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The 100 Praimfaya Recap-Review

by Evelyn Ulrich
The 100 Praimfaya

I know it has been nearly two months since The 100 Praimfaya, the fourth season finale, but the episode is still making waves.  And that is a good thing.  I have finally completed my long-awaited review of the piece, and you can read it below!  *The following article will contain spoilers from the episode.  Reader and viewer discretion is advised.*

 

The 100 Praimfaya Recap-Review

“Back To Our Birthright”

Episode 413 Aired May 24, 2017

Evelyn Ulrich

 

Just how glorious and spellbinding was that season four finale?  My heart is still beating at a rapid rate and has no intention of stopping.  The 100 delivered some of the most solid performances and an ending like no other.   This was magic.  This was a dream.  This was everything.  And a time jump more than half a decade.  Imagine yourself in six years you may not be the same person that you identified with, or you may have a different perceptual on the world.  This is how it is going for everyone on the show.  From what we assume, the remaining characters all survived Praimfaya in the finale.  But the death wave was no simple obstacle to climb.  From the ashes, we see our wonderful characters evolve in many positive ways.

A heartfelt conversation is shared between the Blake siblings in the beginning.  Octavia is worried that she may not handle her new leadership role well, but Bellamy encourages her.  He tells her that she is like the Greek God, Prometheus, who stole fire and gave it to the people, except she is giving life to the people.  It is a touching scene between family, but unfortunately, it is the last time the two will communicate with one another until the next season.  Things will be very different for both, which may pose a question, but the Blakes always have been very resilient.  When the power gets cut off and the radio dies, the communication flatlined.  Clarke is beyond upset that she can’t say goodbye to her mother (I’d be too), and Bellamy embraces her in an emotional and comforting embrace which I am sure that I can hear the Bellarkes screaming in excitement at their screens.  Those screams will elevate to semi hearts attacks a bit later.

Indra tells Octavia that the times of The Flame and Commander are passed, and she must take this new role seriously.  With the headpiece given to wear (I can’t call it a bindi) by her mentor, Octavia steps out to her people and announces that they will survive together.  Then, the bunker rumbles . . .

Things take a devastating blow at Becca’s lab as the eight confidantes watch in horror as Polis is consumed by the flames of Praimfaya.  The reality hits the group hard.  Raven quickly speaks about the layout of the timing and rocket engineering, and they have a certain time window to get everything done to fly up back to the ARK.  Naturally, there is fear in everyone’s eyes, but with teamwork and coöperation, they can do it.  Bellamy, is of course, being strongly motivational throughout the finale, and I absolutely love it!  This is the Bellamy that I truly love.

Monty and Murphy are never seen together in the show’s history, but their first scene together is a momentous and powerful one.  They are working together to retrieve the Co2 scrubber from the lighthouse bunker.  But, misfortune happens when Monty must take off his gloves as they cannot fit through the box.  He does just so, despite Murphy’s objections, and they pull out the Co2 scrubber.  Monty’s hands are burnt from the radiation and later passes out (I originally believed that he played “dead” to make Murphy do all the work).  Murphy, who always had been that hardcore survivalist, run back to the others and tell them about Monty.  He and Bellamy rush to rescue him, and in deep gratitude, Monty hugs his saviors and says to Murphy, “I might not hate you anymore.”  Oh, the feels!

At the lab, Echo has terrible spirits about going up into space as it is something unknown to her.  Yet, she really has no choice if she wants to live through Praimfaya.  The same applies to Emori, but she has Murphy to be her rock through the process.  Bellamy watches the Grounders pack and prep and quips that it is an Oxymoron about them going to space.  Clarke is deeply worried that not all will go well, and Bellamy just strokes her cheeks (semi heart attack) and comforts her.  Clarke shares their history, and how much they’ve been through.  She touches his heart and says that is the reason people survived.  However, she also says that he also must use his mind if they want to go through this.  I believe that there isn’t much choice to that.

An explosion happens, and it was from the rocket.  Communications has been blown and it greatly puts the immense pressure on Raven.  She tells everyone that the rocket has indeed malfunctioned.  She is heartbroken and feels like she is not intelligent enough to solve the problem since she no longer possesses the ALIE code in her brain. But Bellamy pushes her forward, saying that she solved difficulties prior to the code.  This was the girl who constructed a bomb using leftover hydrazine and a tin can.  With newfound confidence, Raven finds a way to correct the problem.

