S02.E13: Resurrection

[Stinger97]

 

Clarke begins to question Lexa's leadership decisions and Indra continues to push Octavia. Meanwhile, at Mount Weather, Jasper steps up into the role of leader, and Cage throws Maya into a life threatening situation.

 

[ottoDbusdriver]

Clarke begins to question Lexa's leadership decisions

 

Because Clarke's decisions have worked out so well so far.  </sarcasm>

 

The first step before Clarke becomes ruler of the Grounders.  But then again, Lexa said that Grounder leaders are chosen via some sort of reincarnation test.

[Jordan27]

Have anyone's decisions worked out well?  I'll be interested to see if we get to see more of the new people of light.  I'm sure they will be more stupid people because, well....that's all this show has.

 

Keep an eye out for clichés, dumbness and a lot of dirty faces. 

Edited February 19, 2015 by Jordan27

[Lila82]

In case Jasper's Jack Torrance impression wasn't proof enough of how insane everyone went, the kids finally unbuttoned those stiff collars.  That'll really stick it to the man.  Although, it was a jarring image.  All those kids in cardigans and button downs, covered in blood and hacking their enemies to death.  

 

I know they needed all the support they could get, but I so wanted Harper to whack Miller upside the head with her rifle.  She was a gunner at the dropship, a brave warrior in the final battle, rejected byJasper without dying of embarrassment, and drained of her bone marrow and he's gonna tell her how to shoot?  I might have a soft spot for Harper after she point blank told Jasper that even though she's a girl, she doesn't have to be the look out.

 

These producers are cruel.  Not only does Abby idiotically climb into a fallen bunker, it collapsed on her and she still lived!  Why, TPTB, why?  At least she's backing off and letting Clarke do her thing.  And, despite FFing half their scenes, I liked Abby's heart to heart with Kane.  They don't deserve to die, but I'm glad they realized the horrible things they did back on the Ark in the name of the "greater good."  It doesn't absolve anyone, but it puts them on more level ground.  

 

Indra is my HERO.  After a building fell on her and she got shot, not only did she literally spring awake like a newbie vampire, but she still threw major sass at Octavia AND had enough self-awareness to make amends with Lincoln.  

 

And speaking of...when Lincoln came upon Ton Dc, filled with roasted, burning bodies, who else thought he might stop for a snack.  Just me?

 

Before Mount Weather falls, I'm gonna need someone to look Cage in the eyes and say, "Damn the man.  Save the Empire."  

 

ETA:

 

The return of Monty and Jasper's very special handshake might be the best thing this show has ever done.

Edited February 19, 2015 by Lila82

[ottoDbusdriver]

These Mt. Weatherites are pretty stupid -- can't believe they fell for the big gas grenade fake out.

 

Jasper has turned into a full-on monster -- killing a defenseless prisoner.  That's Finn levels of unredeemable.

 

Since when did it start snowing on this show ? Within line of sight of the TonDC camp ? WTF ?  Clarke shoots Lincoln through the shoulder to kill the sniper holding him hostage.  Won't Lincoln need surgery to fix that ?  He didn't even wince when Octavia hugged him. 

 

Clarke weeps because she killed the sniper, because it didn't fix her emotional booboo. 

 

Is the video surveillance in Mt. Weather that shabby in the entire complex ?  No one noticed a herd of people traipsing through the halls, or notice that all the video cameras suddenly went offline in a certain section.  The Mt. Weatherites should have the complex on lockdown.  And still no one has noticed that Bellamy isn't one of the Mt. Weatherites -- how stupid are these people ?

 

With all these people getting severely injured, no one ever gets an infection or blood poisoning or gangrene ?  Kane has a severed artery in his leg and probably crush injuries for good measure (which there is no coming back from in this world).

 

Indra is my HERO.  After a building fell on her and she got shot, not only did she literally spring awake like a newbie vampire, but she still threw major sass at Octavia AND had enough self-awareness to make amends with Lincoln.

 

Tough doesn't even begin to describe Indra, but she was shot by a high-powered rifle right below her neck -- there has to be complications from that.

 

No Jaha or Murphy, so they must have died of thirst by now or been killed by marauders since they are defenseless.

[placate]

Abby blabbed her daughter's secret to Kane.  Ya she promised that her secret was safe but we still know that her husband got spaced because of her.  Stuff happens in Mt. Weather and who is that brunette girl that gets promised stuff?  I don't remember her but past episodes but let's talk about the after show stuff after they catch the sniper.  It's not like they should've prevented the missle :(

[patchwork]

I don't have a good feeling about this, the alliances' win seems to be in the bag which is never a good thing on a TV show. 

