Please only read further if you’ve seen Episodes 301–304 of The 100, because there are major spoilers throughout the article below!

As always, I encourage your constructive feedback and commentary — but please do not share your theories in the comments section! It is my personal policy to avoid others’ theories while expanding upon my own throughout the season, and unintentional spoilers are sometimes included in theories posted in comments. My hope is that you absorb and enjoy the weekly analysis, and then engage in conversation about it with me here and on social media! You can find me on Twitter @JOpinionated.

Thanks to The CW, Warner Bros., and The 100 showrunner Jason Rothenberg, I am lucky enough to have seen the first 4 episodes of Season 3! Please note: I choose not to ever address or analyze any footage shown in either officially released trailers or leaked spoilers online.

Episode 304 of The 100, written by Dorothy Fortenberry, once again focused solely on the Skaikru and clan stories, and did not visit the Murphy-Jaha-ALIE-City of Light narrative. That does not undermine the significance of all four to the story ahead, as well as how they may possibly be connected to the history and future of Grounders and Commanders. I suspect that we will learn far more about the magical mystery metropolis soon.

The name of this episode is quite literally a directive: watch the thrones. If you look closely, you will see the clan banners behind each of the ambassador chairs in the throne room and on the arena stage. And let’s be honest, an epic episode like this, featuring a fight on par with the best of Game of Thrones, earned the title homage.

THE ICE NATION

Queen Nia: Ice Nation does not answer to this girl. We don’t recognize the legitimacy of Skaikru.

Given that Wanheda is on the Commander’s side (politically and personally) and holds great power, the open disdain that Nia has for Clarke is not a surprise.

Queen Nia: Today is judgment day. I call for a vote of no confidence.
Lexa: This is a coup.

The Ice Queen’s brilliant long con (which includes Roan’s delivery of Clarke to Lexa, in my mind) and misdirect (the destruction of Mount Weather) led up to this moment, and only the Skaikru brand that Marcus took for their initiation into the coalition as the thirteenth clan threw her off course.

Nia: She won’t take our heads because she knows our armies will retaliate.

That line alone likely explains why Lexa never killed the Ice Queen after what she did to Costia. The Ice Nation seems to be comprised of more warriors than any other clan, and the Commander would not have made the choice to rally the other 11 clans to attack the Ice Nation to avenge the death of one person. Head over heart. The bitter irony that Lexa received Costia’s head as a result of using hers is not lost on me.

Nia: None of us here wants war.
Lexa: We both know what you want. If you think me unfit to command, issue the challenge and let’s get on with it.
Nia: Very well. You are challenged.
Lexa: And I accept your challenge.
Titus: So be it. Single combat. Queen Nia of Azgeda, who do you choose to be your champion?
Nia: My son Roan, Prince of Azgeda.
Titus: Heda, who will fight for you?
Lexa: I’m the Commander. No one fights for me.

Underneath the stoic surface of the Commander, Lexa was seething. If she were able to or allowed to in that moment, Lexa would have snapped Nia’s neck in two seconds flat, without hesitation. Imagine just how personally satisfying it was for Lexa to later put a spear through the heart of the woman who broke hers some time ago.

I am very curious as to what the response from the Ice Nation will be upon learning that Queen Nia is dead and Prince Roan now reigns.

NIA, ONTARI, and ROAN

The call of no confidence unmasked Nia’s furtive clan conspirator meetings and very clearly showed her hand.

Titus: Queen Nia of Azgeda has confessed to the destruction of Mount Weather, resulting in the death of 49 members of Skaikru.

The Queen’s meticulously planned political machinations, leading up to the destruction of Mount Weather and the call of no confidence to challenge Lexa, have included Nia’s son Roan from the get-go. I believe that Nia always planned to use Roan as her whipping boy and pawn, to battle Lexa in the great arena in the end.

Clarke: I know you had nothing to do with Mount Weather. That’s why I didn’t tell Lexa you gave me the knife. This is what your mother wanted all along.
Roan: What do you want?
Clarke: I want you to become the king. I know you’ve thought of it. She was willing to let you die, willing to let you be banished. I know you just want to go home.
Roan: When I win today, I will.
Clarke: For how long? How long until your Mother finds another reason to cast you out, to sacrifice you? No one can cast a king out of his kingdom.
Roan: I can’t do it. My people would never take me back. But … I can help you do it.

