The 100 aired its season finale last Thursday, and the episode wrapped up the season-long ALIE storyline while also setting up an interesting premise for season 4. I will start with a recap and review of the episode, then look at season 3 as a whole and finally my hopes for season 4. I will conclude with a personal message.
Brief recap
With Ontari braindead, Clarke uses the EMP to get the chip out of her mother, leading to a tearful reunion between Abby and her daughter. The two must quickly act to defeat ALIE. Clarke proposes a blood transfusion similar to what Mount Weather did in season 2. Abby and Murphy set it all up and plant the chip in Clarke, while Bellamy, Octavia, Pike, Miller and Bryan attempt to prevent ALIE's army from entering the Commander's chamber. Clarke takes the key to the City of Light, where she looks for the kill switch. With Ontari crashing, she doesn't get enough nightblood so she starts fading and ALIE's army starts looking for her. Fortunately, Lexa appears and fights off the army. The two continue to look for the kill switch, and are helped by Raven from Arkadia, who unlocks a door to the kill switch. Lexa stays behind to fight off the army, and she and Clarke say goodbye for a second time. Clarke enters the room, where Becca waits for her and urges her to pull the lever that kills ALIE. However, ALIE appears and tells Clarke she is trying to save the human race. She reveals that the Earth's remaining nuclear power plants are melting down and in six months, 96% of the planet will be uninhabitable. As time winds down and Clarke considers her options, she decides to pull the lever and destroy ALIE and the City of Light. Everybody comes back to their senses, including Kane, Jaha, Jasper and Emori. Some tearful yet happy reunions happen and everyone we care about made it out alive. Pike, who had earlier saved Octavia's life, looks to Octavia as if everything is OK. For Octavia, however, it is not as she still has to settle a score with him, and she stabs Pike with her sword, killing him.
Review
Like season 3 was not the best season of the show, this season finale might not have been the best finale either. It wasn't the big fight like it was in season 1 and it didn't have the emotional impact of the season 2 finale. It did have a bit of a war and it did have some emotional impact, but overall they were lacking. However, it was still a great episode. I loved the character moments, most notably all the happy reunions. Eliza Taylor and Paige Turco did an amazing job in the first scene where mother and daughter are reunited as Abby realizes what she has done (or actually, what ALIE has done through her). Likewise, Henry Ian Cusick had an awesome moment when Kane came back to his senses, and it was good to see Abby comfort him. Other great character moments include Pike and Bellamy discussing what they did earlier in the season, Pike and Octavia working together and Murphy and Abby working to save Clarke. It was weird that there was no big bloodshed and no important deaths (besides Pike), but it was kind of refreshing to have nobody die. It was also weird to not have a cliffhanger of sorts, although there are a bunch of questions left unanswered. Most notably, what's next? How are these characters going to move on and focus on their survival? Will they be able to survive at all? There is also no Commander, and the only Nightblood currently still alive has no interest in being Commander. Also, there are two characters whose fate is still up in the air: Roan and Indra. Roan was shot in the last episode, but he was alive when he was taken away. Indra was said to be on the cross in this episode, but we did not get to see her taken down. I hope both are still alive.
Reflection of the season
Most of us can agree that season 3 wasn't the best season of the show, but there were still some great moments and episodes. Below, I recap what, in my opinion, worked and what didn't in season 3 (in no particular order).
What worked
-The acting, with Lindsey Morgan as the standout for her performances in "Fallen" and "Nevermore". Also honorable mention to Erica Cerra, who pulled double duty as creepy villain ALIE and her creator Becca
-The fallout of various deaths, most notably Lexa's and Lincoln's (for example, Clarke and Octavia's grief)
-Murphy's one-liners
-Tying the Grounders' mythology into the City of Light storyline
-Finally introducing Luna and her clan, who we have been hearing about since the end of seaosn 1
-Monty getting a good storyline in season 3B, where he killed his mother twice
-The return of the adventure squad in 3B
-The flashbacks to the Ark and the end of the world
-The introduction of Roan
-Kane leading the resistance against Pike, which also included several secondary characters like Harper, Miller and Sinclair
-Raven standing up to ALIE with her free will, and later Abby being the only one in Arkadia who sees the real threat of Jaha and ALIE
-One episode each without Clarke (and Polis) or Bellamy (and Arkadia), that worked well to focus on other storylines
-A minor redemption arc for Pike, meaning I had a bit more sympathy for him but I also was not sorry to see him die at Octavia's hand. Full redemption would have been impossible, and at least they give him a bit more layers.