 

I'm glad Abbey via Kane realised where the kids and Clarke in particular had learned to be callous. I didn't think they'd kill off Kane but I did start to wonder the longer they were down there. Perhaps the reminder of the lengths they had gone to on the Ark for the Greater Good will be the start of Abbey being less horror-stricken at what's going on around her. The setting is different but it's still a fight for survival. Honestly I'm expecting her to be the one who offers bone marrow treatments to any Weatherite who surrenders and forming her own uneasy alliance for S3.

 

You know if I'm wrong about the terrible defeat awaiting the Skyers and Grounders.

 

I didn't see much of Clark questioning Lexa's leadership decisions, she didn't want another lecture about weakness but that doesn't seem like the same thing to me. 

 

Indra and Lincoln have to be related even by this show's standards those two are fast healers, gun shot wounds are nothing but a scratch lol. 

[shrewd.buddha]

So now people are just shaking off gun shots to the upper chest like it's no big deal. And Abby throws off a slab of concrete when she gets a second to catch her breath. Sure... 

 

The Battle for the Mountain seems to be dragging on now. Considering that Clarke has declared she wants to kill all the Mountain People, I'm sure things will go horribly wrong and lots of innocent people will die .. horribly. It seems Clarke and the Sky People can't go six weeks or more without a mass killing. 

(Though killing the Grounders who were attacking their first camp did seem justified.)

[TwistedandBored]

When did Clarke become such a expert shooter! It is Clarke, so she is awesome like that I guess. 

 

Love Indra. She and Octavia character growth are really amazing to watch. 

 

Bellamy is under the misconception that they would save half of the Mt. Weather people while Clarke just wants to kill them all to assuage her feelings of guilt. I wonder what would happen there?

[Slider]

 

 

Before Mount Weather falls, I'm gonna need someone to look Cage in the eyes and say, "Damn the man.  Save the Empire." 

ETA:

The return of Monty and Jasper's very special handshake might be the best thing this show has ever done.

Yes. And yes.

[Hollyoak]

I just want to know when Clarke is going to make-out with Lexa.

 

ETA: No show is perfect, and the 100 has its share of flaws, many mentioned upthread, but the show still surprises me, in the way that they don't always take the easy choice, which so many shows do. For example, that scene at Mt. Weather when Jasper & Co. are attacked. Most shows would not have the teens actually kill, and when they did that sneak attack when they were playing dead, I was really surprised. It was brutal. Most teen shows stop short of that.

 

That's the one thing I like about the 100 and makes me continue to watch. They seem to try to break a few rues now and then, and for a network show, that is a big accomplishment.

Edited February 19, 2015 by Hollyoak

[Asha124]

So Maya's father is Murphy's nephew from the future. Oh wait, wrong show. That's a third actor from Continuum (Jaha met Garza in the desert) I've seen on this show. I won't be surprised if Kiera and her super-suit make an appearance by the end of the season.

Edited February 19, 2015 by Asha124

[maraleia]

I just want to know when Clarke is going to make-out with Lexa.

 

ETA: No show is perfect, and the 100 has its share of flaws, many mentioned upthread, but the show still surprises me, in the way that they don't always take the easy choice, which so many shows do. For example, that scene at Mt. Weather when Jasper & Co. are attacked. Most shows would not have the teens actually kill, and when they did that sneak attack when they were playing dead, I was really surprised. It was brutal. Most teen shows stop short of that.

 

That's the one thing I like about the 100 and makes me continue to watch. They seem to try to break a few rues now and then, and for a network show, that is a big accomplishment.

I keep thinking that Clark needs to plant a kiss on Lexa's mouth because at this point they have no one else who are their equals and they complement each other so damn well.

I also love that the show is willing to go there with the killing and this is one of the few shows where it's believable the the teens are the rightful leaders and the parents aren't.

[thuganomics85]

Should have known that both Indra and Kane would managed to survive the explosion.  Hell, Indra even wasn't all that hurt from the actual explosion, but by the sniper shot after.  Even then, she walked it off!  Impressive!  Kane though, does look rough, but he was lucky Abbey found them, and the rest were able to swoop in.

 

Should have known Ian Tracey would show up at some point.  Dude gets around, at least in Canada-shot shows.

 

Clarke may complain at times, but she really does trust Lexa almost as much as her own people; at least when it comes to making the hard choices.  Those two really are a powerhouse.  Sorry, Abby.

