1. The 100
Ivanna Barrera: The 100 will give you some of the best gut wrenching, heart stopping moments from any show you can watch on The CW. It will overpass any expectations you could have ever had once walking in. It is also certainly the network’s most complex show. The show covers the gray areas of ethics and morality, making it known that there’s really no right or wrong. It leaves the viewers conflicted trying to find resolutions to the burning dilemmas the plot brings up. The writers are experts at giving each character plenty of room for growth from season to season. These actors are all newbies but are acting their butts off. There is depth to each of the stories presented, and the writers are not afraid to go where necessary, killing off children and even some of the beloved main characters. You will definitely develop a love and hate relationship with the show’s writers. The costumes and set-ups are fierce, even though their budget is not very grand. You will see gruesome and raw moments that you can’t peel your eyes away from. Earth is certainly going to continue getting more interesting as Season 3 begins next year. This is definitely a binge-worthy show.
Allyson Johnson: I can say, without question, that after watching the abysmal series premiere I did not expect it to become one of my new favorite shows. Surprise, surprise, it did. I won’t sugarcoat it, the first few episodes are pretty rough around the edges, but somewhere around episode five everything begins to get better. Season two cemented it as one of my favorite shows currently on television, period. It’s like little else on The CW because the stakes are real, people die, and there are no easy decisions for our heroes. The cast is great, and aside from a few characters who grate (such as Finn and Jasper) and some who are underutilized (Monty), each one serves their purpose and adds another layer to the show. However, it is the inclusion of the two leads, who wonderfully subvert tropes and clichés of the action hero and heroine that elevate the series. Clarke Griffin and Bellamy Blake are fantastic characters. The fact that I have to wait until 2016 to watch this show again is pretty simply, the worst.
Dana Cuadrado: I watched the first four episodes of this show when it originally aired. It was cool, but it didn’t make me need to keep up with it, so I didn’t. Then when season two began to air there was a lot of hype about the show on Twitter. I marathoned all of it over Thanksgiving and caught up with season two. I am hooked. This show is fantastic and like nothing else on the network. Clarke and Bellamy are the best parts of this show. There is so much character development over just two seasons, and I can’t wait to see more of the world of The 100. I have since made my Mom watch all of The 100 and my brother, who watched all of season one in a day.
Diya Mishra: I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, The 100 is the show we deserve. There are so few shows on television that both acknowledge their teen characters’ inexperience and yet have the gravity of real consequences, and The 100 manages to do both. To be completely honest, you’re going to have to give it at least until episode 4, where the show comes into its own, to appreciate the raw grittiness that sets it apart from the rest of The CW’s fare, but once you get there, it’s all tight storytelling, consistent characters arcs, and steadily spiraling stakes into a dizzying finish. Another thing that sets it apart? The amazing representation. Arguably the most important characters are the women, who are all far more complex than the blank slate “Strong Female Character.” They are led by protagonist Clarke, whose bisexual identification is such a nonissue on a network TV show it has to be celebrated. Characters that come from different racial backgrounds and sexual orientations, with different disabilities or limitations, are all given complex, well-formed arcs. Without giving anything away, investment IS rewarded, it’s truly the show we deserve, and it’s definitely the one we need right now.
Gabrielle Bondi: I just started season one of The 100, and let me tell you, I’m hooked. At first, I found it a bit campy, but it slowly grows into this epic sci-fi drama/thriller, exploring very moralizing and human situations in a deep and thought-provoking way. The characters come fully formed with strong female characters that are complex and completely interesting. I’m still getting to know these characters, but it’s progressing into a better show as I finish every new episode.
The first season of The 100 is on Netflix. The 100 returns for season 3 in 2016.
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