What didn't work
-Bellamy's quick turn to the dark side, his quick return to the good side and nobody but Octavia blaming him for what happened
-No motivations for Pike and Hannah's actions (a flashback to what happened to Farm Station would have been nice), making them pretty one-dimensional
-Monty quickly siding with his mom without any given explanation
-The death of 300+ Grounder warriors being ignored by a big portion of Arkadia, or at least they didn't have a very strong reaction to it (Clarke included)
-No given explanation why some people took the key to the City of Light (e.g. Jackson, Emori, the two guys on Luna's boat)
-The useless death of Sinclair. Other deaths this season (like Lexa and Lincoln) served a purpose, but Sinclair's death was unnecessary
-The threat of the Ice Nation pretty much falling flat. Queen Nia was an interesting character, but was killed off after just one episode. Under King Roan, things cooled down. When Ontari came to power, she threatened to wipe out the entire Skaikru, but instead was focussed on maintaining her power.
-The lack of a storyline for Lincoln, meaning I barely missed him after he died
-Jaha being ALIE's slave for the entirety of the season, making him pretty one-dimensional
-The Game of Thrones-like moments where Ontari gouged out the eyes of that ambassador and later used Murphy as a sex slave. There's no need to turn this into Game of Thrones (which I don't watch), let the show be its own.
-The horror theme in the episode "Demons"
-Bellamy's girlfriend Gina, whom we barely got to know before she was killed off
-Jasper being a pretty useless drunk in the beginning of the season until focusing on the threat of ALIE
There might be more things that would fit either category, but these are the most important things to me. In general, the show tried to cram too much into this season. I think it actually would have worked if the storylines of this season were spread across two seasons, or if season 3 had more episodes. All in all, it was a rocky season, but it still had great moments. For a show that was amazingly awesome in seasons 1 and 2, season 3 was just good. It wasn't entirely bad, but it wasn't as awesome as the previous seasons. It had its problems, and I hope the writers take notice of those problems and learn from them to make another awesome season 4.
Season 4 hopes
So how could season 4 be better? Below I list what I would love to see in season 4. There is not much known about the new season yet other than what we learned in this episode. It will be interesting to see if all characters will start working together on their survival, which should decrease the conflict and war between them. Are we in for a quieter season 4? Knowing this show, I highly doubt it. However, it could be that season 4 is much more adventurous rather than focusing on war and action.
Hopes for season 4:
-Logical character growth that is explored in-depth and is not rushed like what happened in season 3 (and with Finn in season 2)
-Character motivatoins that make sense
-Indra and Roan are alive
-Not rushing through the storylines and allowing the characters to breathe every once in a while (I would still watch in an episode where Clarke and Bellamy go on a hunting trip and discuss everything what has happened in the past three seasons)
-A redemption arc for Jaha, meaning he becomes more like his season 1 self rather than the crazy guy he has been the past two seasons (even though he was under ALIE's control for about half that time)
-Continued development for secondary characters like Harper, Miller, Indra, Roan etc.
-A permanent stop to the Game of Thrones-like moments
-A reduction in the amount of deaths, and for the deaths that do happen, make them count
Most of all, I just hope for a return to the quality of the first two seasons and an awesome storyline in season 4!
Personal message
No matter how season 4 turns out, I won't be here to review it. As you might have read in my message in the SpoilerTV Open Community Thread, I am going to stop writing reviews at the end of the current TV season, meaning this was my last review for The 100. I originally applied to SpoilerTV because of a vacant spot for The 100, and when I joined the team I also began reviewing other shows. But through The 100 I became a reviewer for the site in the first place. I love the show and will continue to watch and support it, and I will still be around in the comments to discuss the episodes. I have had a lot of fun reviewing the show for the past three seasons and interacting with all of you in the comment section, it's something that I will really miss! I would like to give a shout-out to my fellow The 100 reviewers Jimmy Ryan and Pablo Tronsco. We have done some great roundtables and we have all written great reviews and previews. I have no doubt that you will do a great job for season 4 and hopefully beyond. Thanks everyone for reading my last review!
