S02.E08: Spacewalker

[In2You]

Clarke continues to be a brilliant role model for teens with her mix of fierceness and compassion. I wish there'd been a show on TV that had these sorts of strong women on it when I was a kid. 

Other than her sometimes pyscho tendencies Clarke is really no different than the majority of special snowflake YA protagonists that are popular right now. 

[whirlingdervish]

I dunno, I agree there is a lot of emotionally-fueled questionable judgment, but I think Clark shows an impressive level of analysis and problem-solving skills--especially given that she's a teenager thrust into a series of seriously extreme situations, starting with being shot down to earth to live or die with 99 other jailbird teenagers who've all spent their lives in space. She's certainly doing better than I would in that situation, and I'm a grown ass woman. 

 

While she does have her special snowflake qualities like a lot of YA protagonists, I wouldn't say she's as much of a Mary Sue as, say, Bella [special blood and general schmoopiness], or Tris [divergent], or Rose ["shadow-kissed"].  To me Clark's "specialness" is not because of who or what she is, but because the skills she has and the way she works to process and influence the world around her. And I really dig that. 

[Mars477]

As far as YA protagonists go the only thing that's special snowflakey about Clarke is that two of her male cohorts have developed feelings for her. Which isn't too far outside the realm of possibility considering their age group and proximity. Of course, they're also both dead.

Just off the top of my head special snowflakeness connotes to more innate qualities. Bella is loved, because reasons, and also has the survival instincts of a cow. Tris is Divergent. Clarke's innate qualities are that she was lucky enough to be raised by two relatively intelligent, high skilled professionals of fairly high status. Everything else she has comes from her being able, and willing, to take action.

I saw on some other forums some guys comparing her to Rick Grimes, which adjusting for CWification might not be inaccurate..

Edited December 22, 2014 by Mars477

[Coxfires]

I can't compare to other YA protagonists, having not read or watched those movies, but I think the show should be careful with Clarke and not overdo her abilities.

 

I mean, I do love that Clarke is resourceful, that she is prone to take actions when it is needed, but I'd be more satisfied if we saw a more collective effort from the "kids" when it comes to handle their survival. One thing I liked about S1 was that, even if Clarke was mostly the one leading the 100, she also made wrong decisions (like wrongly exposing Murphy for Wells murder). I liked the balance they had between her and Bellamy, for instance. Clarke had the right ideas but not necessarily the understanding of people that Bellamy had, or his charisma. Same with Raven, whose smarts and mechanic skills allowed the Camp to gain new ways to fight against the Grounders. Even Finn, who wasn't my fave, could come up with ideas like blowing up the bridge. so, even if Clarke definitely was the driver of the Camp, we could see that she also relied on others to provide skills she didn't necessarily mastered.

 

This season, there has been an omnipotence to Clarke that sometimes bugged me. Nothing big, since I really do appreciate having a woman as a badass, and Eliza portrays her masterfully, but I wish they should allow her to be wrong or fuck up more, or at least not be the one to figure out evry situation.

 

I guess the first part of this season was also pretty much designed to come to the precise moment where she had to kill Finn, but I wish the second part of the season will allow more decisive input from the other players than just Clarke.

[Misty79]

Maybe I'm just old (mid 30s) but when I was a teen girls didn't do the things Clarke does. She's decisive, incredibly brave, and actually moves the plot along with her own actions rather than responding to the decisions and situations created by the male love interest/s. I was first impressed by this in the episode where she put down the injured little girl (the one that had flipped). I think she may even have said the same thing as she said to Finn ("you're going to be okay") when she offed her. The mix of compassion and hardness is to me reasonably unique (in network TV at least). 

 

The special snowflake thing is a slightly different debate IMO. I don't think they've gone there yet, but at times have gone close. 

[In2You]

As far as YA protagonists go the only thing that's special snowflakey about Clarke is that two of her male cohorts have developed feelings for her. Which isn't too far outside the realm of possibility considering their age group and proximity. Of course, they're also both dead.