Giving the seemingly simple task of aligning a control tablet with the satellite, and putting on the ARK’s (The Ring’s) electricity to Clarke.  I said “simple” because it is when you pop in an electronic to its source, it’s supposed to be easy.  It is supposed to be problem free.  But, as you know, on The 100, nothing is easy.  And, this is one of those many occurrences that exemplifies another obstacle.  So, believing that Clarke has it down, and can do it, she rushes to the satellite, her heart on saving her friends.  When she injects the tablet into the control box and enters the code.  However, it fails, and Clarke angrily attempts multiple times, but no avail.  So, she must do the adjustments and alignments manually, which will take even more time.  Time is precious as Praimfaya is dangerously on the edge, but Clarke has no choice in the matter.  Her friends are the most important things to her, and she climbs up the tower to align the satellite with the Ark.  Will it be successful?

Meanwhile, everyone is getting ready to go into the rocket.  All except Echo.  She is frightened at the sheer possibility of living in space, and this is totally comprehensible.  She does not know the world above in the stars, only the world that plants her feet on the ground.  She decides that she is not worthy, especially after all that she has done.  What really made the scene raw is that Echo appeared to be doing the ritual to perform an evil scheme as she paints her face in war paint.  I believed that she was going to take the rocket for herself, but I rethought that theory as it would not be plausible.  Echo has no knowledge of rocket mechanics and engineering, so it’ll be more likely that she’d be taken down by the others before her evil plan comes to fruition.  As it turns out, Echo is going through the Azgeda ritual, something that is like religion, and she is going to commit suicide.

“Won’t it be easier to step outside?” Bellamy wisecracks at her.   Echo is unfazed by his cockiness and tells him to go away.  Bellamy is open and honest with her, and he also uses his charm to talk her out of it.  He shares her fear, and tells her that she is strong.  Bellamy’s encouragement speech works on Echo, as she does not kill herself.  I am thoroughly glad that the writers did not go through the suicide route again.  One reason is that it seems to be that human life is below it, and while this is a show where characters die, their deaths are heroic and pursue the narrative.  Yet, the more important motive, is that viewers will feel vulnerable and lost because basically partially what suicide means is that you have lost hope, and viewers are going to stimulate a connection between themselves and the show.  While this is mostly a positive outlet, it can be fueled into negative.  I want a series that reflect upon positivity and gravitate into being a well-substantial one.  Since I do watch very few shows, it’s important that it meets the criteria.  I think that the fandom would want a show that they love to emulate and project issues that are difficult to comprehend, but at the same token, I want the realistic degrees of the issues as well.  I know that the majority want escapism, and while that is not a bad thing, it also has to deliver realism.

Moving on, Clarke is climbing the satellite tower to align the dish so that the aircraft can take-off and the ARK can be habitable once again.  She sees the inevitable Praimfaya in the near distance, and must do the task.  Everyone is counting on her, especially Bellamy who is waiting for her back at the lab.  When the clock ticks down to zero, Raven urges him to come into the rocket, but we all know that he is hesitant.  This is the girl who had helped sculpt Bellamy into the entrusting leader that everyone idolizes and follows.  Clarke is an enormous influence in Bellamy’s life, and there is no doubt that they share a special mutual understanding.  Now that Clarke had to be left behind with everyone’s sheer disappointment, and as difficult as it was, it had to be done.   Yet, with the ‘gifts’ that Clarke gave everyone, I think that they will be okay without her for the five years.  It will be a hard adjustment nonetheless, but I am sure that they will all pass the test.

Clarke successfully nails the alignment and runs back to the lab just as Praimfaya hits.  She is burned, but that is insignificant as she knows now that her friends will be safe.  That is one of the greatest things that Clarke can give.  One of the many attributes that I love about Clarke is that she is a very giving individual, and will put others first before herself.  She is the equivalency of true unselfishness and humane.  A strong female role model that dares to defy troupes that often make females frail and objectify the sexual demands.  It is about time to have such female characters as Clarke, Octavia, Abby, Raven, Emori, and Indra on the platform as girls are going want to make self-identification, and clasp with a character that is strong and loved.  It is only psychological to have this kind of behavior.   And since I am equal and fair about genders, I am not going to forget about the solid males on The 100.  This is an underrated fact, many don’t want to discuss as the primary focus is on the women.  While this is not a terrible thing, it does take two to tango to run the world.  I am discussing the leadership and guidance roles that the males have cultivated.  Bellamy Blake with his fraternal love for his sister Octavia, and his partnership with Clarke as he is now alone with the decision-making.  This will not be foretold until season five.  Then, we have Marcus Kane, who started off in season one as somewhat as a control and power-hungry individual to a more of a peacemaker; whilst still doing what is needed for Arkadia and Grounders, though I do have to say that Kane levitates towards his own people.  Another fine example is Monty Green, the young and ingenious engineer who breaks all barriers so that his friends can have a fighting chance.  If we are going to have males, they need to exemplify force in a positive outlet, and true heroism much like the characters on the series.  I better stop now, before this becomes a college-length essay about the gender topic.