What did you think of the season 3 finale? Are you happy nobody but Pike died? What's next for our characters now that the Earth might become uninhabitable again? What do you think about season 3 as a whole? And lastly, do you have any hopes for season 4? I would love to hear your thoughts and theories in the comments below.
With Ontari braindead, Clarke uses the EMP to get the chip out of her mother, leading to a tearful reunion between Abby and her daughter. The two must quickly act to defeat ALIE. Clarke proposes a blood transfusion similar to what Mount Weather did in season 2. Abby and Murphy set it all up and plant the chip in Clarke, while Bellamy, Octavia, Pike, Miller and Bryan attempt to prevent ALIE's army from entering the Commander's chamber. Clarke takes the key to the City of Light, where she looks for the kill switch. With Ontari crashing, she doesn't get enough nightblood so she starts fading and ALIE's army starts looking for her. Fortunately, Lexa appears and fights off the army. The two continue to look for the kill switch, and are helped by Raven from Arkadia, who unlocks a door to the kill switch. Lexa stays behind to fight off the army, and she and Clarke say goodbye for a second time. Clarke enters the room, where Becca waits for her and urges her to pull the lever that kills ALIE. However, ALIE appears and tells Clarke she is trying to save the human race. She reveals that the Earth's remaining nuclear power plants are melting down and in six months, 96% of the planet will be uninhabitable. As time winds down and Clarke considers her options, she decides to pull the lever and destroy ALIE and the City of Light. Everybody comes back to their senses, including Kane, Jaha, Jasper and Emori. Some tearful yet happy reunions happen and everyone we care about made it out alive. Pike, who had earlier saved Octavia's life, looks to Octavia as if everything is OK. For Octavia, however, it is not as she still has to settle a score with him, and she stabs Pike with her sword, killing him.
Review
Like season 3 was not the best season of the show, this season finale might not have been the best finale either. It wasn't the big fight like it was in season 1 and it didn't have the emotional impact of the season 2 finale. It did have a bit of a war and it did have some emotional impact, but overall they were lacking. However, it was still a great episode. I loved the character moments, most notably all the happy reunions. Eliza Taylor and Paige Turco did an amazing job in the first scene where mother and daughter are reunited as Abby realizes what she has done (or actually, what ALIE has done through her). Likewise, Henry Ian Cusick had an awesome moment when Kane came back to his senses, and it was good to see Abby comfort him. Other great character moments include Pike and Bellamy discussing what they did earlier in the season, Pike and Octavia working together and Murphy and Abby working to save Clarke. It was weird that there was no big bloodshed and no important deaths (besides Pike), but it was kind of refreshing to have nobody die. It was also weird to not have a cliffhanger of sorts, although there are a bunch of questions left unanswered. Most notably, what's next? How are these characters going to move on and focus on their survival? Will they be able to survive at all? There is also no Commander, and the only Nightblood currently still alive has no interest in being Commander. Also, there are two characters whose fate is still up in the air: Roan and Indra. Roan was shot in the last episode, but he was alive when he was taken away. Indra was said to be on the cross in this episode, but we did not get to see her taken down. I hope both are still alive.
Reflection of the season
Most of us can agree that season 3 wasn't the best season of the show, but there were still some great moments and episodes. Below, I recap what, in my opinion, worked and what didn't in season 3 (in no particular order).
-The acting, with Lindsey Morgan as the standout for her performances in "Fallen" and "Nevermore". Also honorable mention to Erica Cerra, who pulled double duty as creepy villain ALIE and her creator Becca
-The fallout of various deaths, most notably Lexa's and Lincoln's (for example, Clarke and Octavia's grief)
-Murphy's one-liners
-Tying the Grounders' mythology into the City of Light storyline
-Finally introducing Luna and her clan, who we have been hearing about since the end of seaosn 1
-Monty getting a good storyline in season 3B, where he killed his mother twice
-The return of the adventure squad in 3B
-The flashbacks to the Ark and the end of the world
-The introduction of Roan
-Kane leading the resistance against Pike, which also included several secondary characters like Harper, Miller and Sinclair
-Raven standing up to ALIE with her free will, and later Abby being the only one in Arkadia who sees the real threat of Jaha and ALIE
-One episode each without Clarke (and Polis) or Bellamy (and Arkadia), that worked well to focus on other storylines
-A minor redemption arc for Pike, meaning I had a bit more sympathy for him but I also was not sorry to see him die at Octavia's hand. Full redemption would have been impossible, and at least they give him a bit more layers.