 

Octavia stepped it up and did a good job, while Indra was incapacitated.  Being a Grounder seems to suit her just fine.  Lincoln seems back to normal, and even Indra is warming up to him again.

 

Fun watching Mt. Weather get their asses handed to them.  Great seeing Bellamy reunite with Jasper/Monty.  The hug between Bellamy and Jasper was a sight, because I doubt that would have ever happened during the S1 days.

 

They are finally marching off to Mt. Weather!  How many episodes are left, this season?  I have to imagine the battle won't actually begin until the finale.

[KittenPokerCheater]

Oh, I am fearing that Jasper or Bellamy are going to get killed off.  Which might be a show breaker for me.  Fingers crossed that they make it.

 

Good episode.  Jasper is really stepping it up as a leader this season, and while it's scary, it's also cool.  I think is behavior was supposed to be another example (Clark being the first) of how Abbie and Kane "taught" the kids to be killers.  I'm glad Kane survived, because I actually thought this was his swan song.

 

Indra is badass, but I'm also wondering if she's a zombie or a vampire.  It looked like a bad wound.

 

The return of Monty and Jasper's very special handshake might be the best thing this show has ever done.

 

Yes, it made me laugh and was so nice to see their friendship.

[ottoDbusdriver]

I wonder if any of the other Grounder leaders survived the explosion -- like the Queen of the Ice Nation that showed up this episode.  The reason the Mt. Weatherites attacked with a missile is because so many Grounder leaders were in one place at the same time.

[SourK]

I don't know, you guys. This is starting to look like a story line about how a kid who's basically good starts hanging out with a bad influence and gets into a fight with her mom while asserting her independence. I bet this ends with Clarke realizing that she has to be true to her own values and turn against Lexa by Just Saying No either to beer or to killing innocent Mt. Weatherites who tried to help her friends.

 

Glad Kane is still alive. Was scared he was going to die.

 

I'm confused about why, if all the other grounders thoguht Octavia was stupid, they just stood around taunting her about her dumb ideas instead of trying to come up with something themselves. Not that I don't enjoy making fun of Octavia, but am I really supposed to believe that, of all the people there, none of them had any relevant knowledge or experience or skill to come up with a plan, and they were just like, "We're gonna die no matter what. Let's taunt the sky person first"? Like, if Octavia hadn't been there, would the whole grounder army have been pinned down in that one spot forever?

[Artsda]

If something happens to Lexa, then Indra's in charge, so then Octavia is next in line of succession? She's ahead of Lincoln to be leader of the Grounders? LOL I do love Octavia more than Clarke, while she let the attack happen and all those people be hurt, Octavia tried to help and save them.

 

So glad Kane's alive.

[GaiusB]

Artsda, on 20 Feb 2015 - 05:49 AM, said:Artsda, on 20 Feb 2015 - 05:49 AM, said:

If something happens to Lexa, then Indra's in charge, so then Octavia is next in line of succession? She's ahead of Lincoln to be leader of the Grounders? LOL I do love Octavia more than Clarke, while she let the attack happen and all those people be hurt, Octavia tried to help and save them.

 

So glad Kane's alive.

I dont think it works that way. Indra is just a leader of her clan, not other grounders clans. There is no line of succession for Commander position, since she is supposed to be reincarnation of previous Commanders. Lexa even told Clarke that she was Anya second when she was choosen to lead her people. But if something happen to Indra, i suppose Octavia could become leader of her clan.

Edited February 20, 2015 by GaiusB

[Coxfires]

I was a bit disappointed that the missile didn't kill any major character, although I'm glad Kane lived, but I felt it downplayed the consequences of the attack. I guess it solidified the Alliance between Grounders and Sky People, but this episode didn't really manage to show how much was lost (army, people) with the missile attack. Indra should have died, at least.

 

I was also a bit annoyed at clarke being an awesome shot. I mean, yes, I love that she is a strong character, but she only learned to shoot last season with a rifle in the basement with Bellamy. Her sudden accuracy here made me tick.

 

The conversation between Abby and Kane was interesting, and once again Kane shows that he has a better understanding than Abby when it comes to understand people, and mainly Clarke. However, Clarke was forgiven quickly by her Mom again, just like she was by Raven. I'd like someone to stick with being angry or at least annoyed by some of her decisions, even if it is unfair, because I'd like people to be more realistically portrayed as having different opinions, not just the leaders but also people that are lead by these leaders. there should be more challenged decisions.

 

I loved seeing the 47 fighting, their escape was a bit easy, I need Bellamy to go free the army of Grounders now.

