The 100 - Many Happy Returns - Review: "An Absolute Stunner"

The all-new episode of The CW's The 100 was an absolute stunner.

Each writing and directing their second episodes respectively, Kim Shumway and P.J. Pesce put together another excellent hour of television, titled "Many Happy Returns". The rapid storyline development was beautifully blended with plenty of intense, action-filled moments, leading into what looks to be another hard-hitting episode next week.

The fourth episode of the season, and just the seventeenth in the series' history, had series regulars Lincoln, Abby and Kane, Jasper and Monty go unsighted, making way for the return of Chancellor Jaha. The hour wasted no time digging into Jaha's dilemma, with a young, disfigured boy, Zoren, coming across a lifeless body in the desert, which later led to the introduction of a new group of nomads trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world.

Zoren's mother, Sienna, greeted Jaha when he woke, and revealed she, her husband and her son, abandoned their tribe because they did not support the ritual of letting newborns affected by radiation live in order to help cleanse the bloodline. The trio were aiming to reach the "City of Light" - a place which cannot be pinpointed currently, though we understand the trio along with Jaha are currently in the "Dead Zone". Unfortunately for Jaha, the trio who saved him also sold him out, cashing in on a bounty for the capture of "sky people" in return for a horse to help them reach the City of Light.

It looks like Jaha will be in a pickle for a few more weeks yet, as the desert seems a world away from the dense forest that the rest of the characters call home. But the mystery surrounding this world has only deepened, with the story behind the desert nomads, and the mystery behind the City of Light being beautifully introduced.



In other news, the guest appearances of Dichen Lachman came to an end last night, but not before doing a fantastic job as Anya once again. Last week saw her and Clarke successfully escape from the horrors of Mt Weather, only for Anya to take Clarke prisoner with the intentions of giving her to her colony of Grounders. The duo were racing against time as the Mountain Men followed their trail with impossible precision, which led Clarke to believe they were being tracked. She was right, with Anya discovering one embedded in her arm. She wasted no time removing it, opting to simply take it, and a chunk of her arm, out using her teeth. The pain tolerance of the Grounders must be through the roof!

Later, the ever resourceful Clarke, who earlier managed to score a tranquilizer dart, used that to subdue her enemy. What followed was one of the best, and most violent fight scenes I've seen on television, as Lachman and Eliza Taylor put on a fantastic show as their characters battled to the death. Clarke had the chance, but the sight of a balloon climbing over the mountains saw her and Anya head in that direction, successfully arriving at Camp Jaha, whose guards opened fire by accident, ending Anya's journey. As the face of the Grounders besides Lincoln, this was tough to swallow, but it proves the series' creative team, led by Jason Rothenberg, are delivering on their promise of ensuring no one is safe. It leaves the door open for a new face for the Grounders to rise up - something I'm very much looking forward to seeing.

The most surprising moment in last night's hour was the reuniting of siblings Octavia and Bellamy. Earlier, Bellamy, along with Finn, Murphy, Sterling and Monroe, had come across the decimated remains of one of the Ark's broken stations. Trapped on the edge of a cliff, Mel cried out for help, with Sterling obliging, though a poorly tied knot sent him on the way to a very sudden stop. Kudos to the creative team here, who, for once, let the all-too-common, all-too-predictable, last second save someone on the end of the rope by grabbing it in time trick, not eventuate, with fatal consequences! I had to restrain myself from leaping out of my chair once I saw Sterling hit the bottom because I was that pleased to see someone actually die like that.

Despite losing one over the edge, Bellamy was not content with leaving Mel there to meet that same fate. After the group fashioned a crude rope from the surrounding debris, he himself went over the edge, successfully rescuing Mel, but not before the rope snapped, followed by a hail of Grounder arrows and spears. Clearly, the guy who biffed the spear in the series premiere that almost killed Jasper, can't have been among the Grounder army, which were warded off by an impeccably timed horn blast from none other than Octavia. The siblings, now reunited, decide to accompany Mel and Monroe back to Camp Jaha while Finn and Murphy soldier on in an attempt to locate the remaining members of the 100.

Another duo saw development last night. Raven and engineer Wick fought several verbal duels, with a defiant Raven refusing to try out a leg brace Wick had constructed. They were initially charged with establishing a communications link to help find out what had happened to the other Ark stations. Instead, they came up with a helium-filled balloon instead, which didn't go down well with Major Byrne. However, it did get seen by Clarke, leading her and Anya in the right direction. While I don't see any chemistry between Wick and Raven, it's good to know she's not alone on the mechanical front, and will be more useful to the group now that she can stand and walk more or less unaided.

There's a lot going on, and it's great to watch, but it's hard to keep up with at times, so here's a rough status guide. We have Bellamy and Octavia reunited, and heading back to Camp Jaha. Jaha himself is with the desert nomads. Raven and Abby remain at Camp Jaha, with Kane out looking to establish peace with the Grounders. Finn and Murphy are continuing the search for their friends, and Clarke has made it to Camp Jaha. Murphy and Jasper continue inside Mt Weather, where Lincoln is being held captive.

The episode left us with a powerful statement from Clarke. Despite nearing death against Anya, the girl showed maturity beyond her years. As she released Anya upon reaching Camp Jaha, she said "Our only chance against Mt Weather is if we fight together. To beat them we will need our technology, and your knowledge of this world." Clarke couldn't be closer to the truth. She is the only one who understands who the real enemies are, and what needs to be done to stop them. At the moment, it's a very steep uphill battle, but someone has to lead the way.

Before I call it a day, congratulations to the awesome costume, make-up, special effects, and set design departments on The 100. On top of a great cast and writing, the series always looks amazing!

Thanks for reading my review for this episode of The 100! Next week's episode looks like an absolute cracker, so be sure to check out its promo if you haven't seen it already. Remember you can follow The 100's ratings on my TV ratings website, www.seriesmonitor.com/the100. And lastly, don't forget to share your thoughts and theories in the comments below!

Jimmy.

About the Author - Jimmy Ryan

Jimmy Ryan lives in New Zealand. He is an avid follower of drama television and has a keen interest for television ratings and statistics. Some of his favorite shows right now are Person of Interest, Scandal, House of Cards, Orphan Black, The Blacklist, The 100, and Castle. You can visit his television ratings website, www.seriesmonitor.com or follow him on Twitter, @SeriesMonitor.

Recent Articles by Jimmy (All Articles by Jimmy)