Clarke knows a little something about being cast out by a mother — her imprisonment up on the Ark. She was then banished down to Earth, sacrificed in the name of experimentation to see if the rest of the Ark crew could survive.

I often make reference to Clarke’s resourcefulness, and she seems to have honed and sharpened her skills during the three months out on her own.

Clarke: What if I changed my vote?
Nia: Now you’re thinking like a leader of your people.
Clarke: I would need some assurances first.
Nia: Skaikru would be safe.
Clarke: And me?
Nia: My quarrel is with Lexa, not you. When she’s gone, I won’t need the power of Wanheda.
Clarke: Okay.
Nia: Okay? You don’t want vengeance for the dead in Mount Weather?
Clarke: My priority is with the living, not the dead. We bind ourselves in blood.
Nia: I see you’ve learned our oath.

Wandering down conspiracy theory lane … while it is clear that Clarke and Roan arranged the poison plan to take out his mother, it is possible that Clarke knew it would not work — that it was a diversion from her actual arrangement with Roan. Despite Nia’s imprisonment in Polis and her call of no confidence resulting in the pending arena battle for Lexa’s life, Clarke likely realized that Nia would not kill her if the poison was discovered.

Nia: When you kill Lexa, your banishment will be over. In the wake of your victory, our people will be more powerful than ever. That will be your legacy and legend.
Roan: Don’t pretend you do anything for me, Mother.
Nia: You’re right. Everything I do is for Azgeda. What’s good for Azgeda is good for you. If you won’t fight for your mother, or your queen, fight for your clan. I want her head.

Although Clarke appeared to be surprised by Lexa’s spearing of Nia following the arena battle with Roan, I believe it may have been an act, and that she, Lexa and Roan potentially conspired for this outcome. The Commander would finally be free from the Nia’s evil reign, Costia’s death would be avenged, and Roan would initiate a new era of leadership for the Ice Nation, working alongside the 12 clans in the coalition.

Nia, to Roan: When you feel overconfident, you forget that your enemies have strengths too.

The Ice Nation Queen’s end game was quite clear, and the lengths she went to in order to carry out her ultimate plan were impressive. That being said, as brilliant as Nia was, she wound up underestimating Lexa until her dying breath.

Nia’s bodyguard, Ontari the Nightblood, prevented the death of her Ice Queen by suspecting that Clarke was planning to poison her. Ontari did not, however, suspect that Lexa would kill her beloved Queen. We barely got a glimpse of who she is or what she’s capable of, but Ontari seems somewhat terrifying and sharp.

For all of these years, Ice Queen Nia has been able to hide the fact that she was training a rare Nightblood and Commander candidate behind Lexa’s back …

Now that Nia is dead, and Roan has been named King of Azgeda, it should be fascinating to see how Ontari plays into what happens next with the Ice Nation.

NIGHTBLOODS

Nightbloods are a very rare and special breed of human beings, the only people on Earth worthy of becoming the leader of all clans, tracing back to the original Commander. I am looking forward to learning about the Nightbloods, the Conclave and reincarnation more than any other aspect of Season 3 now, on par with my ALIE obsession. Of course I believe that the seemingly disparate high tech and natural worlds intermingle, but I will elaborate further in the near future.

Ice Queen Nia: We could have been allies, Clarke. Instead I declare you and your people enemies of Azgeda. I’m letting you live, for now, to send a message to Lexa. I have my own Natblida, and she will be the next Commander.

Nia dripping Ontari’s black blood onto Clarke’s face was quite effective.

Titus: A Commander, from the Ice Nation. Now all of Nia’s provocations make sense, and we played right into it. She knew you would accept her challenge.
Clarke: I’ve never seen blood that color before.
Lexa: It goes back to the first Commander. When a Nightblood child is found, they are brought here to be trained. Or supposed to be.
Titus: Your legacy is no longer secure.

