Flames, chains and civil war — betrayal takes many forms

Welcome to our weekly The 100 therapy session! This week we’ll be tackling the facts that everything hurts, trust is an illusion and we can never have nice things. If you need to curl up in a ball and cry there will be absolutely no judgment. In fact, we will probably join you.

Trusting that we spent the last two weeks relearning how to breathe, the episode starts off with Abby (Paige Turco) either playing super high-tech Pong or curing an Eligius prisoner of his debilitating and fatal lung infection. Either way, it looked like fun. We even got a smile out of Diyoza (Ivana Milicevic) but, of course, good things never last on The 100 and McCreary (William Miller) arrives to break up the party, just as Team Diyoza manages to hide the machine and the cure.

Spacekru, meanwhile, is back together (sort of) and they have a plan (sort of). While Raven (Lindsey Morgan) suggests using Shaw’s (Jordan Bolger) intel to turn Eligius against itself, Echo (Tasya Teles) is way too hopped up on the idea of killing a (somewhat) innocent man and keeps pushing the others to jump on her murder train. But Murphy (Richard Harmon), professional pain in the ass, promptly starts a fight between the two warring Eligius factions.

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Back at the bunker, Bellamy (Bob Morley)brings Madi (Lola Flanery) to see Clarke (Eliza Taylor) and promises to spring her from Wonkru jail. He just has to make sure the second part of his plan runs as smoothly as the first, namely installing Indra (Adina Porter) as the head of Wonkru and avoiding the imminent war. But, you guessed, things don’t exactly work out and Bellamy decides the only way to stop the war is to put the flame into Madi. An action that will turn Madi into the next Commander and Bellamy into Clarke’s worst enemy. Nonetheless, he tells Clarke the plan, and Clarke, having reacted exactly the way most parents would upon being told that their child is being put into danger, is left there, chained and screaming.

Meanwhile John (master of mayhem) Murphy is having way too much fun stoking the fire of a civil war within the Eligius camp and soon it’s a full on riot, giving Spacekru the perfect opportunity to slip their collars and escape. Diyoza, more of a badass at five months pregnant than we can ever hope to be, wins a hand to hand fight against McCreary and his goons but is forced to run, giving McCreary full control of the surviving Eligius prisoners.

Octavia (Marie Avgeropoulos) wakes up just in time for Clarke, having been freed by Niylah (Jessica Harmon) to burst in, gun waving but neither are fast enough to prevent Madi taking the flame. After administering the slap heard round the world, Clarke takes the newly commander-ed (is that a word?) Madi and runs, leaving Bellamy to his sister’s mercy.

Honestly, we’re not sure how our Panelkru managed to pick up the pieces of their shattered hearts and put words together but they did and we love them for it.

Erin (@eeandg81) – Homeschool mom who turned fangirling into a career

Jennifer(@cIarkesalive) – Bookworm who loves to write and fangirl about post-apocalyptic shows

Olivia (@dauntlessblake) – Aussie girl who watches way too many TV shows

Jaclyn and Marcella (@cityofthefeels) – Youtubers of the channel DrowningInFandomFeels, English majors and hardcore fangirls

Lola and Milena (@LMReactions) – Full time mathematics students, part time reactors

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1. We have to address the elephant in the room; do you think there’s any chance of Clarke forgiving Bellamy? Does he deserve to be forgiven?

Erin (@eeandg81): Clarke will definitely forgive him. She’ll realize that she has done the same type of thing to his sister (who at the time was barely older than Madi) multiple times and that he has always forgiven her. He does deserve to be forgiven. Forgiveness is what they do even when they aren’t perfect or when they hurt each other

Jennifer (@cIarkesalive): Bellamy and Clarke always seem to find a way to forgive each other under the hardest of circumstances. I think this is the angst we all wanted, but it was so shockingly painful in that moment as we lived through their own pain. It’ll definitely happen in an intense and emotional scene, and I cannot wait because I love them too much to see them angry.

Olivia (@dauntlessblake): This episode truly was the most heartbreaking for me. It felt like my heart got ripped out of my chest. This is definitely not the angst we all hoped for! Even though Bellamy did the worst possible thing he could’ve done (in Clarke’s eyes) I do believe she will eventually forgive him. Whether that is on the battlefield or after the war is over. After all it’s Bellamy and Clarke! This is so hard for me to predict because I really have no clue what is going to happen. I’m just holding out for hope that the ENDING will be good for us…. please don’t let us down Bob and Eliza!!!

