THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS FROM THE ENTIRE SEASON
Based on the Kass Morgan post-apocalyptic book series of the same name, The 100 follows a group of human survivors living in a station called The Ark 97 years after a nuclear war eradicated almost all life on Earth. Following a discovery that a sacrifice needs to be made, 100 juvenile prisoners are seen as disposable and are sent to Earth in order to find out if it’s habitable again. With a relatively unknown young cast, the series’ most notorious face is Isaiah Washington. After playing Dr. Preston Burke in Grey’s Anatomy, this marks Washington’s return to television, playing the Chancellor of The Ark. With a good premise, the show quickly generated buzz prior to its release and is now the most-watched show on its time-slot on The CW since 2010.
The premiere had very good ratings and has been a roller coaster since then, going up and down a few hundred thousand viewers each episode. At the time of this writing, the ratings for the finale hasn’t become available. In contrast with the ratings, the show did definitely improve as it went along. However, one definite conclusion we can take from the debut season is that character development is one of its weaker points. There wasn’t a moment during the 13 episodes that we felt connected to a specific character’s fate. Almost all characters have shown two sides to them, but those sides are still very superficial. The dialog is not excellent because of this, but it’s something that the show can improve on given that the second season will be longer than 13 episodes. The events during the season were what drew people’s attention more than who they happened to. The characters arrive in a world that is very different and mysterious, even finding out that they’re not alone. This gave way to countless shocks, twists and events that make the season a very solid one.
The season’s strongest points were Octavia and Bellamy’s flashback, which gave us a look at why he acts the way he does. The challenge the group faces after Wells assassination was also very strong, as it gave way to Murphy’s banishment and a strong moral conflict. Lincoln’s appearance is another strong point and Clarke’s decision to torture him showed us a completely different side to her character. The Ark’s decision to make it to ground was also strong, as it opens up a world of possibilities for the second season. However, the best of it all was the season finale’s cliffhanger. Not only did it seem the grounders were all defeated, some important characters’ status were unclear, but that final scene with Clarke and Monty at the “Mount Weather Quarantine Ward” was an absolute jaw-dropper.
Going back to its flaws, the following ones can also be improved in the second season. Apart from the mentioned character development and dialog, the show gave romance a more important role than it should have. Lincoln and Octavia’s relationship may have been the only one that actually helped the plot, but the rest of them just seemed like time fillers. Also, the conflict inside The Ark with Diana Sydney was a bit pointless. Nevertheless, these types of things happen in such a short season and with a genre that needs to be handled carefully in order to work.
Overall, the show is worth watching, but patience is key. The first few episodes aren’t very captivating, but they will get better. On top of that, just from the finale alone, there is plenty of reasons to start a countdown until the show’s return this fall. The longer length of the season will definitely be good for show, since its weaker points can be improved in that longer on-screen time.
