The 100 Review: Anarchy or Fascism?
Carla Day
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The 100 (or 97 as it may now be) on Earth are not alone.
They knew that when they Jasper was speared and now we know what's out there. At the end of The 100 Season 1 Episode 2, we got a glimpse of the creature. Is it an evolved human or something else? It was difficult to tell under the mask.
For now, it's a threat.
It didn't take long for Bellamy's no rules philosophy to change. He set out to be a leader from the beginning and his demands immediately showed the signs of someone who was going to become a dictator and not an anarchist. By the end of the hour, he had succeeded in gaining support for his rule.
Clarke manipulated Bellamy into joining her on the search for Jasper, but he was quick to try to turn it into his advantage. He wanted to demean Clarke by getting her bracelet off. He may have had a chance until Finn decided to join the search team as well. With Finn and Wells on her side, Bellamy and John didn't have a chance.
Though, when Bellamy did have the opportunity to get rid of Clarke by letting her fall into the pit, he didn't. He saved her. He may not like her leadership qualities, but he doesn't want her dead. I expect over time, even though they will butt heads, he will realize she's needed for the group's survival.
Just as Bellamy didn't let Clarke die, Wells kept Bellamy alive when a panther-like animal attacked. Wells had taken the gun and used it to kill the animal just before it was about to pounce on Bellamy. Enemies saving enemies ... what an intriguing concept. It's too bad that the kids back at camp didn't witness those two events. It could have brought everyone together instead of keeping them divided.
Wells may have shot the animal, but Bellamy and John took the credit for the food. They turned it into a bargaining chip to cement their rule. Food for the wristband. Finn wasn't having any part of that and took food. The exchange between John and Finn demonstrated the shift from anarchy to fascism.
John: Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait, wait, wait. What, you think you play by different rules?
Finn: I thought there were no rules.
Will Bellamy's rule hold? It depends on many factors, but most important will be who can help them survive. Bellamy had the food people desperately needed. It was a small sacrifice to give up the bracelet for most of those on the ground. As the price becomes too high or someone else controls a needed resource, rule could easily shift to someone else.
"I won't be disobeyed," proclaimed Bellamy. Well, we'll see about that. How many people will rebel against him? Clarke, Finn and Wells definitely will oppose him and even his own sister, Octavia, has gone against his wishes by helping Monty and hooking up with Atom. She could be an important wild card in all of this.
No one died on Earth ... yet. Jasper's hanging on. There were fights, but at least the gun is now out of play. That will help even the playing field. Will the biggest threat to survival be from inside the group or the native Earth beings? It's likely danger will come from both.
Up on the Ark, Abby remained convinced that the teens weren't dying from radiation when their bracelets stopped communicating. I'm disappointed that someone as brilliant as her didn't consider that they were being removed. Or even that they were malfunctioning. It took Raven, a determined engineer, to clue the leadership in.
Of course, they removed the bracelets. They were prisoners sent to Earth. Why would they want those who treated them poorly to follow? At least Raven was there to get them to consider the possibility and provide the Chancellor hope that the Earth is survivable. That hope saved lives for 10 more days.
I can't wait to see Abby and Raven work together. They both have ambition and funk to get it done. And they have the motivation to get to Earth, though their arrival could be quite disruptive. Let the fun begin on the Ark and down on Earth!
Who do you like the most so far?
Carla Day is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter and on Google+.
