The 100 “Blood Giant” Photo-Recap; The Head and the Disposable Plot Device

Why are ghosts such bad liars? 

Because you can see right through them. 

Heh. … heh. 

Look, I know you came here for jokes, but I just don’t know how successful I’ll be in trying to laugh through the pain this time. I’ve recapped this show since the very first episode, and even when I was devastated, frustrated, or enraged by character choices, I still found something positive about the episode, and the general direction the show was heading. I respected it, and I trusted everyone who made it. 

I’m sorry, you guys, but not even I can find something good about this nonsense. I feel… hurt? That’s weird, right? It’s a weird thing to admit that a television show has the power to hurt your feelings, as if it’s a good friend who sent you a bag of poo on your birthday. But that’s where I’m at. 

Other stuff happened this episode that was great, of course. The reunion of Raven and Murphy (though for them it’s only been… what, a week?), Sheid was taken down, Indra remains the baddest of asses, there was a Josephine cameo, and I was correct about the gang being on Earth. So. Yay? All of that is a bit eclipsed by the unceremonious and needless murder of the show’s male lead by its heroine. 

How do you make a tissue dance?

Put a little boogie in it. 

Call Me Bill had zero patience for any of the bullshit happening on Sanctum, and honestly, SAME. This was so satisfying. Within minutes, Invisijerks showed up, took out Sheid’s possy, stabbed him in the tum-tum, and tied him up with Indra. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Call Me Bill left Dr. Gabe to tend to his wounds, because he truly does not give an eff who’s in charge, or who’s sitting on a throne of ex-god bones. 

More importantly, though, they all FINALLY CAUGHT UP TO THE FACT THAT GAIA IS LEGIT MISSING, though I’m sure we’ll see her next episode ON EARTH (right guys?? I’m totally right). 

Radioactive Kru were having a great time chilling in the reactor core, petting Picasso and breaking down cultural barriers, but they were feeling peckish, and weren’t super crazy about the hooligans trying to break down the doors. But don’t worry guys, the Beautiful Creepster’s new best friend had just ALLLLLLLL the faith that he would solve everything no matter what. Hey guy! Maybe you’re trading one weird responsibility-absolving obsession for another? Maybe try doing something for yourself? I don’t know. 

After some pontificating from Call Me Bill that had Raven and Murphy eye-rolling at each other SO HARD (I love them), they all caught each other up on A, B, and even C plots. This resulted in a pretty great scene that showcased the absolute ease of the Murvin friendship. More please. You know… now that we need a new heart. *intense frown*

Bellamy wanted to be a good boi and get his tummy rubbed by Call Me Bill, but he ALSO wanted to still be respected by his loved ones, which was too tall an order to manage, apparently. Bill was all, “you can’t have both, so eff everything you’ve built over the past 7 seasons and make me some iced tea, I’m parched.” 

I’m guessing this was to show Bellamy’s conviction or whatever, ugh, I just can’t. 

What did one plate say to the other plate?

Dinner’s on me!

Anyway, then the red sun alarm went off, and Emori, in a stroke of genius, let the flesh-eating bugs into their dome-home, and the ol’ ‘get to safety’ scramble started. 

Okay firstly, it was SO NICE to have so much Jackson this episode. Secondly, he and Gabe sciencing at each other was DOING IT FOR ME. Thirdly, Jackson asking about his one true love filled my heart with joy, especially after their non-goodbye when Miller took off on his space adventure. 

Also, hello Hallucina-Jo! Oh man, this was a nice infusion of sassy energy that this season sorely needs. I miss Josephine so much, and it was such an awesome surprise to see her as a hallucina-harbinger of red-sun doom. She was all, “fix the matrix bug and take the test or start the war or become best friends with Becca or whatever,” and Gabe was like, “have you MET Call Me Bill? That guy should not end up being right.” And Jo shrugged all, “I’m in your mind, so make of this convo what you will.”

Clarke returned with the flame and a convenient amount of anti-toxin, and Call Me Bill, in a supreme gotcha-attempt, was like, “This is just for your daughter!” and Clarke was like, “It’s in our best interest to not be tripping violent balls right now, which would put us all, including my daughter, in danger.” And Call Me Bill, instead of being like, “Oh damn, you’re right, thanks,” said, AND I QUOTE; “Another lesson in the destructive use of familial love.” Um, hi, what? Without it, you would all be raging at ghosts, so like, maybe stop spouting nonsense for a hot sec and be useful for once. 

