The 100 - Murphy's Law - Roundtable Discussion + "What Did You Think" POLL

The fourth episode of The CW's The 100 does a great job of progressing several storylines. Tonight's episode was once again full of action with several characters involved in various typed of conflict. Thanks to The CW, SpoilerTV has access to screeners for several of the season's episodes, so we can bring you a bit more content than we normally can for many of the other shows we cover. Our roundtable discussion for the fourth episode has questions by Jimmy Ryan, with comments thanks to Daniel van der Veer and Pablo Troncoso Uriarte. The opinion poll is further down below.

Jimmy: First up, after the shock deaths of a couple of characters last week, how well do you think this episode followed on from those deaths and the other events that occurred?

Daniel: This episode really shows the aftermath of last week’s big deaths, in particular Wells’ demise. We already saw Octavia’s reaction to Atom’s death last week, but since Wells died at the end, this week we get to see the aftermath. It’s not like everybody has forgotten what happened. Quite on the contrary, we get to see natural reactions to the deaths. We see the 100 building a ‘wall’ for protection against the grounders. The 100 wants answers and repercussions for Wells’ killer. Clarke is, completely understandably, very bitter against Charlotte and does not forget what she has done. I think the episode did a good job of following up on the events of last week’s episode.

Pablo: I think it did a great job, the show had an aftermath, we saw Clarke grieving and there was a reaction from the group about Wells' death. The worst thing that can happen after a major character death is that it doesn’t affect the plot overall, but Wells' death caused a reaction among everyone, a pretty intense one, and unleashed some of the darkest moments of the series so far, the hanging of Murphy. It’s really interesting to see.

Jimmy: Murphy is a character that I think a lot of fans loved to hate, but do you think he deserved the brutal treatment, despite not being Wells’ killer? What about Charlotte’s fate?

Daniel: It’s not like Murphy is an innocent guy that hasn’t done anything wrong. He might not have killed Wells, but he tried to kill Jasper and he was a complete bully to various people. He also desperately wanted to see Charlotte pay for what she did, but was more driven by his own need for revenge than by the fact that she took a person’s life. Murphy might not have killed her, but he did force her to make the decision. I think in the end, Bellamy just needed to make an example out of him to show that it’s not like they can go around killing each other. As for Charlotte, she is just a kid but did something very adult-like. Whether she is crazy or not, nobody can just take another human’s life. It’s not like they can lock her up in a prison or so, because there are no prisons. She made a grave sacrifice, but she also saved Clarke by doing so. Ultimately it’s just some sort of redemption for killing Wells.

Pablo: I love to hate Murphy, and I was really shocked when I saw everyone so eager to hang him because of how realistic it felt. I don’t know if I’d have gone that far, but the guy had been creating a bad reputation the entire time he’s been on Earth so I’m not surprised the group decided to go there. In a way he asked for it, but I think the 100 went too far, especially because he was innocent. As for Charlotte, my jaw dropped when she sacrificed herself for Clarke, I think she was trying to redeem herself after what she did, and it is a very sad moment, but one that rings true with the series' themes.

Jimmy: Clarke’s despise of her mother has grown rapidly as she finds new ways to hurt her, but Abby’s resolve to reunite herself with Clarke on the ground has grown at the same pace. What’s your view on this unique dynamic between mother and daughter?

Daniel: While far more complicated than your usual mother-daughter dynamic (since the mother killed the father) it echoes to what happens to most teenagers; they hate their parents, they don’t agree with their actions and they want them to punish them when they do something wrong. The parents want the best for their children, and as such they are capable of taking hits. Abby doesn’t know anything about what’s going on on Earth, but she takes the hit when the possibility strikes for Clarke being dead, while Clarke herself tries to deal with her anger towards her mother by punishing her. Clarke’s actions are more than justified, and I think it will be very interesting to see how what happened affects them both.

Pablo: I think it’s quite a unique dynamic. They are miles apart, Clarke hates her mother for killing her father, while Abby desperately wants to see her daughter alive again. Although there are typical elements of a teenager-parents relationship, it’s a unique approach to show that.

Jimmy: The things we take for granted, such as family, religion, and even pencils, have inherited a whole new meaning in this series. Your comments on this?

