The 100 Relationships Among the Arkers and Grounders

[maraleia]

A place to talk about the relationships on the show, romantic or otherwise.

 

 

[KittenPokerCheater]

Spoiler tagging even though I don't think it's a spoiler anymore.  

I don't see the Lexa/Clark thing heading anywhere, since the actress has signed onto the walking dead.  I expect a lot of mourning at the end of the season So I hope Clarke and Belamy hook up at some point as their hug in the first half of the season slayed me.  And if I were the actress who played Lexa, I'd leave the 100 for the Walking Dead in a heartbeat. Not only does it pay better, but it's a far more respected show.

[Raffles]

She signed up to a spin-off of the Walking Dead that hasn't actually confirmed yet so its not confirmed if Lexa survives the season finale or not.

[bluebonnet]

Yup, it's a spin-off and they've barely even filmed the pilot.  No telling yet whether or not it will be picked up.  I also don't see why Alycia Debnam-Carey couldn't be on both shows at once (assuming there isn't language in her contracts preventing it).  It seems like half of the characters on The 100 are also on Continuum.  It happens all the time.  I'm not saying that Lexa will survive.  Just pointing out that the fact she has filmed a pilot isn't really a good tool to use to determine the future of her character.  

Edited March 3, 2015 by bluebonnet

[justcris]

I wonder if the shooting location for the spinoff will also be Vancouver. If so, it would be fairly easy to do both shows, I think it's the main reason why The 100 and Continuum share some of the cast, as bluebonnet said. Will she be the lead on the new show though? I haven't heard anything much about it.

[Bort]

Walking Dead shoots in Georgia. Presumably, so will the spin-off. Unless there's no overlap in the shooting schedules, it's unlikely that both shows will be possible.

[bluebonnet]

I think the spin off pilot was shot in Los Angeles.  Not sure where the show will continue to shoot there if it's picked up, but I believe talk was that Cobalt was meant to take place on the West Coast.   Alycia is cast a a main character for the pilot.  But again, this is a show that hasn't been picked up at all yet.  

 

People do star in multiple shows at once all the time.  Daniel Gilles is currently in The Originals and Saving Hope.  Kevin Durrant is in the Strain and now Vikings.  Melissa Ponzio in in Teen Wolf and was on The Walking Dead.  Seth Gilliam is now on both Teen Wolf and The Walking Dead.  Corey Stoll has been all over the place, practically in every single tv show.  And Continuum and The 100 nearly share the same entire cast.  

 

Point being, Alycia could plausibly do both, but it hardly matters since the spin-off hasn't even been picked up yet.  I think we should look to the trajectory of the plot to determine whether or not Lexa and Clarke will become a longterm thing.  I think its unlikely to last long past this war with Mount Weather.  Lexa isn't portrayed as someone who wants to play the love triangle game and Clarke and Bellamy still have unresolved tension, which will be mega amped when Octavia drops the bomb about the bomb drop.  Furthermore, Lexa and Clarke are leaders of two very different groups.  These groups are showing a willingness to work together now, but it probably won't last.  The show needs drama to continue.  With Jaha's trip to the City of Light, it seems likely that the arkers and the grounders are going to split off sometime soon.  

 

And to be completely cynical, it's a huge thing for a show to have a canonical bisexual lead character but I find it unlikely that they will allow this character to have a longterm relationship with a member of the same gender.  The majority of the audience likely doesn't care, but the ones who do are usually the more vocal ones.  The CW can't really afford to make too many waves.  

[Ceeg]

I don't think I see the point in even introducing the prospect of a romantic relationship with Lexa/Clarke if they had no intention of following through with it, to some degree. 

[bluebonnet]

Pushing boundaries, which can be a good thing.  A canonical bisexual lead character doesn't happen often.  I'm not sure it's happened on network TV before?  

 

But even without the boundary pushing, they introduce all sorts of relationships that have no follow through.  Finn and Clarke is but one example.  There was all sorts of hooking up when they first landed.  I think Raven and Bellamy had a thing.  Raven and Finn also had a thing. So far, the only romantic relationship that has had any sort of follow through or longevity has been Lincoln and Octavia

[Ceeg]

But Finn and Clarke had a purpose, for an entire season and a half. Clarke is still feeling the ramifications of his death, as evidenced by her telling Lexa she's not ready yet. Finn's entire motivation for killing all those Grounders was because he's in love with Clarke, and her being missing made him lose it. Raven and Finn also had/have a purpose, and served to cause some conflict between Clarke and Raven for a while. And Raven/Bellamy was just a random hook-up, that kind of helps explain character motivations and personality. 

 

I think that just because a relationship might not have "longevity" (i.e. lasting the entire length of a series) doesn't mean that a relationship has no purpose or follow-through. I think everything that's established on this show, so far, has some kind of purpose. So, I think that introducing Lexa/Clarke as a romantic pairing will have some kind of repercussions. Not necessarily that they'll be twu wuv and last 5eva. But, just that they've planned everything with this out so carefully and with a lot of thought, I don't think Lexa and Clarke kissing was just some random one-and-done thing that won't be spoken of or brought up again.