[I realize that this line is setting up what Clarke later does for her ‘familial love’, but it would work a lot better as foreshadowing if bringing the anti-toxin actually WAS destructive and not 100% smart and helpful.]

What kind of shoes to ninjas wear?

Sneakers.

Anyway, they got through the reactor door and reunions abounded, complete with smiles and hugs (my favourite), with a side of post-murder guilt for Raven. 

Clarke handed over the flame, and Madi was all, “That dude is in my dream-reruns, and he’s not my fav,” and Clarke was like, “This must remain a secret forever,” and Madi was like, “Oh, um, a bunch of people already kno-” and Clarke was like, “Hmm, what? I didn’t hear you,” and Madi was like, “I made this secret into a graphic novel,” and Clarke was like, “I’m sure it’s fine.” 

Then Emori reunited with Bellamy and we were reminded that 1) Emori is frickin awesome, and we all wish she would come to our birthday parties, and 2) Bellamy is her family, and 3) he is STILL IN THERE, even if he’s going through a weird robe phase. 

Nikki’s storyline didn’t really go anywhere (she was hilariously bested by a teen in her big escape attempt), but at least she was able to bring Raven’s season 7 storyline full circle. She was about to kill her, but then decided that her own guilt is punishment enough, and was all, “Live with it, then,” and walked away all, “I’m one of the good guys now, maybe,”. 

This is why we watch. Relationships. Murphy, Emori, and Clarke rushed in to save / comfort Raven, and we got a group hug – an actual Adventure Squad GROUP HUG. Holy cannoli did we (and this season) ever need it. 

The invisijerks were getting a little red-sun-restless, but with a little teamwork, Indra was able to completely destroy them (naturally). She hallucina-saw her mother kneeling to Sheid, which was both a beautiful callback to her own actions to save Madi, and a solid motivation for a lil’ murder. But she didn’t kill Sheid, not only because she’s grown throughout this series (imagine that), but because she didn’t have to. Sheid is getting his worst nightmare – a boring death, slowly bleeding out on the floor from a sucker-punch stabbing. He doesn’t deserve Indra’s sword. 

Gabe scienced the matrix bug back to life, all the while egged on by Halucina-Jo, but then his conscience was like, “Yeahhhhhhhh, maybe don’t?” and he shot the bug (LOL), and held the Shepherd at gunpoint. 

Gabe has been a fascinating character from the start, and I’m pretty pleased with the way he turned out. He could’ve easily been one of those, “I did it for the science” types, but Gabe has a soul, and a sense of right and wrong, and likely the voice of Jordan Jasper Green in his head, adorably telling him that Call Me Bill has it all wrong. 

With this turn of events, plus most of the invisijerks having been taken out by Indra, and Clarke killing Marv, the Squad had the upper hand, and decided to go after their pals. But whoopsie, their vacation spot is offline (EARTH!!) and only Call Me Bill knows the code, so he has to go along (he better not ruin the trip by insisting on an itinerary!). 

Bellamy, however, didn’t get to go because of the weird cult phase he was going through.

He discovered the book Madi had been sketching her flashbacks in, and figured giving it to Call Me Bill was the best move. Clarke disagreed, so she shot him in the chest, and in the last moments of the episode we saw Bellamy Blake die. 

Strange, seeing it written out like that, isn’t it? You’d think I would give it a bit more fanfare, considering the importance his death held. But… it didn’t, did it? The heart of this show didn’t go out a hero, he didn’t sacrifice himself to save others, he didn’t quietly fade surrounded by grieving loved ones, he wasn’t even on the same side as his squad… no, he died senselessly, needlessly, unceremoniously, and alone.

There were so many ways out of that situation that wouldn’t have ended with the murder of Clarke’s self-proclaimed best friend. The speed with which she decided to end his life wasn’t just disrespectful to the characters (and Bob Morley and Eliza Taylor), it was disrespectful to us. It was a, “Haha, you invested in these characters?? Well, joke’s on you! Don’t you feel SO stupid now??!?!?” Yes. Yes I do. 

And in the end, she didn’t even recover Madi’s graphic novel. It was all for nothing. 