Jaclyn and Marcella (@cityofthefeels): Yes, Bellamy deserves to be forgiven because logically, he was right. We’ve clearly seen this season that Bellamy uses his head more than his heart and giving Madi the flame was the best choice to save everyone-including Clarke. It is obvious that they need each other to balance out the head and the heart. They have been through so much together and have forgiven each other for things that seemed unforgivable at the time. We would love for them to bring back the “if you need forgiveness” line. There is so much they still need to talk about, as they have been avoiding their feelings all season. The two of them always find their way back to each other and we have no doubt she will forgive him!

Lola and Milena (@LMReactions): This is Clarke and Bellamy we’re talking about. One of the main parts of their relationship is being able to forgive each other. This will be difficult for Clarke because she feels incredibly betrayed by him, but I think she will come to realize that this also wasn’t easy for him and find a way to forgive him. Bellamy deserves forgiveness because he was doing the only thing he thought was left to do. Both of us are struggling to understand his choice and ultimately we think there could have been a better way to portray that in the episode.

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2. It seems like Octavia’s Blodreina mask is finally slipping. Do you think she’ll be able to follow through with her threat to kill Indra and Bellamy?

Erin: I really hope that she doesn’t follow through. I know they both live but I hope it’s because Octavia stops the fight and not because they get interrupted somehow. I hope she makes the right choice and realizes how important Bellamy and Indra are to her.

Jennifer: Octavia’s Blodreina mask is finally slipping off, and the cause is her two favorite and most important people being in danger…by her own hand. I feel like Gaia will sadly be the only one at fault in the next episode, leaving Octavia too emotional and stopping Indra and Bellamy from killing each other because she can’t handle it. Love is most certainly a weakness for her, and I just don’t see her willingly watching her family die, no matter how ruthless.

Olivia: That ending scene was so powerful. She was so strong in front on Wonkru as Blodreina but behind closed doors; we see that Octavia is still in there, and she truly feels alone. I don’t think she will be able to follow through with her threat, I think she might stop it just before one of them dies. Bellamy and Indra are the two people she loves the most (who are still alive) and I think that to lose both of them would truly break her, especially after already losing Lincoln.

Jaclyn and Marcella: Although Octavia seems to be really far gone, we don’t think she will go through with killing these two very important people in her life. There have been little hints of this façade breaking down, especially the ending with the doors closing and the shot of her crying. We think Octavia will decide that they need the fighters to go against Eligius, essentially stopping the execution. This is a chance at the start of a redemption storyline and we’re excited to see where they take her character.

Lola and Milena: She will put them in the ring. After the events of episode 5×09 I think that was the final straw with Bellamy for her, because in previous episodes she let him slide with being the enemy of Wonkru but this time she did something directly against her so she will make them fight in the arena. If she will be able to actually watch them kill each other is a different question that we honestly don’t know the answer to, but we are looking forward to seeing how she deals with that.

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3. With everything that happened after Bellamy convinced Madi to take the flame, do you think he made the right choice? How do you think Heda Madi will figure into the war?

Erin: This is so hard. I do think his idea was the best idea but it wasn’t necessarily right. It wasn’t “right” to leave Clarke chained up and go against what she wanted but it was the smart idea. If Clarke had been using her head his plan would have worked but at the same time they might have had to live with Octavia trying to kill Madi for the rest of her life. I’ve seen speculation that Madi could tell them where Eligius 3 is because she has Becca’s consciousness in her and that could be how they decide to go to another planet and put themselves into cryosleep. I think that could be really cool.

Jennifer: Bellamy giving Madi the opportunity to take the flame was definitely a shocker this episode. I feel like he made the right choice for himself, and giving Madi the flame really could stop the war and save the people he cares about (including Clarke by the way), so I think Heda Madi could either stop Octavia or rule over Wonkru indefinitely.

Olivia: At first, I was so angry at Bellamy. I feel like he almost manipulated Madi in a way to become commander saying that this is how to save Clarke when really all he had on his mind was the safety of his “family”. There had to be another way surely. I think because we saw what Madi and Clarke went through during those 6 years we feel more connected to them and therefore sided with Clarke’s decision in wanting to stop Madi from becoming commander as we didn’t see any flashbacks with Spacekru and therefore don’t necessarily understand their bond. After processing everything I do understand why Bellamy thought what he did was right; i just wish there was another way. I really have no idea what Madi is going to do now fingers crossed she’s okay.

Jaclyn and Marcella: We think that Bellamy made the choice he believed was the right one based on the circumstances. He was trying to find a solution that would save everyone and stop the war. Morally it is messed up since Madi is a child, which is why it’s easier to side with Clarke. However, Bellamy was doing exactly what past Clarke would have done before she started making decisions with her heart. That being said, we do think Bellamy went about it the wrong way in his conversation with her. As far as Madi, we do think that she is the key to stopping the war. She has extreme knowledge and power now, as we saw with the grounder kneeling to her.

