We're very excited! The 100 Season 6 is almost here with the promise of a "new normal" kicking everything into high gear.

There is no time to decompress from that long nap because the characters and the audience get thrust back right into the thick of things, But from that comes the promise of a reflective season, at least for the short term. 

Change might even be necessary right now since nothing changed on Earth, and it got blown up in the end. Working through those mistakes could be the key to doing better.

The 100 returns with that on its mind, working on two very different speeds to lay the foundation for this season. 

Between the practical journey to the new planet and an action-packed introduction to the dangers the characters are facing, The 100 Season 6 is shaping up in its intrigue, the element of surprise, and possibly returning to the roots that worked in prior seasons. 

There is something to be said for that nostalgia that comes with the characters arriving at a new planet, but what is even better is that their experiences from before aid them, so they don't fall into a false sense of security yet again. 

When we last left the show, Monty and Harper had put everyone in cryosleep but stayed awake themselves, so that 125 years later their friends could survive on a new planet. 

Their son Jordan woke up Bellamy and Clarke to deliver the news to them first, and they got left with the weight of doing better this time around. Not only for themselves but in Monty and Harper's memory.

At the same time, they now had a new person in their lives to look after, with Jordan representing innocence and a sense of Green hope. 

The pressure is on for the characters on the show, all of whom need first to be woken up, to do better than they did before. They can't continue to ruin everything around them, and this season starts very vocally with that message.

It is made clear that to do better, everyone needs to face the demons inside of them as well as the problems they have with each another.

The real danger right now is the risks that come from the different groups not having a sense of trust in one another. The bigger the issues between the characters, the more danger they might have to look out for on this new planet.

The synopsis for the premiere episode entitled "Sanctum" is, "Still reeling after receiving Monty’s message, a small group goes down to explore the mysterious new planet. Back on the Mothership, several members of Wonkru face the consequences of their decisions."

That gets followed by the episode entitled "Red Sun Rising" and the synopsis for that is, "The team on the ground fights to survive the threat they face on the new planet. Meanwhile, Raven must join forces with an unlikely ally to save everyone on board the Mothership."

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A helpful and lengthy trailer got released, too, which even allowed us to stir up some Season 6 theories before we got a look at the season. 

This preview may contain some light teases about the first two episodes of the upcoming season. Proceed with caution if you like to stay in the dark, but really, who likes that? 

A Planet, Some Parallels, And Plenty of Potential 

The 100 Season 6 is taking on quite a lot with the introduction of a new planet and the new characters that come with it. They are all part of this mythology that the characters and the audience pick up as the show goes on, and so far there is plenty of success there.

The premiere episode of the season is all about getting the characters to that new planet so that the actual plot can start, which means parallels to The 100 Season 1 and maybe even this antsy feeling. 

There is this promise that comes with a new setting, the worldbuilding is exciting and the journey there only adds to that suspense. 

Because The 100 manages to transform Vancouver into the planet they want us to envision, so it feels familiar but still very unknown. The trailer peaked that interest with the colors, and the different places that scream surprises at every turn. 

That is where the premiere comes into play, building up the suspense and accomplishing the required connections for the future of the season. Fans should pay attention to both old facts, and even some hints of new information sprinkled in, because chances are the show will return to it.

But it is "Red Sun Rising" that will overwhelm the audience with some backstory, all of which will play a role later on.

Personally, all the information helps structure theories more, mostly because those first two episodes will destroy any ideas fans might have had.

The 100 has a clear voice and an understanding of a possible story that it wants to tell this time around, but it is too early to pinpoint, definitively, what that might be.

The ball is in their court right now, with the second episode of the season setting up the future more efficiently. 

The 100 Season 6 Episode 2 does a beautiful job of picking up where the previous episode left off, and yet still managing to make it its own type of storytelling.

Without giving much away, the stakes are very different in this episode and what helps is the way that the characters have been here before.

They didn't face the same situation, but they don't all possess the same kind of innocence that they might have had during the first season. 

Clarke, Bellamy, Zeke, Emori, Murphy, Echo, Miller, and Jackson have all been shaped by their past on Earth and their various conflicts in between. They are quicker on their feet, and that makes the episode more exciting as a result of that.

As the episode comes to a close though, it is obvious that everything that all the characters thought they knew is far from the truth. They don't know what they have gotten themselves into, and there is a sense of intrigue that comes with that.

It also is necessary to highlight the intro for the second episode; it is efficient storytelling that lays a foundation but doesn't give us all the answers. 

It's a challenge to submerge the audience that way; it is effective though because it serves as an intriguing early warning for the onlooker that can't do anything except watch what happens next.

Ghosts of A Past Season 

There is no way around this one. The new season of The 100 doesn't come without strings. There is that pressure to see issues with the prior season referenced in the new one, for very valid reasons.

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The characters were stagnant in the show's need for them to serve the plot more than the plot was ever going to serve them.

That meant that many relationships and characters were left on the backburner, only to end up feeling like strangers to the fans afterward.

The good news is that the past isn't forgotten, but with that comes a bit of advice.

Fans might say that they want Season 5 (and even some decisions before that) to get acknowledged in a real way, but there has to be a compromise where the audience then gets back in that headspace.

The 100 Season 6 started aware of which choices and past issues they wanted to visit.

But in a way, enough time passed from the hiatus to now that is is hard to get back to that place of outrage again. 