[Agent Dark]

Furthermore, Lexa and Clarke are leaders of two very different groups.  These groups are showing a willingness to work together now, but it probably won't last.

"We must arrange a marriage between our leaders to unite our people - Oops, we fell in love".  Or maybe I've been reading too much fan-fic...

[bluebonnet]

But Finn and Clarke had a purpose, for an entire season and a half. Clarke is still feeling the ramifications of his death, as evidenced by her telling Lexa she's not ready yet. Finn's entire motivation for killing all those Grounders was because he's in love with Clarke, and her being missing made him lose it. Raven and Finn also had/have a purpose, and served to cause some conflict between Clarke and Raven for a while. And Raven/Bellamy was just a random hook-up, that kind of helps explain character motivations and personality. 

 

I think that just because a relationship might not have "longevity" (i.e. lasting the entire length of a series) doesn't mean that a relationship has no purpose or follow-through. I think everything that's established on this show, so far, has some kind of purpose. So, I think that introducing Lexa/Clarke as a romantic pairing will have some kind of repercussions. Not necessarily that they'll be twu wuv and last 5eva. But, just that they've planned everything with this out so carefully and with a lot of thought, I don't think Lexa and Clarke kissing was just some random one-and-done thing that won't be spoken of or brought up again.

Again, Lexa and Clarke are two women.  The point I was making is that this is a big deal on tv and small networks might be able to push boundaries but they can't really afford to go too far with those boundaries.  They can push further with two women than they could with two men, simply due to inherent prejudice in people.  I know that most of us posting here are far from bigotry, but that's not the case for a large portion of the viewing audiences, especially those who would be most vocal.  They can easily come up with a purpose for Clakre and Lexa, but that doesn't negate the point I was making in that I find it unlikely these two will have any sort of longevity simply due to the realities of audience perception.   I think we're probably arguing different things here.  

[Ceeg]

I don't really think the network is an issue. The writers are on record as saying The CW has been nothing but supportive of the stories they want to tell. And I still don't think that they would have bothered going there to begin with, and expressed concern over the importance of the moment, if they were going to drop it immediately due to some kind of network interference. 

Edited March 4, 2015 by Ceeg

[bluebonnet]

Ok, so I'm not actually saying that they are going to drop it immediately, not sure why you keep insisting on this.  The entire conversation started because someone said that Alycia's role on another show indicated that the relationship would end. It was pointed out that there is no other show at this point and also that it's common for actors to have roles on multiple shows.  I later pointed out that it's more likely that Lexa and Clarke will not be longterm due to the realities of the audience.  None of this is the same as saying the show is going to drop this relationship immediately.  You're misreading.  

 

The network being supportive isn't the same as being able to do what they want without repercussions.  The fact that they even have to note that the network is supportive is pretty fucking telling.  They don't say these things at all when it's a lead character engaging in a hetero relationship.  The network has to balance the desires of the writers with the desires of the advertisers and their target audience, and it can sometimes be a fine balancing act.  

[viajero]

I'm not so sure that two women having a longer term relationship would be as much of a problem for the CW's target audience as it might be for, say, CBS.  But I do have trouble seeing Clexa as the end game, even assuming Lexa survives the season.  There would seem to be too many obstacles in their way.  On the other hand, I also doubt that the kiss was a one-off with no larger purpose or follow-through.

 

Though I'm not particularly shipping anyone on this show, I am glad they went there with Clexa.  The writers got the build up to kiss just right, giving us just enough foreshadowing so that it was believable, but not so much that it still didn't come as something of a surprise.  In retrospect, the kiss seems like the natural culmination of the way the relationship between the two characters has evolved.

 

I do think it´s interesting that this is not even the only show I´m currently watching in which a developing relationship between two girls has been handled so naturally.  The same thing is true with Brenna and Greer on Chasing Life.  It probably helps that I find Clarke and Brenna to be perhaps the most compeling female teen characters currently on TV.   Which brings me back to my original point - I have to wonder whether its a coincidence that both of these shows are on networks that target younger audiences.

[realtalk5555]

The only relationship I'm invested in on this show is Lincoln and Octavia. To be honest, they are one of the reasons I love this show. On physically level I think they are absolutely gorgeous together. The producers of the show couldn't have cast a sexier pairing. In my opinion they are a perfect blend of healthy masculine and feminine energy. Over the course of their relationship we've seen both characters grow. They bring out the best in each other. I love them!

[ninathena]

While I love Bellamy and Clarke, and I'm really enjoying the amazing development of their relationship (whether platonic or romantic) I'm also really excited to see what happens between Clarke and Lexa. The dynamic between them both is IMO really great. I love the idea of these two young, female leaders with completely differing ideologies and beliefs who both clash as well as learn from each other, whether it be good or bad.

 

And when it comes to their romantic relationship, I may not ship it, but it still creates an extremely interesting situation, and I can't wait to see how it will all be resolved. I don't think there's going to be too much more in terms of romance, or at least not for a long time. Clarke has a great capacity for forgiveness, but I just can't see her going that far with Lexa again, or at least not until she's able to really heal and move on from everything that's happened so far.