[Riful]

I just want to know when Clarke is going to make-out with Lexa.

 

ETA: No show is perfect, and the 100 has its share of flaws, many mentioned upthread, but the show still surprises me, in the way that they don't always take the easy choice, which so many shows do. For example, that scene at Mt. Weather when Jasper & Co. are attacked. Most shows would not have the teens actually kill, and when they did that sneak attack when they were playing dead, I was really surprised. It was brutal. Most teen shows stop short of that.

 

That's the one thing I like about the 100 and makes me continue to watch. They seem to try to break a few rues now and then, and for a network show, that is a big accomplishment.

Lol this show got me half way expecting it to happen with how often they have these cuts of Lexa and Clarke staring intensly at each other. I think it has happened in 4 episodes thus far. Last time my friend just snorted when we watched 'cause when you first start noticing it, it becomes rather obvious with how frequently they do the whole stare-at-each-other-silently-while-the-camera-zooms-into-their-faces. Also like at a certain point it is done for a reason, and usually does not such editing move towards a kiss?

And x1000 agreed with how the show at times does not take the easy choice. Tv likes to follow certain paths and tropes, particularly with teen characters, but this show keeps surprising. These characters are faced with extremly difficult decisions and in a highly dangerous environment in a fight for survival. So it feels so much more hmmm realistic and therefore engaging when not some hail Mary option presents it self that allows the main characters to avoid getting their hands too dirty.

 

I also love that the show is willing to go there with the killing and this is one of the few shows where it's believable the the teens are the rightful leaders and the parents aren't.

I really like that the show has set up a premises where it makes sense that the teenagers/young adults are leaders instead of all the adults going with it for no apparent reason besides that the protagonist is a teen/young adult. I also love how the series show the friction between Abby and Clarke, and comments on The Ark people more or less being led by a teenager. It makes sense that the adults are digging their heels in. However I don't think the regular Ark people know just how much Clarke is calling the shots instead of their council. I can imagine a lot more dissident if they knew.

 

I wonder if any of the other Grounder leaders survived the explosion -- like the Queen of the Ice Nation that showed up this episode. 

The Queen of the Ice Nation wasn't there. They don't have a queen anymore. There was the king and his second (a picture was also posted of them by one of the people on the show). So I guess that means either she is in exile or maybe Lexa did get her revenge. I can imagine Lexa perhaps let her emotions control her and she went after the Queen of the Ice Nation in full force and through terrible loses got to kill the Queen. This would explain her insistence on not letting personal attachments guide leadership decisions and also her knowing that killing that sniper would not help Clarke at all with feeling better.

One thing that really bothered this episode was the sudden rebel group inside Mt. Weather that was against getting blood treatments. It was a bit too much out of the blue and the show could had easily alluded to their existence earlier, like have Maya mention in passing that not all citizens are behind the blood treatments and there been movement(s) of resistence before.

Also A+ to the actress for Lexa (her name alludes me). Those few seconds where she turned around at looked at the devistation while Clarke was walking away so she wouldn't see, you could see that her decision had effected her. Likewise I remember right before she had to kill her body guard, there was 1-2 seconds were you could see that it cost her something emotionally having to do it.

Edited February 20, 2015 by Riful

[Slider]

And so the gloss job of justifying Clarke's decision begins with Abby understanding why she did it;  because they were monsters on the Ark.  Whatever.  I'm only sticking around because of the Blake's - the two best characters on this show.

[kdm07]

Also A+ to the actress for Lexa (her name alludes me). Those few seconds where she turned around at looked at the devistation while Clarke was walking away so she wouldn't see, you could see that her decision had effected her. Likewise I remember right before she had to kill her body guard, there was 1-2 seconds were you could see that it cost her something emotionally having to do it.

I too, like you, thought she played those two scenes really well so I got curious and googled her name: Alycia Debnam Carey.

 

The two reasons why I enjoyed this episode were one, Jasper just straight up chopping that guy to death and two, Octavia having her own plot that didn't revolve around Lincoln (progress!).

Edited February 20, 2015 by kdm07

[Misty79]

I keep thinking that Clark needs to plant a kiss on Lexa's mouth because at this point they have no one else who are their equals and they complement each other so damn well.

I also love that the show is willing to go there with the killing and this is one of the few shows where it's believable the the teens are the rightful leaders and the parents aren't.

 

Yep add me to the Lexa and Clarke need to make out soon camp. 

