The first bunker scene was wonderful. The Clarke/Madi reunion hug was lovely. Clarke/Bellamy were great. "Together." ♥
+ I really want, and think we'll get, a Madi/Clarke confrontation next episode. It feels like the show has been building up to one for most of the season but I thought it would be over Octavia (and Madi's hero worship of her would play a part) but instead it's about Clarke's ruthlessness in her effort to protect Madi, against Madi's wishes, and I like this so much more. Madi has been protesting against it all season so it'd make sense for that to be impetus to a confrontation. I want Madi to call Clarke out on her justifications for all the murder. I want Madi to help Clarke find her compassion again and to show Clarke that there is a better way.
+ Clarke vs Bellamy was intense and heartbreaking. I could see both sides, I understand both betrayals and I'm honestly not sure who I agree with more.
Bellamy is absolutely making a Head decision... with his Heart. Making Madi Heda is the best bet to save his people (and Clarke) but it's also a good idea to counter Octavia and fulfill their side of the bargain with Diyoza and reach peace. He only has to influence and steer Madi into accepting the Flame, using her trust in him, her desire to protect Clarke and his assurance it is the only way to achieve peace to do so. She's 12 years old. That is a lot to put on her shoulders. The fact that this is a normal aspect of becoming Heda doesn't make that any better. She's a child.
It's clear that Bellamy knows it, too. He clearly feels terrible about what he's doing. Betraying Clarke's trust and the promise he made to her, using Madi in a way I think he does find morally wrong and distasteful. He hates what he's doing. At the same time he also thinks its the best choice left to them, to complete his goals and save everyone.
The problem is I don't think Bellamy actually understands the weight of what making Madi Heda means and is underestimating the actual affects of it. He’s thinking of the now and the future is this nebulous ‘it will be better’ that he hasn’t actually thought through. I mean he seriously tries to sell that if Madi makes the peace agreement Octavia (and her people) will just accept it, which is honestly delusional. I love him but – no. And I don’t think he even really believes it. It seems that he’s thinking of Madi as Heda as basically a figurehead where she’ll get them all safely to Eden, tell Wonkru to play nice and then have nothing else to do as Heda. Which is also delusional. What he’s actually doing is creating a powder keg as Wonkru’s allegiances split between Madi and Octavia. He’s throwing Madi into the middle of a brewing civil war plus a potential war with Eligius. As a 12 year old, expected to lead. He is far too cavalier when he assures Clarke that they will protect Madi. As if Blodreina loyalists won’t be a serious assassin issue. On top of that because he doesn’t have the background knowledge that Clarke does, and didn’t really know Lexa or Luna and thus didn’t know the emotional toll being Heda took on them, so he’s really not seeing that part of the danger to Madi’s well being either.
Clarke meanwhile is working entirely with her Heart and her fear-driven desire to protect Madi from becoming Heda. Making Madi Heda is actually a ruthlessly practical solution that Clarke might otherwise have come up with herself except she loves Madi. Madi is her entire world and she knows fairly intimately just how dangerous and terrible being forced to command a group of people in uncertain times. Both from loving Lexa and seeing what being a Heda means first hand, but also in being thrust into a leadership position herself, and the anguish that has caused her. It would also thrust Madi right into the centre of danger and would trap her into a life that is dangerous and usually short.
+ "They made their choice." - Clarke. Yeah, I don't think she's as resolute and unfeeling as she's trying to project. I think she's hiding from the emotional fallout of her betrayal because she has to right now.
+ I don't think Clarke had any choice but run. Octavia is up, back in control and gunning for Madi. Madi absolutely has followers as Heda but how would they find them while also avoiding Octavia's people? Taking Madi back into Polis/the bunker would be a death sentence for both of them.
+ Bellamy was shocked by Clarke's betrayal but he didn't seem mad? Madi told him Clarke would never forgive him and I think he'd already accepted that.
+ Not sure how I feel about the slap. It didn't seem very Clarke-ish? Very overwrought romance though, which does amuse me.
+ My initial reaction to Clarke shooting Joroum was very 'WTF, Clarke!!!' It's definitely in line with who she is this season, and frankly who she always has been, but it also bothered me. After thinking about it more I can understand why she did it but yeesh. So she doesn't want Madi to be Heda, fair enough. She's seen up close the damage it causes, she knows the position it would put Madi in, she knows it has always been a scary nightmare for Madi. It's Clarke's worst nightmare. Joroum became a threat the second he knew/acknowledged that Madi was truly Heda. If Clarke left him there he would have told everyone thus making Madi even more #1 on Octavia and her followers hit list and perhaps even worse would draw people to follow Madi. If she took him his loyalty would be to his new Heda and he would prevent her from removing the chip, he would tell others and Madi would, again, be trapped as Heda. So I get why she did it.
