Can we all pretend we did not see that? No?

A loss like that is one that the audience isn't about to forget anytime soon. Even those who prepared to say goodbye to Bellamy Blake were in for several surprises, none of them pleasant.

It is as if the real chess game is this season, with the characters and the audience serving as the sacrificial pawns for the show to let waste away. This episode made that message very clear, but it was also an episode with a ridiculous attempt to tell a story that isn't worth the attention. 

It undermined the two leads, their love for one another, and the show's entire message. Humanity sucks, and everyone ruins everything just doesn't have the best ring to it.  

During The 100 Season 7 Episode 13, Bellamy was dragged behind everyone else trying to find the flame. Clarke didn't trust Cadogan, and Cadogan didn't trust her back. Bellamy got caught in the middle unless he found a sketchbook that he thought Cadogan needed to know about, only for Clarke to shoot him to stop him.

Meanwhile, Indra has to deal with the effects of the red sun toxin, which alienates her quite a bit. Also, Raven and Nikki finally see each other again, not in the best of ways.

Then, Gabriel is trying to pretend he doesn't see Josephine as his subconscious tempts him to take control of the Final Test.

"Blood Giant," written by Ross Knight, was an unfortunate burden on a writer who had to tackle every possible storyline that Sanctum could have, while also preparing the audience for a core shaking death. It tried its best to invest in every aspect equally, but it lost its way the second the narrative shifted its focus from Bellamy.

These were his last few moments, and they felt exactly like that. They were moments that didn't actually give Bellamy a chance to say goodbye or wrap up his storylines with absolutely everyone in his life. It wasn't that Bellamy's relationship with some didn't make the cut; none of them did. 

A cruel twist became an unforgettable moment in The 100 history.

Unfortunately, it is for all the wrong reasons.​ But then again, The 100 has found pride in the most disappointing aspects of its storytelling, and the loss of Bellamy feels no different. 

Bellamy Blake: His Journey Being Continuously Let Down By His Own Show

The words that stand out for me are one of the few that Bellamy actually said in his last scenes. As Emori offered Bellamy the kindness that was missing from his interactions with all of his friends so far, she asked him what he went through to get here.

Bellamy could only offer her a simple, "Another time" in response. 

Another time. Another time. Another time.

Sadly that sealed Bellamy's faith, promising him and the audience that he wouldn't get to have that time.

There is no more time left for Bellamy Blake to get the storyline that he deserved. There is no more time left for him to feel genuine love from the people he was risking everything for. There is no more time left for Bellamy to see the peaceful ending that he put his entire life on the line for.

Instead, Bellamy was sentenced to a death that isn't even close to worthy of someone like him. After everything he meant to this show, it is appalling that the best goodbye they could give him was a last-second mess.

It makes no sense how Bellamy even got there since most of the episode forgot he existed. But there was time for Bellamy to turn into a hollow manifestation of the narrative's inability to handle the very creations it spent all this time building. 

In a genuinely inconsiderate turn of events, Bellamy was killed for no reason.

We, on the other hand, know the love between individuals. What it makes us do. The highs and the lows of it.

Cadogan

• Permalink: We, on the other hand, know the love between individuals. What it makes us do. The highs and...

Because there isn't a reason that makes sense when this entire episode went out of its way not to give Bellamy time or space to exist, the season, in general, didn't even let the male lead be a valuable aspect of any story.

In fact, this episode stripped Bellamy of a voice, not finding it important to hear what was going on with him. Just like the minuscule amount of screentime that Bellamy was deemed worthy of this season, there was still apparently not enough time to let him share his whole truth.

Instead, we had to watch Bellamy observe all of his loved ones judge him. His last day was nothing but those he treasured most, excluding him from the very bonds he was trying to protect. 

While Bellamy was looking out for everyone around him, no one was looking out for him. 

It is heartbreaking to see that Bellamy was pushed to a point where he didn't feel like he belonged with anyone. The very man who made sure he was there for everyone who needed him was left behind by those he wanted desperately to save.

The only thing Bellamy was allowed to be in this episode was a broken hero who knew there was no point in speaking when no one around him was truly listening. 

It was insulting to see Bellamy in such a helpless position when it was clear the only one at fault here was the show. They set him up on some self-searching journey that they themselves didn't want to explore. Then he had to continue to rationalize that choice when his actions proved he was still putting his own people first.

