“Wanheda Part 2”

The 100 concludes the opening of season 3 with an exploration of existing dynamics while increasing the overall scope of the show.

New elements are introduced almost immediately when Bellamy, Kane, Indra, Jasper and Monty are forced to leave their vehicle. Monty is almost killed but is spared because one of the attackers is Monty’s mother Hannah (Donna Yamamoto). Pike (Michael Beach) is the leader of this group of raiders who represent another group of survivors from the Ark. They stand down but are visibly unsure about Indra. It is revealed that they’ve lost quite a few people since landing both to infected snow and to Grounders. Monty’s father was killed when trying to save children and the group have been killing Grounders ever since.

This introduces a complication as the Arkadia group have a fragile truce with the Grounders that is just waiting for something to break it before fighting breaks out. This group sees no difference between the Grounders and Ice Nation so this will only heighten the tension to the point that can only make conflict happen quicker. The dynamics are shifting so significantly that in effect the Arkadia group have become another set of Grounders who are starting to get used to their lives on Earth where Pike’s group still very much identify as being different.

Alongside the deeper political significance this is a big episode for Monty who learns that his mother is alive and that his father is dead all at once. I can only imagine that he would have assumed that they were both dead but without confirmation he could hold out some semblance of hope that they would survive. Having the answer makes it all very real. Monty has almost exclusively served as a friend to Jasper so it’s good to see him given material of his own to allow Christopher Larkin to have an opportunity to have more emotionally complex material. He does a good job and the familial elements help to remind viewers that amidst all the political unrest the show is ultimately about people and The 100 consistently keeps the people as the focus of the storytelling rather than bog down the narrative with what is going on. How people react to the events is definitely more important.

Clarke being the captive of Roan (Zach McGowan), a rogue member of the Ice Nation who has an agenda motivating the delivery of Clarke to his Queen works really well. He is portrayed as heartless and self-serving, determined to hand over Clarke so that he can get something out of it. It is later revealed that the Queen is his mother but he delivers Clarke to Lexa instead. His reason for doing this isn’t clear but there definitely is one and Roan is confident in whatever his plan is. Since it is established that he is Lexa’s prisoner it’s possible that bringing her in could be used as a bargaining chip for his freedom. I’m sure it will be revealed soon but for now it makes Roan a fascinating enigma.

He’s a good character and an effective foil for Clarke who spends much of the episode trying to escape him. She makes a few solid attempts that visibly surprise Roan which I like as it removes the possibility of him being unrealistically superhuman. Clarke mentions that she sees a lot of herself in Roan and tries to find common ground by pointing out that she was also banished. Roan completely dismisses it since the circumstances are entirely different as far as he’s concerned.

I like Clarke’s new role as a hardened badass who isn’t afraid to throw herself into a physical confrontation with a larger opponent. I look forward to seeing how her interactions with the other characters have changed. She definitely isn’t happy to see Lexa as well. Clarke and Lexa were always great together last season so it’ll be interesting to see how that evolves.

Clarke and Roan’s encounters with other members of the Ice Nation adds some depth to that group as well. It has been established that the truce between Arkadia and the Ice Nation is tenuous at best but it is revealed that their own house isn’t exactly in order. The men who want to steal Clarke from Roan do so to improve their standing within their society. It seems like the Queen rules with an iron fist and rewards those who show strength.

Devon Bostick continues to give a great performance as a completely broken Jasper. The scene where he broke down after finding the painting that Maya loved was brilliantly acted and showed how vulnerable Jasper is despite all the bravado he has been showing. Octavia comforting him was good as these characters haven’t really shared much screen time since Jasper had a crush on her way back in season 1. It just shows how this show has let the relationships evolve far outside of the expected directions.

Abby insisting that Jasper come with them to Mount Weather was pretty questionable though. I can see why she might want to as it can be healthy to force someone to confront their demons and returning to Mount Weather is the best way for Jasper to do that but if that was the reason then she kept that to herself.

The whole conversation about using the resources that Mount Weather still has for medical reasons raises an interesting ethical question. The blood stores are what they need to save Nyko but it is pointed out that people died so that those could exist. As a Doctor the decision is a simple one due to the oath taken to do no harm and save people if possible but Abby also has to think like a leader. How will people react if this ill-gotten blood supply is used for their own ends? How will the Grounders react if they find out about it? They definitely wouldn’t be happy as it is their people that were drained.

Jaha’s obsession with the City of Light remains a mystery at this point but is a really compelling one. There is something definitely off about this as Jaha seems to be entirely brainwashed by it to the point that he is incapable of listening to reason and finds himself at odds with Murphy. It looks like the City of Light is some kind of Matrix type construct that people can enter. It’s interesting that people who are dead continue to exist there and leave behind any physical deformities. Murphy’s decision to abandon Jaha was definitely understandable as the guy won’t listen to him at all. I liked Murphy’s interactions with Emori (Luisa D’Oliveira) as they bounce off each other well and already have an engaging dynamic. I suspect there will be a romantic edge to it before long but as long as it happens naturally then I don’t really mind.

The City of Light poses a lot of questions but I’m mostly curious to see how the other characters will react to it if and when they find out about it. Will it tempt people by what it can offer them? I’m thinking specifically of Raven and her disability. Being in there will rid her of that so will that tempt her to go into it or will she reject it because it’s unnatural to run away from these things? Other characters will have their own internal dilemmas about it as well so I look forward to seeing the exploration of that.

Season 3 is incredibly stacked with character and plot intrigue already. It feels as if battle lines are already being drawn and it’s only a matter of time before something sets the conflict off. It can be exhausting keeping up with all the movement in this show.