With the fifth season of the hit CW show The 100 still filming and not set to air until 2018, now felt like the perfect time to revisit the most recent season of the dystopian drama. I rewatched all of season 4 and came up with a list of the 10 best moments, a very difficult task given how many stunning moments happen in each episode alone.
The 100’s breakneck pace ensures that the writers are able to pack in an incredible amount of plot into just 13 episodes. I picked what I consider to be 10 of the best moments from a season that was full of incredible moments. Fair warning not all of them are happy!
1. Wake up and smell the destruction.
In the first episode of season 4 (“Echoes”) we see all those that have been affected by ALIE’s chip waking up from The City of Light. This moment is incredible due to the emotional impact it has on the viewer. We are shown the citizens of Polis dealing with the immediate aftermath of being forced into The City of Light, and their animosity towards Skaikru. The beginning sequence of the first episode manages to present the season long conflicts that will occur between Skaikru and the other clans, as well as set the emotional tone of the season within five minutes of the premiere.
2. Indra’s Daughter(s)?
One of my favorite relationships on this show has always been the bond between Octavia and Indra. I have always thought of them as a mother daughter relationship, and I always assumed that this was because Indra had no children of her own. Well I was wrong…Indra has a daughter and it was revealed that the person who stole the Flame from Roan was Indra’s daughter Gaia. I was shocked. The moment towards the end of the third episode (“The Four Horsemen”) when Octavia agrees to let Gaia leave with the Flame and helps Indra cover it up by faking the Flame’s destruction not only sets up plot points for later in the season but also reinforces the strong bond between Octavia and Indra.
3. Give the Blake’s a Break
Throughout the entire series one of the core relationships has been that of the Blake siblings. The whole reason that Bellamy came to the ground all the way back in the first episode of the show was to protect Octavia. The two have definitely had their ups and downs over the course of the four seasons but their love for one another is clear. That’s what makes what happened at the end of episode 4 so heartbreaking to watch. Bellamy, locked up in Polis with Kane, learns from Echo that his sister has been killed in battle as she “refused to be taken alive”. The anguish of an older brother who would do anything to protect his little sister is masterfully portrayed here by Bob Morley. Thankfully, after we see Bellamy grieving it is revealed to the audience that Octavia managed to survive.
4. The Ark is Dead
Throughout the first few episodes of the season we are introduced to Ilian, a young grounder from Trishanakru who blames Skaikru for his family’s deaths. More importantly he blames technology, as he himself killed his family while under ALIE’s influence. Since coming out of The City of Light he has made it his mission to destroy technology, and there is no greater hub of technology in the world than the Ark. He is able to get into the Ark by bringing a wounded Octavia back to her people in episode 5 (“The Tinder Box”). He wanders around the Ark for a while before making his way to the mainframes. Ilian then proceeds to set the entire Ark ablaze, simultaneously fulfilling his personal goal but also ruining everyone’s best chance at surviving the coming radiation. The camera shot of the Skypeople watching their hope and their home burn is chilling.
5. Bellamy’s Rescue Mission
In the seventh episode of the season (“Gimme Shelter”) we see Bellamy go on a doomed rescue mission to save a father and a son who have been trapped outside the walls of Arkadia while the black rain is falling. This is classic Bellamy Blake, risking his life to save others without a second thought. He does his very best to make it to where Mark and his son are sheltered, unfortunately the Rover gets stuck, making it impossible for him to get to them before the rain kills them. This moment stands out in that it reinforces Bellamy’s humanity; he was willing to risk his life to go out and save the lives of two people. This is the Bellamy Blake that I love.
6. I volunteer as tribute!
With the end of the world rapidly approaching and only one place being equipped to ensure survival, the members of the 13 clans decide to hold a final Conclave to see who will be able to live with their clan in the bunker. Each clan chooses one champion who will represent them in the Conclave. With time to choose running out, Clarke and Bellamy grow worried since they have no one trained in grounder combat, which means that they would surly lose. Just as they think that all hope might be lost, up rides Octavia on her horse and she says “I’m here for the war”
7. Welcome to the 77th Annual Hunger Games!
The final Conclave is not only one of the best moments in season 4 of The 100, but one of the best moments in the show period. The fight scenes are amazing (props to the choreographers and stunt men), especially the one between Roan, Octavia, and Luna. This leads to the epic one on one between Roan and Luna which ends with Luna drowning Roan in the fountain leaving only herself and Octavia left in the Conclave. Luna becomes distracted by her recent kill however and Octavia takes the opportunity to kill her and win the Conclave, becoming Commander of the 13 clans.
8. Octavia says the bunker is for everyone
After winning the Conclave and becoming the new Commander, Octavia proclaims that everyone will be welcome in the bunker and they are all now one clan. I love this moment because Octavia has never really known where she fit in, she never felt right with Skaikru, was never truly accepted within Trikru. When she unites all the clans by saying they can share the bunker she truly finds her place. She was meant to be a leader. She’s come quite a long way from chasing glowing butterflies off into the forest.
9. Back to Space!
In the penultimate episode of the season (“The Chosen”) Clarke, Bellamy, Monty, Harper, Murphy, Emori, and Echo are faced with a choice. They have less than 10 hours until the radiation wave hits them and they can either use that time to go back and safely get inside the bunker or they can continue on their mission. Their mission just so happens to be saving Raven and bringing her back to the bunker. Clarke and Bellamy discuss how they don’t have enough time to get to Raven and get back to the bunker, and that they’ll die without an alternative. Turns out that Clarke thought of another way, one where they can save Raven. They all arrive much to Raven’s surprise and Clarke explains to her that they can all survive if they return to space….
10. Praimfaya
The fourth season finale (“Praimfaya”) is an altogether great episode, but the best part truly comes in the ending sequence. Raven, Bellamy, Monty, Harper, Murphy, Emori, and Echo are all strapped into the spaceship ready to blast off to space while Clarke is trying to ensure there is power when they get up there. Clarke’s daring climb to the top of the tower and manual realignment of the satellite is only bested by the fact that she “dies” trying to save her friends. We’ve always known that Clarke will do anything necessary to save her people and this time it was finally the end of her. Except that it isn’t, when the finale flashes forward six years it is revealed that Clarke has survived (presumably due to her new status as a nightblood), and more shocking still is that she isn’t alone, she is joined by a young Natblida named Madi.
Bonus: Eligius Corporation
Who are they?? Where did they come from?? How did they get that spaceship??
Hopefully all of our questions will be answered! In the meantime let me know your top 10 moments!