 

I love this show, in particular the way it is really redefining female roles in its genre and the way it consistently takes the difficult route with things. And I think it's kind of amazing that the CW is airing a teen show without any significant romantic relationship (for some reason I don't count Lincoln and Octavia, they feel too peripheral and on/off again), but I kind of miss there be some sort of relationship angle.

 

I guess Clarke will probably spend the remains of this season grieving Finn, and mid-way through next season the writers will move on to Bellamy and Clarke. Which I'm fine with. But damn Lexa and Clarke have some chemistry, it's a waste not to use it. A Bellamy-Clarke-Lexa love triangle next season would be awesome, and something very different for the CW. 

Edited February 20, 2015 by Misty79

[In2You]

I don't see how this show is redefining females in the genre. Clarke is your typical Mary Sue lead that's all over this genre. Two of the last 3 books in this genre I've read had characters leading heroines similar to her. The only difference is that there's no one on the show to really challenge her and they make the men insignificant. 

 

This show should be an ensemble show but the writers seem to have a hard time focusing on more than a couple of characters at at time and focusing on more than one plot in an episode. And would it kill them to stop hiding behind violence and torture and actually do some real characterization? Its lazy and no longer shocking.

[Sulis]

I really loved this episode. I was convinced Kane was going to die - I mean, they're not afraid of killing off anyone - but I'm glad he survived. He's my favourite of the adult characters, although it was nice to see Alessandro Juliani again there at the end. And the other doctor, Jackson I think?

 

And I agree with Hollyoak up there (reference to Ricky Whittle's former show?) in that the show does seem to be unafraid to go to surprising places. In a very brutal way. Loved the shot of the blood spurting across the priceless painting in the battle on level 5. Really happy to see Bellamy taking the lead at Mt Weather and the fightback from the 47. That storyline is finally moving forward. I'm glad that not all Mt Weatherites are total bastards but I am worried that when the big battle comes that they're all going to die anyway.

[Misty79]

I don't see how this show is redefining females in the genre. Clarke is your typical Mary Sue lead that's all over this genre. Two of the last 3 books in this genre I've read had characters leading heroines similar to her. The only difference is that there's no one on the show to really challenge her and they make the men insignificant. 

 

This show should be an ensemble show but the writers seem to have a hard time focusing on more than a couple of characters at at time and focusing on more than one plot in an episode. And would it kill them to stop hiding behind violence and torture and actually do some real characterization? Its lazy and no longer shocking.

 

But we're not talking about books, we're talking about teen-orientated television shows. How many of those have had women in top positions of power pretty much across the board (excepting Mt Weather)? How many would have had Raven and Clarke turn out friends in S1 when they shared a romantic interest in a guy? How many of those have had the main character actually end the life of her main love interest (the equivalent of Elena killing Damon or Stefan on something like TVD)? How many of those shows would then be brave enough to allow their main character, a girl, to not have a love interest at all, but be focused purely on her leadership goals? Even if we turn back to books that feature female leads, something like the Hunger Games insisted on a love triangle for the main character. In fact, as someone who's read far too many of those sorts of books I can't recall any that allowed the protagonist to just get on with her mission rather than have some sort of romance hanging over her. 

Edited February 23, 2015 by Misty79

[In2You]

The concept of the show came from a book. And you said genre which encompasses shows, movies, and books. Clarke did have a love interest though in Finn.This show just isnt good at writing relationships. But there was definitely alot of angst in season one between Clarke and Finn and Raven. Problem is Raven was never really allowed to voice her opinion about it for more than 5 minutes so the writers could push their "our female characters are different" crap. Skipping story beats isn't groundbreaking. Its lazy.  And didn't Caroline and Elena share partners? And I'll give you a book in the genre that featured no love interest for the protagonist. Orleans by Sherri L. Smith. You just need to read some of the non mainstream books.

[Misty79]

The concept of the show came from a book. And you said genre which encompasses shows, movies, and books. Clarke did have a love interest though in Finn.This show just isnt good at writing relationships. But there was definitely alot of angst in season one between Clarke and Finn and Raven. Problem is Raven was never really allowed to voice her opinion about it for more than 5 minutes so the writers could push their "our female characters are different" crap. Skipping story beats isn't groundbreaking. Its lazy.  And didn't Caroline and Elena share partners? And I'll give you a book in the genre that featured no love interest for the protagonist. Orleans by Sherri L. Smith. You just need to read some of the non mainstream books.

 

I'll resist a definitional discussion of genre that would be outside the bounds of this thread and just clarify that I worded it wrong and meant television shows aimed at a 15-34 demographic, which is what the CW is all about. 

