The 100 Season 5 Episode 5 Review: Clark, Bellamy and Octavia Are At Odds With More Than Just the Prisoners

With an awesome amount of sand worm burrowing, chest exploding and betrayal, everyone was feeling the ground shift underneath them.

The 100 is at it’s best when it places our guys firmly in the jaws of certain disaster.  Each character brings something interesting to their take on what it is to be a survivor and those ideas are often in conflict with one another.  This conflict is what drives the show. It is not the science, not the action or the violence, but the human emotion wrung from the unfolding events.  This week did not disappoint.  With new threats in the actual ground, existing threats in the sky as reminded by thermal imaging satellite shots and growing tensions in camp there was no shortage of things to worry about. 

Octavia continues her reign of single minded terror.  She is sole judge, jury and executioner.  Her control is so absolute not even the sudden appearance of chest parasites, razor glass or powerful weapons are enough to make any of the Wunkru question her.  It speaks to both her ability to keep so many of the group intact in the bunker all those years but also the intense fear everyone has of her.  She is deadly and willing to sacrifice anyone for the greater good.  The Wunkru prayer “All of me for all of us”, is Jeremy Bentham’s Utilitarianism brought to life.  I doubt he had Death Match Bunker in mind however.  Clarke is right to have admiration for the philosophy and for Octavia.  As more and more information comes out about their time below ground and tensions increase between Spakekru, Clarke and Octavia I wonder if her reign will look so admirable.  With Clarke and Bellamy’s reunion with Wunkru, as I predicted, this could be a massive problem.  Clarke has been respected as the leader prior to Praimfaya and she has butted heads with Octavia in the past.  In addition, Madi’s Nightblood represents a whole other level of power.  It very likely will topple Octavia’s reign in addition to potentially holding a cure for the prisoners.  Some members of Wunkru are already looking sideways at O and Spacekru absolutely will follow Clarke’s lead.  Bellamy’s new found self restraint and patience is in sharp contrast to his sister who has none of either.  Her hug and sincere comment, “I’m glad you’re alive big brother”, did nothing to take the sting out of her statement that she would take him out if he ever questions her again.  Yikes!  The only person who has any sway with Octavia is Indra who sagely asked if love was weakness, is Indra weak for loving Octavia?  There is no right way for O to answer this.  If she says yes, she is calling Indra weak, which she most assuredly is not. If she says no than it’s a contradiction and proves Indra’s point.  Octavia would do well to listen to her very wise mentor.

Murphy and Emori get some long waited movement towards something resembling friendship.  Her decision to stay behind with Murphy and his look of surprise and appreciation was made that much better by her eye roll.  It was as if she was saying, “Don’t read to much into this dude”.  So great!  She’s not the only one giving Murphy the side eye.  Madi thinks he should be funnier and I couldn’t stop myself from giggling.  She has interjected some levity to the show with her youthful enthusiasm.  I am so curious what else Clarke has told her about each person.  These would have been Clarke’s most private thoughts and as such would have been completely candid.  She never thought she would see anyone again so she was safe being brutally honest.  I love that deep down she thinks Murphy is clever and funny but her love of who Octavia was conflicts so harshly with who she has become, it will be hard for her to reconcile the two.

The mining ship and prisoners have so much uncertainty about them.  Where is this mysterious home they speak of?  What were they mining that causes everyone to get the black brain disease?  McCreary asking for help has only amped up the urgency for a cure.  It is one thing to help random prisoners but Diyoza’s boyfriend is a whole different enchilada.  Abby better produce and fast.  That being said there is a great deal of chemistry between Charmaine and Kane.  Diyoza is no dummy and she needs intel on Octavia and he has it.  I understand Diyoza mindset that it is better to have Abby hopped up on pills and operating at 50% than in withdrawal and not operating at all but it’s sure a cold move to hold that carrot out to her.  Where is The Rock beside San Francisco of course?  Who did Shaw work for before being Diyoza’s pilot.  He clearly is not with them ideologically and he certainly appears to be better educated.  Maybe he is with Eligius Corp and was held hostage similar to Abby and Kane?  I love the idea of him working with our guys as he provides another brain to the mix and could be a perfect love interest for Raven who loves her smart boys.  Why are some of the prisoners so aggressive?  Are they mentally ill?  Was that aggression the reason they are prisoners or is it caused by the mining itself?  The one thing not in question however is the control Diyoza has.  It is a hard fought violent control but different than Octavias’s as hers is not religious and could be lost in an instant if she isn’t winning.

Love is the common denominator here.  Clarke found Madi and even thought she did not shy away from violence to save her daughter.Bellamy and Spakekru had each other to love and support.  Bellamy even found a unexpected love with Echo.  As a result he also found a peace and calmness he both lacked before and solely needed.  Octavia had none of that.  She cruelly lost Lincoln seasons ago and had very little to balance her rage and desperation.  Forced into a role she was neither prepared to handle or wanted, she became the monster she needed to be.  The same could be said for Abby who became a drug addict when she thought she had lost Clarke.  She had too many tragedies prior and it was the proverbial straw that broke her back.   We have to wait until June before another episode so while we wait ponder these words, “Tequila will kill ya”(looking at you Kane) and ….”All we need is love, love.  All we need is love”.  Let’s all give O a great big thought hug, maybe that will fix her.