The 100 Season 2 Episode 14 Review: Bodyguard of Lies
Amanda Festa
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That kiss! Which one, you ask? The one between the attractive blonde and the hot brunette with emotional availability issues, of course!
There was no shortage of action on The 100 Season 2 Episode 14, and only some of it involved the upcoming battle.
"Bodyguard of Lies" appears to be a slight departure from recent episodes in that its tone was slightly less bleak. It's strange to say that in an episode that included both a minefield incident and the melting of a slew of Mount Weather security guards via acid tank explosion, but there it is.
With more focus on character relationships (Raven and Wick / Clarke and Lexa) and favorable developments on the Mount Weather front, the feel was a bit less somber than usual. But we are most definitely grading on a curve.
From Finn's death through the missile strike on The 100 Season 2 Episode 12, there has been so much stress put on survival, making hard choices and doing what needs to be done. It has been all business, and rightly so.
The two-part season finale beginning with The 100 Season 2 Episode 15 will give us the final battle at Mount Weather, which will certainly bring violence, destruction and death – if the title "Blood Must Have Blood" isn't enough of a spoiler alert.
"Bodyguard of Lies" gives us the win we needed – on multiple fronts. But it is The 100 after all, so we will make sure not to get too comfortable.
Clarke is back on track! She has been experiencing growing pains as a leader, which makes sense for a character who is new to the role. She has learned how to lead from her experiences and the examples of those around her. One of these examples is Lexa, and after the pain of Finn's death, it makes sense for Lexa's detached leadership style to have a certain appeal.
You say having feelings makes me weak, but you're weak for hiding from them.
Clarke
However, it also makes sense that Clarke's foray into merciless command is brief. After all, Clarke's strength is in her sympathy. When she kills Atom – and when she kills Finn – these fatal acts are not those of a hard-hearted leader, but of a leader whose strength has its foundation in empathy.
Clarke: What if it was too dangerous and I sent him in there anyway?
Lexa: You care about him.
But what makes this series so great is it's never black and white. Clarke is no bleeding heart, and Lexa is not as cold-hearted as she wants people to believe. There is a story behind Lexa's demeanor. We were given a small glimpse of it when she shared the story of Costia's death. And tonight we get so much more.
Maybe life should be about more than just surviving.
Clarke
Alycia Debnam Carey is phenomenal, perfectly portraying the cracking of Lexa's carefully constructed facade. In one of the stand-out one-on-one scenes between them, Clarke catches on to Lexa's feelings for her and parlays that information to save Octavia by offering up an ultimatum.
If she cares about her, she won't have Octavia killed. And If she does, Clarke will expose their knowledge of the missile strike.
This ultimatum, after all, could only be effective if the person serving it up was indispensable. In that moment, Clarke has to know that Lexa would never have her killed.
Later, when Lexa kisses her, Clarke's reaction is open to interpretation. She kisses her back, but then tells her that she isn't ready to be involved with someone. While this may be true, it could also be a wartime tactic to placate her and keep her a little bit under her thumb – as much so as a warrior like Lexa could ever be. I do believe Clarke cares for Lexa, but the timing of the kiss seems a little too convenient.
Speaking of kissing, Raven finally got some much-deserved air time as she enlists Wick to help her disable the acid fog. There are definite parallels between Raven and Lexa, and although they haven't interacted too many times, there is a commonality between them that is hard to deny. Both are strong-willed, hardened, protective of their people, but also very (emotionally) self-protective.
Raven's reaction to sleeping with Wick is very much in line with her character. You can see her guard go up immediately and she is back in defensive mode. For Raven, like Lexa, there is a bit of the "love is weakness" mentality happening. It is clear that both Lexa and Raven feel a lot, but at the same time, won't let themselves feel.
Wick: I'll have you know, I was a god at fluid dynamics.
Raven: You think you're a god at everything.
Wick: Empirical evidence doesn't lie.
On the war front, the acid fog is finally down! Bellamy's actions at Mount Weather were badass and gripping to watch. It was touch and go for a minute, but with the acid fog disabled, Cage knows he is pretty much screwed. While I have a feeling it will not be that easy, let's take a moment to celebrate this victory and enjoy the momentary lapse in dire circumstances.
Are you ready for the emotional turmoil that is surely to come in The 100 Season 2 Episode 15? Who were you more excited to see finally hook up – Raven and Wick, or Clarke and Lexa? Was Clarke emotionally invested in the kiss or was it partially strategic? Who are you most afraid won't make it to The 100 Season 3? Sound off in the comments!
If you missed any of the action, remember you can watch The 100 online at TV Fanatic.
