Before we get started, I think we should pause to give a mighty shout for the absence of the most useless character in this series this episode. That's right folks, it was a Jaha free episode and may we have many more like it.
So, at the end of the last episode, it was revealed that Lexa had Clarke kidnapped by Prince Roan. (I'll take a lot more Zach McGowan please and shirtless is fine with me). This I am sure was a big moment for Clexa fans, even if it did nothing at all for me. Yeah, we know already, Lexa and Clarke have unfinished business to deal with. There are clearly feelings between these two women but there's also the fact that Lexa absolutely cannot be trusted. This is a problem given that the Ice Nation seems to think that they should be the ones in power. Individually, it seems that no nation alone can hope to defeat the Ice Nation and therefore, it will take an alliance. We've already seen what an alliance with Lexa looks like. Lexa proposes that Skikru become the 13th clan - a complete joining of forces with the Grounders.
For obvious reasons, Clarke is not down with trusting Lexa and so when Roan hands her a knife, promising to protect her people if she kills Lexa, it becomes tempting quickly. Clarke however cannot go through with it and instead agrees to partner with Lexa. I get not trusting Roan and the Ice Queen, but that shouldn't mean trusting Lexa either as far as I am concerned. Later on in the episode Lexa does get does bend the knee and swears fealty to Clarke. You will however note that there were no witnesses, making the possibility of Lexa's betrayal a real thing as far as I am concerned.
In other developments we are getting to see the ambassador side of Marcus of all people. He willingly tastes grounder food and offers a trade while Abby will have none of it. Marcus admits that he always pictured the ground empty but since it's occupied they have to deal with the results. Abby sees Marcus as uniquely qualified for this role and offers him the leader pin. Marcus turns it down, suggesting elections but promising that they are in this together. Elections? Is this the same Marcus who had Abby tortured? This represents real growth for his character. If only we could see the same growth from Abby, who spends her time doing nothing but worrying about Clarke. It's as though someone cannot be a mother and have an alternate identity.
So, the big meeting is going down and left behind are Bellamy, Octavia and Raven. They are sent on a mission to Mount Weather. It makes sense to the Ark people not to abandon all of that technology and the latest arrivals have set up house in the mountain. We know no good is going to come of this because Octavia is all doom upon you. Octavia makes it clear to Bellamy that she just doesn't fit it. Well, if she wasn't so busy appropriating Grounder culture and pretending to be something that she isn't, Octavia might find that she fits in quite well. I get that what Octavia has been through is traumatic, but it doesn't make her a Grounder, no matter how much her little heart wants to be.
From the moment Bellamy was left behind and whining to Gina, we all knew that some reason would be invented to throw him into the mix. The one thing Bellamy doesn't do is stay on the sidelines, even if it makes sense for him to do so. When Echo arrives and says that the summit is a trap, it's Bellamy and Octavia to the rescue. Bellamy trusts Echo because she once saved his life. Naturally, after killing a few people, when Octavia and Bellamy arrive at the summit armed, (when they should not be) there's no apparent threat and surprise surprise Echo has disappeared.
With Bellamy and Octavia gone, the last mountain man (yes Emerson has returned for vengeance) set off the self destruct on the Mountain blowing it up completely. The only survivors of this debacle are Raven and Sinclair. Okay folks did I miss something? Does this mean that Pike is gone? Did they really bring in a great actor like Michael Beach just to blow him up? If so shame on you The 100 for letting Jaha live and letting Pike die. What about Monty's mother?
With that, it's war. Naturally the sky people have to get back to Arkadia and make sure their people are okay. Lexa unsurprisingly wants a representative to stay behind and who should she choose but Clarke. Abby is not at all pleased but consents to Clarke's desire to stay. Bellamy tells Clarke that she should come with her people but Clarke is insistent that they have to become one to survive this. How convenient for Lexa. Octavia gets thrown a bone when Indra questions whether or not she has kept with her training. Looks like Octavia will get her chance to play the 'other' after all.
No episode has beaten the first episode of this season thus far. I suppose the writers have to move the characters into place for what is coming up, so I will give them a pass for now. I know that we have Clarke and Lexa angst to deal with this season and unlike all of the Clexa fans, I am not looking forward to it at all. At some point, I want to see the Sky People get to the business of building a society rather than constantly fighting with different Grounder factions. They can only play this game for so long before it becomes repetitive, that is if it hasn't already. It's worth noting however that with the destruction of the Mountain, making a home on the ground will be that much harder for them.
We have seen a lot of character growth in Marcus and I must admit I find it interesting. They need to do something with Raven and her broken bird routine though. On one hand she wants to be taken seriously and other, sees herself as too damaged to be fixed. I'm not sure which disability narrative they are playing with here. Personally, I would prefer to see a disabled Raven and not one that's cured because that happens far too often in the media. In the real world, people have to live with their disabilities.