The best suggestion after getting a glimpse of what the show will focus on for individual characters is for fans to go back and do a rewatch. 

Clarke is one of the characters that would be recommended for, mostly because her mistakes happened recently in the context of the show.

It was mentioned before The 100 Season 5 Episode 13 even aired that not everyone would forgive Clarke for the choices she made, and that is unfortunately true.

That is made very clear in the first two episodes, and it is the new normal right now. 

That will be difficult to watch though, especially since Clarke is sorry for what she did and looking to the future so she could do better.

Then you have the people that stay up in space, but this time around not all characters that messed up are owning up to their mistakes.

Octavia is the obvious one; she continues to have her past choices framing the way others see her. But to be fair, she isn't looking to take on any accountability or even to admit she did anything wrong.

The path to redemption is harder for those not willing to admit they have demons to face. 

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Essentially, everyone has something to answer for and The 100 Season 6 allows the plot to put those characters in that position.

The past is not going anywhere, for the characters or for the audience that is tuning in with skepticism. 

But the show is embracing it in a way that makes you want to keep watching, at least for now. They are allowing conflict to resurface, and at the same time not allowing the past to dwell on a situation too long. 

To improve what happened in the past the story must move forward, which is hopeful because of the way our favorites will have to face things they don't want to to make that happen. 

Not much can be said without spoiling, but the show might have an innovative way of forcing individual characters to face their demons so they can do better on this new planet.

If executed with the attention this concept deserves, then there could be a comprise, where the audience gets justice for The 100 Season 5 and the show gets to explore new stories without lingering in previous mistakes. 

The adventure is just beginning though; we haven't seen anything yet. 

Character Driven Creations 

It's all about the characters.

Let's repeat that. It is all about the characters and their journeys.

It is too soon to tell if that is the long term message for the upcoming season of The 100, but so far there is intentional though being put into the interactions and the paths that each character is taking.

The show is going about exploring the characters more by pairing people off with people we might not expect them to interact with much. 

Raven gets help from an unexpected ally, and it is a well-executed approach for both characters. It plays with what the audience expects to see, and it allows new people to bring something out of our favorites like we didn't think they could. 

There is also the way that the groupings aren't set in stone the way it feels like it will be in prior seasons.

Usually, there are clear cut divisions, yet this around there are more intersections and characters can get paired off within an already established group.

The people that get to the new planet first include Clarke, Bellamy, Zeke, Emori, Echo, Jackson, Murphy, and Miller. And while they do have a group dynamic about them, the show develops a fresh way to break them off in between some of the action, establishing exciting connections that might even reappear later. 

The way the characters are valued now needs to continue all season, and there is room for that to keep growing as the adventure reveals itself more.

But as mentioned before, the first two episodes set up the season in a broad enough sense that the audience will still get left with nothing but questions.

There are many things to get excited for, but the season has only begun, so there is plenty still left to be on the lookout for here. 

Stray Out Of Context Thoughts From Season 6

• Fans of Bellamy and Clarke don't need to worry, they are here, and they are messing with our emotions. The 100 is playing a perilous game, yet at the heart it is still just Bellamy and Clarke.
  
  They continue to steal scenes when they are together. That also offers surprises not only for us but also for each of them during those scenes together.
  
  The biggest tease that could come from all of this though is the word parallels. Bellamy and Clarke are compared in a calculated way again, but that is normal soulmate behavior on The 100.

• Nothing everything is rainbows and unicorns. Sometimes things have to blow up before they can improve down the line. 

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• Raven is gunning for that best quote of the year award, and she has no need to worry. Her lines are not only memorable, but they are also in some twisted way very hilarious.

• Give Eliza Taylor all the acting awards now. If you thought she blew it out of the water during The 100 Season 5 Episode 1, then prepare to think again because we haven't seen anything yet. Clarke got a chance to dive into her emotions in the previous season, and the best thing The 100 Season 6 has done so far is not let that end.
  
  The audience still gets to see Clarke dig into her feelings, sometimes in a subtle way and sometimes not as much. But it is incredible to get to continue that journey with the lead, and don't expect to walk away without tearing quite a lot 

• Sometimes you get what you want, and then other times you get the exact opposite and then some. 

• Names are important, but there is a good chance you will blink and miss a meaningful connection during The 100 Season 6 Episode 2. That means you will need to come back here to get that little detail because the theories will be blowing up once you do. 

• Bob Morley got the chance to do something different in the second episode of this new season, and it was one of the best parts of that episode. There might be another slideshow idea inspired by his performance in the first two episodes. 

• Several characters are still lackluster at best, yet it feels like The 100 is aware of who needs to be added into that mix to keep the individual stories exciting.

• Jordan Green is a lovely presence on the show, but don't underestimate his loyalty or who his parents are. He is not only his father's son, but he is also Harper's, and her memory does remain. 

• Get us someone who looks at us the way that Zeke looks at Raven. 

• Murphy is going to blow some fans away with extraordinary talent, and not everyone is ready, except that you probably are. 

What are some theories that have been brewing for you?

What would you like to see in the new season?

What could you do without?

What did the trailer get you most excited about and waiting to see?

What character have you missed the most?

Let us know below!

The 100 Season 6 Episode 1 premieres Tuesday, April 30 at 9/8c on The CW.

Stick around TV Fanatic for more features, slideshows, episode previews, and reviews of the upcoming season, and watch The 100 online if you need to catch up on the adventure

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