'The 100' recap: 'Join or Die'

When I first saw the title for this episode I had two reactions: one, I laughed and two, I feared for my favorite delinquents. "Join or Die" is an ominous title and after all the dissonance between the Sky People's ruling styles this season, I worried we'd lose another person in ALIE's crusade or to the unknown Grounder clan they're walking into.

After being happy at the fact that we got two episodes of the kids all back together, it’s only natural that they’re separated shortly after. With Raven, Miller, Monty, Harper and Bryan staying behind to make sure ALIE has no connection to the Ark’s mainframe, Clarke, Jasper, Bellamy and Octavia make their way towards Luna following Lincoln’s map.

A Crash Course in Survival
Back on the Ark, things seem a little calmer. Jaha, Kane and Abby bring Pike in, asking him to teach a crash course on wilderness survival to the delinquents; though he wants to know what their evidence is that the Earth is survivable, they don’t tell him anything other than they need to know, warning that any leak of this information will get him floated. Hesitantly, he agrees to their two-week deadline to get the kids ready for life on Earth.

Despite her hard demeanor now, Octavia was a shy girl, unsure of where her place was in the class as people whispered and laughed around her. Surprisingly enough, normally stoic Miller is the first to start gossiping about their companion, the “girl who lived under the floor.” Instead of saying anything, Octavia sinks further into her seat.

In class, Pike is trying his hardest to explain the necessary skills and get the kids to start paying attention. Though a few are interested, like Octavia, most are still just teenagers. Sure, Pike’s a terrible Chancellor but he is determined to help these kids survive, which could arguably be used to explain all of his actions this season thus far. “The key to surviving on the earth is to keep fighting,” he urges them.

Between classes, Pike tries to reason with Chancellor Jaha. The kids aren’t interested in learning or listening to anything he’s trying to teach them. He wants to tell them about their mission to Earth. He knows it’s important if he and Abby are willing to risk their children, but Jaha refuses, giving him the final class to reach them because it’s happening.

Back with the delinquents, Pike tells the class they’re done talking about Earth skills, instead he decides to teach them what he wanted them to learn in the first place: how to fight. He picks on Murphy first, using his past against him. He starts attacking Murphy verbally and physically, reminding him of his poor choices and how they weren’t going to help him on the ground. When the others try to call for help, they seem to realize that the only way they’re going to survive is if they work together.

Abby and Kane are there, watching as the 100 are loaded into their ship. Abby momentarily falters as an unconscious Clarke is taken on board but Kane reminders her it’s what they have to do. She and Kane are having a standoff while Bellamy sneaks his way on board.

Polis: The City of Light
Pike, Kane, and the Grounders have finally made their way back to Polis. Except this Polis is different; people are strung up on cross-like creations, creating pools of blood everywhere. At the center of the square, they see people meditating before being greeted by Jackson and eventually, Jaha and Commander Ontari. She orders the Grounders to take the Key; when Pike tries to take back control of his previously loyal soldiers, it turns out that Pike and Kane may be back on the same side as they both refuse to take the Key. ALIE wants Kane on her side, sure he can help them find Clarke and the Flame. As he’s taken away, Abby asks them to let her take care of Marcus.

Trying to get Clarke’s location from Kane, Abby pretends to not be chipped, begging Kane to tell him where Clarke is for her own personal reassurance. ALIE keeps urging her to try harder, leading Abby to kiss him before Kane catches on that she’s also not herself. Now under ALIE’s full control, Abby has him tied to a cross and tortured as they string him up, full Messiah imagery in play.

Meanwhile, Pike finds himself in captivity with others that refused to take the Key, including Indra and a worse-for-wear Murphy. Once they’re left alone by the guards, she rips the hook holding her in place out of the wall, promising to retaliate for the 300 lives he took on the battlefield. The rest of the group looks away, choosing to not intervene.

Indra continues her assault on Pike before Murphy decides to stand up. He rallies his fellow captives, reminding them that their real enemy is not Pike but the army in the City of Light. “Do you want your revenge or do you want your people to live?” Murphy asks Indra.