+ I'm disappointed in Clarke that she didn't see Octavia betraying her coming. It's so obvious that she would want to take Madi out and Clarke should have had her gun out as soon as Joroum backed away from the rover. She's smarter than this.
+ That short look at Heda Madi was great. I love how her intonation completely changed.
+ "If we run Octavia wins." - Madi. I thought this was really interesting because it seems to indicate that Madi has firmly aligned herself against Octavia which is not what I was expecting even with Clarke's imprisonment.
+ Someone has to die. They can't set up this fight to the death and have everyone survive. :( I am so worried about Indra. If they kill her off I am going to be super sad, and also mad, but mainly there will be tears. Can I just have one season where a character I love doesn't die? I'm also worried about Gaia, and I actually think she has the greatest chance of dying, but I care about her less than Indra so I'd be sad if she died but not as much as if Indra did. Which she won't (Just throwing that out into the universe.) There is literally no chance of Bellamy dying so I'm not worried at all.
+ I wasn't sure if Indra was in on it at the end of the last episode but I love that she and Bellamy were working together. Her scenes with Gaia and Octavia were great. I loved her finally being honest with Octavia. I love how much her actions, as she sees it, are about protecting and saving Octavia, and atoning for her mistakes that lead Octavia to this place.
+ Miller is being such a buzzkill! ):
+ It's interesting how in that final Wonkru scene there was a very clear divide. A lot of people not cheering for Blodreina.
+ Poor Octavia. I felt for her at the end. Betrayed by the two people she loves most, forced by her own rules to send them to fight each other to the death in order to maintain her position/power.
+ I really wish that we had seen more of Gaia and her relationships with Indra and Octavia this season. And Madi. But especially Octavia. What sort of relationship do they have? It would have given the betrayal more weight.
+ Clarke's little cape during her scene in Octavia's room was a really good look for her - super hot - and I really wish she'd kept it.
Shallow Valley
+ Murphy was so delightful. I loved his casual "I agree with Raven. Should be fun." as the chaos he just started reigns in the background. I loved his sighed "I have to do everything myself" before throwing the rock and gleeful "This is my masterpiece." at the chaos it caused. All his scheming and instigating was excellent. I loved him keeping the peace in their group. Basically everything Murphy was perfect. I love him.
+ "It's Abby. I have to." - Murphy. ♥ This was so unexpected and it made me so happy. I loved the bond between Abby/Murphy and I'm so glad that the show hasn't forgotten it. Hopefully it goes better than the Raven/Abby reunion.
+ I'm retroactively annoyed by Raven giving Echo permission to kill Shaw last episode when this one is all about Raven trying to protect Shaw and it causing strain between them. I can make it make sense - she was full of turbulent emotions after her encounter with Abby and agreed to something she didn't actually support which was then followed by a heart-to-heart with Shaw that made her more sympathetic with him - so her switching back to team 'no kill' makes sense. But then what was even the point of that moment if the show was going to completely ignore it?
+ "It worked. She built it." Emori's complete belief in Raven is so lovely.
+ "Whoops." - Murphy. LOL. I loved their expressions when they realised that they had been acting counter to Bellamy (and Clarke), and the slow 'well damn' that came over them. The most interesting reaction was Echo and how she immediately does not believe Kane. She's seen Octavia and knows she would never go for peace, she knows Bellamy would never hurt/turn against his sister therefore there is no way that Kane can be right. But she's wrong.
+ The Abby/Vinson interactions were great. I loved him trying to reassure her that there was a difference between killing and letting someone die. That said he is a serial killer so I'm sure Diyoza's warning will prove true... I just don't want it to? I want them to team-up and cause trouble together and for it not to end up with Abby dead sans hands and feet.
+ I loved Abby stepping in front of Diyoza. She doesn't even think about it and it wasn't just about protecting her source of drugs.
+ I love that Diyoza was actually getting people on her side and calming down the situation until the rock.
+ Diyoza was such a badass during that fight. It was amazing from start to finish. I love that she used her pregnancy to get the upper-hand against McCreary. That said she should have learned her lesson and doubled tapped him before leaving.
+ I was surprised that McCreary actually honoured his deal with Murphy. He had no reason to but he still did it. It gives him a little more depth.
+ I love Raven, I like Shaw, they've had some nice moments, he made her smile, they're both hot and yet I'm mostly "eh, okay" about them as a couple. I'm a little sad about it.
+ It was really nice to see Raven laughing and smiling. It'd be nicer if it could happen more than a handful of times a season.
+ I'm going to assume that Kane didn't fill Spacekru in on the peace agreement sooner because he's been at the valley planning, he has a collar that doesn't allow him free movement and it's been like a day.
Polis/Bunker
+ Well, it wouldn't be The 100 if everything didn't immediately go horribly and disastrously wrong. I rather love that even as Spacekru's plan went off without a hitch it still ended up going wrong.
