The 100 Review: The Tinder Box (Season 4 Episode 5)

Well, they can’t all be perfect. The 100 Season 4 Episode 5, “The Tinder Box,” is kind of all over the place and ultimately, at least in certain plots, is a waste of time.

All in all, it isn’t a terrible episode, it serves it’s purpose of creating even higher stakes for our heroes, and it reveals some important information. But the few problems that “The Tinder Box” has are critical, causing the episode to sit uncomfortably with much of the audience.

Clarke’s primary conflict on “The Tinder Box” revolves around working out a solution with Roan and Ice Nation over who gets to live in Arkadia if the nightblood fails. By the end of the episode, these negotiations are rendered pointless by Ilian in his quest to destroy all technology in the name of his dead family.

Roan: It is a trap, we’re already in it.

I understand Ilian’s motives, he won’t rest until all technology is destroyed because of what it took from him. But he’s incredibly selfish. He claims he doesn’t want to kill anyone, or even hurt anyone, but he’s okay with destroying the home of over 400 men, women, and children? He does this at nightfall, the Ark is probably filled with people, many of whom died in his foolish quest for vengeance.  

Not only is destroying Arkadia a disaster for all of Skaikru, it’s shortsighted, selfish, and frankly quite stupid on Ilian’s part.

“The Tinder Box” also drains the reunion between Bellamy and Octavia of nearly all its emotional impact. In Season 4 Episode 4 “A Lie Guarded” audiences were moved by Bellamy’s devastation over losing Octavia, by comparison their reunion has none of the same impact.

By having Bellamy get confirmation that she’s alive before they reunite, and then finding her in the midst of the flames of Arkadia, it takes almost all the focus off of that emotional resolution.

Bellamy learns she’s alive in a situation where he can hardly react, and then he finds her again in a situation wherein their reunion is almost entirely overshadowed by the destruction of their home.

Hopefully, we’ll get to see more between this two next week, because as it stands this is not a satisfying resolution to the emotional climax in “A Lie Guarded.”

Speaking of plot points that fail to hit their emotional mark, the subplot of the conflict between Ice Nation and Skaikru is that of Riley’s itchy trigger finger.

All of the content involving Riley in this episode is supposed to heighten the suspense, and create an emotional moment for Bellamy and Echo, moving both of their characters forward. To an extent it does that, but the show seems to forget that Riley carries virtually no emotional relevance for the audience.

We only just met this kid and having all of our favorites recognize him doesn’t create a bond that the audience can be convinced to care about in less than 4 episodes. Riley’s actions might have been more interesting if he had been Bryan, instead he’s just a poorly executed plot device.

Over on Science Island things are getting exciting and terrifying in equal measure. Raven is at peak super genius, figuring out solutions and finding secret rockets, but apparently her knowledge comes at a cost.

The EMP which Clarke used to remove Raven’s City of Light chip short circuited it in a way that left her with Becca’s knowledge, but also created significant brain trauma which causes Raven to have a seizure that could potentially cause her to have a stroke. True to form, the Raven we know and love is back: even in the face of incredible personal risk she’s not going to stop doing everything she is capable of just because her body says she should quit.

This is what Raven has been running into over and over, first a heart murmur nearly prevented her from becoming a zero-g mechanic, then the loss of full mobility in her leg has severely changed the way she has to work, and now her brain is threatening to literally take her out of commission entirely.

Raven: I’ve been through worse, Doc.

Abby: Not worse than this.

What Raven doesn’t know is that Clarke used the EMP on Abby too. Having Abby and Raven being the best minds for solving the nightblood problem, while also dealing with mutual brain trauma certainly ups the stakes of this storyline. And it’s safe to say I’m freaking out about it in every way possible. Let’s get a prayer circle going that these two figure out how to save each other along with everyone else.

OTHER THOUGHTS:

• Eric Jackson just wants to solve problems and love people, he must be protected at all costs.
• Niylah is back!!! I love that girl, I’m so here for her integrating more into Skaikru. Do you think Clarke has told her they’re all going to die? Or did she want to make sure she charged her radio so that she could tell her to come over just in time to not die in a fiery radiation storm?
• DO YOU THINK THEY’RE REALLY GOING TO SPACE? HOW COOL IS THAT ROCKET? HOW COOL ARE ALL THESE LITTLE DETAILS WE’RE GETTING IN BECCA’S LAB? WHY  I CAN’T STOP YELLING?
• Do you think Ilian really was just on his way home and getting to blow up Arkadia was just a bonus for him? Or is Octavia right about him using her to get inside?
• Marcus Kane was vastly underused this week and I’m personally offended by it.

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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