The 100- Episode 1.01 "Pilot" Preview- The show starts with an intriguing storyline and good character insight

“The 100” premieres this Wednesday at 9/8c after Arrow on The CW.

You can see another preview of "The 100" by fellow SpoilerTV member Jimmy Ryan by clicking right here

How much you like The 100 premiere episode depends mostly on how much you can invest on its story plot; as the characters are just being presented and you don’t have any real information about them it’s not that easy to invest with them when the episode starts, you are constantly judging what they do and how they do it. That’s why the storytelling has to be intriguing while at the same time delivering little bits of characters interactions.
For example, one of the reasons I think Resurrection was a huge success was because the storytelling was paced well and was intriguing while at the same time presented people that felt like actual human beings. The 100 is a completely different show from Resurrection, but I think it is one of the best pilots of the season along with Resurrection when it comes to storytelling and character presentation.

What makes The 100 a huge success in my eyes is a combination of two things: for one it has the feeling of one of those good old 90s sci-fi/fantasy shows, you know, those that you would watch after school and contained good and complex stories. The other element the show has in its favor is how the story progresses without sacrificing character insight.
During the pilot the show wants to make sure you know these people are actual human beings and not just characters playing roles for the sake of storytelling.

The show has two settings, the Ark which is the space station in which humanity lives after they escaped Earth, and Earth itself where 100 teenagers (and even some children among those 100) are being thrown in order to test if our planet is once again habitable. The focus is on Earth, with many subplots on the Ark; when we are on Earth we get to explore the psyche of these teenagers and the show does a great job at that. It is very reminiscent of “Lord of the Flies” and while I don’t intend to give much away from episodes to come, I can say that over the course of the 4 episode I watched I can see that the show is not afraid to go as dark as “Lord of The Flies”.

The characters act as you think they would in the situation they are in, their actions are not illogical, if they were to be dumb is because you know the character is actually dumb, but they all make sense and there is no such thing as doing something out of character. In the pilot we just get to know these people, but the actors and the script giveaway pretty quickly what are their personality traits and you can figure out how they would act in this situation, and any surprises along the way actually makes sense with the people we have been presented so far.

The pilot, however, is not flawless; its main character Clarke is fairly stereotypical, she does things because she has to and she has very strict morals that do not bode really well for a show that is morally ambiguous. But that’s for the pilot, over the course of the episodes she will show some progress and evolution, but I won’t get into any details. Some other flaws include the Ark subplots which are not nearly as interesting as what’s going on in Earth, with the adult characters being too serious to determine their true substances.
The adult characters are so absorbed in their duties that some character insight is lost in the way. A minor flaw I would say is the names of some characters, such as naming a girl Clarke or another one Octavia, as they are not names we are familiar and as such they often sounds odd.

But aside from that, the pilot episode is great, I love how the teenagers explore Earth and make it their own.
There are many intriguing creatures around because of the mutation animals went through and plenty of hidden threats. There is this sense of constant danger that keeps you interested. Nobody is safe, you can feel that and your only question is this: “Is this show willing to pull the trigger on its characters” and the answer is yes, the show is willing to be dark, to scare its characters and to make them face death if necessary.

The 100 is at its best when it embraces the darkness at its core, when it does that the show feels pretty darn real, and that feeling keeps you both interested and delighted. It’s a very entertaining show, but it is also one willing to ask many questions about the nature of the human race and the psyche of teenagers overall. Sometimes you may be scared that the show may be stepping down from the darkness when words such as “hope” rises, but that’s only a necessary change of pace and alongside the darkness there is always going to be some hope, but the show won’t get light nor the storytelling stale.
The darkness will come back to test each character and the show manages to feel quite real and engaging. Many times I feel like the show is exploring the many faces of the human mind.

By watching 4 episodes in advance for the series I can say that The 100 qualifies as my favorite new drama (with runners up being Sleepy Hollow and Resurrection, which they have their own and very different strengths), it shows a maturity I never believed possible for a CW show, even when Arrow has proved that the network is ready for a material that’s more grown up. I would say The 100 is as mature (or even more) as any show airing on ABC, FOX, CBS or NBC and could have aired on any of them, which is exactly what The CW needs right now.

I highly recommend you to watch not only the pilot, but the 3 episodes following that, I assure you it will hook you and you will be glad to stick with the show for as long as it runs. The pilot alone I deem worthy enough to raise enough interest to watch the next ones, but once you get to episode 4 this show will be just downright addictive, I guarantee.

Pilot Grade: B+

Show Grade (based on its 4 first episodes): A-

Haven't made up your mind yet? Watch this trailer to see what the show is about!



About the Author - Pablo

I'm currently studying Psychology while also writing fantasy books (one already published in my home country, Chile, you can check it out on the facebook icon). I watch many different types of shows, including my favorites Revenge, Game of Thrones, Once Upon a Time and about 23 more. Currently writing reviews for The 100, Once Upon a Time, How I Met Your Mother and Community