The 100 "Bodyguard of Lies" Review: I Love It When a Plan Comes Together

The 100 S02E14: "Bodyguard of Lies"

When Clarke escaped Mount Weather in the early stages of The 100's second season, it wasn't clear how she would eventually go about rescuing Jasper, Monty, and the rest of the friends she'd left behind at Mount Weather. It wasn't even clear how long it would take for her to do so. I wrongly assumed, based on how quickly the series blows through story and the added pressure of servicing the Arkers, the Hundred, the Grounders, and the Mountain Men, that this rescue mission wouldn't last the entire season. What I expected and what eventually transpired were obviously different—there was the building of the alliance, Finn's subsequent death, and the deliberately paced infiltration of the mountain—but I can't complain about how this season has unfolded.

Season 2 built upon the foundation laid by the enjoyable first season, eventually surpassing it in quality by drawing on historical influences and discussing the ethics of war and the consequences from it. It developed morally complex villains in the Mountain Men, expanded its universe into one that now includes drones (more on that later), and it did it all in a way that looked remarkably effortless.

Much of "Bodyguard of Lies"—which is the last episode before the two-part finale kicks off next week—was dedicated to showcasing how our heroes were faring during the not-quite-calm before the storm. Clarke and Lexa were still waiting for Bellamy to neutralize the acid fog before they attacked the mountain, but he was stonewalled once Cage and the Mountain Men became of aware of his presence. He was forced to go to what has to be Plan K at this point, and this extra time gave Clarke the opportunity to second-guess her decision to send him inside, question their battle plans, reflect on the events that transpired over the last few episodes, and, in a way, everything that has happened since she first reached the ground.

Lexa told her she was thinking too hard and urged her to rest, but I'm 99 percent certain Clarke doesn't even know the meaning of the word. Waiting patiently is not something that comes easily to a woman of action like Clarke, and yet, I think she also yearns for whatever passes for a normal life these days, one that has more to offer than just battle after battle. That's why when Lexa kissed her (after Clarke said life should be about more than just surviving) she didn't immediately stop her. Clarke was very much a willing participant in that kiss—that much was clear—and even if it was brief, in that moment she was able to just be Clarke, a teenager engaging in normal hormonal teenager behavior and not worrying about the fate of her people. But she's still grieving Finn, so she eventually put an end to the kiss saying she's not ready yet, disappointing probably half of the Internet (and delighting the other half; never stop dreaming, Bellarke 'shippers!).

Clarke never asked to be a leader—she stepped in to fill a void, and the position and the power she now wields is a product of inner-resilience and the natural tendency to do what is right—but she's never wanted to be a person who orders her people to die in her name. As she told Lexa: She's always just been trying to keep everyone alive. Her mission has been so selfless and singular up to this point, and Clarke hasn't had time to do or think much beyond what's right in front of her. On any another show, Clarke probably would have done exactly what Raven did with Wick and given in to her urges one time before they went to war, but that's not who Clarke is (I'm really glad Raven, who's also still grieving Finn, did NOT have those same problems, because HI, KYLE WICK. Please stay forever!).

The build up to the Clark and Lexa kiss was subtle and gradual—and Clarke's bisexuality is something I hope the show eventually finds more time to explore (sadly, I don't think it will be with Lexa given the actress' other work commitments)—but with so much going on, it's difficult to find time to devote to telling these personal stories. Outside of Lincoln and Octavia, whose relationship has been tested numerous times at this point, romantic relationships feel almost like a privilege in this world. Just look at how the show has had to incorporate Jaha and Murphy's journey to the CIty of Light—they disappear every other week, only to return for what actually amounts to very little screentime. There are only so many minutes in an episode and personal stories tend to fall by the wayside.