-Bellamy's quick turn to the dark side, his quick return to the good side and nobody but Octavia blaming him for what happened
-No motivations for Pike and Hannah's actions (a flashback to what happened to Farm Station would have been nice), making them pretty one-dimensional
-Monty quickly siding with his mom without any given explanation
-The death of 300+ Grounder warriors being ignored by a big portion of Arkadia, or at least they didn't have a very strong reaction to it (Clarke included)
-No given explanation why some people took the key to the City of Light (e.g. Jackson, Emori, the two guys on Luna's boat)
-The useless death of Sinclair. Other deaths this season (like Lexa and Lincoln) served a purpose, but Sinclair's death was unnecessary
-The threat of the Ice Nation pretty much falling flat. Queen Nia was an interesting character, but was killed off after just one episode. Under King Roan, things cooled down. When Ontari came to power, she threatened to wipe out the entire Skaikru, but instead was focussed on maintaining her power.
-The lack of a storyline for Lincoln, meaning I barely missed him after he died
-Jaha being ALIE's slave for the entirety of the season, making him pretty one-dimensional
-The Game of Thrones-like moments where Ontari gouged out the eyes of that ambassador and later used Murphy as a sex slave. There's no need to turn this into Game of Thrones (which I don't watch), let the show be its own.
-The horror theme in the episode "Demons"
-Bellamy's girlfriend Gina, whom we barely got to know before she was killed off
-Jasper being a pretty useless drunk in the beginning of the season until focusing on the threat of ALIE
There might be more things that would fit either category, but these are the most important things to me. In general, the show tried to cram too much into this season. I think it actually would have worked if the storylines of this season were spread across two seasons, or if season 3 had more episodes. All in all, it was a rocky season, but it still had great moments. For a show that was amazingly awesome in seasons 1 and 2, season 3 was just good. It wasn't entirely bad, but it wasn't as awesome as the previous seasons. It had its problems, and I hope the writers take notice of those problems and learn from them to make another awesome season 4.
So how could season 4 be better? Below I list what I would love to see in season 4. There is not much known about the new season yet other than what we learned in this episode. It will be interesting to see if all characters will start working together on their survival, which should decrease the conflict and war between them. Are we in for a quieter season 4? Knowing this show, I highly doubt it. However, it could be that season 4 is much more adventurous rather than focusing on war and action.
Hopes for season 4:
-Logical character growth that is explored in-depth and is not rushed like what happened in season 3 (and with Finn in season 2)
-Character motivatoins that make sense
-Indra and Roan are alive
-Not rushing through the storylines and allowing the characters to breathe every once in a while (I would still watch in an episode where Clarke and Bellamy go on a hunting trip and discuss everything what has happened in the past three seasons)
-A redemption arc for Jaha, meaning he becomes more like his season 1 self rather than the crazy guy he has been the past two seasons (even though he was under ALIE's control for about half that time)
-Continued development for secondary characters like Harper, Miller, Indra, Roan etc.
-A permanent stop to the Game of Thrones-like moments
-A reduction in the amount of deaths, and for the deaths that do happen, make them count
Most of all, I just hope for a return to the quality of the first two seasons and an awesome storyline in season 4!
Personal message
No matter how season 4 turns out, I won't be here to review it. As you might have read in my message in the SpoilerTV Open Community Thread, I am going to stop writing reviews at the end of the current TV season, meaning this was my last review for The 100. I originally applied to SpoilerTV because of a vacant spot for The 100, and when I joined the team I also began reviewing other shows. But through The 100 I became a reviewer for the site in the first place. I love the show and will continue to watch and support it, and I will still be around in the comments to discuss the episodes. I have had a lot of fun reviewing the show for the past three seasons and interacting with all of you in the comment section, it's something that I will really miss! I would like to give a shout-out to my fellow The 100 reviewers Jimmy Ryan and Pablo Tronsco. We have done some great roundtables and we have all written great reviews and previews. I have no doubt that you will do a great job for season 4 and hopefully beyond. Thanks everyone for reading my last review!
What did you think of the season 3 finale? Are you happy nobody but Pike died? What's next for our characters now that the Earth might become uninhabitable again? What do you think about season 3 as a whole? And lastly, do you have any hopes for season 4? I would love to hear your thoughts and theories in the comments below.