Night + blood. Night = dark. Lexa and Ontari both bleed black. I have to assume that Nightbloods are born with the dark hemoglobin coursing through their veins, and once discovered they are then brought to Polis for training as Commander novitiates. Except for Ontari. The Ice Queen managed to obscure her existence since birth, behind the Commander’s back. Yet another reason on a long list of grievances fueling Lexa’s desire to end Nia’s reign once and for all.

Nightbloods may not be eternal, but perhaps their blood has a natural resistance or immunity to poison. To be honest, I have myriad conspiracy theories about synthetic and weaponized blood, but hesitate to share until after more has been revealed on the show for me to speculate about.

Lexa: What are the three pillars of being a Commander?
Commander novitiates: Wisdom. Compassion. And strength.
Lexa: Train hard and remember, you are each worthy of your Nightblood.

Some may be surprised to hear that compassion is one of the most important attributes of being a Commander, given what we’ve seen of Lexa thus far on The 100. But I think back to the time that she allowed Clarke to mercy-kill Finn without punishment although she broke Trikru tradition in the process. There are more examples of scenes where I’ve witnessed compassion on the Commander’s part, but in the interest of article length, I shall move on.

CLAN AMBASSADORS

At the end of 303, we discovered that the ambassadors from the 12 clans surreptitiously met with the Ice Nation after departing Polis. Queen Nia’s influence was vast and powerful, and it is not hard to fathom how she tempted the other ambassadors to betray the Commander and set up the coup: increased power and false promises.

Ice Queen Nia: A unanimous vote of the ambassadors or death are all that can remove a Commander from power.

The defiant ambassadors chanted “Commander no longer” after Nia’s vote of no confidence in the Polis throne room. But it is not as if the ambassadors were just voting her out of power; they were very aware of the Ice Queen’s intentions to remove Lexa from the position by killing her via combat in the arena. After all, at the end of 303, Nia declared to all ambassadors present at the clandestine meeting that her son Roan would soon be free “and then Lexa will be dead.”

Many fans are fearful that Lexa will die this season, given the focus on her character, the history of the Commander and Nightbloods. Like most, I had assumed that the only way for the Commander’s spirit to move on to the next was to perish. But if Lexa is to be unanimously voted out by the 13 clans at some point, I have renewed hope that the Commander will not only survive the season, but keep the door open for the possibility of Alycia Debnam Carey returning to play Lexa in a post-Commander role. Pending show renewal and actor availability, of course. In all honesty, the idea of Lexa as a far less powerful and everyday Trikru Grounder is utterly fascinating.

THE FIGHT

Titus: In single combat, there is but one rule. Someone must die today!

The legend of the Commander’s skills was just a theory until we saw her fight Roan. What a spectacularly choreographed and iconic scene for the show, just as riveting and heart-racing as the best single combat scenes on Game of Thrones. The epic arena fight in the Polis arena took my breath away, and required several viewings in order to fully appreciate the magnitude, scope, and political ramifications. Alycia Debnam Carey was nothing short of spectacular in this scene; fierce, athletic, mesmerizing.

Nia: If you die, you don’t die a prince. You die a coward.
Roan: Get it over with.
Lexa: Blood must have blood.
Lexa: The Queen is dead. Long live the king!

Lexa’s fight was never with Roan, it was always with his mother.

In addition to what the Ice Queen was attempting to do to the Commander’s long-term goal of a 13-clan coalition, the history between Nia and Lexa was rife with the unspoken blood of Costia on the queen’s hands. That is one chapter the Commander can now close forever, and despite the many complicated challenges ahead, I hope that it provides at least some relief and closure for Lexa.

Lexa throwing the spear into the Ice Queen’s heart from the arena floor is easily my new favorite badass scene in three seasons of The 100 thus far. It was a game-changing, shocking, crazy, bold moment with complications and consequences reaching every corner of the decimated planet.

THE CONCLAVE

Lexa : When I die, my spirit will find the next Commander. (Episode 210)

Lexa: If you’re right, today’s the day my spirit will choose its successor. (Episode 304)

I have to contemplate whether a Commander’s spirit is in limbo or spiritual purgatory until it finds the next Commander, especially now that we know the Conclave meets AFTER a Commander dies.