Giving a character a ‘good death’ isn’t only about how they go out, it’s about how the people around them react. It’s about showing how much they were loved, and the impact they had not only on the story, but on the people in the story. 

It’s Monty saying “I love you,” sobbing, as Jasper faded away, it’s Clarke desperately trying to save Lexa, it’s Raven’s scream as Finn was stabbed, it’s Abby begging Kane not to go, it’s Octavia’s rage watching Pike shoot Lincoln, it’s Jackson running to Abby, it’s Bellamy and Clarke’s shocked grief while watching Grandpa-Monty’s message.

Bellamy Blake was the heart of this show, and they killed him alone, with no loved ones except his murderer, who then left. His sister, his girlfriend, his found-family, they will all have to be told of his death second-hand… again. No one wept over his body. No one tried to save him. No one was there to ease his last moments, or even witness them. 

Even the audience only had a fleeting moment with his death before the episode ended, leaving us feeling… nothing. There was no time to process, no time to grieve, no time to truly believe what we saw. Bellamy Blake, the leading man, the heart, was killed as an aside. 

As for the big picture; the show’s message… I’m not sure I love what this says. Clarke had to kill Finn in season 2, which started a series-long losing streak that never let up. Now, three episodes before the series finale, she ‘had’ to kill Bellamy. Do we never change? Is there no “do better”? Is there no peace without extreme, violent sacrifice? Colour me naive, but I thought the last season would give us some sparks of hope. Instead it just feels like a cruel, unbreakable cycle.

All that being said, I don’t know, maybe the ending will surprise us. I’m not sure how I’ll feel if the answer truly is ‘transcendence’. But if it isn’t, Bellamy’s death will be so pointless. I’m going into the last three episodes with a broken heart, but also an open mind. I want this show to surprise me. I want to be satisfied. 

Why did the cookie go to the hospital?

Because he felt crummy.

SOME STUFF

  • This is the first time in 7 years that I haven’t been pumped to write a recap of this show. 
  • She shot him in the heart. THE HEART. That is some next level trolling, right there. 
  • The whole Clarke-killed-Bellamy thing can go two ways: everyone hates her again and she’s alienated and alone by the series’ end, OR, everyone forgives her because they, too, felt Bellamy wasn’t worth saving. 
  • At least we’ll be getting some reunions next week. #MacksonForever 
  • Raven and Murphy ribbing each other about their respective predicaments lifted my heart to new heights. I love this friendship so much. 
  • This episode didn’t just kill Bellamy, it also character-assassinated Clarke. After everything they’ve been through over the past 7 seasons – most recently Bellamy devoting the majority of season 6 to bringing her back from a body-napping – and she couldn’t give him a week or two to figure his shit out? This isn’t the Clarke we know.
  • I don’t go on twitter while I’m writing my recaps, because I don’t want to be influenced by what other people are saying before I get my own thoughts down. I’m almost scared to check, but at the same time, I need to commiserate with you guys. 
  • Head trauma really is no big deal on television, eh? Part of me thinks Nikki let Raven live because she sustained brain damage and just plum forgot her husband existed. 
  • So, Octavia has lost her best-friend-domestic-life-partner and her brother in the same week, after losing every love interest she’s ever had, and being rejected by her people. And now she’s going to find out that her friend killed her brother. Hmmmmm… cool, cool cool. 
  • Hey, remember that time Clarke called Bellamy every single day for over 6 years? Hahahaha, what even ARE characters, ammiright? 
  • Marv suggesting they “execute the hostages and get goin’” felt a bit like the show saying, ‘don’t feel bad when Clarke kills him, he was going to kill Indra!’ 
  • Of the original Adventure Squad, only Clarke, Raven and Murphy (who was a latecomer to the Squad, so I’m not even sure he counts) remain. Is it even a squad anymore? The Adventure Triad? The Adventure Couple? 
  • 2020 IS BAD ENOUGH YOU DON’T NEED TO HELP IT BE TERRIBLE.
  • I’m sorry this recap wasn’t as funny, but uuuuuuuuggggggghhhhh *brain starts weeping*.
  • As I’ve mentioned before, I have very little time to really hone my opinions before posting, so the thoughts you read in these recaps are my knee-jerk reactions. Perhaps I’ll see this episode differently with time, but as for right now, I’m feeling pretty hollowed out and just… sad, for all the wrong reasons. 

