'The 100' recap: 'Hakeldama'

This episode was...well, it was something. When The 100 first started airing, I wasn’t afraid to tell anyone who listened how amazing this show was and strongly suggest several times over and over that they give it a try. The 100 was your typical post-apocalyptic story with teenagers running around causing chaos and coming into their own, dealing with everyday life but also readjusting from their past time in space story. However, despite an incredible first two seasons, I’m not quite sure where that show went. I was really excited to see how this season would deal with the fallout of the mountain and the plot lines themselves have the potential to be super interesting. Peace for all eternity with the Grounders was obviously not a realistic ending, but I’m not seeing it being played out in ways that make sense.

Take for example Bellamy, who’s got all the reason in the world to be angry. His co-leader abandoned him after causing him to radiate an entire mountain of mostly innocent people, his sister is alienating him, and his girlfriend was just fried to bits by a rogue Ice Nation spy. However, we’re barely getting to see how he went from a Grounder ally who was not quick to judge on people’s pasts to seeing this guard willing to massacre an entire army of Grounders in less than two episodes. The first real moment of truth came in his blow-up with Clarke in this episode (more on that later).

The episode begins with Clarke and Lexa making their way back to Arkadia, bringing the body of the Ice Queen with them to show that justice has been served to the Sky People. Bellamy and Pike come back to Arkadia themselves, bloodied but alive after their encounter with the Grounder Army. Pike is giving a speech to the people of the Ark, reminding them that every action he takes is to further the safety and prosperity of their people. In true Christopher Columbus fashion, he is convinced this land they literally tumbled onto is their own and they are sending the appropriate message to the Grounders. Bellamy looks slightly remorseful but follows along dutifully while Octavia and Lincoln look on, shocked. Abby and Kane are disappointed but Abby questions how all 10 of them came back unscatched after fighting 300 soldiers (always asking the right questions, the Griffin girls).

Lexa and Clarke are shocked into silence when they find the dead army outside the Ark’s walls. They survey the damage, finding only Indra still alive but incredibly wounded. While Clarke patches her up, Indra explains the way the Sky People attacked her army, taking out the archers and watchmen first before going on to attack the infirmary and “execute the wounded.” When Clarke questions how Kane could do that, Indra informs her it was Pike who did everything and she only survived because of Bellamy. “He wanted to spare the wounded but Pike wouldn’t listen. He convinced Pike to let me live so I could deliver a message,” Indra gasps out. “Skaikru rejects the coalition. This is their land now; we can leave or we can die.”

Lexa does not take the news well. She calls for her army to destroy Arkadia, ignoring Clarke’s protest to allow her to fix it. As a result, Clarke is now her prisoner. Clarke pleads with Indra to radio Kane to summon him to her, which Lexa reluctantly grants. In camp, Kane sends Octavia in her place, hoping to avert suspicion from Pike. He shows her a secret tunnel in the dropship’s walls, giving her a safe entry when she returns as well.

Meanwhile, Pike is organizing their next move. He wants to clear the location around them, including a Grounder village nearby. Bellamy starts to question his motives, telling him they went too far with their first attack. Pike circumvents the guilt, arguing they couldn’t give the injured proper medical care but they couldn’t risk them getting better and fighting back either. “We’ve all learned pretty quickly that war causes us to do things we’d rather forget,” he tells him, echoing a statement Bellamy told Clarke in another season. Pike can sense that Bellamy’s been looking for a channel for his rage and takes full advantage of it, manipulating him into following along like a good soldier, even when he runs into Lincoln and Kane outside.

When Bellamy tries to echo Pike’s own statistics and “facts” (term is being used loosely) to Kane, Lincoln starts to get irritated. He’s starting to notice Bellamy’s own feelings of superiority to the Grounders, causing Lincoln to doubt his own trust in the Skaikru.

In the infirmary, Raven storms in to confront Abby about not clearing her medically. Turns out, Raven’s leg is never going to heal but it’s not the answer she wants and she refuses to accept it, storming back out.

Outside the camp, Jaha has returned, eager to recruit people for the City of Light. He finds out about the survival of most of Farm Station as well as the new ruling allowing no Grounders to pass the gates, an issue that proves dangerous when the guards kill the Grounder with Jaha after a brief confrontation. That’s the least of their worries, however, when Abby runs into him and fears he’s gone off the deep end.

He gets in to see Kane and Abby, telling them he’s finally found the City of Light. They’re less than excited when he starts talking about the Grounder he was with as if he was still alive, though his body is prone and covered with a bloodied sheet behind them. Jaha is taken away by a request for a meeting with new Chancellor Pike. Pike is clearly enjoying his new position of power and is feeling threatened by Jaha’s return. He announces he’s there to save his people while Allie interrupts, asking if Jaha, the only one who can see her, if he wants Pike to think he’s crazy. Pike isn’t sure of Jaha’s motives but vows to stay out of his way as long as Jaha returns the favor.

John’s having his own journey, attacking and robbing traveling Grounders with Emori. They’re a modern-day, post-apocalypse Bonnie and Clyde. They’re headquartered in a cave, trying to determine where to go next with Murphy in no mood to go home and Emori determined to get her brother back from Jaha. He tries to tell her it’s not a smart move and stands firm against it when she tries to get him to come with her.

