The 100: 9 Heart-Stopping Moments from Matryoshka (Season 6 Episode 10)
The 100 Season 6 Episode 10, “Matryoshka,” is filled with heart-stopping, gut-wrenching twists, as Bellamy fights to save Clarke, and our heroes inside Sanctum fight to save themselves.
Written by Drew Lindo and directed by Amanda Tapping, “Matryoshka” pushes the characters we love to the brink as all of their lives are on the line. Meanwhile, the Primes prove just how hard it is for people to actually change.
From LOST references and The 100 Season 1 throwback to that epic rescue, here are our picks for the most heart-stopping moments from The 100 Season 6 Episode 10:
OPEN THE HATCH
Josephine is forced into the passenger seat as Clarke takes control of her body for the first time in six weeks. As stubborn as Josie is, she knows it’s in her best interests to keep Clarke alive as long as possible because, well, saving Clarke is the only way she can save herself.
As Clarke’s brain continues to melt, she and Josie take shelter inside a secret observation hatch reminiscent of both the iconic Dharma hatch from LOST, and the buried truck that Clarke, Finn, and Wells used to hide from the acid fog during The 100 Season 1. It’s an almost eerie mirror of that moment from over 100 years ago when Clarke picks up a bottle of alcohol and Josie remarks about Gabriel making her research less boring.
Our concern for Clarke ratchets up another several notches when the stress of carrying two minds sends her into a seizure inside the hatch. All Josephine can do is sit and wait, and all we can do is hope that someone is coming to save her. We get another reference when we come back to this moment. When JC wakes up, she’s almost completely covered in the vines of Sanctum’s carnivorous trees, visually alluding to “The Upside Down” from Stranger Things where multiple characters have nearly been consumed by evil vines.
BURN THEM ALL
Simone is on the warpath now that she knows what kind of chaos her home has descended into during her absence. As Russell continues to cling to the dream of Sanctum and tries to maintain the illusion that everything they’re doing is just and good, Simone is done playing nice.
The camera work around Simone and Russell throughout this scene is absolutely brilliant. You really feel the tension of the mess that they’ve made for themselves mixed together with their conflicting perspectives. Tapping hovers around the pair as they each make their case, closing in on Russell as Simone walks away, effortlessly foreshadowing the choice he’ll end up making later on during “Matryoshka.”
Simone: Look around you, my love, the dream of Sanctum is already dead.
ABBY SLAPS MURPHY
I can’t say that I’m actually a fan of this moment, but it certainly made my jaw drop.
If The 100 had made it clear that the reason Abby slaps Murphy is that he helped Josephine fool her then I think this moment might be a little more justified. Abby is grieving in more ways than one, and frequently grief can manifest as anger. Murphy was once her friend and it has to hurt that he would betray her like this. He aided Josephine in convincing her to take a deal that ended with the man she loves dying, again.
However, I shouldn’t have to reach for that explanation as a viewer. As it stands it seems like Abby is simply lashing out at Murphy for trying to save the rest of them after he thought Clarke was dead. Abby has a reason to be angry with Murphy, it’s just not this one.
Madi: Tell her, traitor, tell her how you helped the girl who stole her daughter’s body.
Madi’s chilling smile as she watches Abby let her rage drive her actions is haunting and horrifying.
DEATH TO PRIMES
It’s kind of hilarious to watch the four remaining primes sit around for fancy lunch like their whole society isn’t falling apart before their very eyes. Russell is so determined to pretend that everything is fine when he’s really having the worst day of his life, and honestly, it’s the most relatable he’s ever been.
Simone: The lives that were taken so you could be here enjoying this meal, they didn’t deserve to die. And yet, now you have a problem executing a criminal?
Russell: Can we just eat lunch in peace?
One of the interesting things about this scene is how it actually convinces me to be on Simone’s side. All of Ryker’s protestations are for nothing because while he acts like he knows what they’re doing is wrong, he continues to benefit from it and doesn’t actually do anything to change it. Pick a side, buddy.
We’re led to believe that Ryker is about to be discovered as a traitor when, presumably, the father of his host comes in to inform on our people, but he’s spared once again when the man lunges at Simone instead.
Russell’s control of the situation slips further out of his hands as his wife dies in his arms. Tapping’s camera work really shines again here as she highlights the maelstrom going on inside Russell’s mind. We see the exact moment decides to avenge his wife and daughter by killing all of the hostages, becoming more and more unhinged.
Russell: I’ll bring you back, whatever I have to do, I’ll bring you back.
RYKER MAKE UP YOUR MIND CHALLENGE
Ryker’s wishy-washy behavior on this episode is honestly infuriating. He claims to want to stop the Primes and bring about a peaceful revolution, but he essentially goes back on every single decision that he makes that would actually lead them there.
Whose side is he on? Does he want to bring down the Primes or are they his “family?” Or is this character just a giant plot device to cause miscommunication and conflict to push the others into the positions the narrative needs them to be in for the finale?
He knocks out Echo before she can take out Russell and save her people. In the trailer for the next episode, it looks like Echo kills him for doing so and, at this point, I really cannot blame her.
BELLAMY BLAKE, PROFESSIONAL SPY
Everyone loves a good Bellamy Blake hero moment, and “Matryoshka” definitely delivers on that front. Just when it looks like Clarke’s luck has truly run out, Bellamy pulls out one of the oldest tricks in his own book in order to save the day. Having posed as one of the Sanctum guards, he’s able to take out the others, saving Clarke, Gabriel, and Octavia.
No matter how many times The 100 puts Bellamy in a disguise for the sake of a dramatic reveal, I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of it.
