The 100 Review: The Chosen (Season 4 Episode 12)

We’re closing in on the Season 4 finale, and the writers are not pulling any of their punches.

The 100 Season 4 Episode 12, “The Chosen” pushes all of our heroes to their limits one more as the ticking clock of the apocalypse approaches the zero hour.

ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL

Inside the bunker Skaikru is forced to choose their new 100 to survive within while 300+ must leave. Jaha plays an interesting role here in that he causes the majority of the problems with the excess Skaikru people. It had been at least in part his idea to shut the doors and give their people a stolen future and false hope.

Now that they have to face the music just like every other clan, he behaves like the choice they’ve been given isn’t fair, lashing out like a petulant child and demanding more than his share. Jaha comes to a moment of semi “redemption” when at the last minute he listens to Kane, deciding to make the hard decision for their people instead of leading a losing fight against the grounders.

Jaha: How do we stop them now?

I don’t feel like Jaha can truly be redeemed at this point because he keeps making decisions that have heartless and selfish consequences, but then claiming none of the blame when it backfires.

He no longer carries an emotional weight outside anger and resentment, for either his fellow Skaikru or the audience.

Which is probably part of why watching Octavia stand off against him is so viscerally satisfying.  Octavia is still settling into her new role, and she’s understandably nervous behind closed doors, in Indra’s comforting presence. But she lets none of that show when it comes time to command Skaikru into action.

Octavia: I’m one of you? You made me hide under the floor. You floated my mother. I’m not hiding now.

Octavia telling her people that they have to make the same decision that everyone else has already made is another of the episode’s most satisfying moments in the face of Jaha’s demands for special treatment. Marie Avgerapolous does an incredible job with the duality of Octavia on The 100 Season 4 Episode 12 “The Chosen”.

Octavia: I didn’t do this on my own.

Indra: No leader ever does.

Octavia shows more humanity, leadership, and brilliance than she ever has on the show and I’m finally excited about where her character seems to be going! The burden of responsibility rests heavily on her shoulders, but for now she’s wearing it better than most.

Octavia: My people, my responsibility.

The deepest emotional weight of this storyline rests on Abby and Kane.  Part of what makes Abby Griffin such a good character is her heart and her love for humanity. It’s why I fell in love with her as a character, and it’s one of the reasons Kane has fallen in love with her over The 100’s 4 Seasons.

Kane: You saved me, and I don’t mean just by opening the door.

Continually having to make decisions that sacrifice that humanity has been chipping away at her all season. And with Jaha’s insistence on hammering home the harshness of having to kill their own people hitting her so hard, Abby starts to believe she’s not worthy of survival.

Abby: I don’t know who I am anymore.

It’s nothing short of devastating to watch Abby reach this point. Over the last 4 Seasons, she’s been a beacon of hope and light in the darkness of The 100. Abby tells both Clarke and Kane that she loves them, thinking it will be the last time.

Kane: Please, I just got you back, don’t say that.

Abby: I love you, Marcus. But I’ve made my decision, my life isn’t worth more than theirs.

After nearly a full season of being together romantically, but apart physically seeing Kane and Abby face a potentially permanent separation is heartbreaking. Though Kane doesn’t say that he loves Abby back, it’s evident in everything he does. Hopefully, when she wakes up we’ll hear him tell her how he feels.

In a reversal of what happened on The 100 Season 4 Episode 11 “The Other Side” Kane makes the decision to save Abby. Abby has been saving him since day one, making him a better person and helping him find his own humanity and now it’s time for him to do the same for her.

GOING UP

Clarke is clearly struggling with having made the wrong choice regarding the bunker, but it’s good to see her begin to work on making up for it. Jaha brought out a selfishness in her that casts Clarke in a very unflattering light to both herself and the audience.

Believing it to be goodbye, Abby absolves Clarke of her choices, reminding her that she’s one of the good guys. What I like about Clarke’s choices on The 100 Season 4 Episode 12 “The Chosen” is that she is actively trying to live up to the high esteem her mother holds her in.

Clarke’s choices to go after Raven, to save Echo  and then to give up her helmet for Emori are all important steps for Clarke coming back to herself.

Clarke remembering the value of each life, not just the most convenient ones, is the first step toward making her a leader we can be proud of again.

When hope is lost and they face the choice of leaving Raven behind or not making it back to Polis, Clarke finds a third solution like the brilliant Griffin that we first fell in love with.

Clarke: We’re not going back, we’re going up.

That third solution is to send she and her friends into space. It’s a risky plan filled with things that could go wrong and kill them all. I’m thrilled to see space come back into play, the Ark and it’s people were what initially drew me into The 100.

Bellamy: What do you say? Can you do it?

Raven: What do I say? I say that deathwave can kiss my ass.

If anyone can pull of this daring feat it’s going to be Raven and Monty; but everyone on that island has a different skillset which I think is going to be very important for keeping them all alive. I can’t wait to see what space and the next five years have in store for our adventure squad!

OTHER THOUGHTS:

• Abby wouldn’t have hesitated for Emori, who wrote that? Why? Stop.
• Can we talk about what a bad choice it is to dress Octavia up in the commander bindi and Lexa’s cape in that teaser trailer? You were so close to subverting the White Savior trope guys, so close.
• Emori and Murphy talking about feeling safe and having a home completely breaks my heart. Their love has become one of the best things about The 100 Season 4.
• Echo was just trying to do what was best for her people, something Clarke can certainly understand. Do you think that’s part of why she decides to help her? What do you think of Echo’s addition to this team?
• Abby hasn’t had any seizures, how sure are we that she has the same brain condition as Raven? Something seems off here. (#BabyTheory2k17)
• Octavia saving Niylah is so lovely, I’m glad to know she’s safe and I look forward to more of this relationship.
• Raise your hand if you cried over David Miller giving up his chance to stay for his son!
• The amount of parallels to past episodes on The 100 Season 4 Episode 12 “The Chosen” is abundant. Which is your favorite? Mine’s a toss up between Abby and Kane’s role reversal to the kids choosing to go back to the Ark!

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

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

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