The 100 Review: A Lie Guarded (Season 4 Episode 4)

The 100 Season 4 continues it’s absolutely stellar season with one of the show’s best episodes to date.

Written by veteran staff member Kim Shumway, The 100 Season 4 Episode 4, “A Lie Guarded” makes important strides for our favorite characters and takes us on an thrilling emotional rollercoaster.

In the same vein “The Four Horsemen,” “A Lie Guarded” breaks down the story into three major dynamics. Each group connects directly to the others in the grand scheme of Season 4, but each one is self contained in this episode as tensions rise between clashing sets of people.

CLARKE GRIFFIN VS ARKADIA

Monty and Jasper are doing important work by reminding the good people of Arkadia what it feels like to laugh. But Clarke, tightly wound, type A Clarke is back to being the fun police urging everyone to work and leading with fear.

In a move that feels like a direct callback to Season 1, Monty broadcasts the truth about how many people the Ark will save and Clarke’s list to the public, much like Abby did before Kane and Jaha went through with the culling to save oxygen when the Ark was still in space.

Monty: I know you think people will freak out, but if you just tell everyone the truth, maybe they’ll surprise you.

It’s not the people who come to Clarke’s rescue, but Jaha. Clarke is a brilliant leader, she knows how to make the smartest and best decisions for her people, but she sometimes forgets that not everyone thinks the way that she does. Clarke makes the straightforward, logical decision and that means making sacrifices, but she doesn’t communicate that in a way that necessarily makes her people feel safe, or needed.

Jaha: You can’t tell people they have no value.

Clarke: That’s not what I said.

Jaha: That’s what they heard.

While Jaha obviously still supports Clarke’s list (I mean, he is on it) he gives the people an “alternative” solution: a lottery, wherein you have to earn the chance to be chosen. Jaha has had much more experience with getting people to listen to him and calming their fears with lies and false hopes has always been a specialty of his.

He inspires hope in the people of Arkadia and convinces them to keep working, and to work harder than before, even if it’s all for naught. However this plays out, making Jaha a foil to Clarke has been a brilliant move for both their characters this season.

LUNA VS SKAIKRU VS ALIE’S DRONES

Thanks to her first experience with Skaikru where Clarke tried to force Luna into becoming Commander, she obviously has her fair share of apprehension when it comes to trusting Clarke’s people. She feels like a prisoner, taken hostage for her blood.

But nothing bonds a group of people together better than facing a common enemy. When Luna tries to leave Raven is able to get through to her and convince her that there are reasons to keep fighting for survival, to give the good in this world a chance.

Raven: It’s not your blood that defines you, it’s your heart.

This excursion also works to further solidify the relationship between Murphy and Abby, and begin to repair the one between Murphy and Raven.

Emori fears the island and the dangers it holds, trying to convince Murphy to turn back with her and abandon the group to fend for themselves. Abby can see that desire to flee in them, she understands that they prioritize themselves first. But Murphy genuinely cares for Abby, he respects her and he even trusts her to an extent. At least for now, he plans on sticking around. 

Murphy also cares for Raven. Even as she’s continually throwing barbs at him, (and rightfully so: it’d take a long time to forgive someone who’s the reason one of your legs doesn’t work) he won’t leave her behind.

He’s certainly no saint, but Murphy has way more heart than most people give him credit for.

AZGEDA VS SKAIKRU/TRIKRU

Roan made good on his promise to Echo, allowing her to go spy on Arkadia and see what Clarke has been working on. Dissatisfied with what he finds and Kane’s hesitancy to share the whole truth with him, Roan breaks their alliance, condemning all of Skaikru and Trikru to death.

Kane has complete faith that Abby’s nightblood serum will be the answer to saving everyone, but for the Grounders that’s sacrilege. They don’t understand science and technology, in fact they’ve come to fear them both.

Kane: It’s not blasphemy, it’s science!

After an argument with Kane, Octavia tries to escape Polis upon learning of the broken alliance. She’s gone to search for Indra as well as to warn Arkadia when Echo catches up with her.

Octavia’s perceived death serves many purposes. It begins an emotional evolution in Echo, as she clearly didn’t want to kill Octavia and then deeply regrets having to tell Bellamy that she did. Hearing that Octavia has died breaks something in Bellamy, and to a lesser extent in Kane.

Though Octavia hasn’t forgiven Bellamy for his role in Lincoln’s death, she is still the most important person in the world to him. He’s absolutely destroyed by the thought that she’s gone and it’s nothing short of heartbreaking to watch.

One thing is for certain when Octavia sees her brother, and would-be dad again it’s going to be one hell of a reunion.

OTHER THOUGHTS:

• It’s fun to see Jasper and Monty pranking people. Even if they have to work round the clock to ensure their survival, it’s important to remember the small joys in life.
• Harper absolutely hauling Monty back into the Ark to save him from “black rain” does so many things to my heart.
• Kane and Abby have been communicating via radio. Their longing for each other is as palpable as their faith in each other. I’m all for these two getting amazing individual plot lines this season, but can we please get them back in the same room ASAP?
• RIP Nyko, you beautiful, bearded bro, you were a true good in this chaotic world.
• Kane isn’t on Clarke’s list, but he knows it exists and supported her decision to keep it quiet. Do you think him not being on it is deliberate? Or is this the last we’ve seen of the list?
• Becca’s lab is incredible and if the show wanted to spend the rest of the season there I probably would not complain.
• Speaking of the lab, what the heck is on that island that Becca needed to protect her space from with weaponized drones? What is more dangerous than the drones, and how does Emori know about it? How much does she know if she’s never been past the beach?
• Abby jumping in front of the drone to draw it’s fire to give Murphy a clear shot is such a boss move, but can she not give me a heart attack like that again? God bless Raven’s super brain.
• I would die for Helios, the greatest horse in the world.

What did you think of this episode of The 100? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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The 100 airs Wednesday at 9/8c on The CW.

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