'The 100' season 4 review: Most underrated show on television

The 100 — “Praimfaya” — Image HU413b_0009 — Pictured (L-R): Eliza Taylor as Clarke, Lindsey Morgan as Raven, and Bob Morley as Bellamy — Credit: Diyah Pera/The CW — Ã‚Â© 2017 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved

‘The 100’ produced an enthralling season that established itself as the CW’s best series and television’s most underrated show.

Story

The 100 focused on the upcoming radiation disaster, or Praimfaya. At first, the battle to survive this extinction event might become stale over the course of the season. However, the manner in which the characters battled to solve every problem that confronted them seemed ingenious. The evolution of solutions for humanity grew increasingly more fantastical as the situation grew increasingly more dire. From Alpha Station to the Ark, the ideas for everyone to survive possessed a fun imagination that is not immediately apparent in the current television landscape.

The Alpha Station plan quickly crumbled after Bellamy made the impossible decision to save the Skaikru slaves from Ice Nation in favor of the hydro generator. This decision reduced the station’s capacity to a hundred people. However, Ilian ensured that no one would survive there after he blew up the entire structure as well as Skaikru’s hope to survive the nuclear disaster.

The 100 Credit: Diyah Pera/The CW

Nevertheless, Abby, Raven, and their team struggled to concoct a cure for radiation poisoning. They conducted experiments on Luna in the hopes that her blood could translate to survival for everyone else. The obvious reoccurring theme that appeared in Becca’s lab was the bone marrow transfusion that dominated the story in the second season. As the team toiled with the humanity of the experiments, Clarke attempted to solve the crisis on her own. However, Abby stopped the experiment to prevent Clarke’s death and ruined any hope of a cure through Natblida.

Finally, Jaha found the fabled bunker that would save the human race. Unfortunately, the Grounders caught wind of this discovery, so the thirteen clans held a conclave to determine who would secure the bunker for themselves. As Octavia won the event, Jaha and Clarke maneuvered Skaikru to secure the bunker for themselves. Unfortunately, they reluctantly shared the bunker with other Grounders while they also killed their own people to make room for the others. Lastly, the other delinquents launched themselves into space to survive the disaster while Clarke stood behind only to find that a prison transport arrived to be her first human contact, not the bunker or Ark.

Overall, the narrative consistently kept viewers on their toes. The dialogue delivered some cringe-worthy lines as the show usually has, but the series produced a compelling story with plenty of shocking moments to entertain viewers. This quick write up does not even include the deaths throughout the season.

Characters

As always, Clarke endured a tough and perilous experience this season. She assumed her usual leadership role. She soon learned the gravity of her decisions as she began to kill her own people directly due to her judgement. Her selection of people to save for the hundred spots indicated how difficult her path for leadership would be. She negotiated constantly with Roan to secure the lives of her people, yet her efforts failed in the end. Thus, her alliance with Jaha to seize the bunker stunned viewers and other characters as she seemingly transformed into a villain. On the other hand, other Grounders would not be able to survive without Skaikru because they do not have the knowledge to operate the technology that would sustain life inside the bunker. Nonetheless, Clarke’s plan with Jaha failed, so she decided to reconnect with Raven so that she could launch a group of people onto the Ark. Unfortunately, Clarke sacrificed herself in remaining outside to help Raven and the others reach the Ark. Lastly, Clarke survived the disaster to a stunning surprise.

Photo Credit: Dean Buscher/The CW Image Acquired from CW TV

Jaha established himself again as a leader for Skaikru. After his disastrous actions last season that led to Alie’s rise, Jaha tried to regain some credibility among his people. He advised Clarke in tough situations such as the list and conspired with her to capture the bunker while the conclave distracted every other clan. Jaha acquired a righteous mentality in that his every action occurred for the benefit for his people. Jaha helped his fellow citizens because of his attachment to those individuals as well as his knowledge of their capabilities to contribute to the survival of the human race. Jaha quietly stole the spotlight from other secondary characters, yet he demonstrated that he was not a totally radical individual. He compromised on a difficult decision that some might say was an act of betrayal.