And yet all of this played out so that Bellamy could just be another obstacle to be defeated, not the main male hero that has defined the show during its entire run.

It was like watching an accident in slow motion. Bellamy was isolated, upset, and lost amongst all the people he considered family. As much as he tried to get them to see where he was coming from, it didn't matter. Because as soon as Bellamy settled into being an outsider around his own people, the show used that to really separate him.

But even beyond that, Bellamy spent his entire last episode not existing. He didn't matter to the story, to the characters around him, or the show itself.

Bellamy Blake deserved better. 

Let me say that again, Bellamy Blake deserved so much better than what he got on The 100.

Seven seasons and this is all that The 100 could offer? Seven seasons and this is all The 100 thought their male lead was worthy of?

If this final season has shown us anything, it is that the show has no idea who its main characters are. Even worse, The 100 can't figure out how to properly explore and respect its crucial characters.

The stories that are being told don't match up with the characters playing them out, and it all starts with Bellamy Blake.

First, they erased Bellamy Blake (and Bob Morley) from the narrative as if he wasn't the male lead who created most of the storylines in previous seasons. Then they only brought him back around for a fake death and a flashback to benefit someone else's story arc. 

It was never about him; it was about how he could benefit the current episode's plot.

And that is exactly what happened in the end, Bellamy was just there to presumably move Clarke's story along. It will be difficult since Clarke is a shell of the person she used to be, just like Bellamy, but it doesn't matter on The 100 where nothing actually seems to matter these days.

No one said it better than Bob Morley when he referenced feeling battered and bruised, with his character truly getting mistreated at a time when he deserved to be appreciated. 

So much of what The 100 became over the years came from Bellamy. He brought the emotion, the love, and the unconditional essence to every single season of the show. Frankly, the show would be nothing without him, and The 100 Season 7 ended up proving precisely that.

This final journey was hollow, and it lacked any drive, and most of that was because there was no Bellamy. 

Many issues piled on this last season, yet it all started with the announcement that Bellamy would be gone for some of the season. Or maybe it all began when Bellamy wasn't featured on the official poster for the season. Or perhaps it was all a disaster starting with Bob Morley being removed from the countdown and the crew photo.

Or maybe all those attempts to erase the male lead were direct examples of where The 100 failed one last time.

They spent the first six seasons using Bellamy to create conflict when they needed to shake things up. They would also use his popularity to make his entire purpose revolve around improving the same characters' reputation which caused him trauma. 

Then they would continuously position him as the hero on a journey to save someone else, never stopping to consider what Bellamy might need at that moment.

Everything that Bellamy gave to the show stemmed from The 100 deciding to take it from him. There was never room for him to grow because it felt like that thought wasn't applied to his arcs.

It was never about what storyline would aid Bellamy, and the show never seemed to think about how to best serve the journey their male lead was on.

Not valuing Bellamy was the biggest mistake The 100 chose to make over and over again. So it was no surprise that the narrative wasn't strong enough to handle a goodbye story either. If there was one to begin with, which it never felt like there was. It sounds like a joke to think that The 100 put any thought into Bellamy this season when nothing he had felt like it came from a place of understanding who this character was.

It is ridiculous that Bellamy died without saying goodbye to his sister. The show built up their relationship; they went from standing side by side to struggling to really see one another. But just when they were finally figuring out what peace looked like between them, suddenly it was like they didn't exist to one another.

Octavia wasn't allowed to show any emotion when it came to losing her brother the first time. Bellamy wasn't allowed to speak with Octavia one last time in Bardo before he disappeared from her life forever.

What is that? What is any of this? What possible explanation besides not caring at all about their characters does the show have for this?

The 100 that originally created these characters and their bonds wouldn't know what these empty people on our screens were doing. Nothing that has happened in this final season reflects anything we spent all this time invested in.

Once again, it is up to the fans to show appreciation for Bellamy Blake when his show can't.

Bellamy deserved to know how much light he brought into everyone's life. He deserved to know that he mattered, and so did his experiences. By the end, it turned into every character selfishly only seeing their thoughts reflected, and it is heartbreaking that no one cared about Bellamy's.

He had so much to offer and no one wanted to hear it. At this point, Bellamy was killed for being selfless and for trying to see the bigger picture. 

