The 100 Review: Hakeldama (Season 3 Episode 5)
I have the incredible urge to describe The 100 Season 3 as Non-Stop, but that could be because I’ve been listening to too much Hamilton.
For the most part though, The 100 has not stopped for one second since the premiere, and it shows no signs of doing so any time soon. The benefit of a shortened season is that you don’t have to stretch storylines out and create filler episodes to get you from Point A to Point B. Every episode serves an important purpose, and every minute is so thrilling that the idea of a “filler episode” is a foreign concept.
Last week I said that despite Pike’s Grounder-hating ways, I just couldn’t seem to dislike him because of how earnest he clearly was. That’s officially over. Pike, while still a staunch believer in his cause, has developed into a fear monger and a tyrant. Executing an unsuspecting army (allies of Arkadia) is bad enough, but then he decides to “intern” the sick Grounders under Abby’s care. He is doing his best to stir the pot and create the very war that Abby and Kane have spent months trying to avoid.
Worst of all in fans eyes has been the way Bellamy has fallen in line under Pike’s command. Even though he does put up some protest to Pike’s extreme violence, he seems to have decided to drink the Kool-aid, and not even Octavia can reach him now. The change in Bellamy might seem abrupt, but the scene between Bellamy and Clarke in Arkadia sheds some light on the why of the entire matter.
We haven’t really seen Bellamy react to what happened in Mount Weather much yet, but when he finally lets it all out at Clarke, it becomes clear that he has been deeply suffering of the incident. Potentially even more so than Clarke.
Some of those people in Mount Weather were allies to Bellamy. They shielded him and his friends when they needed it, they attempted to help in the escape, and they trusted Bellamy would return the favor and protect them in kind if the time came. In return for their trust, he pulled the lever to end their lives. That’s an immense weight for him to be carrying around alone, and watching all of it pour out of him last night was staggering. It was an amazing performance by Bob Morley and Eliza Taylor, in a scene that will no doubt go down in the Bellarke record books as a fan favorite.
If only their hand-holding could have not ended in handcuff trickery.
Now that Bellamy has chosen his side, it’s hard to imagine how he’ll bounce back from this choice. He walked into a camp of allies and executed 300 people (don’t think the irony of that number is lost on me), and there is no coming back from that. Is there?
When you look at the massive amount of death in The 100, most of them directly caused by someone else’s choices, you have to wonder if there is a point of no return for any of these characters. Bellamy indirectly caused 300 people to sacrifice their lives on the Ark. Clarke and Lexa let the bomb drop on Tondc. Clarke and Bellamy killed the entire population of Mount Weather. Now, Pike and Bellamy have slaughtered a sleeping army. Which of these atrocities are excusable considering the circumstances, and which are not? Can Bellamy be redeemed after this incident, or does he even need to be?
That is far and away my favorite part of watching The 100. It makes you weigh the morality of certain choices against others, and at the end of the day, you’re still not sure who the monster at the end of this book is. Everyone? No one?
Other Thoughts:
- Still very worried for Lincoln. Every episode my anxiety grows.
- I’m beyond thrilled that Raven has been inserted into the City of Light storyline. She is the perfect fit for that concept, and she will no doubt have a lot to say on the topic of artificial intelligence.
- Murphy and Emori are officially filling the “happy couple” quota for this season, and that really tells you all you need to know about the show
- Something tells me Lexa’s council will not be on board with “Blood must not have blood.”
What did you think of this episode of The 100? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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The 100 airs Thursdays at 9/8c on The CW.
Lindsay MacDonald
Lindsay is an associate editor for Tell-Tale TV. She is a writer, viewer, and internet addict. Her obsession with TV started with Buffy the Vampire Slayer and has been going strong ever since; current favorites include Scandal, The 100, The Walking Dead, and Arrow. She considers a perfect Friday night to be a joint-cuddle-session between an adorable puppy dog and her Netflix queue. Follow @lindsayjoane
2 comments
I love all these characters so much and I honestly thought we could, well, that I could forgive Bellamy down the line because this show delivers wonderful redemption arcs. So his mistake in following Pike and participating in the slaughter was harsh, but hey it’s a show right? Enter his scene with Clarke. My heart broke into pieces. His emotional attack on her, the way he riddled her with guilt for her having needed some breathing room to handle the MW ordeal left my ears and heart ringing with the reminder of an abusive relationship I had gotten lost in once. I love this show, I love the writing, but that to me is unforgivable. I’m not sure if the writers realized how some may identify with that scene.
Yeah, I don’t know how Bellamy can walk the cat back, as the saying goes. Every other mass killing (Ark culling: 320; Grounder Barbeque: 300; Ton DC bombing: 250; Mount Weather irradiation: approx 370) was partially excusable, done in extreme circumstances without time to think things through, or done while under attack., or done because people lacked information. This latest massacre was preemptive and could have been avoided entirely. How will Bellamy be redeemed? Finn could not be a under similar circumstances.
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