Almost exactly two years ago, a TV show based on a Young Adult novel by Kass Morgan, premiered on the network The CW.
Until a few days ago, I thought I was practically alone in my love for this TV show. For the past two years it was almost axed every season by the network despite how completely awesome and tremendously loved it is. However, I have learned that slowly people are starting to get into this show. Many of my friends in my dorm this year have begun to binge watch the series on Netflix and they are now completely obsessed.
For those of you who don't know what The 100 is (no judgement here), the story is as follows: There was a nuclear war on Earth and several countries were able to send space stations into orbit before the world ended. 97 years later, the 12 space stations have formed one large station named the Ark. However, life support on the Ark is failing and in order to discover if the Earth in habitable yet, the leaders send 100 juvenile prisoners to the ground. Once they land, The 100 find that the Earth is not what it seems.
Reviews of the first few episodes were mixed. Some loved the mix of Game of Thrones and Battlestar Galactica, others thought the plot line was too teenager-y. However, the network saw promise in going darker, and the creative team agreed. The 100 now has a 8/10 rating on IMDB and 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
What came next was a gritty three seasons focusing around the question of how far is too far? How far is it deemed acceptable to go for an outcome that benefits you and your people? The main characters of The 100, mainly Clarke and Bellamy, are constantly questioned on whether it should be okay for them to decimate a population of people in order to save their own.
These complex moral questions about what is right and wrong is only the beginning.
The 100 is constantly introducing complex characters. And I don't mean complex by they are trying to find themselves and decide who they are going to date next. I mean complex by characters constantly attempting to decide what is acceptable to do while living in such harsh conditions. Who should they become: killers or merciful humans? Characters are constantly changing who they are by the pressures introduced into their story lines, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse.
There are certain norms that are present though the TV world that not many writers or networks want to attempt to challenge. The 100 breaks these norms all of the time. There are women in positions typically only given to men (leader of the armed guard, leader of their people)...
...there is a woman who is the best mechanic on the Ark...
...there are characters who become disable yet do not let their injury stop them...
...there are gay characters who are not just about their sexuality (and the main character, Clarke, is bisexual)...
...and race is never mentioned as an issue either on the Ark or on the ground.
The people in the world of The 100 seem to only care about where you were born, either in the sky or on the ground.
The idea of the Grounders present an interesting dynamic within the show. After they are on the ground for only a few short hours, The 100 learn that they are not alone. There are people that have been living on the ground since the bombs dropped 97 years before.
At first the Grounders are at war with The 100. However, through some negotiating they slowly become allies. That does not stop a few of the people from the Ark believing that all Grounders are the enemy.
You see, the executive producer decided to craft the third season as a commentary of America's fear during times of war and strength of other countries. He created an event at the beginning of the their season that was supposed to be the 9/11 of that world. A complete destruction of a safe haven for the people of the Ark. Though the destruction was the work of one small section of Grounders, many of the people of the Ark believed that all Grounders were to blame.
Sound familiar?
One of my biggest complaints about TV Shows with as much violence as The 100 is that the writers have a hard time letting go of their characters. The 100 does not have that problems. Countless important characters have died in the middle of seasons just because it would make a good story. Several of my favorite characters are now resting six feet below. That should not stop you from watching though, because in my opinion, 90% of characters are my favorite. I love most of them.
This whole post has been a long way of me saying that The 100 is not just a teenage show of unrequited love and pretty people running around a forest making stupid decisions. The 100 is a show that attempts to question the morals of humanity and break down barriers.
I highly suggest that you watch The 100. The first two seasons are on Netflix and the third season is ongoing.
-Shawnee Smith
*I do not own any of the photos on this post.
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