Written by: Kevin Berge
Ah, what's another end of the world? (Image Courtesy of: tumblr.com)
Quick Take: The 100 Season 4 captures the primary conflict of morality vs. survival at its most primal though occasionally spends too long beating in its message, losing some of the intense pacing of previous seasons. Still, this is a worthy fourth season to a season that continues to build up its foundations and themes.
The 100 Reviews: Season 1 | 2 | 3
***This is a review for the fourth season of The 100. Those who have not seen the entire season including the recently aired season finale will be spoiled on events over the course of the season. Read ahead at your own discretion.***
Imagine returning to the first episode of The 100 after watching its season four finale. This show resembles little of that first season beyond carrying forward some of the original actors. Even that cast has drastically changed with so many dying along the way.
Most importantly, the scars of seasons of pain and survival have morphed the characters. Clarke and Bellamy are powerful leaders. Octavia has become a ruthless killer. Raven is so broken that it has forced to become brilliant. Murphy has become the ultimate survivor with an eye for human tendencies.
This world is ravaged as the City of Light brought death aplenty just in time for the second apocalypse or primfaiya, rapidly approaching. The remaining Skaiskru must answer for their hand in the destruction that came before as well as try to save themselves and the Grounder clans from new destruction.
This season so clearly has evolved that it echoes back with intent on its past. The primary theme of what is necessary to survive often is amplified by reflections on the actions on the Ark including the quick executions of those who broke the law. Clarke is mostly in charge and is making the same morally dangerous decisions Jaha once made.
Most important in this season is the question of deciding upon worth. When the end is coming, how does one decide who deserves to live? The title of The 100 gained a second meaning by the end of this season, now addressing not just the original criminals sacrificed but also the 100 Clark deemed most worthy of surviving the second end of the world.
In this way, this season was the most intense of the lot with it often feeling like the end was near. However, some of the writing let down the strong concept this season with an overabundance of explanation rather than trusting the reader to understand the way the story was evolving particularly on moral grounds.
***This is a review for the fourth season of The 100. Those who have not seen the entire season including the recently aired season finale will be spoiled on events over the course of the season. Read ahead at your own discretion.***
Imagine returning to the first episode of The 100 after watching its season four finale. This show resembles little of that first season beyond carrying forward some of the original actors. Even that cast has drastically changed with so many dying along the way.
Most importantly, the scars of seasons of pain and survival have morphed the characters. Clarke and Bellamy are powerful leaders. Octavia has become a ruthless killer. Raven is so broken that it has forced to become brilliant. Murphy has become the ultimate survivor with an eye for human tendencies.
This world is ravaged as the City of Light brought death aplenty just in time for the second apocalypse or primfaiya, rapidly approaching. The remaining Skaiskru must answer for their hand in the destruction that came before as well as try to save themselves and the Grounder clans from new destruction.
This season so clearly has evolved that it echoes back with intent on its past. The primary theme of what is necessary to survive often is amplified by reflections on the actions on the Ark including the quick executions of those who broke the law. Clarke is mostly in charge and is making the same morally dangerous decisions Jaha once made.
Most important in this season is the question of deciding upon worth. When the end is coming, how does one decide who deserves to live? The title of The 100 gained a second meaning by the end of this season, now addressing not just the original criminals sacrificed but also the 100 Clark deemed most worthy of surviving the second end of the world.
In this way, this season was the most intense of the lot with it often feeling like the end was near. However, some of the writing let down the strong concept this season with an overabundance of explanation rather than trusting the reader to understand the way the story was evolving particularly on moral grounds.
It's good that the apocalypse didn't take all the black leather. Otherwise, what would everyone wear? (Image Courtesy of: wp.com)
The 100 has the best cast on The CW perhaps helped by stories and direction that demand heavy emotion from the cast. Eliza Taylor and Bob Morley are continually fantastic and feel like true lead acts while Marie Avgeropoulos has fully taken to her role as the resident superwarrior of the series with subtle emotional showings.
Lindsey Morgan's ability to showcase Raven's pain and her frustration with her own frailty may just be the best part of the series. The way Richard Harmon has continued to make Murphy so likable is frighteningly impressive. The resident seasoned actors, Paige Turco, Henry Ian Cusick, and Isaiah Washington, somewhat fade into the background though have quality performances when asked.
Even if the writing often emphasizes its own intelligence, this is still steadily impactful TV that hardly lets up. The attempts to overemphasize sexuality and violence have been seriously stomped out, leading to a show that maturely captures the politics and violence of a world constantly in high tension.
This season started slow, but it ramped up impressively to its home stretch particularly beginning with "Gimme Shelter" that dashed early hopes for a place to survive. The best episode of the season and one of the best of the show was "Die All, Die Merrily", an arena action episode following Octavia battling the champions of every clan for the chance to decide which clan would survive with three major character deaths.
That episode led to the stronger set of episodes the series has ever produced all the way to the finale particularly with another series highlight in "The Chosen" where tension reaches a breaking point and Kane and Jaha must gas their own people and take the small group labelled worthy of survival.
One issue that plagued this season particularly early on was a cast that was simply too large. Often characters would be excluded from episodes for no discernible reason which also led to a few choppy story arcs to make sure everyone's motivations were clear. Jasper's depression arc as well as much of Monty's involvement in multiple stories felt unneeded.
This likely was fixed by a homestretch that was not shy about wrapping up characters. The death of Jasper as well as the brutal stretch of deaths from great supporting characters like Roan and Luna were felt deeply but necessary, and each had a purpose and effect on the series. Each part of this season felt earned, closing another strong chapter in a series that has a clear powerful vision that has far outreached its beginning.
Lindsey Morgan's ability to showcase Raven's pain and her frustration with her own frailty may just be the best part of the series. The way Richard Harmon has continued to make Murphy so likable is frighteningly impressive. The resident seasoned actors, Paige Turco, Henry Ian Cusick, and Isaiah Washington, somewhat fade into the background though have quality performances when asked.
Even if the writing often emphasizes its own intelligence, this is still steadily impactful TV that hardly lets up. The attempts to overemphasize sexuality and violence have been seriously stomped out, leading to a show that maturely captures the politics and violence of a world constantly in high tension.
This season started slow, but it ramped up impressively to its home stretch particularly beginning with "Gimme Shelter" that dashed early hopes for a place to survive. The best episode of the season and one of the best of the show was "Die All, Die Merrily", an arena action episode following Octavia battling the champions of every clan for the chance to decide which clan would survive with three major character deaths.
That episode led to the stronger set of episodes the series has ever produced all the way to the finale particularly with another series highlight in "The Chosen" where tension reaches a breaking point and Kane and Jaha must gas their own people and take the small group labelled worthy of survival.
One issue that plagued this season particularly early on was a cast that was simply too large. Often characters would be excluded from episodes for no discernible reason which also led to a few choppy story arcs to make sure everyone's motivations were clear. Jasper's depression arc as well as much of Monty's involvement in multiple stories felt unneeded.
This likely was fixed by a homestretch that was not shy about wrapping up characters. The death of Jasper as well as the brutal stretch of deaths from great supporting characters like Roan and Luna were felt deeply but necessary, and each had a purpose and effect on the series. Each part of this season felt earned, closing another strong chapter in a series that has a clear powerful vision that has far outreached its beginning.