‘The 100’ 101: 7×02 — Two serpents, one garden and a whole lot of Hope

Flashbacks, a new planet, emotional character moments, revealing information and the next new “A Team” took over the latest episode of The 100.

Season seven, episode two “The Garden” aired on The CW May 27 and was brilliant and exactly what the audience needed after the wild ride from the season premiere. The pacing was slow without getting too boring and we got to focus on only two storylines, both of which were beautifully woven together (bravo to the editing team! I was entranced).

The episode switched back and forth between our current storyline of Gabriel, Echo and Hope as they landed in Sky Ring (later discovered to be Planet Beta. What?!) to flashbacks of Octavia, Diyoza and Hope making a life for themselves after they originally went through the anomaly in season six. Throughout all of this, the episode only used one set: Hope’s childhood home on Sky Ring/Planet Beta. 

I loved the fact that the writers of the show centered Octavia’s and Diyoza’s storyline and life around the garden in front of their small home. It was a great callback to the promo for season five: “Two serpents, one garden. Eden never stood a chance.” Now, here they are living peacefully in the garden and it’s mostly all due to one thing: Hope.

While spending close to an hour at the same place could become boring in a different context, this set helped keep the foundation for the two different storylines and all the information dumping the audience received.

I’ve always been a bigger fan of character-driven stories than plot-driven stories, and I think The 100’s latest installment did a great job at blending the two.

To me, this was an episode all about relationships — familial and romantic — and how they’re what drives us, what motivates to keep pushing forward when it feels like all hope is lost. 

My star rating for this episode is right below.

SPOILER ALERT WARNING

The ‘heart’ of the show: Bellamy Blake

The flashbacks of Octavia, Diyoza and Hope explored that our connections with people give us sanity and a purpose.

Octavia was only gone from Planet Alpha (the planet where Sanctum is) for a few moments in season six. However, due to time working differently on Planet Beta — where she ended up after going through the anomaly — she was gone on a different planet with Diyoza and Hope for 10 years. That’s almost twice as long as the time jump we had between seasons four and five!

Throughout all that time, there was one motivator for her to find a way back to Sanctum: Bellamy Blake. Octavia spent almost every single day working on trying to get back to him to let him know she finally understood him after all these years. 

Then we cut to present-day with Gabriel, Echo and Hope back on Sky Ring, trying to connect the dots of where Bellamy, Octavia and Diyoza have been taken. While they’re strategizing how to go through the anomaly (Oh, sorry Hope. I mean the bridge) to find our lost heroes, we realize Echo won’t stop at anything to get Bellamy back.

This leads to one of my favorite lines the show has ever delivered to us.

Hope to Echo: What is it about Bellamy that has otherwise sensible women willing to die for him?

I feel both attacked and heard at the same time. Thank you for that, Hope. 

Bellamy has truly been “the heart” of The 100 since season one and was made clear textually in season four, episode 13, by Clarke Griffin. This latest episode clarified that more than ever. While Bellamy disappeared within the first five minutes of the season premiere, he was the talk of the town in 7×02.

I’ve even compiled a list of every time other characters discussed him in this episode.

Example 1:

Octavia to baby Hope after she put her finger in her mouth to stop the crying: Ah, it worked. Just like me. Thank you, Bell.

Example 2:

Echo: So, how do we get to Bardo?

Hope: Trust Bellamy.

Example 3:

Octavia to baby Hope: How did Bellamy do this?

Example 4: 

Hope to Echo: What is it about Bellamy that makes otherwise sensible women willing to die for him?

Example 5:

Echo to Hope: Tell me the truth, did you know they were taking Bellamy too?

Hope: No, of course not! Octavia loves him…

Example 6:

Echo to Hope: Don’t worry. I’m here now, and if they have Bellamy ‘Kill them all’ sounds about right.

Example 7: 

Echo after discovering they weren’t alone in Hope’s old house: Bellamy?

Example 8:

Echo: Who taught you to track?

Hope: The girl you stabbed and kicked over a cliff.

Echo: It’s a little more complicated than that.

Gabriel: Sounds like a good story.

Hope: You just heard it. The spy stabbed her boyfriend’s sister and kicked her over a cliff.

Hope just called Echo OUT for stabbing Octavia in season 3 and I’m LIVING FOR IT #The100

— Daily Planet (@DailyPlanetDC) May 28, 2020

Example 9:

Young Hope to Octavia: I’m training so I can help you save your brother.

Octavia: My brother doesn’t even know I’m gone yet. Six years for us is like the blink of an eye where he is.

Example 10:

Young Hope: Auntie O wait. Don’t leave.

Octavia: I miss you already.

Young Hope: I don’t want to grow up without you.

Octavia: Maybe you don’t have to. We don’t know how the anomaly works, right? Before you know it, I could be back with Bellamy, Clarke and Madi.

Young Hope: And Murphy?

Octavia: Him too. All of them. I love little one. Don’t ever forget that.

Example 11: 

Diyoza: Your brother left you to die. Why are you so eager to run back to him? Why aren’t we enough?