[FurryFury]

Oh, I love the Clarke/Lexa relationship, but I will never buy Clarke forgiving her easily (although before her death - if this death is appropriately framed - I could definitely see it, as a step to Clarke's forgiveness of her own self). And really, it would be interesting for me to see the fallout from Lexa's death and the rise of the new leader which has been foreshadowed. So, as much as I find this dynamic interesting, I'd vote for her death, personally. And if I had to choose between Clarke and Lexa and Clarke and Bellamy (romantic or platonic) I'd vote for the latter simply because it's been a part of the fabric of the show for a far longer time.

 

But still, Clarke and Lexa are really interesting. This is probably the first time where I, being a strictly het shipper, see real sparks and and interesting story between a same-sex couple (in most cases canon gay romances are, for me, either boring, feel like an afterthought from the writers or are just done horribly (hello, Klaine).

[ninathena]

The Grounder world building interests me so much I'd be okay if we had to sacrifice Lexa to it. And honestly, it kind of feels like that's what her character is there for. Much like Finn was only there to push Clarke's story, Lexa seems to be there to help introduce us into the world of Grounders. But whether she dies or not, I feel like her story is going to be really awesome this season.

 

I absolutely agree with you about which relationship I'd rather choose. Bellamy and Clarke's relationship has so much more depth and meaning to me than Clarke and Lexa. Clarke and Lexa I find incredibly intriguing, Clarke and Bellamy really have my heart with everything they've done and been through together.

[bluedevilblue]

I like both the Clarke/Lexa and Clarke/Bellamy relationships, but I'm not a fan of a romantic relationship between Bellamy and Clarke.  I like both actors and think they do have some chemistry, but I don't like the idea of really the two leaders - even if Bellamy is being an ass at the moment - also being literally in bed together.  It's just too much.  I also don't like the idea that all male/female relationships automatically develop into romance.  They can love one another, and I think they do, and not be in love with one another.  Of course, for even a non-romantic love between them to last, Bellamy has to pull his head out of his ass.

 

Clarke/Lexa are also two leaders, but they are leaders of different people and so it seems more politically palatable for them to be together and, in fact, truces have a history of being forged through marriages - romantic or not - of leaders.  Although I do think any relationship between them should bring up concerns for both of their peoples, in the sense of whether they are really doing things because it's best for their people or best in terms of their relationship with the other.  To me, there's more story and conflict with their potential pairing than Clarke/Bellamy.  They are much more interesting to me than here's the prince and here's the princess, naturally they fall in love.  Having said that, I'm not sure Lexa is long for this world.  Maybe she survives the season, but I'm not sure she's going to survive much longer than that, if she lives that long.

[Crim]

‏Jason Rothenberg tweeted the 12 clans and their symbols, as seen during the Summit. 

 

bluedevilblue, I not only agree with you about Clarke/Bellamy, but also think this would be even iffier now that there is Kane/Abby. Then again, I see Clarke/Bellamy as just a fandom couple at this point. There was no romance on the show between them, their connection is friendship, partnership; the show even avoided the classic "oh, one of them is jealous!" bits other show runners throw to fans to keep them talking. And, for all their connection, they've spent more time apart than not since Clarke started becoming Wanheda, and it was by her choice - she sent him to Mount Weather, she left the camp, and she stayed in Polis. Even without the recent events (ugh), the Clarke/Bellamy way would be for Clarke to revert to her Skykru-only days, which is not what I want to watch. I find the Grounders interesting, and she is the character that allows the show to develop their world in ways Octavia and Lincoln don't. Kane being the Ambassador would have been different too - more diplomacy, less access, less or different information (and for sure no night-time meetings in his bedroom; that was hilarious).

Edited February 21, 2016 by Crim

[slf]

Unpopular opinion: I don't really hold it against Finn that he cheated on Raven. His relationship with her was very complicated. They became friends because he was giving her a portion of his rations because her mother was, IIRC, selling hers. Just that right there creates an iffy context for their relationship. He felt responsible for her life, which no child should have to experience, and her feelings for him can't be separated from whatever gratitude she felt for the food. Then the spacewalk happened and three months worth of oxygen for the whole Ark was blown. Finn's first instict was to take the blame, to protect Raven like he always did. And at first Raven didn't want to do it but she relented maybe a little faster than she should have, imo. There was no way Finn wasn't going to be thrown out of an airlock. How long after he was imprisoned did he realize that? Three months of oxygen. There's no way that wasn't a death penalty crime. I don't believe for a second that didn't color his view of that relationship. And when he was sent to Earth he didn't think he'd survive. So what's the point in staying loyal during your last days or weeks alive, especially when you're falling in love with someone else? It's not like he could call Raven up on a walkie talkie and break up with her. (Not saying it was right or kind, just that I think for him things weren't so simple.)

Now, everything that happened after he came down, yeah. Dick. Especially his attack on the village and the slaughter of all those people. But not for the relationship shit with him and Raven. I think there were a lot of shades of gray there and he was just a dumb teenager.

Edited March 23, 2019 by slf