This week’s JOKES FROM THE PAAAAAAAAAST goes to RedPhoenix91, and ninjachris3 for spotting Marv using Kane’s favourite bonding strategy:

OKAY WELL THANKS FOR COMING HAVE SOME ICE CREAM I HOPE EVERYONE FEELS BETTER SOON.

37 thoughts on “The 100 “Blood Giant” Photo-Recap; The Head and the Disposable Plot Device

  1. Your recap made me feel (a little) better about (some of) this. Thank you.

    The weird thing now is that I want Bellamy to be right too, so that all of this makes some sense. ‘Transcendence’ sounds like a terrible way to end the show, but I want to know why Bellamy was so sure it was the answer because there *has to* be a reason, right? HE WAS SO SURE. I’m really hoping the writers want us to feel hopeless to surprise us in the end. (They do love their surprises after all.)

    I am heart-broken too (THE HEART!) but I appreciated the puns.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. this was …. BAD. I’m a crier. It’s embarrassing to admit, but I usually cry when the victim of the week who I’ve spent roughly 15 minutes with dies on Grey’s Anatomy. And Bellamy was one of my favorite characters! But no tears. No sadness. Nothing. WTH???

    Liked by 2 people

  3. Toni!!! You have been my warm ray of positivity through the dark and tumultuous world of t100 (both show and fandom lbr), and I’m additionally bummed that they’ve gone far enough to bum you out too. 😦 Bad show. BAD.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. I loved your recap as always and if you leave out the last five minutes it was a great episode. But Clarke‘s actions don’t make sense at all, especially after she tried her best to make up for this one time in season five, where she nearly got Bellamy killed. The only reason, i can imagine why the 100 (not Clarke) would do this, is that through the anamoly stones or transcendence you could somehow go back in time or reach another level, where the past and the present are connected. And this needless murder motivates Clarke to risk everything to fight the „finale war“, but if that’s true, they should still have come up up with a better explanation.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Thank you for this – I can’t even imagine how hard it was to write. I felt so much the same.

    It was hard to come up with sadness when it was so stupid and shocking. What plot point does it even serve? It feels like such an f’ you to the fans, whether they shipped Bellarke or not.

    I’m half hoping that the stones/earth storyline will let them go back in time. But then … that negates everything we’ve seen. And I’m half hoping that they get him to bardo and save him. Because … that can’t be it, can it? Jason must really be mad at Bob to waste the character/actor that way.

    Ugh. This could become a novel of discontent.

    So, thank you, again for 7 years of recaps.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Recall of the week – gotta be the ‘punny’ Flame. I still randomly giggle over “I don’t mean to be a pain in the neck” LOL.

    Annnnnd, like others, Bellamy Blake has hands-down been my favorite character almost consistently since mid-S1 and I barely felt anything other than extreme annoyance at his death. I really wanted the prequel show to get made, now I will refuse to watch it even if it does (unless they pull some REALLY magical shite over the last remaining episodes).

    Sigh.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Toni,

    I have read and loved all of your posts over the years, and I am so frustrated now I actually wanted to comment for the first time. I’ve just got some feelings and I’ve got to get them out somewhere.

    I’ve always loved The 100 and all of its twists and turns. But, not this time. I just can’t wrap my head around it. As a fiction writer, my main characters and even the side characters have a set character arc throughout my series. I plan this out in advance. Not every character ends up in a good place, but each character has a path they follow. I have been excited to find out where Bellamy, my favorite character of the series, will end up. But sadly, he ended up going nowhere and having no significant character development in this last season. It makes no sense…and that I find upsetting, particularly in a year that has already been a struggle in real life.

    Now, I don’t think I can watch the remaining few episodes. Forget about the “backdoor pilot”, which Jason seemed to favor more than the original show. I just don’t have it in me. I don’t have the energy to get invested in characters, just to have them thrown aside due to poor writing and convenience. I will, however, read your recaps as my final act in putting this show to rest.

    Thank you for them all!

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Is The 100 a gun control ad? Clarke killing Bellamy, Finn massacring the Grounder village, Titus killing Lexa. Without a gun in the hands of those emotional people, three beloved characters would still be alive. Senseless killing.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Not an excellent point. They would all still be dead. Even the accidental death. Lexa would have died in one of 100 possible ways. Also, Shied would have killed Clarke and Bill’s entire fan club if they didn’t have guns. The magical suits would have made the fight last longer, but eventually, they’d all be wiped out. Lots of people were saved by guns throughout the seasons.