It was an honor getting to follow a character who wore his heart on his sleeve, never being ashamed of following his heart even if others tried to shame him. All Bellamy cared about was a peaceful, happy ending for his family, and even if he was killed for it, that doesn't take away from how thankful we are for him.

Thank you to Bellamy Blake for reminding The 100 that feelings and connections matter. Thank you to Bellamy Blake for saving the day every single season. Thank you to Bellamy Blake for being the leader and the hero we have always wanted to see.

Thank you to Bellamy Blake for sharing so much of your soul with the audience. Thank you to Bellamy Blake for always believing in your soulmate, even at the end. Thank you to Bellamy Blake for always sharing your love, even if those around you didn't reciprocate it. Thank you to Bellamy Blake for existing.

Bellamy's legacy will survive long after The 100 burns itself into the ground. He will rise from the ashes as an incredibly unique reminder of a male lead that existed in a way that threatened his own show.

From his existence to his death, only one theme is clear when it comes to The 100; humanity is the problem, and they can never do better. The problem will always be us, wrecking everything beautiful and meaningful around us, losing irreplaceable people like Bellamy Blake along the way.

Because the truth is there is no way to move on from losing Bellamy, there is no one like him in this fictional world.

Bellamy Blake was a character who valued his feelings in ways that male characters are never truly able to. He was a selfless leader that stopped at nothing to keep his people safe. He was the person to have in your corner because he supported his family to the ends of multiple planets. Everything that Bellamy was became an example of everything the show should have explored more of.

Bellamy was a person who gave and gave until there was nothing left to give. A real-life version of The Giving Tree, he gave everything he had to offer, and in the end, it was still not enough. But just because it wasn't enough within the show doesn't mean his memory won't live on with the fans he touched.

Anyone upset at Bellamy Blake no longer existing the way he did in the narrative needs to remember that he existed the way that he did because of our support and appreciation. As long as we don't forget the real message of kindness and care that he left behind, the spirit of Bellamy Blake is always here.

Bellamy was the guy who would single-handedly carry storylines for a show that didn't appreciate him, even when so much was working against him. And each season, he would come out the same man that the audience fell in love with from the very beginning.

He was too much for The 100 to handle because he represented what the show keeps suppressing.

Love. Hope. Trust. Unconditional Support. Loyalty. Friendship. Courage. Family. A bright light at the end of a dark tunnel that is The 100. 

All these things were exactly who Bellamy was until his last scene, and that is what he should be remembered for.

RIP Bellamy Blake. You made every single one of us so proud.

May We Meet Again.

The Bellarke Exile Corner 

What is there to say?

If The 100 doesn't understand the character it spent years following, it definitely doesn't understand the core relationship that it is based on.

Bellamy and Clarke's relationship wasn't a part of The 100; it was the whole show. When everything else was up in the air, they were what kept the audience and the show secure.

But that means nothing when The 100 has an edgy plot twist they want to do to make up for the constant lack of progression during the episode itself. So just like Bellamy was killed off, Clarke was too.

There's no way to explain what that was except a cheap scene that fell as flat as most of the season has. Clarke was already a shell of the person she used to be, becoming almost unrecognizable from the little we saw of her.

Bellamy was also subjected to a space that he didn't belong in, saying the right lines but not believing it.

The 100 couldn't stop at that, though. Instead, they had Bellamy stop at nothing to bring Clarke back to life, only for her to take his life because of a book. A book. A useless book that was left behind next to Bellamy's body and nothing that happens after this will make it okay.

This show sacrificed its male lead and its female lead as well, forcing her into a role she would have never fit in before. She had a gun pointed at Bellamy before, and she couldn't go through with it because nothing was worth even the threat of taking his life.

But now everything is different because suddenly, The 100 remembered that Clarke needs to be a mom again.

Let's forget that she hasn't talked about her mom for the whole season. Let's forget that she didn't once mention Madi while she was in Bardo and beyond. Suddenly no one else mattered but Madi, which isn't a bad message, to begin with.

Mothers should care about their children, and they should look out for them. But this is the show writing Clarke as a shadow of who she once was. She is reverting to that version of herself, where she was only a mother.

Clarke isn't allowed to have happiness outside of being a mother. Clarke isn't allowed to exist or love anyone else except her child. It is a shallow approach to an unrealistic story. 

