The 100 Round Table: The Weight of the World
Amanda Festa
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Goodbye, Mount Weather. Hello, A.L.I.E.
The season finale of The 100 Season 2 Episode 16 brought a devastating and powerful end to the Mount Weather war and a revelation about the apocalypse that sets the stage for The 100 Season 3. But one lingering question remains – how will viewers ever make it until then?!
Join TV Fanatics Lindsay MacDonald, Paul Dailly and Amanda Festa, along with TV Fanatic Super Fan Marko Pekic, as they discuss the emotional highs and lows of "Blood Must Have Blood, Part Two" and what that game-changing final sequence means for the future of The 100 universe.
The decision to irradiate Level 5 was obviously difficult for all involved. Was there an alternative? How do you think this decision compares to Lexa's choice on The 100 Season 2 Episode 15?
Lindsay: I struggled with that development the most. For the life of me, I cannot think of an alternative. No one was backing down, and as we've said before, this is not one of those shows were you run out of doors and find a window. I think Lexa and Dante crossed their lines last week, and now Clarke has crossed hers.
Marko: The radiation breach was the most efficient way for sure. They had the surprise factor, it was quick and none of the Sky People were put in danger. While Lexa made a decision to save her people, she really didn't kill any of the Sky People herself. Clarke and company knew that pulling the lever would terminate around 200 innocent people. That was a really tough decision.
Paul: There wasn't really an alternative. It was literally her people dying or theirs. She and Bellamy made the call that any person thinking logically would do. Lexa's choice was a little different. She should have made her intentions clear to Clarke rather than continuing to get ready to fight the Mountain Men.
Amanda: Irradiating the level was the only option. The moment that Clarke and Bellamy pulled the lever was set up perfectly, with each move up to that point orchestrated in such a way that it was truly the only way out. That said, despite knowing it had to happen, it was very difficult to watch because the civilians and innocents inside Mount Weather were very real to us as viewers by that point.
Each of the leaders (Cage, Dante, Clarke, Jaha) made decisions with some pretty deadly repercussions. Did any of them have any other choice?
Lindsay: I think there's always a choice. They all took stock of their priorities and the consequences they would face for their choices, and then pushed on through anyway. It's a quality that some of the greatest and some of the worst leaders in history all share.
Marko: As Lindsay said, there is always a choice. Cage could've tried to negotiate a couple of bone marrow donations a week or something. I know it sounds bizarre, but he didn't act rationally at the moment. I was also shocked by how easily Jaha let those boys die; his determination was borderline crazy.
Paul: Not really. All of these characters have been on a journey this season – one that pushed them all to their limits. Sure, it's easy saying Cage could have called his plan off, but then he would have looked weak in the eyes of his followers. Then we have Jaha. He is on the ground for a reason none of us know, but he had to make those decisions to get to where we left him at the end of The 100 Season 2 Episode 16.
Amanda: While I agree that there is always a choice, I think in these four situations it goes back to what it means to be a leader. Each of these leaders believed they were making the best decision for the greater good of their people. And like Lindsay said, when we look back at history, this is something we see as well. It's not always the right thing, the motivations are not always just.
I was probably most surprised by Jaha letting the kids die. While there was a chance Murphy and Jaha would have died themselves trying to help, it did seem excessively cold. Maybe because unlike the battle at Mount Weather, Jaha let the boys die for his own spiritual and often times selfish quest.
With so much death and devastation, what was the most emotional or difficult part of the episode to watch?
Lindsay: The most emotional for me was definitely seeing our "heroes" walk into the dining hall where all the radiated inhabitants of Mount Weather lay dead and dying. They closed in on that soccer ball we saw the kids playing with earlier, and I just lost it.
Marko: The Sky kids entering Camp Jaha. The moment "Knocking on Heaven's Door" started playing, I teared up. Those kids went through hell and finally finding some peace was really moving. Also that Bellarke scene – breathtaking! My heart shattered when Bellamy offered Clarke his forgiveness. Their relationship has evolved so much. He needed her to stay there and share all that pain, but at the same time, he understood her need to leave the Camp.
Paul: Maya's death. I knew it was a matter of when, but when it occurred on screen, I couldn't help but shed a tear for her. I hope she manages to find peace on the other side.
