It’s not surprising that The 100 can go to dark places, but this episode took everything a bit further.
As we recall, A.L.I.E has taken over Raven’s body and she has no limits on how far she will go in order to get what she wants. Raven is knocked out cold and Jasper is trying to sneak her out of Arkadia but he’s met with rounds of shots from everyone, including Abby whose now been introduced into the City of Light cult.
Jasper also rescues Clarke who was on her way back to Arkadia from the round of shots which was noble of him since he isn’t one to hide his hatred for her. Clarke hops into the rover with Jasper but is confused as to why Abby is with the rest of the Skaikru shooting at them.
They’re heading over to the hideout cave and have to arrive before Raven wakes up so that A.L.I.E can’t identify their location. Octavia, Bellamy, Sinclair and Monty are back at the cave and tensions are running high there as well. Octavia and Bellamy are not on good terms whatsoever. Yes, Bellamy turned Pike over to the grounders but that doesn’t mean he’s been redeemed from the atrocities he’s committed. He’s certainly not on Octavia’s “good guys” list.
If we were to stop and consider Octavia has been one of the characters to really stick to her integrity. Everyone else’s has been compromised at one moment or the other and have stepped over into the gray scale that is morality and ethics. Her righteousness drives her to be radical in her beliefs and she’s not cutting Bellamy any slack whatsoever.
Bellamy, meanwhile, tries to explain his reasons for why he helped the Grounder massacre. He was trying to protect his people. But throughout this whole episode we get to see how the consequences of his decision continue to sink in deeper making him realize once again how grave his mistake was and bring true repentance.
Octavia is itching to leave since she can’t stand looking at Bellamy in the eyes but she decides stay when she sees Jasper arrive with Raven and Clarke in tow. Clarke is still able to make her feel needed even if she won’t admit it. Jasper then tells everyone about how Arkadia has been completely chipped, including Monty’s mom and Abby. Also about how Raven was trying to get A.L.I.E out from her mind before A.L.I.E took over her body completely. This means Raven isn’t herself and won’t be found unless they figure out how to get the chip out. They must finish what Raven was trying to start by using the wristbands.
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Raven wakes up and sees Clarke holding the City of Light chip, also known as the “flame” in Polis. A.L.I.E immediately realizes that’s the second piece to her software that she’s been searching for. Raven loses control. Being controlled by A.L.I.E turned this episode into an exorcism of some sort.
Either way, Lindsey Morgan totally kicked butt during this episode. She truly went deep into her character and filming these scenes must have been physically and emotionally draining. I am so glad that she got this moment to truly shine with her acting chops and showed us that there’s a lot more to Raven as a character as well. The vast emotions that Lindsey was able to tap into literally from one second to the other was astounding and kept my eyes glued watching. She did a phenomenal job!
Anyways, Raven tries to escape to see her surroundings so that A.L.I.E can communicate their location to the others back at Arkadia but the gang is able to knock her out with drugs and they take her back Niylah’s post. Remember Niylah? Clarke’s lover from episode one of this season. Clarke remembers that she traded her one of the wristbands and that her place will be good to keep Raven in hiding.
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Niylah isn’t very welcoming to them ever since her father was killed in the Grounder massacre led by Skaikru. There’s no time for Clarke to sweet-talk her since Raven is beginning to wake up so Bellamy makes things move quickly by pointing a gun at her face.
Niylah is kept in another room away from Raven since A.L.I.E could identify her as well. They tie Raven to the bed but A.L.I.E is feeding her instructions to get herself free. This includes opening her wrist wounds as well as going full on Emily Rose by dislocating her own shoulder in order to give the ties some slack so she can reach them. SO CREEPY! Raven is out of control and it’s hard for Jasper and the others to even be around her.
The worst part about Raven being possessed is not so much the physical damages she can cause to them, like the many times she punched Jasper in the face, but instead the knowledge she has on all of them. She knows exactly the words to say to get into their psyche and push their buttons. Raven is heartless and relentless in the verbal and psychological abuse.
