‘The 100’ 5.06 Recap and Review: Exit Wounds

The 100

I…I don’t know what to feel. How to feel. What to do with all of what happened.

So far, in this fifth season of The 100, I’ve not seen a single episode where my jaw hasn’t dropped. I don’t want to be melodramatic, but, it’s ever so true: my jaw had fallen so far open, that it had dug a tunnel into the Earth’s core. (Okay, I may be stretching that one. But yours, too, right?)

Indeed, with each episode, the series just keeps getting better, pulling punches and taking dives into bold, dark, deep issues and plot threads. It’s everything a dystopian sci-fi should be, and this week’s episode was no exception.

“Exit Wounds” may had focused on the dangerous game of divide and rule between the Krus, but with it, came so much rich story, flawlessly weaved around one another to tie in perfectly with the two main plots. Let’s start with one of the two, which saw our two main power players, vying for Shallow Valley control – namely, Octavia and Diyoza.

In this episode, both were polar opposites in temperament and leadership, which was surprising, given what we had seen in Diyoza’s thus far, extreme behavior. But, now, she’s under Kane’s wing, and he has clearly made a difference in her, much to McCreary’s dismay. He’s clearly not happy with Diyoza – I wouldn’t be surprised if he defects and joins Wonkru. He actually looks as if he would fit in.

Peacefully and diplomatically, Diyoza’s trying to win Wonkru’s trust by offering them food and refuge at Eden, while Octavia, on the other hand, is killing everyone who tries to defect and flee Polis. And Echo. Especially, Echo. Yikes.

She had it rough, at first, but I’m actually glad that she’s still around. Echo’s proving to be a key player in the story going forward. Well, so far, at least, it doesn’t feel as if she was just randomly upped to series regular status. I’m excited to see what happens to her at Eden – it’s looking to be a badass arc.

Quite clearly, the delinquents we once knew are far behind us, as is Echo. But where Octavia had become bloodstained and emotionally soiled, Echo had become a “softer”, more considerate figure. But, despite all of that, Octavia and Echo’s strategic intellect had always been on the same level, making their rivalry so much vaster.

While the series had always been about fighting for their own, it definitely still is – but upon spending six years apart, clearly, things are different, and they now have to fight each other to survive. Their bonds with each other are threatened, despite the hook ups. Even the cringe-inducing ones. I’ll let you guess that one.

The other main storyline is of Madi, who has now been taken slave by Wonkru’s cult. I love that Clarke’s gone full Mama Bear, and her relationship with Madi has been one of the most refreshing stories.

Raising a teenager is difficult – they’re stubborn and don’t listen, and that is exactly how Madi was, by going clean to Octavia. Now, she’s one of Octavia’s warriors, and I can’t help but think that she’ll be brainwashed to turn against Clarke. After all, she is utterly infatuated with her idol. But let me not get ahead of myself.

Happy thoughts, happy thoughts. Think happy thoughts. She loves her mama…happy thoughts.

As much as I hate how Octavia had become an absolute clusterfuck, I can’t actually hate her. Because I know, as ruthless and callous as she is right now, she will eventually get out of her current headspace. Niylah, too.

And oh, speaking of! I’m so happy to see her alive! Though she had clearly been slaved over by Octavia. This furthers my theory that they’re sleeping together. Or am I just wishfully thinking?

Nevertheless, Niylah’s change of behavior had further implicated that things went so wrong in that bunker, and rather than having answers, it has created some new questions in my mind. Survival cannibalism, yes, but what else happened? There’s so much more to know. I’m hoping that it unravels soon. I’m going just as crazy.

Gaia, though, was a shock. I didn’t expect her to want to protect Madi from Octavia. I’m still trying to wrap my head around what Gaia really is: faithful to Octavia, or to the Flame. Are there double agents at Wonkru? It’s possible. Gaia’s mother sort of is, by helping Kabby, who are clearly traitors to Octavia’s eyes. But we’ll just have to see, huh?

Other thoughts:

  • Memori is back! Sort of. So now we finally know a bit about what had happened between Murphy and Emori. Emori had told this to Murphy, if you recall: “On the Ring, I was a part of something bigger than myself. I didn’t know I needed that, but I did, and you punished me for it.” Emori has changed as a result of being a part of Spacekru, and Murphy, obviously, didn’t approve. I’m kind of leaning more and more toward Murphy and Raven, now, but at the same time, not really – because of Memori. I hope that they heal.
  • While on the subject of Raven, where was my bae? With Not Zeke? Are they hooking up, too? I mean, everyone else did. Why not, right?
  • I love how Octavia knew that Kane had advised Diyoza. Some things don’t change. Thankfully.
  • I love and hate Kara Cooper. She’s my new Echo. (I actually think that I only love Echo, now. That’ll probably change later.)
  • Monty deserves to be more involved. /end short rant.

Responses

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *