The title for this week's episode of The 100 certainly lived up to its name, with a number of significant characters meeting their end in the 'Hunger Games' style conclave. But a massive twist in events in the episode's final seconds looks set to change the course of the series once more. Aaron Ginsburg & Wade McIntyre wrote "Die All, Die Merrily", which was spectacularly well directed by Dean White.
This episode was all about the conclave, and nothing else. Polis was the location for the battlefield, and the only location featured for all but the final seconds of the episode. The thirteen warriors from the myriad clans which make up the world inside the series as we know it were each represented by a single member in most cases. I was largely impressed with the way things played out, especially given that a couple of unexpected deaths occurred along the way. Good on the creative team for working hard to make the whole affair a good deal less predictable than I was expecting.
The build-up was also better than I expected. Of particular note was the heartening conversation Bellamy and Octavia shared before she left to fight, which was followed once more by a pep-talk along with Kane in the armory. More on Bellamy shortly.
If I die, I die.
The fighting didn't last that long, really, meaning the conclave didn't drag out like I feared it may. The superb stunt team, special effects and costume designers brought about some of the most vicious and gruesome fighting this series has produced. Among others, swords scored a few cuts, a hammer obliterated some dude's head, Octavia cleaved an arm in two, and more than one warrior took an arrow to boot. The camera work and post-production was also impressive, though in a couple of instances, the cuts between shots were a bit quick, and the sound effects could have been improved here and there as well.
I must admit that while I did expect Octavia to survive, I also had money on Roan surviving in my review of last week's episode, and the duo opting not to fight for an outright winner. Luna proved to be an exciting addition to the conclave lineup, and managed to kill Roan in rather cheap fashion by simply drowning him. In his defense, the black rain had suddenly begun falling, and an immune Luna wasn't impacted at all. It took a last-ditch surprise attack from Octavia to bring Luna down and claim victory.
Prior to that, however, was Iliyan's death at the hands of Echo, who shouldn't have been present in the battlefield. Echo had already assassinated one other warrior with a bow and arrow, and she ambushed Iliyan moments after he had helped save her life from other warriors who she stumbled across. Octavia slicing another warrior's arm off came second to the impressive special effects which saw Echo's arrow pierce Iliyan's neck, incapacitating him and forcing Octavia to finish him off at his request with a blade to the heart. I was saddened, but not surprised, to see Iliyan die. For Octavia, she once again finds herself alone in a world that is becoming considerably harder to survive in.
Bellamy's role in bringing Echo's illegal assassinations under control was fascinating. He unwittingly saved his sister, who was in Echo's cross-hairs a moment before he burst through the door to her vantage point. Roan was drawn to the ensuing commotion, and harshly disciplined Echo, but likely not harshly enough, because now that Roan's dead it's safe to say she will at least try to claim his throne in the meantime.
However perhaps the best thing about this scene was that Octavia was hidden just feet away, having also heard the commotion between Bellamy and Echo. It was there that she heard her brother warn Roan about Octavia's capabilities, and by association, his unwavering faith in his sister. Having dismissed him for much of the past couple of seasons despite their history on the Ark, I'm stoked with this development, because more sibling moments between these two will do the series some good.
Things took a surprising turn once Bellamy tried to leave the battlefield. He was ambushed and subdued by what later turned out to be Jaha. The episode's final seconds showed Bellamy waking up in an office where Jaha and Clarke were examining blueprints for something while other Skaikru citizens looked to be getting themselves familiar with the new bunker. Outside, members of Trikru, including Kane and Octavia, found themselves locked out of the bunker, with Jaha uttering the following ominous words:
If only one clan could survive, it might as well be ours.
I must say that this pissed me off greatly. For the most part, the leadership of Skaikru have been pretty consistent in their philosophy that everyone can and should live together, but now it seems Clarke has changed her mind - with Jaha's support - and despite Octavia winning the conclave and proclaiming that she was fighting for everyone's right to the bunker. It's a decent twist, for sure, but I'm rolling my eyes more than I am gushing with excitement.
I was fighting for us all.
To be fair to the creative team, however, this has been on the cards for the entire season. I've discussed Jaha's slow ascension to a position of power, along with his successes in winning Clarke's respect and trust, in many of my reviews this season. The striking similarities to Mount Weather also cannot be ignored, with a reference to its infamous inhabitants made via the way the bunker's guards were subdued. Thankfully the drama isn't likely to last long given the place in the season this is occurring, but pitching Skaikru against everyone else - again - shortly after one of the biggest strides toward common ground and unity among the clans is not what I would have opted to do. Seeing Bellamy and Clarke share a difference of opinion isn't rare, but watching them take their sides on this issue should be good value, and the promo is pointing strongly in that direction.
In summary, I was pleased to have my predictions for this episode of The 100 proven wrong. The conclave was good value overall, with the solid directing, special effects and the three character deaths largely responsible, but the ending dulled things for me. Fingers crossed the season's final three episodes will finish things off on a better note. I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the characters back as well.
As always, thanks for reading! Make sure you head down to the comments to share your thoughts and theories on the episode - it's great hearing what everyone things from a range of viewpoints. You can find out all you need to know about next week's episode, directed by Henry Ian Cusick, right here.