That being said, the lack of romantic stories can also be seen as a reflection of the show's environment. When your life is full of violence and destruction and you spend your days and nights discussing battle tactics and worrying about the fate of your people, there's little time left to explore personal desires and struggles. Personal happiness is often sacrificed in these dire situations in order to focus on things that affect everyone, not just one person. The fact that Clarke is still grieving Finn makes sense—not much time has actually passed in the show's timeline since the events of "Spacewalker"—but even if the show hasn't come right out and said it, we know it to be true, the same way we know Clarke's feelings for Lexa to be true. But right now, there are more pressing matters than whatever Clarke is going through.

I don't know that The 100 will ever find the time to explore her personal wants and desires, but I do hope she'll eventually have a life that's about more than trying to find a way to survive from day-to-day. She's only one person, and right now she's managing to lead her people relatively well considering the circumstances, but the best leaders also know when to delegate, and I hope this is explored in the show next season. And not just because Clarke deserves it, but because I'm genuinely interested in her life and her attempts to balance being a young woman and her duties as a leader.

Speaking of leaders, Bellamy eventually came through on the acid fog front. Even though the Mountain Men intercepted his radio transmissions with Raven and Wick and manipulated him into believe he'd neutralized the fog, his haphazard shooting as he tried to escape eventually nicked an oxygen tank and the entire area exploded. Well done, Bellamy.

Meanwhile, Jaha's pilgrimage to the City of Light was NOT going very well. He started out with 12 men following him, and by the end of the episode they were down to a group of four after losing two people to a minefield. They eventually made it across only to find that what they thought was the city, was actually a large field full of solar panels. Earth was ravaged by nuclear war and from what we've seen it's mostly still a wasteland, but the panels were still mostly in tact and appeared to be functioning, which was confusing at best... and then a drone appeared and Jaha claimed they needed to follow it.

As annoying as it can be to listen to Jaha babble on about "leaps of faith" and "signs"—I'm starting to identify with Murphy when he says things like, "What level of crazy is too much for you?"—it looks as if the world of The 100 is going to expand again to include something greater and more powerful. Who put those mines there? Who's using those solar panels? Who has freaking drones? What is on the other side of that lake? I'm glad the series has already been renewed, because I need to know the answers to these questions, and I hope the show doesn't let me down. I'm very skeptical of that damn drone and what it means, but just like when the series introduced the Mountain Men at the end of Season 1, I am definitely intrigued by this world building.

We often talk about pacing in terms of how quickly The 100 moves through stories, but the deliberate pacing within those stories is equally important. We've been working toward rescuing the remaining members of the Hundred for all of Season 2, but the delay allowed characters like Jasper and Monty to step up in the interim. Clarke skillfully negotiated an alliance, which is finally—FINALLY—coming into play as they march on Mount Weather, but it took a lot of time and hard work and a connection with Lexa blossomed as a result. Bellamy infiltrated weeks ago in our timeline, and days ago in his own, while Jaha and Murphy similarly set out on their journey several weeks ago and are on track to discover, hopefully, another civilization. All of these stories are slowly paying off, and as we head into the series' two-part finale, I hope the results are as equally exciting as the road that we've traveled to get here.

VITAL STATS

– We finally know that there are 44 in hiding within Mount Weather, so I can stop guessing!

– Octavia knows the truth about what happened to Tondc and she hasn't forgiven Clarke for allowing it to happen. She will only take her orders from Indra now, who coincidentally also knows the truth about the attack, but still follows Lexa and supports her. The point is: Octavia has been straddling an invisible line up, with a foot in each camp, but she's definitely a Grounder now, with very little alliance to the Arkers. I don't know if that will become permanent (never underestimate the power of Bellamy), but for now that's where she is.

– I very much approve of Raven and Wick, and I like that Wick said he was totally willing to see where their connection might take them if she wanted to explore it without drama, but she was unable to commit, and I think he also realized and knew that was going to be her answer. He doesn't want to play games, but if there is a God, Steve Talley will have a larger role in Season 3. I need Wick to stick around and help Raven, not just in all things engineering, but in her personal life, too. She's still insecure about her leg, and she's just lost her best friend. She could use that personal connection right now.

– "How's my boy Monty doing?" Wick asks all the important questions.

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