After a three week break, The CW's The 100 returned with the first of the remaining 8 episodes in its third season. First time writer Heidi Cole McAdams produced a script which ensured "Stealing Fire" kept an impressive and immersive level of intensity throughout the hour, with director Uta Briesewitz nailing the important moments with precision.
Right from the outset, this episode was designed to shake the absolute core of The 100's story thus far. On the back of Lexa's death, the next Heda was always going to be a major subplot, and Jason Rothenberg and the rest of the creative team delivered comprehensively. In fact, it was first on the agenda for the hour.
The deep set rituals the Grounders have formed dictated proceedings significantly. Clarke and Murphy were freed by Titus and were allowed to meet with Aden, the Nightblood scheduled to ascend to Heda as directed by Lexa. Clarke had a quiet word to Aden about whether his promise to protect her people was still in play.
So far, so good, but moments later the episode's primary antagonist burst onto the scene. Ontari, an Ice Nation member who was close to Mia, burst through the door of the chapel and attacked Clarke. Titus and Roan, who also showed up, restrained Ontari, but it was clear she was challenging the Nightbloods for the Heda role.
Later on Titus's primary role in the council was given much more context and detail by the man himself. Titus has been a regular feature in this third season - and a good one at that. Even though he was his former Commander's killer, Titus showed exceptional loyalty to Lexa and his people throughout, and put his life on the line in order to give his people the best fighting chance as the leadership changed hands. As the only remaining Flamekeeper, it was Titus's role to hand over the flame - the name given to the coin-sized chip removed from Lexa after her death - to the incumbent Heda - a task that he never completed.
Moments later a victory horn sounded, which saw Clarke, Murphy and Titus rush to the chambers where they found Ontari sitting on the Commander's throne. In one of the season's biggest shock moments to date, Ontari reached into a sack near her feet and pulled out Aden's head, horrifying everyone in sight. I don't think the audience watching at home were as shocked though - probably due to censorship reasons Aden's severed head and body were never shown. Aden was the hour's first casualty, but by no means would he be the last. More on that later.
Arkadia wasn't to be cast aside in this episode. The primary subplot in the Skaikru settlement concerned the death sentences handed down to Kane and Sinclair along with Lincoln and other condemned Grounders. The true colors of Chancellor Pike were on full display, and even though he commuted the sentence of the other Grounders at Bellamy's insistence, Lincoln along with Kane and Sinclair, were given notice that they would be executed at dawn.
I've predicted for weeks that Bellamy would eventually change his allegiances and rebel against Pike. Though it took him long enough, if there was ever a time to do just that, this right here was it. With help from Monty he recruited Harper and Miller to assist in freeing Pike's prisoners. Even better, he did it with his sister, Octavia, though that alliance didn't come quite as easily, with Octavia letting rip at her brother for standing by and allowing Pike's wrath to take hold, and leaving him under Indra's guard in a cave while she went on the rescue mission without him.
Also determined to prevent the executions was Abby, who shared several special moments with Kane throughout the hour. The pair's deepening relationship has been a topic that's been explored throughout the season, but it plateaued somewhat for me in this episode, with the chemistry between the characters lacking a bit more than it probably should. Nevertheless, Kane remained calm and stoic, and let Abby know that she had to keep her good standing in order to bring order to the chaos at a future date.
The grand escape was initiated when Pike and the other prisoner escorts were warned that a presumably armed and dangerous Octavia was inbound and would attempt to break Lincoln out. While Pike and his crew searched in the vicinity the prisoners and helpers hid under the floor of one of the bunk rooms - the very space Octavia spent much of her life in while on board The Ark. It was great to see some continuity from season 1 here.
Pike wasted no time putting Arkadia in lockdown, and he delivered a threat over the radio promising the execution of the remaining Grounder prisoners if Lincoln didn't surrender. For the last time Lincoln and Octavia said their goodbyes and parted ways, with Lincoln drugging Octavia to prevent her from following him. She came to just in time to see Lincoln's final moments.