Just off the top of my head special snowflakeness connotes to more innate qualities. Bella is loved, because reasons, and also has the survival instincts of a cow. Tris is Divergent. Clarke's innate qualities are that she was lucky enough to be raised by two relatively intelligent, high skilled professionals of fairly high status. Everything else she has comes from her being able, and willing, to take action.

I saw on some other forums some guys comparing her to Rick Grimes, which adjusting for CWification might not be inaccurate..

I think the superhealer aspect was special snowflakey as well. Also being the only one suspicious of what was going on at Mt. Weather. A big problem is often the other kids were just non thinking sheep to make Clarke look like the brave and strong leader. There's no one on this show written as her equal. And the way the writers go out of their way to tell us she's a strong leader, with most of the solutions and she's different  is just reminds me of the leads in a few YA right now. Especially in the dystopian books. 

[kingshearte]

What I didn't like? Aside from Abbie, I disliked them trying to sell me that Clarke returned Finn's feelings. I haven't felt that from her since season 1. Her admitting that she loved him tonight had me going "Really?"

I choose to believe she was just being kind in his final moments. I thought they've done a pretty good job throughout this season of showing that he still feels the same as he did last season for her, but she no longer feels the same about him. First there was the Raven element, and then this massacre, and she's not feeling it, but has never been quite sure how to get that through to him without completely crushing him. So now, in that final moment, she can just let him die believing that she loved him too.

 

I hope.

 

Agreed.  It did, though, paint really clearly why Raven felt like she owed Finn her life, and why she was ready to save him at all costs, and I thought the flashbacks were really effective from that front.

Also agree with that. It does help to make it at least somewhat acceptable for her to still be kind of mooning over him despite everything — although I can't say that I was thrilled with the re-emergence of that stupid love triangle. I didn't care for it last season, and I'm certainly not into it now. Also too bad it doesn't really jive with stuff they'd already established about our little space walker.

 

Murphy said the episode title, when asked about Finn, he said "Don't worry, spacewalker is going to be fine".  Is Finn supposed to be the spacewalker, because that's the first time I believe he has ever been referred to as such (yup, full retcon in play).

No, that was established way back at the beginning. We knew from day one that his unauthorized spacewalk was what landed him in jail and thus on the dropship, and I believe he has been referred to thusly before, although perhaps not recently. The retconning is that he wasn't actually the one to do the spacewalking.

 

I hate that Finn lays his action at Clarke's feet.  It's all for her, because of her and that's not fair.  It's good that he offered himself up, but I don't think he ever really stopped thinking what he'd done was justifiable or at least some how worth it.

Agreed. It is such a bullshit move to lay that on someone else like that, especially someone you claim to love. Because guess what, dude? Saying that doesn't actually make your death noble, like you took a bullet for her. She had nothing to do with what you did; don't try to put it on her.

 

The issue should never have been whether or not Finn was guilty, but how they would handle the fallout of his actions.

So much this. His guilt was never in question. He did it. He killed 18 people who, despite what his crazy jacked-up brain might have thought at the time, were not threatening him or anyone else. The fact that pretty much everyone seemed willing to pretty much just let that slide kind of made me hate everyone. Some things are just inexcusable, no matter who you are.

 

Personally, I'm just as glad to be rid of him. I was a bit conflicted after Lincoln told them exactly how he would die at the Grounders' hands, because I didn't loathe him enough to wish that on him, and I'd like to think that some of their unwillingness to give him up was due to that. Maybe if Linc had lied and told them they'd just slit his throat and it would be over in a moment, things might have been a bit easier. But I do think that, even to save yourself and your entire group, it would be hard to knowingly give someone up to the kind of horror that awaited Finn. Clarke's killing him was certainly the best thing for him at that point, and I hope Raven eventually comes to understand that. From a realism point, though, I kind of hope that understanding doesn't come too soon, because that sort of thing should take some time to process.