      If all forms of weapons were never created by humanity, Alpha Chads would rule everything and Clarke would have become a Trikru sex slave.

      Gun views aside, I don’t think the writers had any intention of their work being viewed as a gun control ad. Guns have both saved and killed all throughout the series. Mankind’s insistence of familial double standards as well as using force to steal people’s consent for an egotistical warped view of “the greater good” is closer to the root cause of most violence. (both in the show and IRL)

      Like

  9. Holy Schnikies!!

    I went into this episode scared for everyone, it was like the Russian roulette in Deer Hunter. No not Raven! (Live with your cowardice – cool OK) No not Indra! (Shied to the rescue?? We know deep down he wanted Indra to be his friend)

    I was worried for Bellamy and then it cooled off for a second there and I started breathing again and then… it all went pear-shaped. I suppose you don’t try to negotiate with Wanheda because she has usually made up her mind before your brains hit the ground but for a second…

    Anyway it was diabolical ….

    Hard for me to reconcile but I should have seen it coming after the concocted Bellamy/Marv bonding episode.

    I got to ask Toni – if you had to “write out” a character other than Bellamy this episode, who and how?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hmmmm… well, I’m a strong believer that a character death has to MEAN something, otherwise it’s just shock value, which is a disservice to the story. So… no one? Haha, I can’t really think of a character whose death would make sense with the plot, and mean something for the overall message / character arcs.

      But I guess if I’m going to be a good sport and play the game… Call Me Bill and Sheid??? Just get rid of the problem and spend the last 3 episodes having slumber parties, building new homes, and hugging.

      Like

  10. I’ve watched The 100 since the beginning, but I only recently found your recaps. They’ve been a wonderful delight through this terrible final season. The 100 has had its ups and downs, but this season has been a slap in the face to every fan who invested in the story and these characters.

    Anyone who has ever watched the show knows the real Clarke Griffin would have never murdered Bellamy Blake. And that’s what this was: straight-up murder. Clarke has killed so many people, but always in the name of protecting those she loves. Clarke wasn’t protecting Madi when she murdered Bellamy; she was fulfilling a pointless plot point where she, yet again, must become the villain to the people that matter the most to her.

    Jason Rothenberg didn’t just kill Bellamy this episode, he killed Clarke as well. Clarke Griffin would have found another way. Otherwise, what was the point of the entire series and the fact that Bellamy and Clarke’s relationship was the foundation the show was built on? What was the point of Clarke telling Bellamy he was her family too and she would never forget that again? What was the point of the radio calls, their desperate attempts to protect each other, Clarke’s inability to shoot Bellamy when she knew it could doom all of her people in the bunker? What was the point of their trust in each other, their love for each other (whether romantic or platonic, take your pick), the leadership roles they were thrust into and could only survive by relying on the other (“I need you”, “I can’t lose you too”, “If you need forgiveness, I’ll give that to you”, “the heart and the head”, the many “together”s)? Clarke is not a murderer and the last person she would have killed was Bellamy.

    Never feel bad that you’re grieving a fictional character. I still haven’t forgiven Rob Thomas for pointlessly murdering Logan Echolls on Veronica Mars just to ‘advance’ Veronica’s story (that ended because, ironically, he murdered Logan Echolls). In the exact same way, the person Clarke loves most (with the exception of Madi) was just killed to advance her story. But at this point, what story? ‘Transcendence’ sounds exactly like the City of Light and I’m pretty sure we agreed that was bad. Even if Bellamy turns out to be right, that there is some peaceful ending humanity can reach, I’m not sure they deserve it anymore.

    I’m sorry this is so long, but I think I needed to get this off my chest and Twitter doesn’t really give you the space for long-winded rants. For me, The 100 has now officially ended with Bellamy and Clarke embracing at the end of season six. They were silhouetted by the rising sun, giving the impression of hope and the ability to do better. And that’s where they’ll live, together, in fields of gold.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. As cheap as that would be as a writing loophole, I would prefer it over what we’re getting.