Lola and Milena: Like we said, we’re really struggling to make sense of it in our minds. The choice he made had a lot of faults but we can’t think of anything else there was to do to try and stop the war. This being the 100 of course the plan backfired and Octavia woke up and now we’re in an even worse situation then we were before. So did he make the right choice? I really don’t know, but it might have been the only choice (also an oxymoron btw). As for Madi, ideally she will have no part in the war considering she’s 12 but again this is the 100 so she will most likely be on the front lines. She is the biggest threat for Wonkru’s unity as we saw, a lot of people would still fall in line behind her and not Blodreina, so we think that will be a big part in the upcoming episodes

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4. Murphy staying behind with Kane to help Abby goes against everything he tried to accomplish this episode. What do you think his connection is to Abby? Could it have anything to do with his parents getting floated for stealing medicine?

Erin: We saw him connect with Abby in s3 when they worked together to put Clarke into the City Of Light and then again in s4 when he stole the medicine for her that Raven wouldn’t let them have. Murphy’s mom hated him and constantly blamed his dad’s death on him so he might look to Abby as the kind of mother figure he never had since she actually believed in him.

Jennifer: Murphy wanting to stay with Kane to help Madi definitely shocked me, not gonna lie. Maybe it’s the memory of him doing something for Abby in season 4 where he helped her get medicine for the little girl, and he wants to help her again? I don’t know, but it could honestly just be an act of kindness and good intentions.

Olivia: I was really confused as to why Murphy wanted to stay behind to help Abby. From memory, the only serious moment they’ve shared would be in 4×03 (I believe) when Murphy took the pills to give to Abby so she could try save the girl that was with Luna. I think him wanting to stay behind and save Abby definitely has something to do with his parents getting floated for stealing medicine. Maybe he feels sorry for Abby? It will be interesting to see what happens next.

Jaclyn and Marcella: We loved that Murphy stayed behind to help Abby and think a good portion of it was because of Clarke. Perhaps he feels as though he owes it to Clarke in some ways for what she did for all of them. We are interested to see more of Abby and Murphy’s dynamic in the upcoming episodes and hope that he can help her with her addiction.

Lola and Milena: That part honestly confused us because we could think of a connection between them for Murphy, who is always in survival mode, to want to stay behind. Maybe they bonded in season 4 while they were in the lab, and we didn’t see it. Our favorite theory is that he stayed because that is Clarke’s mom and he feels in debt to Clarke for saving all their lives. We honestly want to find out the background of that sentence in the next episode

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5. Shaw and Raven gave us what might have been the only cute moment in the whole episode. What do you want to see in that relationship going forward?

Erin: First, I am a Murphy/Raven shipper and I have been since 2×01 but at the same time I am loving Raven and Shaw and absolutely wouldn’t hate seeing them have a romantic relationship. I absolutely adore Shaw and Raven both and would love for them to be happy for 5 seconds.

Jennifer: Shaw and Raven completely warmed my heart in their scenes to the point where I couldn’t stop smiling. They have been so precious and their fast development has somehow made sense in my mind. I would love to see them grow even closer, maybe seeing some feelings develop and confessions before time is too late, or more shameless flirting. I love them too much.

Olivia: I ship it so hard! At least one of my ships is thriving! I think they’re so cute and so perfect for each other. You can see just how much they care about each other. I definitely squealed when Shaw told Raven that he cares about her safety. I definitely get the sense that their relationship is going in a romantic direction and I can’t wait to see where it goes the next few episodes since Shaw has now left with Raven and the rest of Spacekru.

Jaclyn and Marcella: We absolutely loved those scenes and it was so nice to see Raven smiling! We do think that they are going to get together. However, we think with the war, and like most things on this show, it will be short lived. We would be surprised if Shaw makes it out alive, but right now we are enjoying their scenes and are hoping he makes it to season 6!

Lola and Milena: A kiss. That’s it. They’re well on their way to giving us that and we couldn’t be happier cause we need some light in this darkness. We also want to see them working together cause they’re the smartest people in the bunch and it’s going to be great seeing Raven interacting with someone who knows what she’s talking about.

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6. Even though McCreary and his men killed most of the people loyal to Diyoza, Vinson seems safe and still protective of Abby. How big of a role do you think he’ll play in saving Abby or going against McCreary?

Erin: I’m not sure what he will do but I am sure he is going to protect Abby and have a big role in keeping her safe. I really adore that creepy killer.

Jennifer: In my opinion, the lengths Vinson is able to go without cautionary measures such as his shock collar is very small. But, if he’s using his craziness and disobedience to save Abby, the only doctor he knows could help, and Diyoza his leader…it might be good for them to let him loose since McCreary’s men fear him too, so most likely McCreary himself is a bit terrified.