Raven takes off with the six, and she does her spacewalk that she was looking forward to.  The power switches on, thanks to Clarke, and they all enter the abandoned ARK.  At this point, everyone is oxygen-deprived, and are on the brink of death.  They are sharing one another precious O2, giving more to those who need it most.  Bellamy, with the assistance of Monty, gets the scrubbers running, and everyone breaths in the living gas with relief.

“She saved us again,” Raven states quietly as she joins Bellamy at the bay window that is overlooking a morbid earth engulfed in fiery radiation.   They are both saddened by the belief that Clarke is gone, but in her honor, they will successfully lead Spacekru, and continue on.

Six years and a week later. . .

                What a substantial time jump!  Clarke has apparently survived Praimfaya, and is donning a whole fresh look. She has shorter hair with pink highlights and a badass Grounder outfit.  Now, they say that when you make a change upon yourself, it’s a window to self-assurance and emotion.  The last time we saw Clarke with dyed hair (it was berry red), was in the season three premiere, and she was feral.  In my opinion, Clarke did not appear to be happy, and she had to be inconspicuous as she was being hunted down.  Red is the color of anger and disposition, and perhaps she was angry and traumatized by the Mt. Weather aftermath.  It would make absolute sense.

This time-jump Clarke is obviously relaxed, happier, and healthier.  She is in a state of harmony and is doing artwork again.  Plus, to keep her sanity, she radios Bellamy, in hopes for contact.

“It’s been 2,199 days since Praimfaya,” she says into the mic.   From this moment, it looks like that Clarke is alone.  But, she isn’t.

Going into the back of the rover, Clarke speaks softly in Trigedasleng to a young girl.  Um…. what?  A whole slew of questions popped into my mind about this.  Who is she?  Where did she come from?  What is her purpose and device?  Well, her name is Madi, and she probably has gotten lost or hid during Praimfaya, and Clarke found her.  Clarke has a “motherly” connection to the girl, and we will see more of this in the upcoming season.

Clarke spots a ship in the close distance, and thinking that it’s her squad from space, she tells her little Nightblood.  However, appearance is not what it seems, and she orders Madi who caught the difference in size of the two ships, to get the gun.  She points at the ship, which scarily reveals that it’s a prisoner transport, under the names, “Eligius Corporation” and “Gagarin Prisoner Transport.”  Who are these people?  Clarke is in complete shock and concern about the newcomers. But, hopefully, and this is a very fine thread of hope, that no problems will arise.  Of course, knowing that this is The 100, that won’t be possible.

 

Some key notes from Praimfaya:

  • I was amazed that nobody died in the season finale. Usually, a character will experience from the present conflict in the episode.
  • How will Echo and Emori handle living in space? They do not know this new world, only the ground, so it will be interesting to see how this will play out.  Also, this would be the perfect opportunity for flashbacks that are common and wondrous to witness.
  • What happened to the Bunkerkru, and did Octavia do her job of leader? Again, this is an opportunity for flashbacks.
  • What happened to the Spacekru that was a year late to come back down?
  • Will there be new births?
  • How will Bellamy function without Clarke this time?
  • I really enjoyed the “full circle” concept of Clarke being the Grounder, the prisoners are the new guys thinking that the earth will be empty, and the bunkerkru will be the new Mt. Weather.  It really makes you think that life can be a circle itself.

 

In conclusion, Praimfaya delivered the dynamic force and amplified the definition of what the show is truly about.  In addition, the ending was sublime for a great fourth season.  The 100 has never been for the faint of heart, as it proved that perspective continuously.  Yet, looking past the brutality, you will see that these are human beings, trying to do what is right in a world where life really means life.  We may not agree on the choices that people are making on the show, as we wouldn’t dare do that ourselves.  But then again, we are not in the predicament they are facing, and we have no idea what the future holds.


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