It's always sad whenever a character dies, but as far as character deaths go, Lincoln's was premature but handled gracefully I thought. A character retaining their honor and dignity in death is hugely important to me, and this is what Lincoln was given. As Lincoln slumped to his knees in the muddy puddle outside Arkadia, Pike asked him if he had any last words. Lincoln's response was simple and stoic, and reflected his loyalty to his people and to Octavia:
With that, Pike put a bullet into his head. If anything this was decent on Pike's part because in the dystopian world The 100 is set in, this would be one of the better ways to go. Elias's Cloud" was an excellent choice of backing track, and the excellent acting performances in this scene by Marie Avgeropoulos and Ricky Whittle were accentuated by director Uta Briesewitz with a myriad of camera angles used to capture everything, and make it a foregone conclusion to the viewers that Octavia will have her revenge.
That was Murphy's reaction when he figured him and Clarke weren't going to leave Polis after all. Roan had shown the pair a tunnel they could use to escape the city, but Clarke had other ideas, opting to sneak back and get the flame. Titus was lying in wait, however, and an intense exchange followed. Titus revealed only a Nightblood can accept the flame, but only Ontari and another largely unknown and disowned Nightblood, Luna, remained from the bloodline. Ontairi burst in moments later, and her agressive behaviour was enough to prompt Titus to make Clarke the Flamekeeper. He distracted Ontairi long enough to allow this by insisting she be cleansed first. Murphy used his ample wit to keep Ontari occupied with the cleansing in the bathtub and allowing Clarke to get a head start on horseback outside the Polis walls.
Following that scene later on came my favorite scene of the episode. Ontari was bathing while Murphy looked out the window. Murphy, in this episode, did little more than serve as comedic relief, but Richard Harmon did an outstanding job with it. The dialog between Murphy and Ontari was fascinating, with the latter surprised by the former's lack of concern for his and his people's wellbeing, and objective praise for her actions thus far. There's some early chemistry brewing too, with Ontari seductively getting out of the bathtub and welcoming Murphy's gaze. It's an enticing potential alliance that I would be more than happy to see developed further.
Moments later Roan and Titus burst in, with Roan getting physical with Murphy as he searched for Clarke. It was then that Titus revealed he gave the flame to Clarke, and proceeded to slit his own throat on Roan's blade before falling backwards into the bathtub.
Like Lincoln, Titus retained his dignity and honor to the end. He realized that he had no further control over what would happen to his people, and by killing himself on his own terms it would make life for Ontari that much harder. Even his last words referenced his firm loyalty to Lexa, and to him, death was his punishment for killing Lexa.
Ontari's orders to Roan followed swiftly. She told him to announce her ascension, burn Lexa's body, and find Clarke. She's the new Heda, but the process hasn't been followed, and Roan and Murphy are both privy to that crucial detail. It might only be temporary, but Ontari will no doubt stamp her mark the only way she knows how.
In all, this week's episode of The 100 was pretty decent. Backed by a solid script and quality directing, the episode succeeded in shaking up the core story. Two excellent characters and cast members bowed out - Ricky Whittle as Lincoln and guest star Neil Sandilands as Titus. It's sad to see them go but I'm satisfied with the way it was handled as I detailed earlier. Clarke has a new mission as Flamekeeper, with the impending introduction of Luna something I'm anticipating with excitement. The great escape in Arkadia surely signals a new chapter for the Sky People. Could Pike have dealt himself and his reign a deadly blow in the process? Finally, for some reason Ontari's ascension has me pretty excited, if not a little fearful at the same time. Rhiannon Fish is an exciting prospect, and Ontari will be an interesting replacement for Lexa, though in a role that's swayed much more heavily toward the antagonist side.
The deaths narrow the scope of the storylines which will conclude this third season, and rather than many characters only seeing small developments in themselves and their subplots, the showrunners can now explore those who remain much more deeply. From my perspective, the future is very positive.
Thanks as always for reading! There was a lot to digest in this episode and there's plenty I've not touched on at all so jump in the comments below with your thoughts and theories. Check out next week's press release, photos and promo here.