 

And there are literally millions of books in the world compared to TV shows, you will always be able to point to a counter example outside of the mainstream. The dominant trope with teen girls in these scifi/dystopia style stories is to have a love interest, indeed usually a love triangle. 

 

I also don't agree on the Mary Sue thing with Clarke, this season at least she's done some seriously questionable stuff. She's pretty cold. 

Edited February 23, 2015 by Misty79

[Carrie Ann]

Also, when people talk about this show being exciting from a gender perspective, we're not only talking about Clarke. Frankly, most shows would be happy with Clarke, and not bother spending time on many other female characters. Many shows would have male characters in almost every other role of power. But on this show, Abby, Raven, Octavia, Anya, Lexa, Maya, Indra, and others are written as individuals, with different strengths, weaknesses, priorities, impulses. If you think that's common on television, then I guess my TV must be broken, because I search for these kinds of shows and I can only think of a few that fit the bill.

 

As far as making men insignificant, I would wager that this might be an example of the phenomenon discussed in this interview--when women are represented at 17% level, men perceive it as 50%, and when they reach 33%, it's perceived as being more than 50%. I would suspect many women have a skewed perception too, because we're not used to seeing ourselves represented at an equal rate. The men on The 100 aren't rendered insignificant any more than the women are, but their roles may not reflect what you're used to seeing on TV. Which is, again, the reason some people find this aspect of The 100 exciting and refreshing.

 

Jaha, Kane, and Abby have all traded leadership duties of the Ark. Men are in control at Mt Weather. The Grounders appear to be a matriarchal society--though I'm not sure that's been explicitly stated--but there are men at every other level of leadership there too. As for The 100, if anyone was in charge in Season 1, it was Bellamy, with a shift toward a shared/divided leadership with Clarke (and Finn sort of) through the season. Clarke was recognized as the stronger leader by outsiders, and thus, she came into that role. Frankly, Bellamy didn't seem to particularly want it by that point. Our other male 100-ers are Monty and Jasper, who are not the usual type of male heroes on a CW show, but are getting plenty of experience leading their group within Mt Weather. Just because men don't happen to occupy the ultimate positions of power that we're used to seeing them hold does not render the male characters insignificant.

Edited February 23, 2015 by Carrie Ann

[Misty79]

Great post Carrie Ann, you said it much better than me. What amazes me about this show is not just Clarke (because shows like Buffy have given us strong female leads in the past) but the number of women filling significant leadership roles across the different groups. I've never seen anything like it on network TV. Maybe any TV.

 

But neither have men been rendered irrelevant. 

[In2You]

We don't see much POV from most of the women on this show. I mean I guess if your just happy with them being around the fine. But alot of these characters disappear for episodes at a time and when they are on we're not getting much from them. Like Raven for example. Its obvious the writers have absolutely no idea what to do with her.

[Misty79]

I really loved this episode. I was convinced Kane was going to die - I mean, they're not afraid of killing off anyone - but I'm glad he survived. He's my favourite of the adult characters, although it was nice to see Alessandro Juliani again there at the end. And the other doctor, Jackson I think?

 

And I agree with Hollyoak up there (reference to Ricky Whittle's former show?) in that the show does seem to be unafraid to go to surprising places. In a very brutal way. Loved the shot of the blood spurting across the priceless painting in the battle on level 5. Really happy to see Bellamy taking the lead at Mt Weather and the fightback from the 47. That storyline is finally moving forward. I'm glad that not all Mt Weatherites are total bastards but I am worried that when the big battle comes that they're all going to die anyway.

 

I don't think I could be as altruistic as the Mt Weatherites helping out Jasper, Bellamy and Co. I guess they don't necessarily know that a Grounder army heading their way, but by helping them they are sowing the seeds of their own destruction. 

 

The show is clearly setting this up as a big issue for Maya. If Clarke and the Grounders prevail over the Mt Weatherites her home may be completely destroyed and with it her ability to live at all.

 

These shades of grey within Mt Weather are heading for an ultimate reckoning with Lexa and Clarke's black and white success at all costs strategy. I get the feeling Clarke is going to end up even more fractured by the things she's done by the end of the season. 

[Carrie Ann]

We don't see much POV from most of the women on this show. I mean I guess if your just happy with them being around the fine. But alot of these characters disappear for episodes at a time and when they are on we're not getting much from them. Like Raven for example. Its obvious the writers have absolutely no idea what to do with her.