He keeps Jade alive (thank goodness) so she can deliver a message back to Sanctum. Honestly, Jade has to have the strongest legs on this planet with all the running back and forth she’s done since Clarke and Co. landed here. The Blakes are reunited and it looks like Bellamy is about as confused as we are about Octavia’s sudden change of heart, but like us, he’s not mad about it.
Bellamy: Tell Russell, if he hurts any of my people, he’ll never see his daughter again.
YOU CAN STILL SAVE YOUR WIFE
In a last-ditch attempt to save them all from going up in flames, Murphy recalls the way that they actually made nightblood the first time around, and barters Abby’s skills for their lives. As much as I’m thrilled to see this selection of some of my favorite characters on The 100 spared from death, this scene pretty much invalidates the entire nightblood storyline and each character’s role in it thus far.
Murphy’s proclamation tracks with who he is, and his ability to get right to what drives Russell (his love for his family) makes complete sense with who Murphy is, but Raven immediately going along with his plan sure doesn’t.
Raven’s entire plan to float the Nightblood Abby made in space was rooted in the fact that she wouldn’t be able to make more. Kane’s death was emblematic of for dismantling this corrupt society. Raven immediately changing her mind about the morality of making Nightblood for the Primes now that her life is on the line is a slap in the face so strong it gave me whiplash.
It is, however, the most in-character I’ve felt Raven has been all season. She’s great at thinking on her toes, finding solutions, and getting out of sticky situations. I would’ve loved to have seen this energy from her all along, but now that it’s coming after The 100 has tried to convince me she feels the complete opposite for ten straight episodes, it just reads as confusing.
Abby at least does seem resistant to the idea, sighing in resignation as Raven and Murphy declare her their savior. But she also knows it’s the only way to save their lives at this moment.
Abby: You don’t know the formula. And if you kill us, you never will.
Hopefully, this whole plot twist is a clever rouse to keep our heroes alive for another week and give them time to come up with an actual plan to take this system down. I’m willing to hold my judgment until all of the cards have been played, but right now everyone’s doing a pretty bad job of “being the good guys.”
THROUGH FIRE WE PURIFY SANCTUM
Abby’s skills may save her people, but that doesn’t extend to Ty. Russell satisfies his own bloodlust and decides to prove a point to the people of Sanctum anyway, burning this “traitor” at the stake. It’s horrifying and honestly devastating as everyone slowly turns away from the screams of a man literally being burned alive.
BELLAMY SAVES CLARKE
The final scene of “Matryoshka” is one of the most heart-pounding moments in the entirety of The 100, literally. Josephine makes one last attempt to convince Gabriel that they really can live happily ever after. It clearly takes a lot from him but he makes the right decision, saving the innocent person over the person that he loves.
Gabriel: I have loved you for centuries, but we had our time. I have to let you go now.
In the quiet moments waiting for Clarke’s heart to restart, the audience feels the same pure desperation to get her back that Bellamy feels.
Bellamy literally embodies the heart and the head as he makes Clarke’s heart beat for her until her head can catch back up. The science is sketchy at best but the emotion is so powerful that we almost don’t care. Bellamy and Clarke’s relationship is at the core of The 100 and seeing him fight to save her restores a little bit of the faith in humanity that Sanctum has tried so hard to steal from these characters and from the audience.
Bellamy: I’m not letting you go. You’re a fighter, now get up and fight.
The triumph of getting Clarke back finally feels real and I’m as happy about it as Bellamy is. He saved her, and together they can save everyone they love.
THOUGHT DEBRIS:
- Is Abby going to actually get to mourn Kane? I know there’s a lot going on, but hello guys losing him was kind of a big deal. Is she going to actually get to “find her humanity again” or was his death a meaningless plot point in order to write out an actor? It’s no secret that Abby Griffin is my favorite character, so I obviously want to have hope for the next part of her story, but The 100 is making that really difficult right now.
- Is Jordan dead? Where did he go? Are we gonna talk about that? SOMEONE HELP MY SON. Bellamy and Clarke really dropped the ball on protecting Monty and Harper’s boy, huh? Again, I know everyone’s really busy but can someone check on him? Is he bleeding out in the lab? Hello? 911?
- Echo’s work with this new fancy space bow is low key mesmerizing. Can she actually get to shoot someone with it on the next episode?
- Octavia’s genuine excitement to save Clarke is actually really touching. I’m still a little disappointed with how easily her character took this 180, but I’m also just glad to see her loving her friends and family again.
- I’m going to need them to yank that flame out of Madi’s head, like, yesterday. This is excruciating. I’m excited to see Raven delete Sheidheda, but also I would trade a lot of things to go back in time and make this entire storyline disappear.
- Everything that happens in the Mindspace is really visually stunning. Hats off to the production crew for all of these light tricks.
- So where was Gaia during her banishment? Did she learn anything that can help us in the final battle? Please say yes.
- Have we truly seen the last of Josephine or will her Minddrive be used again? Right now it seems like all of our heroes are going along with the Primes, but I truly don’t think that’s the endgame we’re looking at. What are your theories as we head into the final episodes of The 100 Season 6?
What were your favorite moments from this episode of The 100? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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The 100 airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on The CW.
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Samantha Coley
Samantha (she/her) is a social media specialist by day and a sci-fi junkie by night. As a freelance writer and podcaster, she also enjoys live-tweeting, blogging, good music, and better television. Her current favorite television shows include Star Trek (yes, all of them), Riverdale, and Stranger Things and there will always be a place in her heart for Battlestar Galactica, Leverage, and The West Wing.