Right from the outset, this episode was designed to shake the absolute core of The 100's story thus far. On the back of Lexa's death, the next Heda was always going to be a major subplot, and Jason Rothenberg and the rest of the creative team delivered comprehensively. In fact, it was first on the agenda for the hour.
The deep set rituals the Grounders have formed dictated proceedings significantly. Clarke and Murphy were freed by Titus and were allowed to meet with Aden, the Nightblood scheduled to ascend to Heda as directed by Lexa. Clarke had a quiet word to Aden about whether his promise to protect her people was still in play.
We all will. Lexa made each of us vow it.
So far, so good, but moments later the episode's primary antagonist burst onto the scene. Ontari, an Ice Nation member who was close to Mia, burst through the door of the chapel and attacked Clarke. Titus and Roan, who also showed up, restrained Ontari, but it was clear she was challenging the Nightbloods for the Heda role.
When I am Heda and the king bows to me, you and every last member of Skaikru will die.
Later on Titus's primary role in the council was given much more context and detail by the man himself. Titus has been a regular feature in this third season - and a good one at that. Even though he was his former Commander's killer, Titus showed exceptional loyalty to Lexa and his people throughout, and put his life on the line in order to give his people the best fighting chance as the leadership changed hands. As the only remaining Flamekeeper, it was Titus's role to hand over the flame - the name given to the coin-sized chip removed from Lexa after her death - to the incumbent Heda - a task that he never completed.
Moments later a victory horn sounded, which saw Clarke, Murphy and Titus rush to the chambers where they found Ontari sitting on the Commander's throne. In one of the season's biggest shock moments to date, Ontari reached into a sack near her feet and pulled out Aden's head, horrifying everyone in sight. I don't think the audience watching at home were as shocked though - probably due to censorship reasons Aden's severed head and body were never shown. Aden was the hour's first casualty, but by no means would he be the last. More on that later.
Arkadia wasn't to be cast aside in this episode. The primary subplot in the Skaikru settlement concerned the death sentences handed down to Kane and Sinclair along with Lincoln and other condemned Grounders. The true colors of Chancellor Pike were on full display, and even though he commuted the sentence of the other Grounders at Bellamy's insistence, Lincoln along with Kane and Sinclair, were given notice that they would be executed at dawn.
I've predicted for weeks that Bellamy would eventually change his allegiances and rebel against Pike. Though it took him long enough, if there was ever a time to do just that, this right here was it. With help from Monty he recruited Harper and Miller to assist in freeing Pike's prisoners. Even better, he did it with his sister, Octavia, though that alliance didn't come quite as easily, with Octavia letting rip at her brother for standing by and allowing Pike's wrath to take hold, and leaving him under Indra's guard in a cave while she went on the rescue mission without him.
Also determined to prevent the executions was Abby, who shared several special moments with Kane throughout the hour. The pair's deepening relationship has been a topic that's been explored throughout the season, but it plateaued somewhat for me in this episode, with the chemistry between the characters lacking a bit more than it probably should. Nevertheless, Kane remained calm and stoic, and let Abby know that she had to keep her good standing in order to bring order to the chaos at a future date.
They need someone to show them the way out of the dark.
The grand escape was initiated when Pike and the other prisoner escorts were warned that a presumably armed and dangerous Octavia was inbound and would attempt to break Lincoln out. While Pike and his crew searched in the vicinity the prisoners and helpers hid under the floor of one of the bunk rooms - the very space Octavia spent much of her life in while on board The Ark. It was great to see some continuity from season 1 here.
Pike wasted no time putting Arkadia in lockdown, and he delivered a threat over the radio promising the execution of the remaining Grounder prisoners if Lincoln didn't surrender. For the last time Lincoln and Octavia said their goodbyes and parted ways, with Lincoln drugging Octavia to prevent her from following him. She came to just in time to see Lincoln's final moments.