[FurryFury]

I don't agree that Clarke is a special snowflake and Mary Sue or something like that, at all. When it comes to characters like that, the key is often the other characters' reaction to them. Like, say, Elena on TVD - her survival and well-being usually takes precedence over anything else for basically all the other characters. We are (well, were - I've stopped watching years ago) told how incredibly brave and compassionate she is. Three of the main characters on the show are/were in love with her. Her best friend repeatedly sacrificed herself and her personal life to save Elena. Her father died to let her stay human. And, of course, she has some special blood by the virtue of her birth (not powers, though. Thankfully). 

 

Or look at another CW protagonist, the girl from The Secret Circle (a rather awful 1-season show a few years ago). I believe her name was Cassie or something. Now that was a special snowflake. A witch with great powers (despite discovering them later than any of the other witches), instantly captures the attention of another main character's long-term boyfriend (and later another guy, we can't have a show without a love triangle, after all), has special lineage, etcetera, etcetera. That was just horrible.

 

Clarke doesn't get any specialness. Yes, she has some medical skills, but it makes sense for her to have them, because her mother's a doctor and has obviously been training her daughter since childhood to become her replacement. And she's still not anywhere as good as Abbie, which makes sense. In s1, she doesn't really become an insta-leader, it takes time, and she doesn't always make the best decisions. And now the show doesn't really revolve around her as much as in s1, either - I'm getting a very ensemble feel from this season. Yes, she is often better at what she does that the adults, but so far, it's the usual "protagonist should be more competent" idea that basically every show has.

[shapeshifter]

Well, they do call Clarke "The Princess." More so in the first season, but I seem to recall hearing that moniker resurrected in this episode.

[Minneapple]

I don't agree that Clarke is a special snowflake and Mary Sue or something like that, at all. When it comes to characters like that, the key is often the other characters' reaction to them. Like, say, Elena on TVD - her survival and well-being usually takes precedence over anything else for basically all the other characters. We are (well, were - I've stopped watching years ago) told how incredibly brave and compassionate she is. Three of the main characters on the show are/were in love with her. Her best friend repeatedly sacrificed herself and her personal life to save Elena. Her father died to let her stay human. And, of course, she has some special blood by the virtue of her birth (not powers, though. Thankfully). 

 

Or look at another CW protagonist, the girl from The Secret Circle (a rather awful 1-season show a few years ago). I believe her name was Cassie or something. Now that was a special snowflake. A witch with great powers (despite discovering them later than any of the other witches), instantly captures the attention of another main character's long-term boyfriend (and later another guy, we can't have a show without a love triangle, after all), has special lineage, etcetera, etcetera. That was just horrible.

 

Clarke doesn't get any specialness. Yes, she has some medical skills, but it makes sense for her to have them, because her mother's a doctor and has obviously been training her daughter since childhood to become her replacement. And she's still not anywhere as good as Abbie, which makes sense. In s1, she doesn't really become an insta-leader, it takes time, and she doesn't always make the best decisions. And now the show doesn't really revolve around her as much as in s1, either - I'm getting a very ensemble feel from this season. Yes, she is often better at what she does that the adults, but so far, it's the usual "protagonist should be more competent" idea that basically every show has.

I agree with all of this. More importantly, other characters don't fawn all over her and going on about how awesome she is. And she only had Finn as an ally in the beginning. Bellamy actively disliked her and most of the others were like, "Fuck off, we don't care about you." If people care about her now and like her now, it's because she's built up those relationships and shown that she's willing to help people and learn from her mistakes.

 

Also with Finn, say what you will about his storyline, but at the very least the writers killed him off because they knew you can't or shouldn't even try to bring someone back from killing a bunch of people. There are PLENTY OF SHOWS on TV where killing someone is a wee bump in the road to a Grand Redemption (coughTVDcough). And the worst part about storylines like that is that they make you side-eye all the other characters for continually putting up with this murderous character. In this case, they wrote Finn becoming a coldblooded killer (Bellamy and Clarke talked about it too, so it wasn't like they totally swept it under the rug) -- and then suffering the consequence, which is death. Not too bad for a CW show.

