After last week's episode - the season's worst to date - The 100 bounced back in explosive fashion last night with an episode that unexpectedly changed the course of the series. Though "The Tinder Box" was much more story-driven than any other episode this season, it was kept nice and tight, with some quality references to earlier events. John F. Showalter directed the episode written by Morgan Gendel.
In another first for the season, Polis didn't feature at all because Roan's army walked into an ambush that laid the groundwork for a highly anticipated standoff. Despite a sizable part of the hour being dedicated to it, not a lot actually happened. Clarke met the advancing army thanks to advance warning from Octavia's ridiculous feat of survival from last week. Other Skaikru members cornered the army from high vantage points in the surrounding cliffs (choke points and crush zones such as this should be avoided - any novice army leader would be well aware of this). The forever traumatized Riley went a bit rogue, with Echo and Bellamy going after him thanks to Monty. Roan and Clarke negotiated a compromise to the use of Alpha Station should the need arise - a 50/50 split was opted for. Bellamy prevented Riley from taking out Roan, and then something went boom.
Roan, this isn't a conspiracy. I'm doing everything I can to save all of us.
While the narrative was solid enough, I felt it was underdone at the same time. I wanted more from Eliza Taylor and Zach McGowan as Clarke and Roan debated in the cave, and I especially wanted more from Bob Morley and Tasya Teles as Bellamy and Echo traded verbal blows while searching for Riley. We know all four cast members and their characters are more than capable of it, but the writing and directing were both found wanting, and a couple extra minutes of screen time would have helped too. For the record, these scenes weren't bad at all, but they needed some extra firepower. After all, these were the leaders of two sides on the brink of war, and I really wanted to see that conveyed convincingly. These scenes needed to stand above all others in the episode, and be among the most memorable of the season, but they fell short of doing both.
In the end, the whole confrontation fizzled out completely because someone blew up Alpha Station in what is a game-changing event for the series. This B-plot featured Octavia, who was located in the woods by Ilian. He brought her back to Arkadia where she woke up, and alongside Niylah - who I didn't expect to see - the pair searched the station, eventually locating Ilian in the server room just as he was about to blow the whole place sky-high. They couldn't stop him, he carried on, the place erupted, and then almost out of guilt he supported a wounded Niylah and an even more wounded Octavia as they fled the destruction. Both girls told others what Ilian had done, but his fate is yet to play out.
Alpha Station is what all members of Skaikru called home at some point. They all lived in it while in space, and some of the remaining population came to Earth with it in Season 2. But now the structure is toast. Ilian did a good job, that's for sure. This presents the showrunners with a fantastic opportunity to reset things. It's a given that with no Alpha Station, Azgeda and Skaikru have no reason to be at war, and both sides are aware that the only hope they have at present lies with Abby, Raven and Jackson in Becca's lab. Murphy was there, too, but along with Emori, Luna, Jaha, Jasper (thankfully) and Indra, he sat this one out. The whole lab felt a lot more empty than it should have, and Murphy's comedic relief really should have been utilized in this episode.
More on the lab in a moment, but I really hope the showrunners do a good job moving on from Alpha Station. With much of the food and equipment - and maybe some of the population - roasted to a crisp, I want to see a bit of hardship. Less technology, more hunting, a bit of famine or rationing of food, sleeping rough in the woods or in Polis, genuine Earth Skills and the like. That tells a realistic story on its own, and would add a new dimension to the series with very little overhead.
What if we came all this way for nothing?
Let's look at the lab stuff now. On the whole I was satisfied with what went down, and it was really good to see past events referenced heavily here. Story aside, Raven had a seizure and was found to have suffered brain damage from a stroke associated with an EMP blast used to remove the chip she had taken last season. An EMP blast was also used to remove ALIE from Abby, and in the episode's closing seconds, symptoms also presented in her as she hallucinated a radiation-exposed Clarke. It's a crippling blow for both - more so Raven, who already has a leg issue. The theory goes that some of ALIE is left behind in Raven's mind, allowing her brain to function at levels much higher than normal. This led to the discovery that Nightblood could be produced in space thanks to its zero gravity properties. A rocket sitting in a launch bay next door was her next discovery, and said rocket will surely be used to reach Becca's spacebourne lab to allow whoever goes up to come back with a Nightblood-based cure for the impending radiation-causing meltdown.
This is where Murphy could have added a new dynamic if he was present. Going to space with either Raven or Abby to create the cure is just the kind of thing a maverick such as him is perfect for, and it would be a great way to bring him in from the fringes of the cast into a more central role. That aside, bringing space back into the fray is a move I'm in favor of, though the series' realism will take a hit as a result.
That's about all I need to write to sum up this episode. Like I said earlier, this was very much a story-driven hour, and there were no other solid character-driven moments aside from Clarke vs Roan and Bellamy vs Echo, and even all four together. All three moments needed a shakeup with some stronger dialog and more intense acting. The removal of Alpha Station creates a fantastic opportunity for a bit of a reboot, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this is done well. Seeing Niylah again was surprising, and I think her presence is indicative of something happening between her and Clarke further down the track.
The 100 takes a break next week, so the series' 50th episode airs March 15. Thanks as always for reading, and please share your thoughts and theories on this episode with me and your fellow readers in the comments below. See you in a fortnight!
