When The 100 decided to bring it, they brought it. After a dismal and almost hopeless first half of the season, the show came back from a small hiatus stronger than ever. From reuniting the original crew of delinquents (even if it was only for two episodes) to giving each of them a legitimate purpose to bringing about a villain I have absolutely no idea if they’re going to defeat, The 100 has once again become one of the best shows airing on The CW at the moment.
ALIE has been an interesting villain because you don’t see how she transformed from Beca’s original code to become who she is, meaning she’s the stereotypical AI-gone-rogue so common in sci-fi/thriller media. However, she’s more than that; she genuinely believes that what she’s doing is right, that she’s making the right choice for these people. They can fix their deformities, there is no pain, there is no death. All of these things that have “plagued” the human race during it’s existence can go extinct. In her entirely logical mind, she doesn’t understand why they’re avoiding her.
Yet, she also is very aware that she has a weakness and that having the right people on board will help her. With Jasper and eventually Clarke on board, she can easily get the rest of them to follow, leading to a culture of chipped and “perfect” people.
Polis’ Unlikely Heroes
In the Polis prison, those who have refused to take the chip are strategizing. Indra is hesitant to follow through on Murphy’s plan, wanting to stay and kill Jaha, hoping that by cutting off the head of the snake, the rest of the empire falls. Unfortunately, Murphy then has to explain that Jaha isn’t the leader, someone else is. While he tries to explain that ALIE, an AI, caused the destruction of the Earth the first time around, is the one in charge, some guards arrive to check on them and promptly realize that one of the prisoners is unchained after seeing Pike’s cuts. As they go around to check the chains, they barely make it to Indra before the Trikru ambassador takes the two men down and releases the rest of their captured allies. Hesitantly, Indra, Pike, and Murphy team up to take down ALIE from Polis while the rest escape and warn the others.
Making their way out of the prison, Indra demands Murphy to tell her everything he knows. Murphy hastily explains that ALIE is in charge and if they can get rid of Jaha’s backpack, they can probably get rid of ALIE. Inside the City of Light, Jaha and ALIE are made aware they’re headed for the backpack by one of the chipped prisoners Murphy and Indra just freed. They then summon Emori, asking her to take care of the issue of John Murphy.
Inside Titus’ Flame Room, Emori tries to distract Murphy at ALIE’s command, pleading for him to think about what he’s doing. She explains that if he destroys the backpack, he’ll destroy ALIE but will also kill everyone that has been chipped, including herself. He hesitates and Indra takes over but, unfortunately, she acts too late. At Emori’s pleasure over their failure, Pike, Indra, and Murphy cover Emori’s eyes and run, leaving ALIE without a clue of where they went. ALIE’s complacent though: her transfer to the mainframe of the escape pod is complete, having her loaded on the computer of the remains of the Ark in the sky.
Arkadia’s Cyber Team
Back at Arkadia, Raven and Monty are going through ALIE’s code, realizing just how many people have been chipped. Raven wants to take down ALIE through a backdoor in her computer code but Monty urges her to stay on track with their plan and continue waiting for Clarke and co. Making good on her promise to keep them all safe, Harper comes in, asking about their progress before realizing it’s not where they were hoping for.
Hoping to lift at least someone’s spirits, she takes Monty for a walk through the deserted Ark grounds. She explains that she’s happy no one has tried to kill them, that she actually feels normal and wants to. At this, she kisses Monty and takes him away to one of their quarters.
Their post-coital bliss doesn’t last long as Raven barges in, announcing she’s found something. Monty follows her out and Raven reveals that she found something she can exploit in ALIE’s code but Monty doesn’t want her to try and give ALIE knowledge of where they are.
To keep an eye on Raven and make sure she doesn’t try anything, Monty decides to stay watch with her again. Despite his good intentions, he falls asleep and Raven takes the chance on hacking into ALIE’s code. Though ALIE realizes someone’s accessed her code, Jaha guess it’s Monty or Sinclair. ALIE then lets it slip that Sinclair’s dead, meaning one of the delinquents left behind at Arkadia may just be chipped. Unfortunately, someone is in the way of getting through the firewalls ALIE has in her coding, prompting Monty to wake up.
All of a sudden, the voice of Monty’s mother is heard through the computer systems, causing Monty to pause in helping Raven. They manage to say their final “I love yous” before Monty helps Raven delete the files; however, right before Raven can access the kill switch and take her down, ALIE pulls herself from the mainframe.
Don’t Rock the Boat
Inside Luna’s village, Clarke and Bellamy are hoping to get Luna to change her mind but she refuses; in the ocean, her people are safe. She pushes past them to sit and talk with Octavia, giving her back Lincoln’s journal. Luna also takes the chance to tell Octavia that she’s not going to fight alongside the Sky People; Lincoln would never have brought her there because they only take people in who are done fighting and Octavia still has a lot of fight left in her.
Giving them a chance to speak privately, Jasper settles in elsewhere and makes a friend on his own. At the fire, Bellamy, Clarke, and Octavia are trying to find a backup plan. Clarke suggests chipping Luna without her realizing but Octavia reminds them that “even ALIE gives people a choice.” Unfortunately, Bellamy reminds her that they already gave Luna a choice and she declined.
Refusing to give up, Clarke finds Luna the next morning and has a chance to talk with her, hoping to give her one last chance to change her mind. When Luna declines, Clarke tries to force the Flame on her but Luna quickly takes her down. At this, Luna reveals that she’s not the meek and timid ruler they have been claiming she was. “I did not flee the Conclave because I feared I would lose, I fled because I knew I would win.”
Knowing they’ve lost their chance, Bellamy, Octavia, and Clarke are making their way to the shipping crate they came in with as Jasper trails far behind, saying goodbye to his new friend. Unfortunately, they’re shoved in the crate and locked in, unable to escape.
Jasper, walking the halls of the ocean village finds himself trapped by the guards and realizes quickly they’ve been chipped. He tries to send his new friend off to warn the others but she gets shot down by one of Luna’s people, whom capture Jasper quickly as well.
Though they’re not sure how they were found by ALIE, Bellamy theorizes that the drone at Niylah’s must have followed them. Having given up on escaping, Clarke, Bellamy, and Octavia are surprised when someone comes to let them out. The girl that Jasper sent to warn the others made it to them with barely enough time to unlock the doors before she dies from her wound.
Meanwhile, Luna’s people waterboard her as the unchipped prisoners and Jasper watch in agony. When ALIE realizes that Jasper is slowing them down deliberately, ALIE realizes that Jasper needs to take the Key. Though hope seems lost for Luna, at the threatening of her child, she manages to take advantage of the nearby hand holding her down, biting it and allowing her to escape. A recently arrived Bellamy, Clarke, and Octavia watch as she easily takes everyone in the room down, including her significant other.
Regardless of her feelings on the events of the day, Luna still refuses to take the Flame, once again drugging the Sky Crew and leaving them to wake up on the beach. Clarke wakes, Flame still in hand, and the four of them realize they need a new plan.
The 100 airs Thursdays at 9/8c on The CW.