Clarke: That girl that was with Nia, Ontari — what will happen to her?
Lexa: She won’t be back until the Conclave after my death.

The lingering question out there is what the Conclave’s role is in the future Commander selection process, and how it affects the transmigration of souls. As I suggested in my crazy theory of the week on our 303 analysis podcast last week, I strongly believe that ALIE is either a member of the Conclave or maintains a thread of invisible control over who the Commander is, has been and will be. This theory will be explored in greater depth as the season progresses.

CLARKE

Officially, Clarke remained in Polis as the Ambassador of Skaikru while her people left with Indra to rally and join forces against the Ice Nation; to ensure that Lexa kept her word about protecting them. Meanwhile, none of the other clan leaders chose to stay. They took off to participate in stealthy subterfuge!

Unofficially, Clarke remained in Polis to rebuild her working relationship with Lexa. Allegedly. Sure. Solid plan, Wanheda.

Lexa: Ambassadors of the coalition. Today we honor our covenant. The clan that stands against one of us, stands against us all.

It is intriguing how the Ark of this particular Covenant represents the clan standing with, rather than against, the Commander and her coalition.

Clarke: Skaikru demands justice.

While initially reluctant to take on a leadership role for the Skaikru, Clarke is now fully embracing her new role as not only the ambassador for her clan, but as Wanheda.

Lexa: I know you’re just trying to help, but there’s nothing you can do here.
Clarke: I can’t just let Roan kill you.
Lexa: If that is to be my fate, you must. You’re driven to fix everything for everyone. But you can’t fix this. I have to do this on my own and you have to let me.
Clarke: I won’t just sit there and watch you die.
Lexa: Then this is goodbye. For now.

Where Lexa is steadfastly resolute, Clarke is tenaciously relentless. Clarke does not want Lexa to die; she needs the Commander alive for their people and, frankly, for herself. Their relationship has not progressed yet, beyond a political pledge of fealty that they both know signifies far more than the current state of affairs between the 13 clans.

The look on Clarke’s face when she thought that Lexa had been defeated at the hands of Roan was not one reflecting concern for a Commander and future of the coalition, but one displaying genuine fear for Lexa’s life; for someone she cares about.

Clarke: Your ambassadors betrayed you. How do you move forward?
Lexa: They were doing what they believed was right for their people too.

Cue the visible shift when they both attempt to avoid just staring into each other’s eyes. Words unspoken between Lexa and Clarke pave miles of road in the rear view mirror and potentially the avenue ahead.

Clarke: Good night, Commander.
Lexa: Good night, Ambassador.

Good lord, these two. At times it seems as if they tried any harder not to kiss one another while in close proximity, they might each pull a muscle in their necks from the magnetic pull that they’re valiantly aiming to evade.

Immediately upon Lexa’s departure from the room, the rationalizations, realizations and emotions emanating from Clarke were popping up in imperceptible thought bubbles. I imagine they contained phrases like “should I have asked her to stay?” and “holy Heda, that nightgown” or perhaps “can you just sit here while I draw you and those tattoos?”

LEXA

I just love how the Commander of the 13 clans casually strolled over to Ambassador Griffin’s room for a visit, sans guards, wearing nothing but a thin nightgown with a leg slit so high that Angelina Jolie envies it from afar. This is Lexa as we’ve never seen her before; bare, exposed, offering every inch of her true self to Clarke, free from the confines of war paint, braids, armor and responsibility. Lexa’s guard is quite literally down. I don’t believe that either of them expected this visit to end with physical affection, but the visible tenderness between them is new and rather lovely. Progress.

Clarke: Is this “I told you so”?
Lexa: No. This is thank you.

Many fans have been clamoring to get a glimpse of Lexa’s back tattoos, and in this episode they were revealed. However, I’ll leave the initial tattoo interpretation and conversation up to the clever fans on Tumblr.

Clarke: Do you ever talk about anything other than your death?
Lexa: Thank you for backing me.
Clarke: I was just doing what was right for my people.

Lexa’s crestfallen facial expression after Clarke said that she backed her for political reasons was subtle; they both know that deep down, their personal feelings are just cautiously shrouded for the time being.