It's always sad whenever a character dies, but as far as character deaths go, Lincoln's was premature but handled gracefully I thought. A character retaining their honor and dignity in death is hugely important to me, and this is what Lincoln was given. As Lincoln slumped to his knees in the muddy puddle outside Arkadia, Pike asked him if he had any last words. Lincoln's response was simple and stoic, and reflected his loyalty to his people and to Octavia:
Not for you.
With that, Pike put a bullet into his head. If anything this was decent on Pike's part because in the dystopian world The 100 is set in, this would be one of the better ways to go. Elias's Cloud" was an excellent choice of backing track, and the excellent acting performances in this scene by Marie Avgeropoulos and Ricky Whittle were accentuated by director Uta Briesewitz with a myriad of camera angles used to capture everything, and make it a foregone conclusion to the viewers that Octavia will have her revenge.
We are not leaving, are we.
That was Murphy's reaction when he figured him and Clarke weren't going to leave Polis after all. Roan had shown the pair a tunnel they could use to escape the city, but Clarke had other ideas, opting to sneak back and get the flame. Titus was lying in wait, however, and an intense exchange followed. Titus revealed only a Nightblood can accept the flame, but only Ontari and another largely unknown and disowned Nightblood, Luna, remained from the bloodline. Ontairi burst in moments later, and her agressive behaviour was enough to prompt Titus to make Clarke the Flamekeeper. He distracted Ontairi long enough to allow this by insisting she be cleansed first. Murphy used his ample wit to keep Ontari occupied with the cleansing in the bathtub and allowing Clarke to get a head start on horseback outside the Polis walls.
Your duty is to the flame now.
Following that scene later on came my favorite scene of the episode. Ontari was bathing while Murphy looked out the window. Murphy, in this episode, did little more than serve as comedic relief, but Richard Harmon did an outstanding job with it. The dialog between Murphy and Ontari was fascinating, with the latter surprised by the former's lack of concern for his and his people's wellbeing, and objective praise for her actions thus far. There's some early chemistry brewing too, with Ontari seductively getting out of the bathtub and welcoming Murphy's gaze. It's an enticing potential alliance that I would be more than happy to see developed further.
Moments later Roan and Titus burst in, with Roan getting physical with Murphy as he searched for Clarke. It was then that Titus revealed he gave the flame to Clarke, and proceeded to slit his own throat on Roan's blade before falling backwards into the bathtub.
Like Lincoln, Titus retained his dignity and honor to the end. He realized that he had no further control over what would happen to his people, and by killing himself on his own terms it would make life for Ontari that much harder. Even his last words referenced his firm loyalty to Lexa, and to him, death was his punishment for killing Lexa.
Ontari's orders to Roan followed swiftly. She told him to announce her ascension, burn Lexa's body, and find Clarke. She's the new Heda, but the process hasn't been followed, and Roan and Murphy are both privy to that crucial detail. It might only be temporary, but Ontari will no doubt stamp her mark the only way she knows how.
In all, this week's episode of The 100 was pretty decent. Backed by a solid script and quality directing, the episode succeeded in shaking up the core story. Two excellent characters and cast members bowed out - Ricky Whittle as Lincoln and guest star Neil Sandilands as Titus. It's sad to see them go but I'm satisfied with the way it was handled as I detailed earlier. Clarke has a new mission as Flamekeeper, with the impending introduction of Luna something I'm anticipating with excitement. The great escape in Arkadia surely signals a new chapter for the Sky People. Could Pike have dealt himself and his reign a deadly blow in the process? Finally, for some reason Ontari's ascension has me pretty excited, if not a little fearful at the same time. Rhiannon Fish is an exciting prospect, and Ontari will be an interesting replacement for Lexa, though in a role that's swayed much more heavily toward the antagonist side.
The deaths narrow the scope of the storylines which will conclude this third season, and rather than many characters only seeing small developments in themselves and their subplots, the showrunners can now explore those who remain much more deeply. From my perspective, the future is very positive.
Thanks as always for reading! There was a lot to digest in this episode and there's plenty I've not touched on at all so jump in the comments below with your thoughts and theories. Check out next week's press release, photos and promo here.
