On this episode of The 100, “Gimme Shelter,” Clarke arrives on the island and discovers Abby grappling with a tough decision, Octavia and Ilian spend a night together and the arrival of black rain catches Skaikru off guard.
Octavia once again flees Arkadia, but she doesn’t get far before she realizes she isn’t alone — Ilian follows her. Convinced O can’t survive on her own and feeling like he owes her since she spared his life, Ilian offers his help. No sooner does Octavia make it clear that he’s helped enough, do the first drops of black rain begin to fall. Fate keeps throwing these two together, and Octavia and Ilian ride off on her horse, looking for cover.
Bellamy Returns to Arkadia
Octavia and Ilian find a conveniently located cave where they quickly strip out of their clothes and rinse themselves in a pool of fresh water. They may be stuck together for the duration of the storm, but Octavia doesn’t plan on socializing.
Bellamy returns to Arkadia, and the scene is utter chaos as people trample each other trying to get inside. Bellamy learns Octavia has gone, and even though his first impulse is to go chasing after his sister, Kane warns him it’s better to wait. If anyone can handle themselves, it’s Octavia.
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Clarke and Roan arrive at the island lab where a forlorn Clarke is reunited with Abby. Abby tries to comfort her daughter, stating that going into space was a long shot.
Clarke learns about Raven’s stroke, but Abby feels Raven can recover if she takes it easy. Clarke voices her concerns about Abby who insists she’s fine. Abby has found a possible alternative to save people, but it would involve injecting someone with Luna’s blood marrow.
In order to know if this would work, Abby would have to expose someone to a large amount of radiation. The lab comes equipped with a radiation chamber that Becca was using in her research to find a cure for cancer. Clarke isn’t dissuaded by the fact that a human guinea pig would have to be exposed to enough radiation to implode every cell in their body.
His White Horse Got Stuck
Two members of Skaikru, Mark Colton and his son Peter, radio in that they’re trapped in the storm with only a small overhang for shelter. Peter has been exposed to a large amount of radiation, and they need help. So, Bellamy suits up and heads out on a rescue mission. He doesn’t get far before he realizes the suit he put on isn’t going to provide any protection but makes it as far as the rover. Kane wants Bellamy to turn around, but Bellamy’s determined to save Peter who was one of the original 100.
Bellamy is able to get close, but the wind picks up, blowing the rain inside their scant cover. Bellamy gets the rover stuck in the mud and is dumb enough to contemplate making a run for it until Kane confirms it’s a suicide mission. He advises Bellamy to wait until the storm passes. Bellamy can hear Mark Colton yelling for help and asks Kane what he’s supposed to say to the distressed father. Kane suggests the truth.
A Face from Emori’s Past
Emori — who overheard Clarke and Abby’s conversation — and Clarke walk to the mansion. Emori expresses her uneasiness about being on the island. She tells Clarke she’s disappointed that their mission has failed, but hopes Abby will come up with another way (What’s your game Emori?). Emori tells Clarke how similar she is to her mother — willing to do anything to save her people. Clarke emphasizes she’s not just looking out for Skaikru.
While Clarke cleans up, Emori informs Murphy they need to head to the little bunker (Can anyone endure Murphy in a confined space for years?). She warns him they’re going to sacrifice someone to test the Nightblood. Emori is convinced it won’t be Clarke or Raven, it’ll be her.
Emori doesn’t have time to make a quick getaway before she’s attacked by a man named Baylis. The two apparently go way back, and their history isn’t good. Clarke worries that the man didn’t come alone, so they tie him up, hoping to get some information. Emori makes it clear that when the time comes, she’ll be the one to kill him.
Clarke tries to console an upset Emori, but Emori doesn’t believe Clarke could possibly empathize with what she’s endured: tortured, cast out of her clan, forced to steal and kill to survive. Clarke was loved and told she was special, not thrown away like garbage.
Clarke may not be able to relate to Emori’s hard-knock life, but she does know what it’s like to feel like you have no choice but to kill. Emori says it isn’t a matter of choice. If they let Baylis live, he will come back. He will say anything to survive, and the moment they let their guard down, he will strike. Emori refuses to let that happen. Clarke comes up with an alternative.
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The Beginning of a Beautiful….Something
Ilian questions where Octavia will go when the storm passes, and she offers no response. Ilian doesn’t know where he’ll go. Home reminds him of his family that he killed. Octavia assures Ilian he’s not a murderer because he actually feels something after having taken his family’s lives. Unlike O, who feels nothing.
Ilian doesn’t believe O is as heartless as she acts. He saw the pain in her face when she was aiming the gun at his head. Octavia may not want to feel the pain, but it’s there. Ilian wants to know what made Octavia this way, but she’s not interested in swapping sad stories. Ilian thinks there’s hope for Octavia, but she says he’s wrong and walks out into the black rain.
Ilain pulls a screaming and struggling Octavia back into the cave. Ilian is no Lincoln, but O plants a kiss on the guy anyway. He pulls away obviously confused by the mixed signals. Octavia just wants to feel something else which leads to a wet, hot hook up.
For the Greater Good?
Abby who is also showing signs of neurological damage (tremors, hallucinations) gets the bad news from home. Kane tells her about the black rain. The water will be undrinkable following the storm, and whatever they had stockpiled was destroyed in the fire. They have enough for just a couple of weeks.
Abby reveals there may be a solution, but in order to find out, she’ll have to do something she though she never would. Abby asks Kane if she takes a life to find a cure, does that make her a murderer? Can she live with herself if she saves them all? Kane doesn’t have an easy answer, especially for Abby whose humanity is her greatest strength. But, sometimes, people need to call on a different kind of strength (moral relativism). The important thing is to survive and then find their humanity again.
I’m not certain how turning everyone into Nightbloods will solve the food and water shortage. Luna got radiation sickness from eating fish, she was just able to recover on her own. Does this mean every time they drink, the survivors will get ill? Or will Abby dose them into super humans? Nobody’s acknowledged that they’ll be no food source, unless Abby plans on inoculating animals as well. Just sayin’……
Bellamy feels pretty dejected at his impotence when it comes to saving people lately. It brings back memories of his inability to help his mother. Kane insists she would be as proud of the man Bellamy has become as Kane is. Bellamy reminds the Chancellor that he floated his mother.
The following morning, Ilian decides to head back to the family farm, and Octavia offers him a lift.
Abby decides to use Baylis as a test subject. Clarke tells her mother that nobody likes having to make this choice, not even to someone so…unlikable. But if it works, they survive — simple as that.
Bad news is Baylis might not have been such a bad guy after all. Emori confides in Murphy that she made it all up to ensure she didn’t wind up becoming a charcoal briquette.
Will Emori’s lie be exposed? Is Abby just as bad as the former inhabitants of Mt. Weather? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
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Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
Jennifer has worked as a freelance writer in the entertainment field since 2012. In addition to currently writing feature articles for Screen Rant, Jennifer has contributed content ranging from recaps to listicles to reviews for BuddyTV, PopMatters, TVRage, TVOvermind, and Tell-Tale TV. Links to some of Jennifer’s reviews can be found on Rotten Tomatoes.