There has been a palpable shift between Clarke and Lexa, and the air they share now is clearly heavier with sexual tension, but I am actually happy that the writers chose not to have them share a romantic moment in this episode and scene. To quote Clarke from Season 2, “not yet.” I believe that, should Clarke and Lexa share another kiss or further explore the passion they’re suppressing, it must be earned.

In just four episodes, we’ve witnessed major fireworks between the two; political maneuvering, knifepoint threats, voiced venom and raw emotions exposed on bended knee. It is not wish fulfillment to assert that they seem to be building up to an amorous eventuality with Clarke and Lexa. For now they’re both adhering to head over heart and logic over lust.

Even if every ounce of Lexa’s soul desires a relationship with Clarke far deeper than friendship and leadership, you know that Costia is never far from her mind. The only other time that Lexa allowed her heart to open wide, the head of her beloved was literally removed and returned to her. Although Lexa momentarily allowed her true feelings for Clarke to emerge when they kissed a few months ago, and she got down on her knees to pledge fealty to her only recently, the walls protecting her heart remain cracked but sturdy.

In private moments alone with Clarke, the Commander façade fades quickly and Lexa emerges, like the sun from behind the clouds. Her voice changes and softens, her eyes never leave Clarke’s, and, despite her best efforts, the emotions she so carefully shelters beneath the armor appear unmistakably on her exposed sleeves.

Just because Lexa herself must constantly consider and prepare for her eventual demise, I would advise fans to try and keep the PCDA (premature Commander death anxiety) to a minimum. We do not know how many episodes of The 100 Alycia Debnam Carey is in this season, but I for one am focusing on three specific points, moving forward: Commander Lexa’s story, the impact her character has on the landscape of the political game that 13 clans are playing, and how thankful I am that AMC and The CW were able to work it out so that she could even appear on this show again at all.

Titus: Lexa, please execute these traitors.
Lexa: Let her make her move.

That Titus referred to the Commander by her first name really illuminated the gravity of the situation.

It was stunning to see the softer side of Lexa among the Commander novitiates, talking to the young warriors as a schoolteacher would to her students, relaxed with legs crossed on the very throne where she only very recently declared herself ready to battle the Ice Nation.

Lexa: Clarke, this is Aden. Aden is the most promising of my novitiates. If I should die today, he will likely succeed me. Clarke worries about her people. Tell her what will happen to them when you become Heda, Aden.
Aden: If I become Heda, I pledge my loyalty to the thirteenth clan.
Lexa: See? Nothing to worry about.
Clarke: I’m sorry if I’m worried the fate of my people lies in the hands of a child.
Lexa: Then you worry for nothing. I’ve sent Indra to raise an army from the villages near Arkadia. Your people are protected, as I vowed they would be.
Clarke: This is not just about my people. You don’t stand a chance against Roan.
Lexa: You’ve never seen me fight.
Clarke: No, but I saw him kill three men in the time it took to hit the ground.
Lexa: If you’re right, today’s the day my spirit will choose its successor, and you need to accept that.
Clarke: Like hell I do.

It was almost disconcerting how comfortable and at peace Lexa seemed, on the day she would either persevere or perish. She actually allowed small smiles to escape when introducing Clarke to Aden, and again when Clarke remarked that Lexa only seemed to talk about her death. Perhaps the knowledge that her Commander successor was ready to take over, should anything happen to her, put her at ease, if that’s even possible.

BELLAMY

For the first two seasons, The 100 story unfolded on screen primarily from the perspective of Clarke Griffin. I love that they chose to now feature Bellamy’s voice to introduce the series every week in the opening credits, because it is refreshing that Season 3 is featuring much more from Bellamy’s mindset. Taking a character as beloved and important as Bellamy in a new, darker direction is a brave move that I applaud; the writers are mixing it up this season, providing a refreshing, unexpected journey for one of the show’s leads. Quite frankly, this is an amazing opportunity for Bob Morley to further shine and demonstrate just how talented he is. In four episodes thus far, I am extremely impressed by the range and depth Bob brings to Bellamy.

Hello from the outside.

I would suggest that you put yourself in Bellamy’s shoes in order to come to terms with his turn toward the dark side this season. Unlike Finn, Bellamy’s descent down a divergent path has been slow but steady over three seasons, and to me, entirely defensible.