It creates a Clarke that didn't exist all this time, and instead she is now a plot device for herself. Bellamy dies to push Clarke's story further, yet none of this could be further from the truth.

It feels strange to watch this Clarke as if she is the lead we loved this whole time. She is serving the plot and as a result is suffering with her own characterization. But The 100 couldn't be bother to care, instead making the choice to sacrifice the leads for the sake of a twist that week.

Beyond completely robbing Bellamy of his existence, the narrative is now also robbing Clarke of her freedom.

The lead of the show is more than that, she can be a mother and she can have other people in her life too. Yet there is nothing for Clarke that the show has planned, because they don't believe she deserves anything else.

What kind of message is it to show a mother unable to exist outside of her child? And even if you want to protect your child, is shooting everyone the answer?

Bellamy wasn't a threat, he didn't even have a weapon. 

But The 100 made Clarke irrational and combative, deciding to pull the trigger before she even took out her gun. It is reactive, and it isn't who Clarke has been all this time. She uses her head before making any decision, but now the audience barely even gets a glimpse of what goes on in her head.

And it doesn't feel like it is Clarke becoming someone we don't know. Instead, it seems to be the narrative, not knowing how to write Clarke.

This entire season, much like Bellamy, Clarke was missing from all the action. When she did reappear, she wasn't herself, and this pattern continued as the show, and the audience tried to locate Clarke's point of view.

Now though, after seeing what The 100 thinks she should have done, it is obvious that the show doesn't know their lead at all.

Clarke wouldn't have ignored Bellamy's pleas. Clarke wouldn't have pointed and shot a gun at her best friend, partner, and soulmate. Clarke wouldn't have spent all this time without a plan just to think that's what makes sense at the moment.

But as much of the blame goes into the narrative itself, Clarke still has to stand by her actions. It is still Clarke who now feels like a stranger that many can no longer understand, with her finally in a corner that she can't just be written out of.

There is no way to come back from Clarke shooting Bellamy in the heart.

And the worst part is that if Bellamy was alive, he would have forgiven Clarke for all of this without even blinking.

That scene wasn't them, but in the end, that is all that we were left with.

It is a rushed ending, where a MOC begs for his life, while a white woman shoots him to death. For a guy whose entire time on The 100 revolved around the white women in his life, the irony is infuriating and right on brand.

And even now, there are no words to explain away all of this, because none of it can be. Instead, there is only rage at the situation, and at the show, that thought any of this was a good idea. There is anger at The 100 for completely forgetting who Bellamy and Clarke were within the context of the show and of one another.

Bellamy and Clarke exist in a world outside of the one they were written in. Their bond was indescribable because it was The 100 in many ways. Nothing makes sense if they aren't on the same page, which means nothing makes sense anymore. 

But as disturbing, disrespectful, useless, and out of character this was, this isn't my Bellamy and Clarke.

Their relationship deserves to be remembered as Clarke telling Bellamy that he needs to use his heart to lead. Their relationship deserves to reflect them holding one another as they look at the next planet they have to survive on. Their relationship deserves to be about Bellamy comforting Clarke after the loss of her mother.

Those are the moments that will always be Bellamy and Clarke to me. And those are the moments that fandom should think about, instead of the empty journey that was this last season.

The love that Bellamy and Clarke had for one another didn't die in Sanctum. That love exists in their past and it is part of the audience that saw how rare a relationship like that was.

The 100 doesn't deserve to take that away just because characters, relationships, and meaning have lost all value to their storytelling abilities. The 100 has had enough power over the memories that the audience will take with them, but that shouldn't apply to Bellamy and Clarke as well.

It is hard to figure out where to go from here, but my last memory of the ship that inspired my writing for the last six years won't be in that room in Sanctum. 

Bellamy and Clarke have a happy ending in their own version of fields of gold because no one deserves it like they do. 

Gabriel Santiago: Secret Mission Man

There are probably no other men on The 100 that deserve rights except Gabriel at this point. 

With Bellamy gone, there is really no other man that the audience can trust, outside of his almost-boyfriend. If only the show knew how to pace itself, there would have been more time to explore Gabriel's state of mind.

This whole time his motivation was simply the Anomaly. He wanted answers, so he risked everything to get them, even when he didn't have to. But he kept up helping Cadogan until he had the chance to break away, only to end up having to deal with his thoughts.