      Make it ALL a dream, I don’t even care anymore. Have Clarke wake up in her cell / art studio, and have Abby there being all, “k, you’re sentence is over, the Ark is fixed, oh and Earth is habitable, so pack your swimsuit!”

      Eff it, let’s go big.

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Agreed, this has to be some red toxin hallucination or dream, or some other explanation.

      Because otherwise this was shocking writing, Clarke and Bellamy deserved so much better for their characters.

      Liked by 1 person

  11. Toni, I don’t know what I would have done without your recap and this community you’ve created for us after the off the rails – jump the shark – WTF – moment we all just experienced. Agree with all the above posts, yeah, she would’ve shot his hand, foot, leg, whatever CLARKE WOULD NOT MURDER BELLAMY. (yes I’m literally shouting as I did at the TV earlier)
    I’m going to keep watching though, after all there’s still beautiful creepster and Indra! Thank you for your good, clean and much needed jokes interspersed in this recap.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Agreed, this has to be some red toxin hallucination or dream, or some other explanation.

    Because otherwise this was shocking writing, Clarke and Bellamy deserved so much better for their characters.

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Thanks Toni for confirming my guess on your last recap!

    I have read your recaps for years and they have been an amazing way to reflect on each episode.

    But what happened to Bellamy has left me fuming, because my love for the show has been shattered after what I just witnessed. Bellamy’s character deserved far better than this. So much was unresolved for his character – closure, healing amongst them.

    Awful writing from Jason and it’s enough to make me want to give up on the show tbh, I’m that angry.

    Liked by 1 person

  14. ‘Breaking the fourth wall’ means including the audience in a performance. Is there an expression for when the writers become part of the performance? ‘Breaking the floor?’ The 100 is a show about the strengths and flaws of humanity. The writers have added themselves to the cast of characters who have strengths and flaws that are observed by viewers (and by reviewers, like you Toni and Selina Wilken and others). Jason is now a character in the show and he is as cynical about human nature as Pike and ALIE. Whoever presses those 7 silent symbols that Becca found in Anaconda, I think they will metaphorically end up in the The 100 writers’ room and will be judged / tested / have a last war with the character Jason. It probably will be a debate about how violent and selfish humans are and whether there is spiritual transcendence. The problem is that the show exists because it has fans who are passionately interested in the development of the complex, flawed, and lovable characters portrayed by great actors. I don’t think fans wanted to see Bellamy, Clarke, Octavia, and Raven disappear into a hole the floor.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. YES! Exactly this! Very well put. I’d almost add that they’re breaking the floor AND the fourth wall, considering how much dialogue is actually direct messages from the writers to the audience.

      Like

  15. Great recap as usual. I get why everyone was mad, but I thought it was telegraphed well and they emotionally prepared us (as opposed to TRYING to make you cry).

    The beginning was amazing: so many violent deaths in a bloody coup, all to be instantly wiped out by Bill and Co. It’s like if well into WW2, an alien race just showed up and snapped fingers and said, enough of this.

    Clarke shot him in the heart wasn’t trolling IMO. That’s statistically where women shoot people they care/have cared about. (Whereas, in general, men who don’t want their target to suffer, go for the head. Cops and military go for center mass — they are trained to not be concerned for the suffering of others)

    For all the shit they’ve done, I don’t think this show is going to get a happy ending, but maybe a seed of hope if Clarke stops being so damn stubborn (same with Bellamy) and realize that Bill is half right (my prediction). This “last war” does need to happen, but it is also a test and “we must be better” is the correct answer. Not killing unarmed people, not using force on others (except in direct self defense), not locking them in a radiation zone, etc.

    “Our team” still hasn’t quite figured that out. Murphy has grown the most, ironically, as he was the most despicable for the longest time. Honestly, I’m hoping everyone dies except for maybe Murphy and Emori – and of course all the children (I’ll include Jordan in this). The series ends with them not just vowing but actively “being better”….and thus humanity evolves.

    Like

  16. Hi Toni,

    Thanks for such fantastic work under such unusual circumstances!

    I began watching the 100 from day 1.
    By Wells death in season 1, I was hooked. But no one else I knew watched or was even interested in watching. I found recaps on TV.com from Katlin and read those for a while, until she gave up on the show (season 3?) and then I found your posts.
    It has been so much fun following you through this show’s journey while we reflect on what is, what was, and what could’ve (should’ve?) been.