A few months ago, Bell placed himself at death’s door in order to infiltrate Mount Weather and help rescue his people, and was one of the only Skaikru to experience the horrors inside. Yes, Bellamy and Clarke pulled the level together to irradiate the residents of Mount Weather. But after returning to Arkadia, arguably his closest friend and co-leader then decides to go on a walkabout rather than face her role in the devastation they were forced to cause. And then at the end of 303, Bellamy’s girlfriend was murdered in Mount Weather and Clarke made her choice to remain in Polis despite Bellamy’s plea for her to come back to their people.

While I wouldn’t describe Bellamy’s reaction to Clarke’s decision as one that spoke of betrayal, it is safe to say that he was very disappointed after spending months trying to find and reunite with her. In just under a minute in 303, Bellamy lost both a girlfriend and arguably his best friend on the ground.

Bellamy: Forty-nine of the people I swore to protect died yesterday because I left.
Kane: That’s not your fault. Place the blame where it belongs, on the Ice Nation.
Bellamy: The Ice Nation didn’t tell Gina to stay there. That was me.
Kane: Given the information you had at the time, you made a reasonable choice. You were trying to save lives.
Bellamy: But I didn’t.

Bellamy isn’t choosing to go on a walkabout after the distressing number of personal losses, but following the death of Gina, the destruction of Mount Weather and the role he played by trusting Echo as his source of information, he is now siding with Pike and doing what he believes is right. Bell is more of an emotional wreck than usual, and understandably so. Although he did pull that lever with Clarke months ago, leading to the deaths of everyone inside the mountain, almost all of them were strangers. His people were inside the mountain when it was destroyed; this time it is exceedingly personal.

Pike: Every life we honored at the memorial was lost was because we trusted a Grounder.

Despite the current Skaikru truce with Trikru, Bellamy will never forgive Lexa for leaving Clarke and their people to die in Mount Weather. He had since been working somewhat successfully under Kane’s leadership and mentorship in Arkadia, but the simmering distrust and skepticism under Bellamy’s skin has finally surfaced.

By staying with the Commander, Clarke chose to trust a Grounder. Bellamy chose to go in the complete opposite direction, and even if he realized that Clarke would have disagreed vehemently, she was no longer there to advise or consult. At this point, Bellamy likely holds Clarke’s opinion in much lower regard, given that he chose Arkadia and she chose Polis.

Bellamy: I have always done what is best for us. I need you to trust that I am doing that now.

Bellamy’s influence in Arkadia should not be underestimated. Many Skaikru, including Harper and Monroe, are now following his lead and siding with Pike against all Grounders. This does not bode well for Kane and Abby.

Echo is still out there, and as brutal as it sounds, I do hope that Bellamy is the one to eventually find and end her. Blood must have blood.

JASPER AND MONTY

Jasper: It’s a little late for a Mount Weather memorial, don’t you think?

Jasper and Monty’s tremendous friendship has always been one to root for on The 100. Although their relationship is alarmingly painful at the moment, the indignation on both sides of the coin is justified. Christopher Larkin and Devon Bostick were absolutely fantastic in this episode; they delivered their lines with such poignancy and honesty that their argument felt like a gut punch from two friends breaking up in real life.

Continuing down his path of sheer recklessness, Jasper did not care one iota that there was a war brewing outside of Arkadia, nor that any of his people were involved or possibly in danger. He wanted and needed space, room to think and breathe away from everyone’s watchful eyes.

I must point out the unmistakable irony that Jasper sought out a location where he himself had a hand in the loss of 300 lives — the dropship. He can blame Clarke all he wants for Maya and Mount Weather, but recall that Jasper actually helped her barbeque the 300 Grounders threatening their people outside of the dropship in Season 1 when they incinerated the enemy.

Jasper: How is it that you can wipe out an entire civilization yet I’m the one that can’t sleep at night? How can you just be fine?
Monty: I’m not fine! Just because I’m not drinking myself into a stupor every night doesn’t mean I’m not screwed up. But we had no other choice.
Jasper: None of us is innocent.
Monty: Float you. For three months I’ve watched you torture yourself and everyone around you, mostly me. But I’m done being your punching bag. Either you pull yourself together and get on with your life or you fall apart alone. I miss my best friend.
Jasper: He died that day too.