Luckily, his thoughts took Josephine's form, a delight to see back again in any version of the word, and things took a turn.

Getting to spend time in Gabriel's mind was probably the only highlight of the episode. His presence is always captivating when he is the focus in an episode, yet it usually doesn't feel like we learn much about him.

This time around, the audience explored the struggle of making difficult decisions while also under the red toxin effect. Gabriel was one of the few who had to struggle with his subconscious trying to find a way to control him, and it was intense to see these difficult decisions be made.

There isn't any reason why Gabriel shouldn't take the last war test for all humanity, especially since he already has the blood and the knowledge. It is like the last step in this Anomaly adventure, and you have to wonder if it is the beginning of the end for him.

Obviously, Gabriel asking Sheidheda if Russell suffered could mean nothing like many details usually do on this show. Or it could be a clue about how many steps ahead Gabriel is thinking.

Raven: So, Sheidheda's alive and Madi is in a nuclear reactor? You did good.
Murphy: All of our friends are missing and Bellamy's a sheep? So did you.

• Permalink: All of our friends are missing and Bellamy's a sheep? So did you.

He can check the flame for Cadogan if he wants, then from there, he could handle the final test that moves everyone forward. The assumption is still that the final test leads to Judgement Day, mostly based on Madi's memories in her drawings.

Gabriel spends all this time putting pressure on his own shoulders about humanity and who they deserve to represent them, but the answer he is actually looking for is with him all along.

Are people even worthy of getting this kind of salvation? Somehow taking a walk down memory lane for Gabriel becomes him knowing that the answer is no.

He doesn't think the general population deserves to "transcend" when they are causing destruction before they even get there. Gabriel had to relive the experiments he performed for the sake of getting Josephine back, and it was like he finally got his answer.

All those years bringing her back into his life wasn't worth it. Just like that vision of Josephine and just like the flame, it isn't the same as actual human lives. It is like Gabriel knew what message The 100 would push with Bellamy's upcoming death, and he spoiled it for all of us.

No one deserves to transcend if the road there is full of blood and death. Gabriel thought that he was the one who deserved to lead everyone to peace and ended it with the realization that even he isn't worth it in his own mind.

You have to wonder if he was curious about Russell's death because he is wondering about his own.

Living forever just doesn't have the same appeal to Gabriel anymore, so actually becoming a simple human who passes instead of living off a subconscious mind drive seems to be the biggest thought on his mind.

The hope is that Gabriel at least survives the season before he lives out the rest of his days in this body in peace. But yet somehow, this feels like it might be the introduction to a different ending altogether.

Stray Thoughts

• For any The 100 fans looking for some nostalgia as the series concludes, TV Fanatic has a surprise interview series for you! "Looking Back On The 100" centers on monumental cast members and characters from the show that left their mark.

  We spoke with Eli Goree about his time on the show, as well as Michael Beach about the journey he had, and we even took a walk down memory lane with Christopher Larkin and Aaron Ginsburg. We even checked in with Zach McGowan about that surprise return to the show.
  
  We also spoke with Leah Gibson about #GinaWasReal and Nadia Hilker about creating the character of Luna.
  
  Chai Hansen also looked back at the show with us when it came to his time on it as Ilian. And Charmaine DeGraté expanded on her writing journey with the show, as well as what it was like to write for Bellamy and Octavia Blake. 
  
  Eve Harlow spoke with us as well about Maya's pure presence on the show and about Maya's relationship with Jasper. Ivana Milicevic reflected on the message that Diyoza left behind after her exit. Lee Majdoub also shared about Nelson's connections and his final moments on the show. 
  
  Keep checking TV Fanatic for more upcoming interviews with surprise cast members from seasons past!

• Does anyone else feel like Bellamy Blake deserves to be talked about so much more? So do I.
  
  Keep your eyes on TV Fanatic for a special Bellamy Blake feature to celebrate and appreciate the legacy he left behind on The 100.

• There was a lot of killing or threats of death from Cadogan in this episode.
  
  For a society that brags about not using lethal force and shames others that do, how did they end up here? Continuity didn't exist in Sanctum, probably. Or maybe we need to pretend not to see it.

