- We have finally crash-landed into season six of The 100 – and wow, is this season already packing quite a punch.
The last time we saw our favorite characters, they had just awoken from a 50+ year cryosleep. They arrived at a new planet where they hope they’ll do better in. The bar is pretty low, considering all they have to do is not commit any mass murder. I don’t know about you, but I’m not holding my breath. If The 100 has taught us anything it’s that history tends to repeat itself.
What The 100 does best is bringing everything full circle, and we certainly see that in this premiere. While this season is acting as a sort of reset for the series, the parallels between now and where the show started can’t be ignored. I mean, Miller literally joked about it saying: “we’re back bitches”.
Before I get into my review, I just want to take a quick minute to appreciate all the season one callbacks Jason Rothenberg (the show’s creator and writer of this episode) put into this episode. To me, it sort of felt like a ‘thank you’ to all the fans who have watched from the beginning and have gotten The 100 to season six, and even season seven.
The Gang’s All Here
For those of you who were a bit concerned with what this so-called “reset” would entail – worry not. While there are some new elements at play such as a new planet (or should we say moon!), we still have the same core set characters and relationships that make this show so great.
This episode wastes no time in getting everyone back together. Spacekru, Clarke, Abby, and Jordan are the select few that Monty and Harper’s son, Jordan, chose to awake. While it has been decades since they went into cryosleep, for everyone, it feels like just yesterday that they escaped a doomed planet. This means that everyone still practically hates each other.
Raven I-don’t-have-time-for-your-crap Reyes continues to be the true voice of reason throughout the entire premiere. Practically not being able to look at Clarke and Abby, Raven continues to remind everyone that their past actions should not be wiped clean just because they saved a bunch of people.
Honestly, the whole “now we’ll get our humanity back” line is getting old. Like Raven says, some people managed to survive without ever losing it. Don’t get me wrong, it is still a constant theme in the show that I enjoy exploring, but there’s only so many times the past can and should be forgiven.
While you have Raven holding a well-earned grudge, Bellamy has seemingly forgiven Clarke for her past mistakes. Bellarke fans even had a nice moment, as Bellamy and Clarke finally talked about the fact that she called him every day for six years. It was a sweet moment between the two, and I’m hoping it’s the first of many this season.
Give Raven Some Peace
Okay, I’m just going to come out and say it. The fact that the writers keep giving Raven happiness only for it to be taken away a second later is bogus.
Since the Raven was first introduced to us, she has faced nothing but a tragic storyline after a tragic storyline. It’s ridiculous. Even more so after tonight’s big death.
Last season, we spent a lot of time figuring out the potential relationship between Raven and Miles Shaw. It wasn’t until the end of season five in which they finally realized the affection they had for each other and (finally) got together. Then in the premiere, we get to see them enjoy their newfound relationship – running off to enjoy a little fun under the covers.
But we should’ve known that the second it was decided that Shaw would go to the ground and Raven would stay on the ship that something bad would happen.
While trying to escape crazy bugs that were attacking them, Shaw runs straight into a radioactive field. Unfortunately, he doesn’t survive.
It seems like his death was to prove that this moon that they are attempting to inhabit is not safe for anyone. That death can happen in an instant (it is The 100 after all). But the fact that it was Shaw and that it just so happened to be right when he and Raven were happy together is unbelievable.
I’d be nice if Raven could catch a break every now and then.
New Moon, Same Octavia
I’ll be honest, I haven’t been able to stand Octavia since season five. While I understand what she did in the bunker, all her actions afterward were an attempt to maintain the power she was slowly losing.
Part of me thinks it’s a shame Octavia has become the person she is. The other part of me enjoys it when a character you never would have expected becomes the villain. If you would’ve told me that the girl under the floor we met in season one would become a ruthless leader, I would have laughed. But here we are and it looks like we will never get the old Octavia back.
The same can be said for Niylah. A character I once liked because she was so independent, now blindly follows Octavia. So of course, Niylah wakes Octavia up even though everyone else agreed to keep her in cryosleep.
However, without Niylah, we wouldn’t have the showdown we’ve been waiting for between Kane and Octavia. It’s about time these two hashed it out, though it’s a shame that the fight ended with Kane almost dying. Fortunately, Kane is still breathing thanks to some creative thinking by the writers (Henry Ian Cusick is currently working on a new show The Passage). Though, it is a bummer we won’t be seeing much of Kane this season.
Brave New World
The great part about this episode is that it moves along quickly. Before we know it, Clarke, Bellamy, and the group have already started exploring the place they’re looking to call home.
My biggest concern with the new moon and civilization is that it is a hard sell. This isn’t Supergirl in which discovering a new planet would be just another Tuesday. The 100 is different. While it is a sci-fi show, the concept that they are literally on a new moon (and are able to breathe and walk around without worrying about gravity) seems kind of far-fetched. Maybe that’s just me.
Putting the doubt aside, this new moon looks insane. Don’t let the array of colors fool you, some strange things are afoot.
In the middle of Murphy serenading everyone (which was the highlight of this episode), Emori goes on a mini-rampage and nearly kills Murphy. All the while, Clarke, Echo, and Bellamy are reading a bedtime story about people exhibiting dangerous behavior during an eclipse.
On top of all that, their ship was stolen which not only takes away their only escape option but proves that they aren’t alone on this moon.
Safe to say next week’s episode is going to be deadly. The eclipse is now in full swing and I can’t wait to see how everyone will react, especially when murdering each other is already top of mind without a killer eclipse in place.
Agree? Disagree? Share with us in the comments below!
The 100 airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on The CW.
READ ALL OF OUR SEASON SIX REVIEWS –
- ‘The 100’ 6×01 Review: “Sanctum
- ‘The 100 6×02 Review: “Red Sun Rising”
- ‘The 100’ 6×03 Review — The Children of Gabriel
- ‘The 100’ 6×04 Review — The Face Behind the Glass
- ‘The 100’ 6×05 Review: “The Gospel of Josephine”
- ‘The 100’ 6×06 Review: “Memento Mori”
- ‘The 100’ 6×07 Review: “Nevermind”
- ‘The 100’ 6×08 Review: “The Old Man and the Anomaly”
- ‘The 100’’ 6×09 Review: “What You Take With You”
- ‘The 100’ 6×10 Review: “Matryoshka”
- ‘The 100’ 6×11 Review: “Ashes to Ashes”
- ‘The 100’ 6×12 – “Adjustment Protocol”