The 100 - Review

The 100

Plot summary:

It has been ninety seven years since a nuclear apocalypse rendered the Earth uninhabitable. The operational space stations belonging to twelve nations became the homes of the known survivours, and later, they were united as one, creating The Ark. Over time, crimes committed within The Ark were made punishable by death, regardless of the magnitude of the crime, unless it’s committed by a juvenile. And the method of execution – known as “floating” – is when a criminal is put inside an airlock chamber and introduced to outer space. One day, one hundred juvenile prisoners are rounded up and sent in a ship to the Earth, saying that it’s a mission to investigate if the Earth’s habitable once again, but under an ulterior motive which is to reduce the populace to save resources – mainly air – for The Ark is dying. Grounded about twenty miles away from their targeted dop-site – Mount Weather – which is a military base built within a mountain that is said to contain supplies, a band of five out of the hundred now set out reach Mt. Weather and to bring back provisions. And as they venture through the forest that separates them from Mt. Weather, they come to realize that they’re not alone.

Review:

The characters involved in the series are quite interesting. Eliza Taylor stars as Clarke Griffin, who’s shown to be intelligent, trustworthy, strong-willed, and a great leader. There’s Bellamy Blake, played by Bob Morley, who also takes on the role of a leader at first, albeit his leadership is misleading. Despite initially becoming the leader for selfish reasons, Bellamy is shown to grow more responsible as a leader. Octavia Blake – Bellamy’s sister – portrayed by Marie Avgeropoulos, is shown to be bold and free-spirited, not to mention being flirtatious and having a short fuse. There’s Lincoln – the Grounder – portrayed by Ricky Whittle, who’s stoic, quiet and depicted as a fierce and honourable warrior. Monty Green and Jasper Jordan, played by Devon Bostick and Christopher Larkin, respectively, are shown to be quite the lively and intelligent duo. They’re both shown to be quite loyal and reliable. Thomas McDonnell stars as Finn Collins, who’s an adventurous, yet reckless character. Aside from these characters, there’s Raven Reyes(Lindsey Morgan); who, like Clarke, is strong-willed and intelligent, Abigail Griffin(Paige Turco); Clarke’s mother, Thelonious Jaha(Isaiah Washington); the chancellor of The Ark, and Marcus Kane(Henry Ian Cusick); one of The Ark’s council members, whom the series revolves around mainly.

Taylor gives a great performance, taking on the role of Clarke, highlighting her strong leadership and strong sense of morality. And she also delivers some compelling acting as she depicts the emotional trauma and mental strain her character undergoes throughout the series. Avgeropoulos does a fantastic job in her portrayal as Octavia undergoes a transformation from a regular juvenile to a strong warrior. And with this transformation, she is seen to be more serious when needed be. Bellamy is shown to undergo some changes as well, growing from his initial more aggressive and somewhat chaotic character. Though initially not seen as much of a good guy, as the series progresses, he’s shown to pull through and be the hero. Bob Morley’s portrayal in meeting these varying aspects is definitely noteworthy. Finn is also shown to suffer some mental strain and and undergo some drastic changes in character due to unavoidable circumstances, and McDonnell’s depiction of those instances is indeed brilliant. Without a doubt, all the main characters deliver praiseworthy acting, and Bostick and Larkin, together, bring in some comic relief throughout this otherwise serious series.

The plot is brilliant, and the story just gets more and more interesting and intense as it progresses. And it brings in survival-type theme as they struggle to overcome formidable foes that threaten their very existence. The dialogues are well-written, and blend in well in the varying situations. The settings are rather beautiful with vast forests and mountains, and the CGI-enhanced trees and animals are done brilliantly as well. Plus this series has some pretty good music choices mixed in. It’s definitely a series worth watching.