The 100 — “We Will Rise” — Image HU406a_0101 — Pictured (L-R): Chris Larkin as Monty, Isaiah Washington as Jaha, and Henry Ian Cusick as Kane — Credit: Cate Cameron/The CW — Ã‚Â© 2017 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved

Raven, similarly to Clarke, suffered much pain yet again this season. Raven battled the after effects of Alie’s control just as Abby did too. Seizures, migraines, bloody noses, and many other symptoms afflicted Raven. Her hallucinations pushed her to suicide, yet Raven eventually conjured the strength to overcome her debilitating illness. Next, she placed the team on her back and somehow launched her crew into space so that they could survive on the Ark for the foreseeable future. Raven has always been a fan favorite, but she elevated her status as a character to a status as crucial as Clarke, honestly. Everyone wanted to save Raven because Raven is indispensable as a member of the human race who could solve any problem.

Photo Credit: The 100/The CW Image Acquired from CW TV PR

Lastly, Octavia arose as the Grounder queen. She felt the effects of Lincoln’s death still. She held pain within herself and in a way found some relief with Ilian. Of course, in typical The 100 fashion, he died almost immediately after Octavia and he consummated their relationship. Octavia emerged victorious in the conclave and decided to save all people, not just Skaikru. She adjusted to her leadership role relatively quickly. She shunned Jaha’s plea for help. She reminded “her people” how they floated her mother and imprisoned her. Octavia showed her resolve with her command of the people within the bunker.

Deaths

First up, Jasper finally died. He no longer possessed a desire to live since the death of Maya back in Season 2. Jasper constantly fought authority this season. He held a penchant for chaos as he struck up fervor at every opportunity. He created his own cult-like following. Unfortunately, Jasper convinced his group of rebels to overdose on drugs to bring about a painless death instead of a horrible death by radiation. Jasper’s death will affect Monty, but their friendship collapsed slowly, so Monty might not reflect on this death as frequently as the older Monty might.

Next, Roan died a terrible death. In the midst of an intense battle with Luna, acid rain struck at the most inopportune moment for Roan. Luna murdered the king despite his leadership. Roan tried o strike peace. Not as idealistic as Lexa, Roan still sought for diplomatic solutions that helped many people, not just his clan. His dynamic with Clarke created a strong ally who battled with her when the two disagreed on issues. Additionally, Roan brought fans some of the most entertaining fights on the series.

Lastly, Luna endured much strife throughout the season. She witnessed the deaths of her fellow clan members. Abby then subjected Luna to medical tests that extracted bone marrow to search for a possible cure. Luna recognized the break down of humanity before her eyes. She decided that humanity was not worth saving. Therefore, she accepted the role as the bringer of death in the Conclave. She nearly killed every contestant so that no one survived Praimfaya. However, Octavia sneakily assassinated Luna. Luna quickly developed into a memorable character who protected her people and later disregarded the sanctity of humanity due to its evil.

Themes

The 100 explored the question whether humanity is worth saving. Clarke and Abby committed egregious actions against other humans. They used human test subjects to find a cure for radiation at any cost. On the other hand, Jaha and Clarke abandoned every clan in order to place humanity’s future in the hands of Skaikru although Raven, Monty, Octavia, and Kane still waited outside the bunker. Additionally, Jasper reiterated the point that everyone has simply suffered without rest. There is no point to life if all that one does is survive. No one can revel in the fruits of life due to the constant battle to survive at any cost and jeopardize morality at every turn.

Subtly, the series explored innovation. Due to the many obstacles, members of Skaikru continuously searched for new ways to survive. People utilized technology to its fullest potential as well as worked together to develop new solutions for survival. The drive to innovate to advance civilization resonated throughout the season although this concept might not be immediately apparent to viewers.

Breakthrough Performance

The review already discussed her, but Octavia claims this honor this season. Octavia discovered many different aspects of her character. She developed into an assassin and learned to love again. She exhibited her fierce skills as a warrior at the most important moment and rose to become the Queen of the Grounders. Octavia deserved her outcome, especially after her near death experience in her duel with Echo. Once everyone arises from the bunker, Octavia might control the fate of the series due to her new found role on the show.

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Again, The 100 gave its fan base another magnificent season. This series will remain situated under the radar due to its lack of exposure in comparison to other network television shows. However, fans of CW shows should admit that this is arguably the network’s best show with its innovative story telling and brilliant character development. The 100 certainly is one of the most underrated shows on television in terms of viewership and attention from critics. Luckily, the CW recognizes the show’s brilliance because it ordered another season of the sci-fi drama.

The 100 Season 4 is now available to stream on Netflix. Be sure to tune in!

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‘The 100’ season 4 review: Most underrated show on television

By Matt Lozano | Jun 7, 2017