The 100 "Resurrection" Review: The Good Guys

The 100 S02E13: "Resurrection"

Following world-changing events like the one that destroyed Tondc in "Rubicon," shows will often slow things down in order to regroup, pick up the pieces, and spend some time with characters as they recover. There isn't really time for a series like The 100—which sustains itself by its incredibly quick pace—to devote an entire hour to exploring various crises of conscience and sharing one's feelings. But "Resurrection" was cleverly designed to look and feel like any other action-packed episode of The 100 while doing just that. The only real plot movement this week occurred within the walls of Mount Weather itself, even if you didn't realize it at the time.

Outside, Clarke and Abby were both still struggling with their emotions following Clarke's decision not to evacuate the village, Kane was pinned beneath the rubble, which allowed him to get reflective with Abby as she tried to save him, and Octavia struggled to prove herself to the Grounders who still haven't welcomed her as one of their own. But inside Mount Weather, Jasper and the rest of the surviving members of the Hundred were preparing for their own attack from the Mountain Men, which resulted in them hacking people to death like it's something they do all the time. More important than that though, is the fact we finally learned the truth about why Maya was helping them, and now we know that not everyone in Mount Weather agrees with Cage. Basically, a lot happened this week, but a lot didn't happen, either.

In my review of "Rubicon" last week, I said I would boycott The 100 if the writers ever killed off Kane. Once I realized this episode was written by Bruce Miller, the man who also penned the emotionally affecting episodes "Twilight's Last Gleaming" and "Spacewalker," I became convinced that Kane was going to die from the injuries he sustained during the missile attack. I started mentally preparing myself for a lifetime of denial. I started picking out really sad gifs that would properly convey my confusing emotions. I started compiling a list of reasons about why The 100 shouldn't kill a character like Kane, an open-minded man who embraces change and Clarke's leadership, a man who's come to terms with his own past transgressions and who wants to answer for his sins.

Kane hardly resembles the power-hungry man we first met in the series' pilot, and so I've never breathed a more audible sigh of relief during an hour of The 100 than when Abby told Clarke he would live. But the fact that I even thought for a second that Kane would die beneath the rubble of Tondc is a testament to the world that the writers of the The 100 have created over the last 26 episodes. It's not hard to imagine a scenario in which Kane died as a result of Clarke's decision to flee Tondc before the attack. In an episode that reminded us the 45 (seriously, how many survivors are there at Mount Weather now?) still don't know that Finn is dead (awkward!), I think losing an Arker as prominent as Kane would have taken Clarke's pain and guilt to another level. Plus, it would drive home the idea that no one is safe in this world, not even good-looking, forward-thinking heroes. But that being said, I'm ecstatic Kane didn't die. Because I meant what I said, I will totally boycott this show if he dies.

Kane has evolved to become an important cog in the machine that is The 100, often speaking for the audience and acting as the voice of reason when Abby ignores what's right in front of her. This week, as Abby struggled to understand how her daughter—a young woman who's always been the champion of the "There's Always Another Way" school of thought—could allow this to happen, Kane rightfully described Clarke as a product of her environment.

The Ark might have been less bloody than the ground, but it was no less violent. People were executed for having more than one child, and for stealing medicine and food. If you think about how The 100's story began—a group of teenage "criminals" who were too young to float instantly for their "crimes" were sent to the ground on what could have been, and was for some people, a suicide mission—then it seems pretty obvious how Clarke could have developed into the person she is today. Now, we know that Clarke is also struggling with her decision, going so far as to kill the man who told Cage where to send the missile and who continued to attack the surviving Grounders. But it didn't make her feel any better. She's going to live with that guilt the way Abby lives with hers and the way Kane lives with his. It's clear by now to us and to the characters themselves that the Arkers are no better than the Grounders, and that played out on screen when the team from Camp Jaha arrived to assist the wounded. It feels like these two groups are finally on equal footing for the first time since they formed this alliance against their common enemy. And for Abby to finally come to terms with her own transgressions as well as Clarke's was a big moment for the show and her character.

Inside Mount Weather, Jasper and the rest of the survivors prepared for a battle of their own. It might have been a little far-fetched to think that the Mountain Men would be so quick to underestimate their small, resilient group after everything that's happened thus far, but they did. The initial attack escalated quickly, and ended with 10 dead Mountain Men. I'm not going to say I didn't enjoy watching Jasper plunge an axe into a wounded man's back, but I feel weird admitting it. Jasper has stepped up to become a leader for their people while inside, but none of this would have been possible if it weren't for the two people by his side: Monty and Maya.

Monty's tech prowess and Maya's knowledge of the Mountain have certainly helped Jasper get to this point, and although I wouldn't call him as indispensable as a character like Kane, he's certainly no longer the fun-seeking comedic relief he was in the pilot, either. Everyone's been changed—for better or for worse—by their time on the ground. But as we saw in "Resurrection," the Sky People have also changed those who were already there.

All season long I've wondered what Maya's motivations were for helping Jasper and Bellamy. This week she revealed to Bellamy that her parents were part of a movement against using outsider blood. In fact, her mother died after refusing treatments. This development could feel like a cheap emotional manipulation by the show's writers, or even a lazy way to explain why Maya's been willing to risk her own life for those of people she really barely knows, but the idea that there's a history of a resistance just adds another layer to the foundation of this story. Of course there were dissenters. There are always dissenters, and there will always be dissenters. It's obviously a convenient way to hide Jasper and the rest of the survivors now that they've escaped from their poorly barricaded room, but it also highlights that not everyone approves of Cage's leadership (or even Dante's leadership). Abby told Clarke not to forget that they're the good guys, but I'd also add: Don't forget that not everyone's the enemy.

VITAL STATS

– Monty to Jasper: "Have you met me?"

– Clarke to Lincoln: "You are my people."

– Nothing makes people fight harder than watching their friends die. Even if Clarke is struggling with her decision, Lexa certainly knew how to drum up support in the wake of the attack. Her rousing speech about avenging the dead was a nice touch. Gotta give the girl props, man.

– The sniper wasn't wearing a hazmat suit, which Clarke rightfully interpreted to mean that the bone marrow treatments are not only being done but are working. By episode end, Lexa, Clarke, Octavia and more were marching on Mount Weather.

– I still really love this shot of Lincoln the Model:

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