Olivia: The civil war between McCreary and Diyoza is so great to watch. Can I just quickly mention how incredibly badass it was when Diyoza took our those men while pregnant, and then revealing to McCreary he’s the baby daddy! Another favourite part of the episode for me. I think Vinson will want to protect Abby from whatever McCreary has planned and it’ll be interesting to see what happens with that in the next episode.

Jaclyn and Marcella: The McCreary versus Diyoza scene was insane and proves how badass Diyoza is for being five months pregnant and fighting them. Vinson is an interesting character, as he is under the radar and in some ways, underestimated. It would be a twist and definitely unexpected if he plays a big role in saving Abby or if he goes up against McCreary.

Lola and Milena: Vinson will have a big role in saving Abby, he’s a bit insane but also a sweetheart so he will protect her and probably find a way to go against McCreary cause he is very obviously on Diyozas side, he is really the only one we have on the inside so his role could be crucial.

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7. Considering how much that episode felt like a punch in the gut, let’s focus on something good: what was your favourite Murphy moment in this episode?

Erin: Definitely when he threw the rock and said “This is my masterpiece.” I loved it so much! Classic Murphy.

Jennifer: Hmmmm…my favorite Murphy scene this episode was when he grabbed the rock and threw it at a McCreary follower and he was like “I always gotta do things myself” or something along those lines. It was funny, and shows how Murphy has truly been a survivor all this time. He survives and fights!

Olivia: Murphy was such a treat to watch this episode (as always). He truly is the comedic relief we deserve. My favourite Murphy moments were “this is my masterpiece” and when Kane told spacekru that Bellamy and Clarke had negotiated with Diyoza and he was like “whoops”. A true comedian he is. I love him.

Jaclyn and Marcella: Our absolute favorite part of this episode was when Murphy threw the rock resulting in a war to break out within Eligius. This scene was classic Murphy! His lines were witty and he made us laugh in an otherwise very traumatic episode. We love his character so much!

Lola and Milena: There are so many. It’s a tie between him starting a civil war by throwing a rock and him saying ‘whoops’ when he realized they screwed up the entire plan and just made the whole thing worse. Thank god for Murphy for being able to make us laugh during this episode.

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The only thing we can rely on is Murphy’s ability to create chaos in two seconds flat

Okay, so we have a confession to make: we’re a little bit in love with this season’s villains. Diyoza started the season off as an interloper on Clarke and Madi’s paradise, a mysterious newcomer with big guns and an even bigger ship but as the season wears on we find ourselves liking her more and more. As a political prisoner, Diyoza was jailed and sent to a far away asteroid simply for holding onto her beliefs just a bit too hard (also murder and bombing but that’s beside the point). She’s tough but not inflexible, cunning and able to roll with the (sometimes literal) punches and she does it all while pregnant. Deeply charismatic, we can see how she turned people to her cause or took control of an unruly bunch of hardened criminals.

And while Diyoza is the quintessential The 100 bad guy, the one you can’t help connecting to, McCreary is a villain through and through. Angry and violent, he stabs first and asks questions never. Even finding out he’s going to be a father only slowed him down long enough to get stabbed in the throat. (Spoiler alert: he survives, possibly because he’s just too angry to die.) Where Diyoza is willing to make deals and hope for peace, McCreary is more of the scorched Earth variety. He’ll start a fire just to watch it burn and considering he and his crew of violent murderers now have control of the last survivable land on Earth we, and the rest of the krus, should be very, very scared.

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Here we are, the thing we have been dreading talking about since the screen went black. Now we all know The 100 is a master of twists and turns, expertly making the viewers jump and scream and, of course, tweet up a storm. But this week’s big shock moment was, perhaps, a little too shocking. We can, somewhat, understand the decision to have Bellamy leave Clarke locked up and begging while he rushed to put her adopted daughter in danger. This new season 5 Bellamy was just making the decision that made the most strategic sense. A decision that pre-season 5 Clarke would’ve, and indeed did make, when she left Bellamy chained and begging to save his sister.

But having Bellamy tell Clarke that he was doing all this for his family, one that no longer included her was not only a slap in the face (one that Clarke repaid later in the episode), it just didn’t sit well with us. The show has spent 5 seasons building up the relationship between Bellamy and Clarke, and, romantic or not, that relationship is the heart of the show. Having Bellamy dismiss all of that in the space of a couple seconds just felt hollow and incredibly confusing.

There are so many questions and only four episodes left to answer them. You’d better believe we’ll be tuning in next week to see what happens next. And you owe it yourself to watch the next episode too, if only to see what other mischief Murphy can get himself into when left to his own devices.

THE 100 returns TUESDAY, JULY 16th at 8/7c on THE CW.