Why?
For me, it’s the best, but I realize there are differences of opinion. I came to The 100 late. I missed the first season because I thought the previews looked ho-hum. I watched the first season on Netflix, and by episode three, I was hooked.
I haven’t read the books, but I’m considering reading them because I’m far enough into the series that the books, even if they are way better, probably won’t influence my love of the show.
I’m going to try to do this without too many spoilers, but there will probably be some. If you haven’t seen the series and want to view it without spoilers, you probably shouldn’t read more. I usually don’t care about spoilers, but I know I’m in the minority.
The Basis of the Series
This isn’t a full summary, and I’m sketching out the basic as spoiler-free as I can. If you know the story, you won’t mind. If you haven’t seen it, I hope there’s enough info to interest you but not enough to be off-putting.
There has been a nuclear apocalypse. Twelve space stations were already in space. They banned together to form the Ark and thought they were the only people to survive. A hundred plus years later, the spaceships aren’t going to last much longer, so the leaders decided to send 100 teenage prisoners to Earth to see if they can survive and if Earth is livable. They jettison the 100, who crash land.
The teens find a life-supporting environment. There are signs of radiation poisoning, and to their surprise survivors, the Grounders. They also discover Maintain Men, who survived in bunkers and have sophisticated technology. They might seem like natural allies, but the teens learn they are hostile. They may even be more dangerous than the Grounders, who live in a primitive society. Also, there’s a group of people who are cannibalistic and seem like zombies and a strange AI presence that is a complete mystery.
This world is hostile, brutal, and dangerous. At first, the group almost reverts to a Lord of the Flies mentality, but they recover, pull together, and leaders emerge, and a kind of civilized society develops.
The Main Reasons I Love The 100
Compelling storytelling: I thought the series would be a Hunger Games rip-off. I was wrong! The story itself has me on the edge of my seat, always wanting and waiting for the next episode. I binge-watched the first season and was excited when the second season hit Netflix.
Few gender stereotypes: among the Grounders, women tend to be the warrior leaders. It’s not until season three that a powerful reason for this comes to light. The Mountain Men are the exceptions, but even their women are strong and influential.
Sexual Preferences: This is often a hot issue for our society, but in this future world, it’s a non-issue.
More Reasons The 100 Is Awesome
I have always love dystopian stories and worlds, but I’m also wary of them. So many are bad. The 100 is definitely in the good category. Here are some more reasons The 100 makes my Best of List.
First, the complexity of the storyline outstrips other series
It’s pretty hard to draw a line and say, ‘These are the good guys, and those are the bad guys.’ As in life, there’s no clear bad and good. There are all kinds of shades of gray.
In the first few episodes, the Grounders seem to be the bad guys, but when we learn why they are reacting the way they do, their reasons are logical, something we can understand and might do if we found ourselves in their circumstances. Then we learn about the Mountain Men, and they seem to be the bad guys, and our view of them gets shifted around.
By halfway through the first season, we know there aren’t clear-cut answers. As life was on the Ark, the world on the ground is brutal, violent, and unforgiving. Survival is the first order of business.
Second, we see the world from various points of view, most of which we can understand.
The Grounders leave the hundred alone as long as they don’t venture into their territory, but that suddenly changes and the Grounders attacked. This seemed senseless and unreasonable until we learn why they are attacking: the hundred couldn’t communicate with the Ark, so they decided to send up rockets. The people on the Ark could see the missile and know the teens were alive. Great plan, but one of the rockets fell on a village and destroyed it, which the Grounders saw as an act of war.
As the story unfolds, we learn more and more about the people populating the earth. I don’t agree with everything the groups do, but actions become understandable. We even learn why the Ark ruthlessly jettisoned a group of teens to the ground.
Third, the story doesn’t unfold like a typical TV series.
Bad things happen to characters we grow fond of; characters make terrible mistakes, some redeem themselves, and others don’t; characters are put in a position of making impossible, lose-lose type of decisions, and the viewer agonizes right along with the characters.
This is one of the few series that makes me talk aloud to my TV, advising characters and cringing as they make hard decisions. Sometimes the choices are horrible and at the same time, are understandable.
One of the things this series does is spotlight the dangers, the difficulties, and the moral choices leaders have to make, which is probably why I often agonize with the characters I like.
Fourth, there are consequences.
If someone gets shot, he or she isn’t all better in the next episode. They are damaged or limping, or in pain, or any number of realistic results. The damage isn’t always physical. Just as in real life, there is psychological damage.
Some characters make bad decisions and pay the price. Others make the only decision they could or the most moral decision in a world where all choices are horrible, and they suffer the consequences. No one gets off easy.
Fifth, there are a variety of characters
It’s probably apparent by now that this is the kind of world where the weak don’t make it, and the strong survive in varying degrees. We have people:
1) who become leaders out of necessity;
2) who become leaders out of a desire to control;
3) who seem to be a little crazy;
4) who are psychologically damaged;
5) who are ruthless;
6) who resort to stereotypes and dogmatic rule;
7) who try to do the best thing in horrible circumstances;
8) who are only out for themselves;
9) who want to help the community;
10) who go native;
11) who hate the natives and refuse to see the world from any view but their view.
Sixth, there are mysteries aplenty
I like mysteries, and I want them to come to light, which they do in this storyline. In the beginning, we don’t know who the Grounders are or why they behave the way they do nor do we know anything about the Mountain Men. The writers play fair and let things slowly unfold and eventually give answers. The storyline doesn’t seem ad hoc but planned and well thought out. I don’t have to worry about a stupid ending like Lost.
Okay, the Shows Not Perfect
If you are into complete scientific accuracy, it’s not going to happen, but few science fiction stories are. You have to suspend your disbelief as with any story of this kind. In the beginning, the way they treated radiation poisoning annoyed me, but I got over it. I’ll admit I was also looking for reasons not to like the story. 🙂
In the early episodes, the acting and dialogue were a little clunky, but I usually give a new show a few episodes to find its groove. The actors and writers are seasoned now, and storyline, dialogue, acting are excellent.
There have been a few times I thought characters were acting out of character. At those times, my daughter usually reminds me they are teenagers, and their character isn’t fully developed. Hell, I sometimes act out of character. So I forgive them for not being consistent characters stepping out of character doesn’t happen often. I’ll admit those characters usually revert back to their nature (come to their senses) when they figure out they’re behaved badly.
Let me know if you agree or disagree. If you haven’t seen the show, hop over to Netflix and watch.
The 100: The Story So Far Trailer
If you haven’t seen the program and hate spoilers, skip this video.
The Usual Reminders
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