The 100 TV Show Discussion Season 1 Part 1: Where do these kids come from? Spoilers!

 WARNING: This will have many spoilers and comparisons between episodes. Most will probably not even be in order. So unless you are the type to wiki the plots of a show, please be very careful with this blog.

I am forever a fan of the post-apocalyptic survival story where the characters are constantly beating the ever-increasing odds just to simply survive, comfort not even being the goal. These type of stories gives me the closest experience to the danger that makes the calm in life worth it. Throw in some coming of age teen rebellion, you’re dealing with a lot of raw humanity there. 

I have recently taken the journey through the popular TV show The 100. In fact, this is now my second trip. It is a fast-moving, sci-fi thriller. Something exciting is always happening. Every time you catch your breath, craziness ensues. 

  I spent so many hours with them in space, walking with them through the slowly healing forests; felt their joy and awe as they experienced the rain and sun on their faces for the first time; I laughed at their maturing humor and cried with them during their life and death decisions; rooted for them to survive no matter the cost of others; watched babies become giants morally and physically. I was even with them when they slaughtered hundreds to save their few. 

This show tried my very sense of morality. I justified their actions time and again because I wanted them to survive, though expecting any one of my beloved characters to be sacrificed at any time. I was constantly ready to let someone go, all the while begging them to do whatever it takes to live. 

Now that most of my questions have been answered by the end of the show. I’d like to go back into some of the commentaries that went through my mind during this emotionally charged trip. Most of my IRL friends have not watched the show so it is difficult for me to share and express the shock, relief, and even disappointments to someone who wasn’t invested. I’m just going to put this discussion out there as a beacon of invitation to anyone who would like to relate to me through this cliff-hanging journey… 

Season 1: Life did not start for most of the 100 till they were birthed from the door of their dropship. It does seem that their space-raised forefathers had tried to give them a glimpse into a world we consider commonplace, what Earth was like before the radioactive apocalypse. Each character shows us that being told something is very different from experiencing it themselves. Like the first time they felt the sun, wind, and rain on their skin. 

Generations of what seemed to be the last of humanity were raised on the space station called the Ark. We start the show at where their days of life on the Ark were numbered. Six months was all the majority had left to survive the failing conditions of their floating home. Even this amount of time was cut short and survival only made conceivable through the sacrificing of some lives for the many. This seems to be the moral question of the show time and time again. Sacrifice the few to save the many. One hundred teenage prisoners are the current sacrifice sent to the ground to see if the Earth was now habitable.

The Ark’s society was devoid of forgiveness and second chances. Any and all crime meant death unless you were younger than 18. If you were younger the unavoidable consequence was prison until a retrial at 18. One had to act and react a certain way with no allowance to mess up. Emotions had to be in check 24/7 since it is the catalyst for many actions. There were no exceptions nor excuses if total order was to be had. 

A human develops a character and persona based on their environment and upbringing. Consider their type of upbringing and imagine finally being given the freedom to do and say “Whatever the hell you want”- Bellamy Blake. This was the case for the 100 young adults sent hurtling to Earth after man lived in space for the last 97 years. This blog will discuss what they do with their lives after being given the option to choose for themselves.

In my next few posts, I’d like to discuss some of the most extreme character arcs, but first I feel the need to give a condensed version of what happens in the show for those that haven't watched it recently. Please come back and enjoy!