The 100 Season 2 Episode 10 Review: Survival of the Fittest
Amanda Festa
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Tonight on The 100, Bellamy and Lincoln attempt to take Mount Weather by storm. Sorry, I had to get that out of my system.
The title of The 100 Season 2 Episode 10 is "Survival of the Fittest" – an evolutionary theory that only those who possess the qualities most beneficial to survival will last. That's natural selection for you, folks. Science was never my best subject, but I think it's safe to say that being intolerant of radiation on a radiation-soaked planet is drawing the evolutionary short straw.
That said, there are plenty of other qualities in this post-apocalyptic world that make one a good candidate for survival and other qualities that are sure to lead to death or worse. Tonight, the strength of a number of characters is tested. So who has what it takes to survive? It may not be the people you would think.
If the hour taught us anything, it's that Octavia is a survivor. We've seen her grow tremendously since the start of the series, and she's always had a bit of an edge, but her experiences with Lincoln and the Grounders have given her a unique perspective. She is the first Grounder/Ark hybrid – possessing the knowledge and skills of both. Like Darwin's finches before her, Octavia is a prime example of adapting to a new environment.
Bellamy: You're good for her. You made her strong.
Lincoln: She was already strong.
Poised now to be Indra's second, she is surely being set up to play a much larger role, and I can see a future with her as leader of a joint Grounder/Ark (Groundark?) community in seasons to come. Hopefully a community where they teach everyone to wield a sword with expert skill, but also fishtail braid, because Octavia's hair is my spirit animal.
Speaking of, things also get hairy for Clarke and Lexa as they face the challenges of the new alliance, as well as a new less-human enemy. It appears to be a gorilla – although unnatural selection seems to have turned the animal into an invincible beast with super strength.
Both Clarke and Lexa have what it takes to survive. However, their differences take center stage tonight. After Lexa is hurt and Clarke helps her to safety, Lexa believes she should have left her for dead. We also get a little more information on Grounder doctrine. Apparently their leaders are personally selected by the spirit of the previous Commander. While this seems like a dangerous method of election, is it really any better than the way the Ark government was chosen?
You may be heartless, Lexa, but at least you're smart.
Clarke
Meanwhile, Jaha and Kane are at odds over the new alliance. Neither truly believe it will work, but Kane thinks it's a necessary move while they still have prisoners in Mount Weather. Jaha seeks out an unlikely ally in Murphy, enlisting him for a quest to find his son's grave.
While Murphy has been a mostly antagonistic force up until this point, his interaction with Jaha gives him a deeper characterization and one that poises him to become a much more redeemable character. We learn Murphy's father was sentenced to death by Chancellor Jaha for stealing medicine for Murphy. Murphy then elaborates to Jaha how his son was killed by a 12-year-old girl because she couldn't kill Jaha himself.
Good can come out of even the darkest acts.
Jaha
In this new world, who is more fit for survival – Jaha or Murphy? They do seem to have more in common than Murphy would like to admit. The ground has leveled the playing field for these two. Whereas on the Ark one was Chancellor and one was a criminal, on Earth both have made mistakes and are not widely trusted. (Also, who didn't crack up as Murphy gave Jaha directions with a wry: "Camp You is that way.")
Meanwhile, amid all of this Ark drama, Bellamy and Lincoln are playing out their own bromantic road movie. Bellamy gives his brotherly seal of approval to Lincoln and Octavia's relationship. That says a lot, especially since this approval is given pre-explanation as to why Lincoln was so fascinated with his sister before he knew her. Alas, Lincoln gives a telling account of an experience with a suicidal Ark resident his father forced him to murder.
The world's been trying to turn me into a monster for as long as I can remember.
Lincoln
There is some foreshadowing happening early in the episode, but due to denial or wishful thinking or Bellamy's overall effect on my person, I failed to see it. However, as they enter the caves and Lincoln's certainty begins to fade, it becomes clear he is not as fit for survival as we are led to believe by his early show of strength and general badassery.
Once again, The 100 is proving that nothing is off the table. As Lincoln falls to his knees to receive the reaper injection and we are shown alternating frames of Bellamy and Lincoln, we are in just as much denial as Bellamy himself. Lincoln can't do this! Lincoln wouldn't do this! Oh damn, Lincoln just did this...
Bellamy may be a survivor (and he is certainly the fittest!), but the forecast at Mount Weather is not looking good.
What did you think of The 100 Season 2 Episode 10? Were you surprised by Lincoln's actions? What's next for Bellamy? Will Jaha find the City of Light? What was your favorite part of "Survival of the Fittest?" Let us know in the comments!
If you can't believe what you just saw, there is plenty of time to rewatch. You can watch The 100 online at TV Fanatic to get your fix before next week.