“Both,” she replies, going back to her place on the wall. “I’ll get my revenge. Just not today.”

Despite Pike’s gratefulness, Murphy refuses to accept it. “Go float yourself. Everything I learned, I learned on the ground.”

Still strung up hours later, Kane is refusing to take the Key. Jaha tells him they’re out of time; in an effort to get Kane to take the Key, he threatens Abby’s life. As the Key sets in, his face becomes peaceful, the pain dissipating.

Earth, Wind, Fire, and Sea
In the Rover, Bellamy, Clarke, Octavia, and Jasper are following the map in Lincoln’s journal, hoping to find Luna without much issue. They’re stopped by a tree that’s been knocked down in the middle of the path, leading Octavia to jump out of the car and continue the trek on foot. The other three trail behind, following the sound of rushing water that was supposed to lead them to Luna’s village. Unfortunately, they only come face-to-face with an ocean; there’s no sign of the village anywhere, just the remains of what looks to be a post-apocalyptic Stonehenge of sorts. Frustrated, Octavia screams into the distance. (Me too, O, me too.)

Putting their Earth skills knowledge to use, Octavia and Jasper get a bonfire started as the group decides to make camp for the night. Bellamy tries to take a look at Lincoln’s journal but Octavia knocks it out of his hands, refusing to let her anger go. Though Bellamy storms off and Clarke debates following him, the group is distracted by the fire, which grows green as Jasper throws some leaves into it. Octavia has a realization that this is how they’re to contact Luna; Jasper hurriedly goes off in search of more leaves while Clarke watches Bellamy grow smaller as he continues to walk away.

Once their fire is glowing solidly green, Clarke catches up with Bellamy further down the shore but he’s not interested in talking; looking over at Octavia, he’s not sure what to do about her. Fortunately, they finally talk about the things that have built up between them, including Bellamy admitting he he was mad at her for leaving but he doesn’t want to be anymore. In turn, she reminds him of what we’ve known since season one: the only way they’re going to survive during their time on the Earth is if they work together.

Unfortunately, their reunion is cut short by the arrival of Grounders coming up from the water, scuba gear in place. Though they’re originally tied up, hearing they’re there on Lincoln’s behalf instills trust in the Grounder clan. They’re handed four vials of a mysterious liquid, which Octavia and Jasper quickly shoot back. Watching as Octavia and Jasper fall unconscious, Clarke reminds Bellamy that they’re in this “together,” the two of them shooting the liquid back and falling unconscious as well.

Alternatively, we watch as the dropship crashes on the earth, hitting the ground as Clarke, Bellamy, Octavia, and Jasper wake up in a cargo pod. Though their weapons were taken from them, Clarke still has the Flame, which reassures her.

The doors open, temporarily blinding them before revealing Luna. Clarke tells her that she’s the last of her kind, the final nightblood, alerting Luna that Lexa is dead as well as Lincoln. When she presents her with the Flame, Luna denies it. When they follow her out, they find themselves on a helipad in Luna’s village -- which is just the remains of what seems to be a factory stranded in the middle of the ocean.

This episode was a lot; from the Kane-is-Christ message to Bellamy and Clarke finally burying the hatchet to Octavia admitting her problem with Bellamy was that she could only think of Lincoln when she looked at him to the appearance of Luna in all her mermaid-esque glory…

Even though she was only on screen for what was likely around 120 seconds, Luna is definitely going to be an interesting addition to the remaining episodes of season three. She’s a stark contrast to Lexa already; though they were both brought up to be warriors, Luna abandoned that life, allowing Lexa to become the Heda. Lexa followed a strict “blood must have blood” tradition while Luna’s people are known for being extraordinarily peaceful. Though Lexa made great strides by being the Commander that made the thirteen clans come together in the coalition, Luna wants nothing to do with the politics of the ground, even as Clarke is urging her to use her peaceful nature to restore a balance to their home.

With Luna’s insistence that she wants nothing to do with the Flame, I’m interested to see how the delinquents take ALIE and the City of Light down, especially now that Kane and Abby are under ALIE’s control.

The 100 airs Thursdays at 9/8c on The CW.