Daniel: It makes me grateful to have all these privileges. To just be able to go for a walk, to get out of your house to church, or to family or to a store where you can buy whatever you need. They can’t do that on the Ark, they’re always inside (besides the occasional spacewalk for the privileged), they can’t just breathe real air. You will probably get used to it, but it would still feel terrible.

Pablo: I think the show is trying to tell us that life is both beautiful and ugly; family is important, you keep them close and you do stuff for them, but it doesn’t mean a family member can’t betray another one. The fact that Abby gave away her husband - even if it was for the greater good - talks about how sometimes family bonds can’t protect us from reality. Also, Bellamy constantly attempt to protect her sister Octavia - another constant reminder that we do it for family.

Jimmy: Clarke and Finn continue to grow closer, but Octavia and Jasper have caught fans’ imagination early as perhaps the relationship underdogs. Were you happy with how both relationships developed in this episode?

Daniel: Both relationships feel very natural and organic. Even though Octavia may still be grieving over Atom’s death, it’s natural for her to not want Jasper to die and to attach herself to him. Also remember she has been living under the floor for years so she probably likes the attention she’s getting. Clarke and Finn have felt natural from the beginning, and after all these devastating events it’s just organic to have them bond.

Pablo: I am happy! Both relationships develop so organic that it is actually nice to see that the show is not afraid to get characters together when they see it fitting. By the end of the episode Clarke and Finn let their chemistry go wild as a way cool off after all the devastating events they experienced, and it makes sense. Jasper and Octavia is a relationship that is building up rather slowly, but their moments together are quite nice, which will make every interaction they have in the future all the more satisfying.

Jimmy: With Murphy out of the picture, do you think Bellamy can become a more effective and respected leader on his own, or does he need the muscle provided by Murphy and other offsiders to prevent competition and enforce order?

Daniel: As I said, Bellamy has made an example out of Murphy so that should strengthen his leadership. Now that they also have rules, he might get more respect as well. He’s just the chancellor of the Earth, so he has to make tough decisions while also paying attention to what the people want and need.

Pablo: I don’t think Bellamy ever needed an enforcer like Murphy, especially because Murphy was pretty bad at taking orders from him. Bellamy has a natural gift for leadership. He can see what the group needs - he just needs to come up with the right words and everyone will do as he says, so he will find some other muscle who will take orders better. Bellamy is becoming a more respected and serious leader as time goes by.

Jimmy: Raven is on her way to the ground without Abby, The pod she repaired didn’t look overly spaceworthy! If she indeed makes it to the ground, how do you think that will change the situation for both the Ark and the 100 on the ground?

Daniel: Raven has been sent to the ground to see if the 100 are still alive. If she makes it out alive and she could tell the Ark, it would mean that people’s lives will be saved. So that would be quite a game-changer for the Ark. On Earth there is of course Finn and Clarke who have gotten together, and as we learned Finn is Raven’s boyfriend, Clarke and Finn's relationship will obviously be impacted if Raven is reunited with Finn.

Pablo: I think it will complicate the situation for Clarke and Finn, since those two got together in this episode. Aside from that, now that Clarke got through to some people, telling them that they needed rules, and was actually listened to - I think she can make them understand how beneficial it could be that they communicate with the Ark, and that could be a game changer. On the Ark, it would spare the lives of innocent people and Abby would probably get some power as her theories are proven right, while The 100 could receive supplies and to fight the grounders. But that depends solely on what happens next.

That concludes the roundtable for episode 4 of The 100. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below! If you're curious about something, or want to pick our brains for spoilers, follow us all below and send us a tweet! We'd love to hear from you.

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Below is the weekly "What did you think of" poll, which we've combined into this article for your convenience instead of creating two different posts. After you've voted, be sure to share your thoughts about the episode and roundtable in the comments below!



On next week's episode, titled 'Twilight's Last Gleaming', Raven's life-threatening descent continues, the results of which divide the colony once more. Someone gets captured by the grounders, but the circumstances are not what you'd expect. And the people on board the Ark unite in a powerful display of solidarity to ensure humanity's survival, but an innovative form of communication from the ground could change the game once more. This episode is definitely one that you cannot miss!

Thanks for reading and voting! See you all next week for the roundtable of 'Murphy's Law'.
The The 100 roundtable team.