The 100: 216 “Blood Must Have Blood – Part 2” Review
Reviewed by Owen Bush.
I’ve been reviewing The 100 for 16 weeks now, and within this, the show has changed into something I’m sure I would have never anticipated, taken us down routes that seemed distant and insane to its usual schedule, and broke the barrier that is a consistent set of stereotypical and rather weak teen dramas, as mixing pastels of love and romance with shades of darkness and gore worked with fluency and rhythm throughout the season, and especially as the show reaches its conclusive chapter of Season 2.
The 100 has explored many themes, topics, morals and subjects, but as the epic conclusion began, it seemed that the tone was once again changing for the show – with Jaha, Murphy and two ‘Who are you?’ characters sailing through the mist, darkness and possibly insanity started seeping through the show’s dialogue. Jaha’s change in personality has been unexpected, but his once faith-based heroic nature seems to be having the opposite effect, with his sudden realization of the need to rid two of their lives seemed almost transparent to any morals he previously had, but it was dark, intense and these themes only ascended through this specific plot in the episode.
A key moment for me, was Murphy’s turning point, his reaction to a man he once trusted, relied on, looked up to – in some ways. The brain finally ticked for him, and with the audience too, a strange relationship as Murphy has always been a character with a largely negative audience reaction, alas, I’m sure, he’ll move towards a more positive reaction as the third season supposedly jumps into the character’s detailed background.
After the electric penultimate episode, with Clarke betrayed, dismantled and supposedly alone, it seemed she would face her demons with her original team – a slight call back to season one’s regular group. Clarke’s gripping personality was deathly during the episode – she was fierce and determined which made her fall back, make errors, seem irrational and not be the team leader that Octavia and Bellamy may have wanted. However, it’s almost pleasant to see our main character face issues, for a character to be too perfect would only stop the show from feeling real.
All in all, Clarke is still a teenage girl, not a soldier who should be making a decision whether to sacrifice innocent lives for her people, family and friends to live. Yet again, it makes The 100 break any comparisons to any other show, as this show balances the teen romp genre that colours with reality, with the dark, intense and brutal sequences that boast the vivid imagination of the writers – all combining with the pure elegance of the actors, especially Eliza Taylor, who continues to make a name for herself with these gritty emotional plots.
The 100 did not stop with the almost insane amount of gore as the episode pummelled through the conclusion of the season, with the tone of the show only getting more bloodied, I’m sure the plot will turn very twisted as we approach Season Three. This approach needs a ruthless villain, and although I have made comments about Cage’s fluency as a character, his depth here was far larger, and on a bigger scale. Cage had to make some deep and cruel decisions of the same type as Clarke, and with this came a sense of scarce confidence. He seemed nervous, afraid and worried of the decisions that he was making – it wasn’t quick or filled with pantomimed expressions, but fearful and beautifully surreal.
The only little negative with these scenes was the re-introduction of Abby and Kane, who have been largely absent recently. It was a little frustrating not being able to see their capture into Mount Weather, as they are widely significant characters – either way, both made use of their screen time nicely, even if it was limited. As Cage and Clarke confronted through radios, the two powers seemed almost equal, with both holding the opposite’s parent, but a little more subtly, equal in their routes, in the way they choose to proceed, and the way they both want to sacrifice anything that’ll stand in their way to see justice for themselves and much more importantly, their people. The death count began, as we said goodbye to the man who tried for just-war, Dante, a character who has had a large impact on the events that occurred, and had a lot more about him than originally notified.
Jasper and Maya have certainly had their ups-and-downs as characters, both trailing between becoming heroes and risking their lives. This final episode saw the conclusive balance to that question that has flowed through their plots during the season. With Octavia working ferociously as she linked between them, and Clarke making the impossible decision to murder all of those in Mount Weather who can’t withstand the radiation on Earth, the emotion filled the room as the tears filled many people’s eyes. Maya’s death was tremendously sad – her development has been possibly my favourite of this season, she balanced so finely between rights and wrongs, but you could always see the escaping fear within her; but not the fear of those atrocities around her, the fear of going against her world, and helping those who needed her most. She has been a gift to the show and whilst I could’ve seen her continuing through the show, her story felt over as her people died with her.
Abby and Clarke have had a rocky relationship, and that adjective possibly isn’t enough. A mother so dynamically similar to her daughter also faces the deepening differences that really cause mayhem between the pair, but my favourite quote emerged from this beautiful scene. Filled with ambition and fear, Clarke felt like she had become, and felt like she was what she was always destined to be, a sharp and fulfilling image of a girl once doomed to nothing, becoming a women that realizes that in the end, nothing can be everything and everything can be nothing. These parallels and metaphors were immensely strong, touching the audience and myself. It was heartfelt imagery, sincere and stunning, and done perfectly to achieve the emotional effect.
On the other hand, things weren’t teary and cheerful with Cage, as he came to his demise as Lincoln got the ultimate payback. It was a refreshing reminder of the torture Cage brought to many, but in a different way, it focused on who the real enemies are, as if Cage was our main character, and Clarke was in Cage’s position, would we feel differently as Lincoln sought revenge? Wasn’t Cage just doing what a leader would do? The themes of morals are so passionate in The 100, and it suits for a refreshing take on modern sci-fi and teen adventure dramas, I’m sure the show motivates rights and wrongs with a lot more beauty than many shows. Especially in this season, and in this episode, I noticed how well the writers supplement action and integrity, and how I hope they continue to do so as this season finishes, and another soon begins.
An unexpected twist soon stamped on the happiness, as Clarke made a tough, honest decision to leave the group, leave the memories of death of the innocent, leave behind the glory and honour, and replace it with her true nature of exploration, allowing her to find herself, and I’m sure something that’ll lead us to more blood and violence (…Lexa). The explanation was so distinct, and with the soothing music travelling behind, it made this scene emotional, significant and stunning. This was another highlight of an extremely truthful, yet extreme season finale – Bellamy and Clarke’s companionship seems like something completely different to the beginning of the season, let alone the beginning of the show, and with this, comes interest from the audience, as Clarke is so brutally alone and so diverse to her friends, that she almost has the world to her fingertips, and freedom is finally becoming a natural instinct – evolution.
One scene remained, and whilst the finale was hard to be beaten by any flaw, this was a minor flaw to the thrilling conclusion. Whilst these scenes were new, creative, diverse and incredibly mysterious, I’m not sure it hit the mark as much as Season One’s finale did, feeling a little rushed for this new direction. Murphy’s wake-up call was eye-popping and very interesting, but Jaha’s introduction to the AI didn’t seem as suitable for the conclusion of the tale of Mount Weather, and rather more of an opening for the next episode. The tone shifted again, the gore changed into mystery and depth as the nuclear missile was revealed and with this, comes mass-destruction which is a dangerous theme for the show, but I’m sure, that whatever’s coming for The 100, it’ll sure be amazing.
Verdict: 9.5/10
‘Blood Must Have Blood Part 2’ was vivid with blood, gore, and tension filled themes mixed with The 100’s moral integrity and sense of creative belonging in the TV show world. Although a few minor issues, the epic thriller outpaced any flaws with dripping hot action and emotion that caused the tears to also drip, as The 100 concludes another triumphant series, we’ll all be waiting for the next one to hit UK borders.