• Maybe Bellamy shouldn't have actually taught Clarke how to shot a gun during their Day Trip on Earth. 
  
  Too soon?

• Picasso is the only character on this show who can always bring me joy. There is no other happiness left here.

• Can we talk about the way Clarke kept giving Cadogan looks? It felt like she was preparing another plan in place, and yet there was nothing there. 
  
  Can we also talk about how little this season has followed the leads? Most of the time, they don't even get screentime to explain their choices, let alone us getting to follow them as they make those choices. Not getting to see much of Clarke (or Bellamy) this season was similar to The 100 Season 7 Episode 9. 
  
  There were unspoken decisions made by characters, and apparently, no time for the audience to spend seeing that point of progress.

• This episode as a whole struggled with too much going on, and yet nothing really happening? The way the show jumped around with all these points of view, yet most of it was a distraction to wait out their time until the end of the episode.
  
  How is it that Sanctum spent all this time getting nowhere, and suddenly everyone has to face their season-long conflicts?  

• Speaking of, Nikki was positioned as the Big Bad of Sanctum for a good chunk of the season. But now, all of a sudden, when she gets the person from whom she wants answers and who she wants to punish, she gives up. The amount of time that wasted and in the end it didn't mean anything is a representation of this whole show.

• It also isn't fair that Raven only has an arc when The 100 chooses that for her.
  
  Returning to the scene where it all happened will trigger some trauma for her, but it still stings that she just killed these people and couldn't find a way to connect with Bellamy. She couldn't see that he was struggling the way that she could see Echo and Murphy, which is a major letdown for those two.
  
  Their friendship wasn't the same as it used to be since The 100 stopped investing in anything.
  
  But if you know Bellamy is dying, does he not deserve one good moment with friends like Raven?

• That Emori and Bellamy scene deserves one more mention.
  
  Much like Bellamy, the audience has been emotion starved when it comes to his scenes this season. So finally getting to see him be appreciated and loved was probably the only highlight of the episode.

• I'm just going to say it. The group didn't deserve to have a moment of peace together if they weren't going to include Bellamy in it. He is one of the original characters and someone really thought it would look good to exclude him? How?

• Where did Jackson find the white medical coat?

• Getting to see Indra's insight into her mother kneeling for Sheidheda at the same time as she worries about her own daughter was a thrill. Adina Porter as always blew everyone away, and it just makes you want even more Indra. 
  
  But at the same time she killed but didn't actually kill Sheidheda. This is getting to be a different kind of ridiculous.

• At least now everyone is on the same page about Gaia! Now get to Earth and save her.

• Earth is back. Somehow it doesn't matter as much if Bellamy isn't there to experience it with everyone. They don't deserve it like he does.

• Also, when everyone finds out that they can transcend and decide to, I want a formal apology from everyone to Bellamy. He is going to be right even if all of this is stupid, because Bellamy doesn't believe with his whole heart for nothing.

• The trailer for the next episode teased a moment between Hope and Jordan? That came out of nowhere, but consider me curious. 

• Bellamy didn't have closure with Clarke. Bellamy didn't have closure with Octavia. Bellamy didn't have closure with Raven. 
  
  Bellamy didn't have closure with Miller. Bellamy didn't have closure with literally anyone and I am furious. 

• The way that Indra didn't kill Sheidheda just so he could tell Bellamy about the book. I hate all of it and it's so useless. Especially since Clarke left the book anyway. 
  
  And that is before we get into how she didn't need to shoot him. She could have shot the book or his arm. But what is common sense anyway?

• There are probably other thoughts worth having, yet without Bellamy it all falls tremendously flat. The only hope is that the season wraps with its last ineffective war and everyone wakes up to discover this was all a bad dream.

• The way that Gabriel shot that flame is exactly why he is one of very few men worth trusting.

How absolutely furious are you with everything? How angry are you about the show's mistreatment of Bellamy Blake? How much are you crying now that all the light and soul and heart is gone? Who do you wish he spoke to, really spoke to, before all of this?

What are your thoughts on Bellamy and Clarke? Are you able to discount this as a side effect of this season's inability to write the characters or have you written that relationship completely off?

Did anyone else love the insight into Gabriel? Raven? Nikki? Everyone else but the leads?

Is everyone sticking around until the end of the season?

Yana Grebenyuk was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in April 2021.