She tracks him down as he prepares for another ambush but as she hides in the bushes and watches the attack, their plan is thwarted by a set of passersby wanting to first,j find Emori and second, find out where John found the “sacred symbol” of the City of Light.

Outside, Octavia has finally managed to make her way to Indra and sees the damage firsthand. Lexa demands answers and Octavia explains that Kane lost the election to Pike, stirring rage in the Commander. When Clarke tries to defend her people, Octavia attacks her, reminding her that Clarke doesn’t know “her people” anymore. Clarke begs Octavia to bring her to Bellamy, using the fact that he saved Indra’s life to give him a little credit. Lexa’s against the idea of Clarke sneaking into Arkadia to see Bellamy out of fear for her life but Octavia plans to sneak her in safely.

Inside, Abby and Pike are not seeing eye-to-eye on the clinic’s patients. When Lincoln comes in to see the issue, he’s starting to realize the tensions are too high, even when Bellamy tries to step in. When a member of Farm Station pulls a gun on him, Lincoln defends himself, knocking out the guard and taking a good swing at Bellamy. He only stops when Abby begs him to, pointing his attention to the gun Pike has pointed at one of the ill Grounders. He exiles Lincoln with the other Grounder patients and it’s clear Pike’s starting to make enemies with the wrong people (see: Abby. Why would you make her mad? She’s basically the only medic! What happens when you get sick or hurt?) but he’s not bothered.

Bellamy watches as the Ark’s guards march out the Grounders, Lincoln included. Octavia is outraged but Bellamy stops her from following them. She quickly calls him out on his behavior, telling Lincoln in the process that the entire army is dead. It’s clear this is the last straw for him but there are other pressing matters as Bellamy drags Octavia away, warning her he can’t protect her if she’s going to keep making scenes. She’s starting to feel alienated from him but she ambushes him with Clarke and leaves them.

Jaha’s having his moment though, talking with the few people who are willing to listen. Some are skeptical but Raven’s making herself a prime candidate for his efforts. He offers her one of the tabs he offered John, promising it’ll make the pain go away. She’s not swayed, though Allie is eager to get her on their side, sure the others will follow her.

He manages to track her down to a table in the commissary, where she’s sorting scrap metal. Jaha tries to talk to her but she ends up having an outburst, clearly distraught about what’s been happening with her condition and the limitations placed on her. His response is to place the pill in front of her with, “What have you got to lose?”

Bellamy and Clarke’s reunion is equally as useless. Bellamy makes it clear he’s still angry at Clarke for not coming with them and choosing the Grounders over her own people (and him, mostly, let’s be real. Bellamy’s not exactly unbiased about anything). Clarke tries to explain justice has been served by Lexa, which enrages Bellamy more. She warns him if they don’t make it right, Lexa and the rest of the coalition will but his only response is, “let her try.” He breaks a little, showing he’s struggling with all the aftereffects of war but he’s already regressed to early season one Bellamy, who touted an arrogance eerily similar to Pike’s. He throws back all their past problems and reminds Clarke she hasn’t exactly been a paragon of good choices for her people either.

Clarke apologizes but tells Bellamy the only reason she felt comfortable leaving was because her people still had Bellamy. It almost appears they’re going to be able to patch things up but Bellamy surprises her, handcuffing Clarke to a chair. He tries taking her to Pike but is ambushed by Octavia, who disarms one guard and allows Clarke to pull out the stun gun on Bellamy, allowing the two to get away. They make their way to the secret tunnel and Abby and Kane are waiting there, asking if there’s anything they can do to avoid retaliation. Clarke still wants to try getting to Bellamy but Kane’s not sure he’s going to be of much help. Octavia goes with Clarke, taking a radio to be able to communicate with Kane in case anything else comes up.

Unfortunately, Lincoln and his people are still being held captive. He finds an ally in Miller, who gives him some medicine, courtesy of Abby, and tells him Octavia is safe, having left camp with Clarke.

Indra and Lexa are waiting for Clarke’s return. Indra is not sure they’re going to be able to defeat the Sky People without guns before Clarke returns. She tells Lexa that she’s the only one who can save them, telling her she can retaliate on her people and teach them a lesson, or she can change her ways. She doesn’t see this ending with a way other than everyone ending up dead unless someone takes another first step towards ending the vicious cycle of war. Clarke and Indra end up being the two devils on her shoulders, Clarke begging her to do this another way and Indra asking her why Clarke expects her to change years of rules.

Surprisingly (or unsurprisingly considering how out-of-character this season is starting to become), Lexa agrees with Clarke. Indra does not agree but does not want to defy the Heda, despite how much she doesn't agree. “Let it be known, blood must not have blood.”

Raven, struggling with the pain in her leg and the feelings of despair from not being the same person she was, takes the pill given to her by Jaha, feeling disappointed when she notices nothing before quickly realizing she doesn’t feel any pain in her leg anymore. Looking up, she sees Allie in her sight who promptly tells her it’s time to get back to work.

The 100 airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on The CW.