[In2You]

Clarke didnt exactly struggle for the leadership position. Yeah in the pilot no one wanted to listen to her but it only took a couple of episodes before they started following her rules.

[bluvelvet]

Just caught the episode, while I didn't want Finn to die, no matter how you shake it he was guilty. He killed 18 people including women and children and there had to be some recompense for that. I admire the show for actually not finding some magical way to save Finn. Clarke can say she was also a killer, burned 300 people etc..but that was during a battle and not the same situation as Finn gunning down those people.

 

I agree with those who think Clarke didn't really love Finn, I haven't seen anything in the past episodes to really point past the fact that she cared for him. I think she told him that since he was dying. I also think the Commander respects the fact that Clarke killed Finn herself.

 

Looking forward to the next episode.

[allthatglitters]

Late post, but I had to add my opinion on the treatment of the Finn character. Very confusing to say the least. And I had more of a problem with the reactions of the other Sky people than even Finn himself, and all his excuses and puppy dog eye batting, because after that second, third, fourth shot, he was dead to me already.

 

Although as an aside, that whole killing scene was kind of blurry. In a real situation like that (if there ever was one) after one, the old man runner, was shot by this strange deadly fire stick that these natives had never witnessed before, like early Spanish soldiers meeting American natives, they would have stopped. And especially after the second when a boy decided to run right for the man with the fire stick. And then it gets blurry. Did the lot suddenly decide to inexplicably run towards the fire stick, causing Finn to simply react in self defense? But then surely Murphy would have joined in. So we are left with the implication that these villagers were just running to the side, trying to run for the woods. It makes zero sense that Finn would "lose it" and shoot at children and others as they tried to simply run away.

 

I also have trouble with Finn's character changing from a pacifist who seemed deeply committed to finding a peaceful solution to suddenly a wild-eyed NBK. And a cold blooded assassinater (of the captive) as well. And then Bellamy changes from a cold blooded survivalist totally selfish and quite happy using the psycho Murphy to do his bidding, to strip the 100 of their wrist bands so the Ark leadership wouldn't come looking for him and prosecute him. Now he has inherited the puppy dog eyes, and even meekly took orders from Finn when he ordered everyone into position before he slipped out to surrender.

 

Major inconsistencies in character and plot really irk me. And I can't seem to fathom how a society, the Ark, who had a strict capital punishment sentence for the most minor of crimes, would then simply dismiss mass murder as ...meh.  I'm taking about the adults. Did these adults even know what Finn did?  It is implied that they did know because they must have demanded to know why the Grounders wanted this one particular baby-faced teen.....right?  So further to that point, then it seems way out of character for the adult leadership to simply ignore Finn's war crime...ESPECIALLY SINCE THAT WAS THE REASON THEY WERE BEING ATTACKED. At least until it came down to a confrontation. And even then, they, these cold-hearted administrators of the old Ark justice system, were going to fight to the death to defend a mass murderer of a tribe of Grounders that were amazingly willing to accept this one life, as payment for 18. 

 

After seeing how bloodthirsty the Grounders have been shown to be, why would they even accept or offer to take one death for 18 innocents?  OK, so it was explained that they torture him with 18 different "deaths", like fire...etc..until he is ultimately killed...still. I mean one girl that almost died, by the Grounders stupidly taking her into the front lines during an attack TO KILL ALL OF THEM....was met with the Grounders wanting to wipe out the entire camp. So that "great deal" was so unbelievable.  And then when Clarke finished Finn off, she stole their negotiated deal, by denying the Grounders the right to torture Finn to death. And the leader just shrugs her shoulders with "Its done!".  So now even the Grounders have evolved into pushovers.

 

But the premise of the story is still intriguing and unique so I will still watch. I guess that is why I am so invested and thus frustrated with lazy and/or confusing character writing.

Edited February 19, 2016 by allthatglitters