Tough. Love. Maybe this will wind up being the wake-up call that Jasper has needed for months.

Point of contention: I understand why Abby would save Finn’s ashes for Raven, but I do not believe that she would have saved them for Clarke. “Hey honey, here is yet another reminder of the man you cared for that you had to mercy-kill because he massacred 18 innocent people and was going to be tortured to death for it in return. Just put it on your virtual mantle.” No.

KANE

Kane: It’s the mark of the Commander’s coalition. It means we are the thirteenth clan. It means we are in this fight together.
Pike: No, it’s what farmers used to do to their livestock.
Hannah Green: Right before the slaughterhouse.

Kane and Abby did their best to maintain a sense of peace among the original Skaikru, but Pike and his Farm Station crew are starting a war from within. I am very curious to see how Indra, Lexa and their people work with Kane and the Skaikru to curb or confront Pike, Bellamy and the new army. It won’t be pretty, that is for certain.

LINCOLN & OCTAVIA

Lincoln is the only Grounder living and working inside of Arkadia. That he became a target for collective Farm Station survivor anger is no great surprise, but to attack him from within the walls where he has been welcomed and living was brutal. The mob mentality of the Farm Station is excessive, and although I realize that Abby and Kane have gone to great lengths to ensure peace for the Skaikru, I feel as though they had the numbers to subdue and perhaps even prevent such violence.

Octavia’s genuine concern for Jasper is my new favorite friendSHIP.

Lincoln: Get knocked down, get back up again.

Lincoln chose to be with Octavia, to live among the Skaikru and even assist with Grounder relations and translations. No one else is struggling between the rock and the hard place where Lincoln currently resides.

Octavia: Indra’s army’s outside the wall. Lexa lifted the kill order on you at the Summit. Maybe she’ll take us back. We can get out of here.
Lincoln: The only way they’re ever going to see us as different from Azgeda is if I stay. It’ll pass.

Indra accepted Octavia back into the Grounder warrior fold, and even though we didn’t see or hear it, Lexa granted Lincoln the same leniency.

Lincoln, to Pike: I can’t let you start a war.

Once again, it is the Skaikru stirring things up and starting the war, and NOT the Grounders.

Octavia: What’s wrong with you?

More than anyone, Bellamy should care about what Octavia thinks and says. It is disappointing that he disregards her entirely at this point, but he is a man on a mission and even the love for his sister won’t deter him.

NYKO

It was a quieter moment compared to the rest of the events in this episode, but Nyko brought a small group of Trikru to Arkadia, seeking Abby’s medical attention. I have to wonder if the illness affecting these Grounders was perhaps part of Nia’s infiltration and clan domination plan; it is not out of the realm of possibility that she would have ordered Ice Nation members to somehow poison the Trikru water supply or food.

FARM STATION

The good news is that Monty’s mother and Miller’s boyfriend were not in Mount Weather. The bad news is that they both align with Pike’s disgust for all Grounders and thirst for war. That should prove to be very interesting for Monty and Miller, moving forward.

PIKE

Pike: When do we strike back?
Abby: We don’t. The Ice Nation took credit for the attack, and the Commander will bring them to justice.
Pike: So now we’re trusting Grounders to punish Grounders? I lost more than half of my remaining people yesterday, and four times that many since we landed. In my experience, Grounders understand one thing: strength. It’s simple. We need to hit them now, we need to hit them hard. Leave no survivors.
Kane: There’s nothing simple about this. This attack by the Ice Nation was against Lexa, not us.
Pike: Are you saying this isn’t our fight?
Kane: I’m saying, we were collateral damage in someone else’s war.
Pike: It’s not someone else’s war anymore. If we don’t defend ourselves, they will take what we have. That’s what they do. Mark my words, the Grounders are coming for us.
Abby: We’ll take it under advisement.