+ The first bunker scene was wonderful. The Clarke/Madi reunion hug was lovely. Clarke/Bellamy were great. "Together." ♥
+ I really want, and think we'll get, a Madi/Clarke confrontation next episode. It feels like the show has been building up to one for most of the season but I thought it would be over Octavia (and Madi's hero worship of her would play a part) but instead it's about Clarke's ruthlessness in her effort to protect Madi, against Madi's wishes, and I like this so much more. Madi has been protesting against it all season so it'd make sense for that to be impetus to a confrontation. I want Madi to call Clarke out on her justifications for all the murder. I want Madi to help Clarke find her compassion again and to show Clarke that there is a better way.
+ Clarke vs Bellamy was intense and heartbreaking. I could see both sides, I understand both betrayals and I'm honestly not sure who I agree with more.
Bellamy is absolutely making a Head decision... with his Heart. Making Madi Heda is the best bet to save his people (and Clarke) but it's also a good idea to counter Octavia and fulfill their side of the bargain with Diyoza and reach peace. He only has to influence and steer Madi into accepting the Flame, using her trust in him, her desire to protect Clarke and his assurance it is the only way to achieve peace to do so. She's 12 years old. That is a lot to put on her shoulders. The fact that this is a normal aspect of becoming Heda doesn't make that any better. She's a child.
It's clear that Bellamy knows it, too. He clearly feels terrible about what he's doing. Betraying Clarke's trust and the promise he made to her, using Madi in a way I think he does find morally wrong and distasteful. He hates what he's doing. At the same time he also thinks its the best choice left to them, to complete his goals and save everyone.
The problem is I don't think Bellamy actually understands the weight of what making Madi Heda means and is underestimating the actual affects of it. He’s thinking of the now and the future is this nebulous ‘it will be better’ that he hasn’t actually thought through. I mean he seriously tries to sell that if Madi makes the peace agreement Octavia (and her people) will just accept it, which is honestly delusional. I love him but – no. And I don’t think he even really believes it. It seems that he’s thinking of Madi as Heda as basically a figurehead where she’ll get them all safely to Eden, tell Wonkru to play nice and then have nothing else to do as Heda. Which is also delusional. What he’s actually doing is creating a powder keg as Wonkru’s allegiances split between Madi and Octavia. He’s throwing Madi into the middle of a brewing civil war plus a potential war with Eligius. As a 12 year old, expected to lead. He is far too cavalier when he assures Clarke that they will protect Madi. As if Blodreina loyalists won’t be a serious assassin issue. On top of that because he doesn’t have the background knowledge that Clarke does, and didn’t really know Lexa or Luna and thus didn’t know the emotional toll being Heda took on them, so he’s really not seeing that part of the danger to Madi’s well being either.
Clarke meanwhile is working entirely with her Heart and her fear-driven desire to protect Madi from becoming Heda. Making Madi Heda is actually a ruthlessly practical solution that Clarke might otherwise have come up with herself except she loves Madi. Madi is her entire world and she knows fairly intimately just how dangerous and terrible being forced to command a group of people in uncertain times. Both from loving Lexa and seeing what being a Heda means first hand, but also in being thrust into a leadership position herself, and the anguish that has caused her. It would also thrust Madi right into the centre of danger and would trap her into a life that is dangerous and usually short.
+ "They made their choice." - Clarke. Yeah, I don't think she's as resolute and unfeeling as she's trying to project. I think she's hiding from the emotional fallout of her betrayal because she has to right now.
+ I don't think Clarke had any choice but run. Octavia is up, back in control and gunning for Madi. Madi absolutely has followers as Heda but how would they find them while also avoiding Octavia's people? Taking Madi back into Polis/the bunker would be a death sentence for both of them.
+ Bellamy was shocked by Clarke's betrayal but he didn't seem mad? Madi told him Clarke would never forgive him and I think he'd already accepted that.
+ Not sure how I feel about the slap. It didn't seem very Clarke-ish? Very overwrought romance though, which does amuse me.
+ My initial reaction to Clarke shooting Joroum was very 'WTF, Clarke!!!' It's definitely in line with who she is this season, and frankly who she always has been, but it also bothered me. After thinking about it more I can understand why she did it but yeesh. So she doesn't want Madi to be Heda, fair enough. She's seen up close the damage it causes, she knows the position it would put Madi in, she knows it has always been a scary nightmare for Madi. It's Clarke's worst nightmare. Joroum became a threat the second he knew/acknowledged that Madi was truly Heda. If Clarke left him there he would have told everyone thus making Madi even more #1 on Octavia and her followers hit list and perhaps even worse would draw people to follow Madi. If she took him his loyalty would be to his new Heda and he would prevent her from removing the chip, he would tell others and Madi would, again, be trapped as Heda. So I get why she did it.