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Meanwhile, Sinclair and Monty are frantically trying to piece together what Raven started when she was trying to break free. They figure out that they need an electromagnet and the only place besides Arkadia that has one is the Dropship. Monty and Octavia go together to find it and it’s a good thing that they used the buddy system. When they arrive there, Monty’s mom appears out of nowhere acting like she is so glad to see Monty and is trying to protect him.
Monty, however, knows better and tries to wake up his mom’s consciousness by asking her what was his father’s favorite color. Unable to access her memories, Monty knows that she’s no longer really his mother anymore as she’s been chipped and gone into the City of Light.
A.L.I.E is behind Hannah’s every move and so she attacks Monty and tries to force him to take the City of Light pill. Octavia steps in but Hannah’s is very strong with the chip inside her and Octavia is pinned down with a knife to her throat. Monty is begging for his mom to stop but she won’t desist and so he shoots her shoulder. She doesn’t feel a thing because of the chip as well and so he’s forced to shoot her right in her chest, killing his own mom.
Monty killed his mom. Monty who was one of the only characters who hadn’t been as tainted by the darkness that others have. It seems illogical but I surely hope that he doesn’t lose himself moving forward from this like the others (Bellamy, Jasper, Clarke) have with the weight of their actions. It’s hard to be yourself after shooting your mom down, as much as he may know that who he killed wasn’t really her at all anymore. It was a heartbreaking moment and there will be ripple effects in Monty’s character growth. Which is sad because he somehow still carried this optimism and purity about him.
Back in the hideout, Raven continues to attack the rest of the gang, this time going hard on Bellamy. She goes on to mention his involvement in the Ground massacre and this time Niylah overhears from the other room. Her father’s killer is in her trading post and she’s ready to kill him.
Unfortunately, Raven has now caught sight of Niylah’s face and A.L.I.E has sent the information to the others about her location. She assures Raven that help is on the way.
Niylah and Bellamy have a moment outside and he finally apologizes for what he’s done. It’s the first time that he has actually uttered those words instead of excusing himself. It was good to witness Bellamy coming full circle back to who he is as a person and a leader.
Sinclair continues to work against the clock on how to bring Raven back. He needs to connect the wristband to a battery and the one he found wasn’t powerful enough to work. A.L.I.E is becoming anxious because she can tell they’re close to kicking her out of Raven’s body. She tries to get Raven to kill herself by banging her head against the headboard. Clarke shows A.L.I.E the flame and it’s the only reason she commands Raven to stop injuring herself. They’ve gotten the battery from the rover to connect to the wristband hoping this will be stronger to work. When they rev it up Raven screams and becomes unconscious. But she’s still breathing! A good sign!
Clarke suddenly remembers how Titus removed the flame from Lexa’s neck. She figures that both chips must work in similar ways and so she creates a slit in the back of Raven’s neck like Titus did to Lexa.
Raven begins to wake up, regaining pain which means that A.L.I.E is gone from her stream of consciousness! For a second I was a bit nervous that there would be two deaths in one episode. Raven dying would have been far too much to handle. I’m still recovering from Lincoln.
Everyone is gathering their things to leave since they know that Jaha and the others are on their way to attack them. A.L.I.E must not be happy!
Before leaving, Clarke apologizes to Niylah from omitting the fact that Bellamy was involved in her father’s death. She warns Niylah to leave the outpost before Skaikru gets to her and tries to chip her as well, if they don’t kill her instead that is.
They all pack into the rover and Raven figures out why A.L.I.E wants the second software so badly. It’s the only thing that can stop her. Octavia confidently replies, “Then let’s stop her. We survive together.”
It’s great to see Octavia fully rejoin the team. For a while she had been distant and undecided about where she had her home. With Lincoln gone, she felt like an orphan. But she’s realized that despite all of their mistakes, she’s one of the 100, just like Monty pointed out.
A.L.I.E doesn’t know what’s coming for her. Various seasons have proven that these kids can’t be stopped no matter the odds against them. Her new plan is to kill them all and I’m sure it’s going to be a good time watching her try. The gang may get wounded in the process of the battle but they always come out on top.
I can’t wait to see how this will all unfold. I’m also excited to see what Kane has been up to; I’m hoping for a return from him next episode.
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