 

I could do with a LOT more Raven, particularly from her POV--I think we're in a downswing for Raven's story right now, but I expect them to re-activate her story again, and I look forward to it. But I do think we have POV from plenty of other non-Clarke characters, particularly women. I would say Octavia and Abby particularly get a good share of focus and POV. 

 

I'm not sure how you can believe both that all men are made insignificant by the women but also that all the women are for the most part just "around." I guess if you think Clarke is the only character who is allowed anything, then...ok, but I don't understand the appeal of the show if that's how you feel, because I feel if anything, the show has become more of an ensemble this season than ever.

 

As for some characters disappearing for episodes at a time--that doesn't bother me. It happens on every ensemble show I watch. Every show with a big cast will end up with episodes with a bunch of 90 second scenes, or one scene per grouping, or it will skip characters for an episode or two. It's just a storytelling choice, and it's one that doesn't bother me, personally. Plus, that really doesn't have anything to do with the gender question when it happens to all non-Clarke characters, IMO.

[Jordan27]

Another episode of tedium.  Just a couple of quibbles...

 

...why did the girl with the rifle not shoot anyone after they had taken care of the most of the soldiers.  They were about 5 or 6 retreating and there was nothing to stop here.    And why did someone say to her to watch it with that rifle?  If see was so bad with a firearm, why not give it to someone who could and would use it? 

 

Why did they say they were easy pickens walking down the hall in a group?  They all had weapons.  Splitting up was their great idea.  What do you want to bet that turns out bad?

 

Other than that, just a lot of stuff going on.  None of it interesting because no one is really rootable. 

 

And Clarke is a Mary Sue.  No matter what she does, she will be celebrated and come out on top. 

 

And this show makes the Walking Dead cast look clean.

[Riful]

And Clarke is a Mary Sue.  No matter what she does, she will be celebrated and come out on top. 

 

 

Just how is she a Mary Sue? I feel like that term gets thrown way to often at female protagonists in tv shows etc. and rarely at male ones despite them being obvious cases (Coulson from AoS anyone? Everyone zeroes in on Skye but he is just as bad)

Like a Mary Sue is made up of several traits and I have a hard time seeing Clarke fitting even just one? E.g. everyone desires the Mary Sue that is so stunningly beautiful. I can only remember that so far there been Wells and Finn. That's just two people that have been shown to be interested with maybe Lexa joining that crowd. That is hardly people falling on top of each other wanting to get with Clarke. Heck Bellamy qualifies more on this with how in a few episodes we were shown multiple girls in his bed, even two at once which also serves to show how much of a manly man he is. Also Raven hooked up with him and it wouldn't surprise me if that Echo grounder in the cage will set her sights on Bellamy.

Another characteristic is that a Mary Sue is very talented in an implausibly wide variety of areas including things that should not be in their skillset. With Clarke just what and how many skills does she have that makes no sense whatever or she completely mastered? She can draw, but she has been shown to have been drawing for most of her life. She knows some medical stuff, which is an extension of knowledge gained from her mom. Hmm what else? She learned to shot guns/riffles, and at best you can say she got too good at it to fast I suppose. She is not shown to be some math genious or flawless strategist. Nor is she a one man army. Clarke relies heavily on others and delegate towards their skill sets, and often plans are made up of parts others have suggested.

And it is not like everyone is overwhelmed with admiration for her stunning looks, awesome wit, or other fantastic virtues. In S1 she was pretty disliked by the other 100 compared to Bellamy, took some pretty questionable choices/actions and she is not exactly popular with her mother, various Ark or Grounder people currently. The respect she has from some people is pretty earned by now imo. It is not just there out of the blue because she is so supeeeeeeeer special. She is not flawless either. She has messed up like she handled being inside Mount Weather. She was way to open in her suspicions about them, and went about it in a dumb way. Her emotions guided her and she lacked subtlty, which maybe cost them all dearly since if she had been smarter/more subtle maybe things would had gone a lot differently.

Also Clarke hasn't exactly been celebrated for her choice regarding the missile, and I bet more will put her on blast for that decision. Furthermore both seasons shown her progression as leader and there have been mistakes and things that could had been done better, but she has to do some things right sometimes as well, 'cause otherwise what's the point if all she does is screw up? She has to improve at become smarter otherwise it is a completely senseless story line if she doesn't get a win some times.

Edited February 24, 2015 by Riful

[Jordan27]

No matter what she does, people will come to her side, defend and exalt her.   Just like you just did. 

 

She's a Mary Sue, just a dirtier one.

