Bellamy must venture into enemy territory with an unlikely companion. Octavia is forced to confront her past.
In 2018, there were 495 scripted shows airing amongst the linear channels and streaming services. The way people are consuming content now is so different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, there is less necessity to provide ample coverage of each specific episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site is making the move to shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the next episode of The CW's The 100.
"What You Take With You" was written by Nikki Goldwaser and directed by Marshall Virtue
Octavia is presented with a choice. She can either provide answers to Gabriel about the Anomaly - which is not an engaging mystery in the slightest - or she can understand who she aspires to be moving forward. It's wondrous to see the show embrace the character reflection instead of trying to advance some of the mythology forward. The Anomaly may play a significant role in the end of this season. Gabriel teases that Octavia may have been gone a lot longer than it initially seemed. And yet, that's not important in the grand scheme of things. The crazy science of this new planet mostly presents as fear and mysterious teases that don't amount to much right now. Instead, it's much more entertaining and rewarding to see Octavia go on this journey of self-reflection. This season has been all about the characters reckoning with their pasts and the decisions they felt they had to make in order to survive. It led to the destruction of their planet. And now, they are faced with this brutal, body-snatching threat as a result. Octavia played a significant role in that entire conflict. Earth died because of her actions. She may have been able to justify every single thing she did since Lincoln was killed. And yet, that doesn't make her a strong leader or someone who has a solid understanding of who she wants to be. She became blodreina because she felt the responsibility to do so for the survival of her people in the bunker. But that mentality is no longer healthy in the outside world. That presented with immediate consequences on Earth. She is just now accepting that and wanting forgiveness. More importantly though, she wants to be on the path towards redemption. That's where she is by the conclusion of this hour. That will send her immediately back to the rest of the show. She has been isolated for too much of this season. And now, she is energized with new purpose. Kane has been sidelined significantly as well. The emotional history between him and Abby allowed that entire conflict to be seen as something worth fighting for instead of just a basic plot point that could be negotiated between the newcomers from Earth and the leaders of Sanctum. But it shows just how quickly people can be distorted about what science and technology can be accepted in this world. Kane immediately understands that it's wrong to replace someone else's life. He wants to know about the man who died so that he could live. He doesn't accept this as his new reality. He doesn't get upset and sanctimonious with Abby though. He understands the emotions that fueled this decision. He probably would have made the exact same ones. But that doesn't make it right. He has the clarity in that regard. As such, he is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that his people don't corrupt their morals any further. He leaves behind people he hopes can inspire to do better by following in his legacy. Raven, Abby and Indra need that now more than ever. A war is bound to erupt once more. Clarke and Josephine are fighting for control over the same body. That little corner of this hour is probably the weakest story simply because it's delaying progress for those two and Bellamy. Every second counts when it comes to saving Clarke from this invader. But the show also believes it has time to kill to ensure that Octavia gets the clarity she has long needed. Plus, Gabriel may still be in a position to actually help should Clarke get to him in time. Bellamy may not be too far behind either even though he is left in the cave with the Children of Gabriel. Saving Clarke may be the most important thing right now. However, it will be just as compelling to see how the impulse to be better will fuel the actions the protagonists make in order to stand against what Sanctum has created on this planet.