+ I'm disappointed in Clarke that she didn't see Octavia betraying her coming. It's so obvious that she would want to take Madi out and Clarke should have had her gun out as soon as Joroum backed away from the rover. She's smarter than this.
+ That short look at Heda Madi was great. I love how her intonation completely changed.
+ "If we run Octavia wins." - Madi. I thought this was really interesting because it seems to indicate that Madi has firmly aligned herself against Octavia which is not what I was expecting even with Clarke's imprisonment.
+ Someone has to die. They can't set up this fight to the death and have everyone survive. :( I am so worried about Indra. If they kill her off I am going to be super sad, and also mad, but mainly there will be tears. Can I just have one season where a character I love doesn't die? I'm also worried about Gaia, and I actually think she has the greatest chance of dying, but I care about her less than Indra so I'd be sad if she died but not as much as if Indra did. Which she won't (Just throwing that out into the universe.) There is literally no chance of Bellamy dying so I'm not worried at all.
+ I wasn't sure if Indra was in on it at the end of the last episode but I love that she and Bellamy were working together. Her scenes with Gaia and Octavia were great. I loved her finally being honest with Octavia. I love how much her actions, as she sees it, are about protecting and saving Octavia, and atoning for her mistakes that lead Octavia to this place.
+ Miller is being such a buzzkill! ):
+ It's interesting how in that final Wonkru scene there was a very clear divide. A lot of people not cheering for Blodreina.
+ Poor Octavia. I felt for her at the end. Betrayed by the two people she loves most, forced by her own rules to send them to fight each other to the death in order to maintain her position/power.
+ I really wish that we had seen more of Gaia and her relationships with Indra and Octavia this season. And Madi. But especially Octavia. What sort of relationship do they have? It would have given the betrayal more weight.
+ Clarke's little cape during her scene in Octavia's room was a really good look for her - super hot - and I really wish she'd kept it.
Shallow Valley
+ Murphy was so delightful. I loved his casual "I agree with Raven. Should be fun." as the chaos he just started reigns in the background. I loved his sighed "I have to do everything myself" before throwing the rock and gleeful "This is my masterpiece." at the chaos it caused. All his scheming and instigating was excellent. I loved him keeping the peace in their group. Basically everything Murphy was perfect. I love him.
+ "It's Abby. I have to." - Murphy. ♥ This was so unexpected and it made me so happy. I loved the bond between Abby/Murphy and I'm so glad that the show hasn't forgotten it. Hopefully it goes better than the Raven/Abby reunion.
+ I'm retroactively annoyed by Raven giving Echo permission to kill Shaw last episode when this one is all about Raven trying to protect Shaw and it causing strain between them. I can make it make sense - she was full of turbulent emotions after her encounter with Abby and agreed to something she didn't actually support which was then followed by a heart-to-heart with Shaw that made her more sympathetic with him - so her switching back to team 'no kill' makes sense. But then what was even the point of that moment if the show was going to completely ignore it?
+ "It worked. She built it." Emori's complete belief in Raven is so lovely.
+ "Whoops." - Murphy. LOL. I loved their expressions when they realised that they had been acting counter to Bellamy (and Clarke), and the slow 'well damn' that came over them. The most interesting reaction was Echo and how she immediately does not believe Kane. She's seen Octavia and knows she would never go for peace, she knows Bellamy would never hurt/turn against his sister therefore there is no way that Kane can be right. But she's wrong.
+ The Abby/Vinson interactions were great. I loved him trying to reassure her that there was a difference between killing and letting someone die. That said he is a serial killer so I'm sure Diyoza's warning will prove true... I just don't want it to? I want them to team-up and cause trouble together and for it not to end up with Abby dead sans hands and feet.
+ I loved Abby stepping in front of Diyoza. She doesn't even think about it and it wasn't just about protecting her source of drugs.
+ I love that Diyoza was actually getting people on her side and calming down the situation until the rock.
+ Diyoza was such a badass during that fight. It was amazing from start to finish. I love that she used her pregnancy to get the upper-hand against McCreary. That said she should have learned her lesson and doubled tapped him before leaving.
+ I was surprised that McCreary actually honoured his deal with Murphy. He had no reason to but he still did it. It gives him a little more depth.
+ I love Raven, I like Shaw, they've had some nice moments, he made her smile, they're both hot and yet I'm mostly "eh, okay" about them as a couple. I'm a little sad about it.
+ It was really nice to see Raven laughing and smiling. It'd be nicer if it could happen more than a handful of times a season.
+ I'm going to assume that Kane didn't fill Spacekru in on the peace agreement sooner because he's been at the valley planning, he has a collar that doesn't allow him free movement and it's been like a day.