[Agent Dark]

I'd say people defend her character not because they're adamant "She's Right!  She's The Best!  Everyone should Love Her!", but because they like characters who exhibit flaws and make mistakes and do all those other messy things that make humans, human.  If Clarke burnt a village to the ground to win a war I wouldn't be calling her a great character because She's Right!  She's The Best! but because she's a character who gets to react to those extreme situations and make the tough choice, for better or worse.

[In2You]

No matter what she does, people will come to her side, defend and exalt her.   Just like you just did. 

 

She's a Mary Sue, just a dirtier one.

Exactly! And who on the show is her equal? She's above everyone. No one challenges her they just follow her every word. She has no rivals. They go out of their way to make her the smartest by having everyone around her seem less. Look how quickly she learned the Grounder language. There's this idea that she's the only hope.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Look how quickly she learned the Grounder language.

 

I particularly like how Clarke spoke phrases in Grounder that she hadn't heard or been exposed to before.  Like she has been browsing Rosetta Stone for Grounders in her free time between crises. </sarcasm>

[Misty79]

No matter what she does, people will come to her side, defend and exalt her.   Just like you just did. 

 

She's a Mary Sue, just a dirtier one.

 

That's not really the standard definition of a Mary Sue. But then the point is that no one agrees on what a Mary Sue is exactly, so it's a term that gets twisted to suit various people's devices. Personally I think this is the closest to a general definition I've seen:

 

 

The prototypical Mary Sue is an original female character in a fanfic who obviously serves as an idealized version of the author mainly for the purpose of Wish Fulfillment. She's exotically beautiful, often having an unusual hair or eye color, and has a similarly cool and exotic name. She's exceptionally talented in an implausibly wide variety of areas, and may possess skills that are rare or nonexistent in the canon setting. She also lacks any realistic, or at least story-relevant, character flaws — either that or her "flaws" are obviously meant to be endearing.

 

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MarySue

 

There are elements of that with Clarke - she's pretty, she's remarkably good with a gun, she has courage, compassion etc. But this season at least she's demonstrated plenty of flaws, and more importantly compared to some of the other main characters on the show she really doesn't stand up that well. If anyone is written as a Mary Sue on this show it's Octavia (who's incredible and swift grasp of the Grounder language(s) is even more flummoxing than Clarke). Season 2 Bellamy is perfect, brave, manly, fearless etc. 

 

I'm curious about what some of you guys want from Clarke? Do you want her to throw tantrums? Go all Katniss in the final Hunger Games book and have a mental breakdown? Do you want her to show cowardice? Take out a village like Finn? Is this really the sort of show that would explore those sorts of things well? I think given the nature of the show they've done a good job this season of at least having Clarke take some really questionable decisions and had her struggle with the consequences.

 

If you want nuanced, borderline unlikable characters may I suggest more character orientated shows such as Orange is the New Black, or The Affair? Both are very good, and notably neither is airing on the teen-orientated CW network. 

Edited February 25, 2015 by Misty79

[Jordan27]

That's not really the standard definition of a Mary Sue. But then the point is that no one agrees on what a Mary Sue is exactly, so it's a term that gets twisted to suit various people's devices.

 

It slightly changes based on a character or show, but it's basically someone who gets way too much credit for the good that they do and not enough blame for the bad they do.

There are elements of that with Clarke - she's pretty, she's remarkably good with a gun, she has courage, compassion etc. But this season at least she's demonstrated plenty of flaws, and more importantly compared to some of the other main characters on the show she really doesn't stand up that well. If anyone is written as a Mary Sue on this show it's Octavia (who's incredible and swift grasp of the Grounder language(s) is even more flummoxing than Clarke). Season 2 Bellamy is perfect, brave, manly, fearless etc.

 

I won't defend any of these characters.  They are all laughably bad.  But Clarke is the one being pushed as the savior.

I'm curious about what some of you guys want from Clarke? Do you want her to throw tantrums? Go all Katniss in the final Hunger Games book and have a mental breakdown? Do you want her to show cowardice? Take out a village like Finn? Is this really the sort of show that would explore those sorts of things well? I think given the nature of the show they've done a good job this season of at least having Clarke take some really questionable decisions and had her struggle with the consequences.

 

I don't think there is any salvation for her character.  This is how she is written and that shipped sailed..., but...

 

...didn't she already take out a village like Finn allowing the missile to kill and injure all those people.   Finn paid with his life for that.  I'm taking bets she skates on it.  Of course, she'll bravely face the consequences and overcome. 

[Stinger97]

Hi all! Just a quick reminder that we need to keep discussions civil, even when we disagree. Thanks!