Christopher Larkin had Girl Scout cookies on his mind when he joined our table in the press room at Wondercon 2018. After a brief discussion of Samoas and Peanut Butter Patties, we dove in to talk about his character in The 100, and what we might be able to expect from Monty in Season 5.
Q: Six years in space. How has it been for Monty?
Christopher Larkin: Well, I imagine six years in a vacuum which can often feel like prison, you’re either going to come out feeling a huge bond with your fellow prisoners or you’re going to hate their guts and wish that you’d never see them again. We’ll see who has bonded and who has potentially fallen apart.
Q: That sounds ominous.
CL: It’s The 100. It would be doing the show a disservice if it wasn’t very ominous at all times.
Hope for Monty and Harper?
Q: How would you describe the scene between Monty and Harper (Chelsey Reist) when they see them again?
CL: I really hope, given the last time we saw them on the ground they had… You know, they chose each other. They chose life over death specifically because of each other so you’d hope that whether they make it or not, that they gave it their best shot. I’d like to think they’re together but you know, six years in any human relationship is like, so unpredictable and I wouldn’t blame them if it didn’t work, but you hope that they tried.
Q: We can tell that Chelsey’s been working out quite a bit so..
CL: Can you?
Q: It’s the revenge body she’s been working on.
CL: She could kill me in a second. Those abs! I will never have… never. It’s never gonna happen. And I’ve like accepted that. Being around Chelsey has made me accept that.
Q: Well we had a sense maybe that she was working out a little bit extra in those six years.
CL: Yeah. It’s a prison time. How do you fill it? Tons of workouts.
What do you do for six years in space?
Q: So, how’s Monty been occupying his time?
CL: Well, I think it depends on what’s up there. If there was a giant library of books… I try to think of how I occupy time when I’m unemployed and not working and I try to fill the tank with books. Music, good food – I think they’ll be lacking in the food department but hopefully they’ve got like a big cultural library up there.
Q: No Samoas?
CL: No Samoas… Lot of algae. No processed sugar. But hopefully an algae recipe that Monty has been really working on. He’s had six years to get it right!
Q: Who’s the first person he’s gonna want to see when he’s back on the ground?
CL: Wow. Whoa. Pause, pause. Caught me way off guard. (thinks) I don’t know. Octavia keeps popping into mind. Probably because her circumstances have changed the most. I can’t spoil too much but you can clearly see that she’s quite different. And I hope that she’s OK because I know her relationship with the 100 and the ground has always been very… divisive.
Giving Monty some agency
Q: Do you have creative input with your character now? Have you always had it?
CL: No. Not always… Especially when you’re starting, I think we’re all scared to rock the boat too much. You want to be a team player and you want the show to do well, but as time goes on.. It’s nice. You have a bit more freedom to go, “Okay, we’re not gonna get canceled. This is what I would like to see happen,” and I think for Monty… always more agency, cause I always feel he was like Jasper’s sidekick, he was like secondary to other people. So yeah, being a little more selfish has always been my … taking control of his own destiny and worrying about maybe Number One first and then once he takes care of himself, taking care of other people.
Q: It could be a minor spoiler but does he get some of that in this new season?
CL: I hope so! Oh God, the spoilers, these questions… It’s good. How can you not ask? But how can I not answer?
Q: Who’s the one in the prison transport that Monty really desperately does not want to come face to face with?
CL: What prison transport? I don’t.. I’ve been in space for six years. What prison transport do you speak of? I have no idea.
What to expect in Season 5?
Q: What three words would you use to describe the season?
CL: Separately or like a phrase?
Q: Either way.
CL: Three words, season five. Um… sorry these are like the hardest…these are the hardest questions. Bloody… utopian… peaceful… non-confrontational.
Q: Really? For The 100? Are you sure those aren’t the antonyms?
CL: For sure, yeah. We all live in peace and harmony, grounders, humans, prison ship, yeah. … everything is perfect!
(Laughter around the table.)
Q: I know he hasn’t been friends with Jasper in a long time but has that come to mind for him in these past six years?
CL: I think always. Not a day goes by that he doesn’t think of Jasper and his mother, and because of how it ended, how traumatic it was… Like with any death, the first year is really really tough, and you’re just getting through the day. And you always hold on to that person and they always mean the world to you but it does, at least for me, it does get easier. Because you have to prep yourself. Everyone you know is gonna die. Your parents, all your friends, you, So knowing mortality is right there, having a healthy relationship… but still looking forward and trying to find hope. Sorry. Dark way to end this!
The 100 returns to CW Tuesday, April 24 at 9/8 Central.