Amanda: That soccer ball destroyed me. It was such a small detail, but it was a reminder of how many innocent children called Mount Weather home. Those children didn't know anything about politics or bone marrow or war. Like Maya said, none of them were innocent – they all took the treatments – but those children didn't make a choice. Seeing the actual children would have been too much for The CW, but that soccer ball had the same leveling effect.
Maya dying in Jasper's arms was excruciating. How do you think Maya's death will influence Jasper in Season 3?
Lindsay: Can I say called it? Is that in bad taste? Haha. I think Jasper got a lot of development this season, and Maya was a big part of his journey. He seemed to hold Monty very responsible for Maya's death (even more so than Clarke and Bellamy), so I think we'll see that tension continue in The 100 Season 3 Episode 1.
Marko: Jasper was the guy who never got the girl, but Maya was the girl who wanted him, so their connection was much deeper because of it. Throughout the season, Jasper put so much trust into Clarke and never doubted she would abandon them, so her being guilty of killing his girlfriend can't end well. This will distance him from his friends, but I hope her death will provide him enough screen time to further develop his character.
Paul: Jasper will probably be trying to lead his own group of people in a different way from the politics of The Ark. He will understand why Clarke and Bellamy pulled the trigger, but he won't forget.
Amanda: I can't wait to see more of Jasper next season. He has grown so much that when Raven handed him his old goggles, they seemed like a foreign object in his hands. He is obviously upset and feels betrayed by his best friend and the leader he put his faith in. But, like Raven coming to terms with Clarke killing Finn, I think he will eventually realize that it really was the only way. After all, even if Jasper killed Cage, there were other Mountain Men present who would have continued in his place.
The twist at the end was definitely a game changer. What do you think of this new direction?
Lindsay: I'm so excited we're going to see how the nuclear apocalypse actually happened. We all just assumed it was warring countries, but that twist just makes it so much juicier. I love a good artificial intelligence storyline, so getting to the bottom of this new mystery is what I'm looking forward to most about next season!
Marko: It certainly is a game changer and I love it. Researching the cause of the apocalypse is a major thing and it will give a new perspective to the whole story. The introduction of that hologram woman was certainly powerful, especially combined with that guy killing himself out of guilt. Can I say how much I love Murphy? He was so great in that secret chamber!
Paul: The show really went full-on sci-fi, and it was needed. The end of reminded me of Lost, the way the rug was just pulled from under us and our jaws all collectively hit the floor. It's an interesting development that Jaha's claims that he had to get to the City Of Light actually meant something.
Amanda: What a twist! I love a good origin story, so I am so excited that we are going to learn more about how this apocalypse came about. I agree with Marko that Murphy was absolutely fantastic, and I could not be more psyched to learn that Richard Harmon is a series regular next season. If anyone needs a show to fill the void between seasons, may I suggest binge watching Battlestar Galactica? The final moments of the The 100 Season 2 Episode 16 definitely call up a similar apocalyptic event, and both shows expertly navigate a moral gray area.
In an all-around phenomenal episode, did you have a favorite stand-out moment?
Lindsay: It was short, but it hit me like a punch in the gut: Abby and Clarke's reunion inside the mountain. Clarke was trying her hardest to keep it together, but she just looked so close to breaking. Her tearful "I tried to be the good guy" was almost as decimating as Abby's reassurance that maybe there are no good guys. That was a big moment for both of them, and those actresses just knocked it out of the park.
Marko: The reunion between Nathan and Sgt. David Miller. They are secondary characters, but their reactions to meeting each other again felt so sincere, especially when they brought the adults into Mount Weather. Also Octavia easily taking out two Mountain Men was really well-executed.
Paul: My stand-out moment was Octavia's fighting. She has honestly grown so much since The 100 Season 1 Episode 1. She managed to take down the guards with ease and I'm intrigued to see what's next for her. Will she miss the Grounder lifestyle? Possibly.
Amanda: There were so many moments! But my absolute favorite was Bellamy putting his hand over Clarke's on the lever and saying "Together." Their relationship is so beautifully understated that a big reunion in the tunnels would have felt gratuitous. They have been through a lot, and not all of it has been positive, but at the end of the day he is there for her.
Bellamy wanting to shoulder some of the weight of that decision, even if it was only a gesture, was such a powerful moment. It was sad that their reunion was so short lived, but I look forward to them reuniting again in The 100 Season 3!