    All that being said:
    Like most I’ve had opinions and theories, but I didn’t go so far as to sign up for anything to express those thoughts. But evidently, this moment in the last minute of the episode is the one that pushed me over the edge.

    So I think that there are 3 general possibilities here:

    1. Everything we saw was true.
    They killed Bellamy senselessly, for a shocking “anyone could go at any time” moment and in the process derailed Clarke’s character. Unfortunately since Jason does not like to allow for TV loopholes this is probably the direction they went. We can even say that there was foreshadowing as Gabriel effectively “killed” Josephine, his one true love, by taking the anti-toxin and doing the right thing to save people from prematurely starting this “war.” But while Gab’s choice was just as painful for him as Clarke’s, it at least makes sense. Gab already gave up Jo, she is already dead. She has, in fact, died many times. Clarke basically killed Bellamy because she didn’t trust his motives. For Clarke it’s been like what? A week since he gave her CPR? Refusing to let her die.

    2. Everything we saw was true, BUT they will cop-out and fix it.
    Let’s be real here, the 100 likes to live with horrible consequences but they also recover from crazy impossible wounds all the time. The faithful? Stabbed mutilated = bandage and we’re good. Jasper? Spear through the chest (same approximate spot as Bellamy…) a week later he is walking around eating nuts and hallucinating grounders. Octavia? Stabbed, thrown off a cliff, should’ve drowned = Gets on her horse and finds help. There are plenty more but we all get the point. Shiedheda or someone else (Cookie man? Murphy’s followers? Madi’s soccer buddies?) stop the bleeding and he is on his way to recovery. Alternatively as I’ve seen thrown around: Clarke takes the test, and has the opportunity to “re-do” all of her worst decisions. Finds the “better way” and allows her people to find the peace they always needed.

    3. Nothing we saw was real.
    a. Red sun toxin? Maybe, but all the main characters had taken the antidote. Unless we were seeing Sheidheda’s interpretation? But that seems silly.
    b. Bardo simulation? Maybe, but how did they know all the Sheidheda stuff was happening?
    c. All of season 7 has been a dream that Josephine locked Clarke into because she is still inside of Clarke’s head? While more interesting, that really complicates all of the story time that Clarke wasn’t a part of this season.
    d. From here we can go back in time several places where hallucinations/visions happened. Raven hallucination because of broken brain/ALLIE season 4? Clarke dying alone in the desert season 5? Season 1 nut hallucinations? Abby hallucination because of broken brain/ALLIE season 4? Who knows….once you go down this road though you will be erasing years of continuity, so I doubt it.

    e. Better options (in my opinion):
    i. THIS was Bellamy’s vision in the cave? His explanation for what he saw in the cave was hollow….maybe that’s because this still IS his vision. He is seeing what might happen if he joins the Bardo-buds instead of staying true to Adventure squad. Very Scrooge a la A Christmas Carole.
    ii. That wasn’t Bellamy? When he touched the light in the cave he was actually replaced by a different believer-version of himself. The real Bellamy is still stuck in the cave, and Clarke only killed an imposter.

    Sadly, while these all have merit, I don’t think we are going to get a fix. I think Jason feels he has something to prove and he is going to die trying to sink the Bellarke ship. The sad part is, if he would just allow the story to organically unfold rather than desperately cling to what he thinks should happen we would be in a better place.

    Anyway….I’m sure everyone has moved on by now since the new episode is tonight, but I needed to get this out of my head 🙂

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      1. Late to the party Toni…Missed the episode live and obv the internet exploding spoiled his fate to me but i didn;t watch until now.
        The most annoying thing is I liked the episode even with pod Bellamy, it reminded me of season 3 episodes 10,11 just as everyone’s frustration and grief with the season had reached a climax, they had reunions and the adventure squad returned…and we got Nevermore….This time….Wow.
        The last 5mins were tragic, in terms of writing. Starting with Indra letting Sheidheda live again and it just got worse. I have too many words right now which will fill up too much space with incoherent ranty ramblings. As someone who has defended this season how do i even legislate an argument for it at this point. Though i liked them together i was never a shipper of Bellarke and individually i liked them but had many other characters i liked more but to end their story together like this takes master level trolling. Its an actual fuck you to the fans. I cant imagine what Bellarkers are going through right now. To see your ship not just go down but like that.

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