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The 100 returns with “Stealing Fire”, an episode that juggles three subplots, character angst, a brutal conclave, and an Arkadia execution. The Pike (Michael Beach) story line continues to follow the same paint by number beats that we have all seen before on other shows. Meanwhile in Polis, Clarke continues to find reasons not to return home. Ice nation’s reemergence through King Roan (Zach McGowan) and Ontari (Rhiannon Fish) appearances offer some intrigue for the next half of season three. Overall “Stealing Fire” continues to deliver on all of the third season promises found in the trailer; and that’s the problem this season.
“Death can be an act of unity too if we don’t break, if we don’t show fear,” states Kane (Henry Ian Cusick) to Lincoln (Ricky Whittle). Well, there’s our foreshadowing line to the closing execution scene; after all Lincoln has attempted to unite Arkadia with the grounder clans since “Wanheda Part 1.” Now we see him pay the ultimate sacrifice for his people by handing himself over to Pike to protect the grounders held in the Arkadia cell. I first theorized about this upcoming death all the way back in my The 100 Season 3 Trailer review. The real tragedy though is that Lincoln’s overall final story arc got buried beneath the Polis action and the Polaris intrigue; a result from the continued separation between Clarke and our other central characters. We would have seen more Lincoln this season if Clarke had returned home all the way back in “Ye Who Enter Here.” Instead we have seen Lincoln and Octavia (Marie Avgeropoulos) every few episodes, with the real story arc setup taking place within the first five episodes. Hypothetically this loss could have been a bigger pay off than the grounder sacrifice turning point for our Arkadia subplot, had the overall storyline been written more tightly together, rather than stretched out over the course of nine episodes. The writers continue to draw out the Blake sibling fallout as Octavia finally says the epic line from the trailer, “You’re the reason they need saving in the first place,” but we will have to wait one more episode for their actual fight scene. I did appreciate that small moment between the Blake siblings before Octavia goes to save Lincoln, and acknowledges that for the first time in her life she doesn’t need her big brother’s protection. The writers even include a nod to Octavia’s own journey from her life on the ark, when the escapees hide themselves in the very same place that she spent the first sixteen years of her life; a second born secret tucked away beneath the floorboard. Now on the ground Octavia is able to roam free outside of both Arkadia and the Exodus charter rules they follow. The very same laws that have led to both the death of her mother and first love, Lincoln, “May we meet again.”
The 100 writers continue to follow both Miller (Jarod Joseph) and Harper’s struggle as traitors working inside Arkadia’s camp. Miller confronts his boyfriend, Bryan (Jonathan Whitesell), after learning that he planted the bug on him; which led to Kane’s arrest. “Pike, I know he saved your life out there and you owe him… but you can’t have us both,” a relationship ultimatum that allows Bryan to stand by his man and help them rescue Kane, Lincoln, and Sinclair. The scene between Bellamy (Bob Morely), Monty (Christopher Larkin), Miller, and Harper (Chelsey Reist) at the top of the episode was great and well earned. Both Bellamy and Monty may have finally realized that they chose the wrong side at the end of “Terms and Conditions,” but the damage has already been done. Miller, Harper, and Octavia have no reason to trust them, because as Harper bluntly puts it, “Does your mommy know you’re here Monty?” Well she certainly does after Monty uses the comms to send a false report to Pike’s team, distracting them from finding the traitors in their camp. Someone who we certainly have yet to find in Arkadia is Miller’s father. Anyone else notice his sudden disappearance following the events at the Mountain? Even though I do like the inclusion of both Miller and Harper this season, The 100 writers continue to struggle with servicing all character arcs in this vast cast. For example, where was Abby (Paige Turcco) in the previous episode? Why didn’t we see her working with Kane, Miller, and Harper on overthrowing Pike? She reappears in “Stealing Fire” to deliver on a very strong character moment, “I can’t do this again.” Such a stand out scene in this muddled episode, because it references a very important plot point from sea
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