There are two very significant points to glean from this conversation. First, Chancellor Griffin’s trust of Lexa, thanks entirely to Clarke’s role as the Ambassador for the Skaikru and that her daughter is currently under the Commander’s protection. Second, that Pike refers to my people, and not our people. He does not feel like the Farm Station survivors are part of Skaikru.

One of the Skaikru guards even referred to Octavia as “one of them.” The dissension within the Skaikru is a giant red flag.

Pike: All that’s certain is that we die. How we die is up to us.

Reason versus treason. Pike is the spark plug, inciting and inspiring his people while recruiting other Skaikru.

Abby: We can’t let anger drive our policy.
Pike: Anger is our policy.

Pike is delusional if he thinks that Skaikru can defend themselves. He is unable to see the forest for the trees, to comprehend the sheer number of Grounder warriors both on his side now and in opposition under Queen Nia. But that is because he has only experienced the massacre of his people at the hands of the Ice Nation.

Pike: We do not attack our own. Fighting each other only makes us weak. The enemy is not in this camp. The enemy is out there.

Actually, Charles, you’re a hypocrite because you instigated a fight between your own Skaikru.

While I would not go so far as to classify Pike’s very strong recruitment of Bellamy as emotional manipulation, he certainly saw an opening and read Bellamy well enough to realize that he has doubts about the current Skaikru leadership and policies.

Pike: They have 300 soldiers and not a gun between them.

Sound eerily familiar? Clarke, Raven and Jasper were forced to incinerate 300 Grounders outside of the dropship at the end of Season 1.

Kane: It’s not too late to choose the right side.
Bellamy: I already have.

Bellamy doesn’t have a father but he was starting to develop a relationship with Kane. And now Darth Pike has lured him out onto the platform to duel in Cloudling City.

Pike was elected as the new Chancellor of the Skaikru and immediately:

• Pardoned himself and the others for arming themselves to go murder friendly Grounders
• Rejected the brand on Marcus that made the Skaikru the thirteenth clan
• Led his people back out to weapons and war

Charles in Charge.

TITUS (Crazy Theory of the Week)

Titus: Everything you do elevates her. Why?
Lexa: Clarke elevates herself. She’s special.
Titus: You’re special, Heda. No one has done what you have. We are so close to our goal. If you want the power of Wanheda, you know what must be done. You strike her down, you kill her. Take her power.

I want to trust Titus, to believe that he has the Commander’s best interests at heart. But my conspiracy-fueled mind is traveling down a different road after the conversation above and below.

Clarke: Talk her out of it yet?
Titus: No. But maybe you can.
Clarke: I don’t understand. The queen’s not fighting. Why should she?
Titus: The queen’s strength is not in doubt. Thanks to you, Heda’s is.

Of course Titus is keenly aware of what is transpiring between his Commander and Wanheda, on political and personal levels. Therefore, I hereby offer up my Crazy Theory of the Week: Titus was responsible for Costia’s kidnapping, torture and death. To me it seems feasible that Titus informed the Ice Nation about Lexa’s relationship with Costia because she was a distraction from the Commander’s ultimate coalition goal of clan unity.

If Titus did betray Lexa in the interest of political strategy, resulting in the horrifying death of her beloved some time ago, Clarke is now in more grave danger than we could have anticipated. Imagine how devastating it would be for Lexa to discover that her closest and most trusted advisor is to blame for what happened to Costia, and that he now poses a great threat to Clarke. This is one instance where I hope that I’m very wrong.

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If you are interested, I also co-host The Dropship: The 100 Podcast with AJ Mass! We recently posted our interview with showrunner Jason Rothenberg, and our next guest will be executive story editor and writer Kim Shumway! We plan to record new podcasts every week following new episodes of The 100.

*Please note that because 304 was the last screener, I will not be posting extensive analysis as often. Because of the time involved, I am unable to provide as much in-depth discussion on a weekly basis following new episodes, but I will post occasional articles and continue the weekly podcasts with AJ!

May we meet and tweet again!

-Jo @jopinionated

The 100, starring Eliza Taylor, Paige Turco, Marie Avgeropoulos, Bob Morley, Christopher Larkin, Devon Bostick, Isaiah Washington, Ricky Whittle, Lindsey Morgan, Richard Harmon and Henry Ian Cusick, is on The CW.