The 100 experienced a very difficult and divisive third season, which recently concluded in both the US and the UK.
If you haven’t seen the third season of The 100 and want to avoid spoilers, we suggest you stop reading now. If you have seen it and want to hear our thoughts on the next season keep reading.
At the end of season 3 Clarke (Eliza Taylor) chose to pull the kill switch to get rid of A.L.I.E. (Erica Cerra) despite warning that there were abandoned nuclear power plants around the world that were gradually releasing radiation. If this proves to be true it would mean that the Earth would once again be uninhabitable but Clarke was adamant that she and her friends would survive either way. Pulling the kill switch freed everyone from A.L.I.E.’s control but left the group in a precarious situation heading into season 4.
Octavia (Marie Avgeropoulos) finally avenged Lincoln’s (Ricky Whittle) death by killing Pike (Michael Beach) despite pleas from her friends and her brother Bellamy (Bob Morley) not to take action. It seems the show is setting up for Octavia to ‘do a Clarke’ and go it alone as she tries to deal with the murder of Lincoln.
Many fans were left unsatisfied by The 100’s third season. Aside from a very messy plot, there were issues with the treatment of fan favourite characters and a complete inconsistency with the actions and behaviour of many of the characters. In short it all made very little sense and after a strong first two seasons, there is a lot to repair on the show if it’s to survive past season 4.
Even though the show won’t be back until 2017, I’ve put together 10 things I want to see when it does return.
1. A cohesive storyline. If there’s anything that hampered season 3 it was very poor and messy storytelling. Not a great deal made any sense and in the few moments where it felt like the show was getting back on track, it descended into a mess that was a slog to sit through. It moved too far away from the original premise of the show and proved to be incredibly disappointing.
2. Character consistency. Whilst I appreciate that characters do change and evolve, there were times this past season when characters flip-flopped so much I found it impossible to believe them. Pike randomly turned evil then good again before he was murdered, Jaha (Isaiah Washington) went randomly insane in his quest to take everyone to the City of Light, and Murphy (Richard Harmon) went from bad to good at the drop of a hat. I pretty much believed nothing than transpired on my screen for the entire season.
3. Fewer random deaths. The deaths of Lincoln and Lexa (Alycia Debnam-Carey) were shocking for fans and neither felt particularly necessary to the storyline. Ricky Whittle even spoke out after his character’s demise to criticise how his character was sidelined and he was forced out of the show. That’s an interesting way to treat a character that was a fan favourite. Similarly Lexa’s death removed a strong LGBT character from the show for reasons that didn’t seem to serve the story or the character. Sure Alycia is now committed to Fear the Walking Dead but it would have been preferable not to bring her back at all than to bring her back purely to kill her off.
4. Some actual exploration of character dynamics. Part of this season should have been exploring the betrayal Clarke felt following Lexa’s actions in season 2. The issue was dealt with and resolved far too quickly and it wasn’t satisfying. Similarly the way the group felt towards Clarke for her actions was soon forgotten when the story needed to move forward and Clarke was instrumental to it.
5. Octavia to not repeat Clarke’s storyline. It looks clear that Octavia will separate from the group and forge her own path, much as Clarke attempted to do after season 2. Haven’t we been there before? In fact didn’t Octavia already try that with the Grounders? Her actions made sense in terms of her avenging Lincoln’s death but the character of Pike had been so badly written that Octavia was by default forced into a corner she should never have been in.
6. An engaging and edge-of-the-seat threat. If I never see A.L.I.E. again it will be too soon. The first season’s Lord of the Flies like premise had me hooked and the Mount Weather development in season 2 was excellent. Season 3’s big threat was ridiculous. Season 4 looks like it’s going to be Clarke and co trying to avert a worldwide disaster and if that is the case then I hope it is actually given time to breath and reaches a satisfactory conclusion. There should be plenty of twists and turns and far fewer filler sub-plots.
7. Mending of fences between the central characters. Relations were strained between everyone pretty much by the end of season 3. The group needs to reconnect, forgive and move on so they can work together. Separating all of the characters out with their own storylines didn’t work so well in my opinion and the show is stronger when they are working alongside each other (or at least contributing to the same storyline).
8. Better development of supporting characters. There genuinely were times this past season where I felt that characters had popped up and I was just expected to understand who they were and how they fit in. The 100 has a large ensemble cast so if supporting character are going to be introduced and take up screen time, they need to be written much better so they contribute to the show.
9. Less of the adults. Abby (Paige Turco), Kane (Henry Ian Cusick) and Jaha (Isaiah Washington) are beginning to drag the show down a bit. I actually don’t care for the characters at all and preferred it when they were separated from the group in the Ark. There are only so many circles we can go round with them and less screen time would be welcome.
10. A return to the show’s original premise. When The 100 started it was like Lord of the Flies with a sci-fi twist. It was fun, exciting and surprisingly adult for a show on The CW. The further it has strayed from that premise the worse the quality of the show has become. Get back to basics – this is a survival story and the way the group learns to survive on the Earth and come together to defeat any foes is the reason why many tuned in to begin with.
The 100 will return for a fourth season to The CW in the US and E4 in the UK in 2017.
