I honestly can’t believe what just happened. Just when I thought the show couldn’t pull any more surprises Lexa, a character I have been growing fond of, goes and betrays the Sky People so she could save her own people. It was a cold, understandable move that I just didn’t see coming, not because it’s out of character, but because it means rescuing the 44 on Mt Weather has just become mission impossible. What happens next? That’s the sole question that goes around my mind right now.
Honestly, when the episode started I felt that this was going to be like “We are the grounders Part 1”, you know, a good episode that’s 95% build up to Part 2. I was liking what I was seeing, but I had this overwhelming sensation that I would have to wait until next week to have any real thrill, that everything here would be just setup and that it would have been better to air the two parts together. I still believe a two hour season finale would have been epic, but there’s no denying there’s enough thrill to get you excited about the next episode instead of just thinking “this was merely build up”.
There’s tons of builds up, but there’s also tons of action: Raven and Wick steal the show’s most heartwarming scenes - and also some of the best character interaction - through their story. They have to cut off the power on Mt Weather by making explode the generators, but they are soon made, complicating their situation. Wick is forced to kill a person from Mt Weather, cue to Raven’s cold but true “welcome to the ground”: in order to survive you have to kill some people on Earth.
Speaking of devastating - and there’s plenty on this episode -, the whole Octavia storyline moved quickly as it should, and as soon as she got to be called “Octavia of the tree people” by Indra, that respect is quickly taken away when she decides to stay for her brother and Indra says she’s no longer her second.
Octavia is the bridge between the Sky People and the Grounders, she is both, but right now it would seem that she’s in nowhere land, floating in between. She says so herself; she was confronted with an impossible situation, as Lexa ordered a retreat and she chose her brother first. It is what any sibling would do and as such is really sad, because Octavia worked so hard to be treated as equals among the grounders and now she’s back to square one.
But I think nothing will ever be as devastating as seeing Clarke’s face once she realizes that Lexa has taken the deal. They worked together, they marched together, they killed people together - mountain men and even their own -, and after all the work they’ve done, after finally being at the entrance of Mt Weather, Lexa gives her back on Clarke.
And this is probably one of the most surprising dialogues I’ve heard:
Clarke: “What did you do?”
Lexa: “What you would have done.”
I honestly don’t know if Clarke would have gone for the deal, honestly, but that’s up for debate. However, it’s clear that Clarke does understand why Lexa did what she did.
Things on Mt Weather are not less dire: as the 44 have found some allies, the soldiers on Mt Weather start raiding every possible place on the mountain to find them, and they are even willing to kill the traitors who aid them. Luckily for Jasper and Maya, after they get captured Maya’s dad stall enough time for Bellamy to come up and rescue everybody.
And so the episode comes to an end with Clarke staring at the gate; people tell her is over for now, and she says “it can’t be over” and so we see her standing there as the camera zooms out. Cut to black.
The episode totally deceived making me believe that the build up was all for next week when in fact it came in service of a completely incredible twist on the very same episode. Every scene is great even if they are building up to something, and it becomes even more relevant and thrilling once Lexa gives her back on Clarke. Stuff starts hitting the fan and we’re left wondering what’s next. Not many shows would dare putting their characters in this kind of situation, and that’s what I love about the show: I love that it is bold and that it has big balls to pull these stuff off.
Grade: A
Stray Observations:
-Character I miss the most this week: Kane, he’s always a great player in every episode, but since he’s injured it makes sense the finale wouldn’t let us see him. Same goes for Abby, but I rather have Kane.
-Correcting a mistake made weeks ago: I killed off Nyko in my “Coup de Grâce” review, but it wasn’t him, it just looked like him. Sorry folks, mistakes are made from time to time.
-Showing off: Lincon shooting an arrow on fire; man that was a cool shot!
-Miller got to kill a guard on screen, proving that aside from Bellamy, Jasper and Monty, there are those among the 44 that are still needed to survive, even if they don’t get as much screen time.
-Maya’s dad may not have been a memorable character, but Maya’s reaction once she finds him dead gets me.
-Dante advised Cage to make the offer with Lexa. He did it for his people, so I understand his actions, but damn! All the damaged he caused to our characters really make me want to hate him right now… and I can’t.
-The commander’s orders are the most important things for the Grounders, it seems, though I’m sure not everyone is happy to leave the battlefield: deal or not, the Mountain Men still hit them with a missile.
-Talking of which, I see sometime in the future (season 3) Clarke coming clear about the missile just to dethrone Lexa.
-Raven: “Fine, geez, you can tell me a damn joke already. Get it? Dam Joke.”
It’s silly, but I like puns, especially coming off from Raven.
-Dante to Cage: “You’ve killed us.”
Pablo’s “this show should be nominated for an emmy!” section:
-Outstanding drama series - submitting episodes “Spacewalker” “Coup de Grâce”, “Blood Must Have Blood Part 1” (and possibly Part 2)
-Outstanding lead actress in a drama series: Eliza Taylor for “The 48”, “Rubicon” or “Blood Must Have Blood Part 1”
-Outstanding supporting actor in a drama series: Henry Ian Cusick for “Resurrection” and Bob Morley for “The 48” or “Coup de Grâce”
-Outstanding supporting actress in a drama series: Lindsey Morgan for “Bodyguard of Lies”
-Outstanding guest actor in a drama series: Raymond J. Barry (President Dante Wallace) for “Rubicon” or “Blood Must Have Blood Part 1”
-Outstanding stunt coordination: for the battles on “Resurrection”
-Outstanding special effects: for “Rubicon”
