Echo and Gabriel learn more about Hope and her mysterious past.
In 2019, the television industry aired 532 scripted shows across numerous outlets. The way people consume content now is different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, it's less necessary to provide ample coverage of each episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site provides 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.
"The Garden" was written by Jeff Vlaming and directed by Dean White
The Anomaly was initially presented as a mystery that needed to be solved. It was an aspect of the story lingering on the outskirts of the narrative in the sixth season. It gave some characters purpose because they needed to understand what exactly was going on. And yet, it enjoyed being that mysterious and cryptic concept with no easy answers. And now, it's important for the audience to operate with the clarity of what this mystical event has done for these characters. Octavia spent ten years away from her friends. She may not have remembered that when she eventually returned to Sanctum. However, this hour outlines just how powerful it was for her to build a family with Diyoza and Hope. They land on a new planet altogether. The Anomaly is actually just a bridge between worlds. When Gabriel, Echo and Hope go through it, they have the confidence and technology to deduce that it is actually Planet Beta. The Anomaly has also warped time so that seconds apart on one end is actually months on the other. Diyoza and Octavia were separated for three months. And yet, this new land offers Diyoza everything she has always wanted. She needed a paradise to be loved and accepted. She could stop fighting. She could raise her daughter in peace. She has a family with Octavia. She pleads with her to stay. Octavia refuses to give into that temptation though. She needs to train until she can make it back to the Anomaly which is at the bottom of a lake. She struggles for years. She does all of this just to reunite with Bellamy. She needs him to know that she understands everything he has done. The darkness that once plagued her for years is gone. She has found new purpose thanks to Diyoza. That's enough for her to potentially walk away from her friends for good. She always holds onto the hope that they could be reunited one day. She recognizes that time works differently. Anything is possible. And yes, she did eventually return to Sanctum to help her friends in the fight against the Primes. However, there is still so much more to this story. Octavia and Diyoza aren't alone on this planet. The Anomaly isn't just a connection between these two worlds. There is a three world inhabited by another group of humanity. They too could be descendants of Earth. People who have formed a civilization around a religious ideology that props up the importance of certain individuals. Octavia sending a message in a bottle is the action that dooms this paradise. The Disciples view Sky Ring as a prison. It's a place to sentence their criminals knowing that the isolation will drive all of them mad without having to wait that long to see the payoff in their society. That allows Hope to be a regular character at 20 years old even though Diyoza gives birth to her here as well. That time messiness is complicated and may be difficult to track. But again, it's powerful to watch as everyone holds onto these hopes about what the future can be. There is always that spark of excitement that comes from exploring new worlds. Gabriel has the technology to understand what is happening. He may create a solution that ensures the gang doesn't have to wait five years until they can confront the people who took Bellamy. And yet, that promise is tragically taken away from them. He lets his guard down for a moment. That's all it takes for chaos and corruption to invade their lives. It's all built on the premise that certain ideals have to be upheld no matter what. When those are corrupted though, it causes so much damage. Echo is fighting to reunite with Bellamy. Hope must rescue Diyoza and Octavia. These complications are new and exciting. The world is so much larger than anyone truly understands at the moment. Gabriel even notes that another civilization exists that built this technology and is still out there looking for something. That is thrilling and exciting. But again, it can't come at the expense of these personal relationships. Echo and Hope clash because they want to keep things close to the vest. They are aligned now though. They are fighting to maintain their families. That's all they need in order to be happy in this world. Sanctum is undergoing a revolution. These characters are removed from that conflict. That helps this hour come across as very concise and well-constructed. In the future, it will inevitably grow more complicated. Right now though, it put the personal emotions of the characters at the forefront while offering the answers that can make the final conflict even more tantalizing and poignant.