Octavia: *crying* I just need to tell him I understand. Because of Hope, I understand. I need to tell him.

Example 12:

Octavia’s letter to Bellamy: Bell, I hope against hope that this letter reaches you. I need you to know that you were right. There was a darkness in me, but Diyoza helped me past that darkness. That’s behind me now. I need you to know that I finally understand all you did to protect me, watch over me, love me. I wish I could see your face and hug you and tell you that I get it now. I wish I could thank you. By the time you get this — if you get this — I’ll probably be an old lady or dead. I want you to know I was happy. I have Hope. Diyoza’s a pain in the ass, but I love hre, like I love you. Please don’t worry about me. You deserve to be happy, Big Brother. Always yours, Octavia

Thanks Octavia, now i'm sad #the100

— lu (@Shl0mii) May 28, 2020

Bellamy was mentioned 12 times, in an episode about how we’ll do whatever it takes to get back to or protect the ones we love, I think that says a lot about his character and what he means to this show. He wasn’t even there physically, but his presence was still there inspiring the characters.

Octavia needed that time away on Planet Beta with Hope to finally see all the sacrifices Bellamy has made for her. That paralleled Diyoza, and we got to see the Octavia and Bellamy sibling relationship mirrored with her’s and Hope’s. Diyoza made some not-great decisions by making things harder for Octavia to get back to Bellamy, but it was done in the love Diyoza had for Octavia and how she didn’t want Hope to be alone when the time would come for Diyoza to die. 

Parallels taking over Sky Ring

The amount of parallels in this episode was insane, and I’m so happy about it.

Even though this show can become too plot-driven sometimes, in my opinion, I’ve always believed The 100 got its parallels right.

One of the bigger examples that stood out to me was the parallel between Octavia and Clarke circa season five. Octavia and Clarke both had to learn how to make a life for themselves with a small building, small child (Octavia lucked out by having Diyoza there too), an uninhabited planet they didn’t know much about, and a good ol’ long time jump (Clarke’s was six years and Octavia’s was about 10).

The biggest similarity I saw though was their devotion to Bellamy and how his very presence out there in the world gave them hope, reminded them of who they really were and gave them a reason to push onwards. 

Clarke talked to Bellamy on the radio every day for six years and seven days, and Octavia spent almost every day trying to get back to him through the anomaly and by writing him a letter. Both the radio calls Clarke did and the letter Octavia wrote were never received by Bellamy himself. It’s tragic, but there’s hope he’ll find out in the future just what he means to these two women.

The callbacks to Clarke from season five continued.

At the end of 7×02, Diyoza was caught by the (Eligius III??) people from Bardo and were on their way into the small house to find Octavia. Octavia quickly hid Young Hope and was then taken away by these antagonistic strangers. Octavia was always the “girl under the floor” and she made Hope one by doing that too.

Clarke also did that in season five episode three when the Eligius IV prisoners were after her. She hid Madi and then was taken away to be tortured for information.

That really got to me, and it was fascinating to see Octavia who was once known as the “girl under the floor” use that same technique on Hope. Octavia used to always hold it against Bellamy that he had to do that with her on the Ark, but this very act of her doing it with Hope shows that she understands the love and willingness to protect a younger loved one.

It’s safe to say, I am looking forward to the Blake reunion so much.

Oh! We also can’t forget when Hope told Echo, “My mother, my responsibility.” That was a direct callback to Bellamy’s “My sister, my responsibility,” and I loved that. There’s only one way Hope would’ve known about that saying and it’s through Octavia. Yet another thing that shows the younger Blake sibling that she understands and respects Bellamy for all he’s done.

The 100 season seven drinking game

Okay, while I was watching this last episode I couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that we could make such a fun drinking game for this current season. I’m seeing so many patterns to these episodes already, so I’ve gathered a list.

For the next episode, grab your favorite alcoholic drink if you’re of legal drinking age wherever y’all are at. If you’re not of legal drinking age or just don’t drink in general, grab some fun, sparkling grape juice! ☺️

Take a drink every time:

• Bellamy Blake is mentioned when he isn’t physically in the scene
• Hope calls the anomaly the bridge instead, or corrects people on it
• Someone makes a dig at Echo’s past
• We hop to a new planet
• Gabriel gets excited about the anomaly bridge (I got’chu Hope)
• There’s a time jump
• We see Gabriel’s cardigan
• A character from the past shows up (I’m looking at you Becca Pramheda/Franco. I see you, and apparently so does Gabriel)

I know these are just from season seven episode two and not season seven episode one, but I’ll definitely work on adding more to this list as episodes go on.

Please confer to your area’s legal obligations when it comes to drinking and drink responsibly. US citizens must be 21 or older to consume alcohol.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I thought this was a great episode. It had all the character-driven-ness I craved from the season seven premiere while also answering all the questions I’ve had since the season six finale in regards to the anomaly and Octavia’s storyline. 

Nothing about this seemed rushed or boring, it was paced really well in a way that kept the audience intrigued but gave space to let the characters breathe.

Another thing I loved and surprised me was that the entire episode was told by secondary characters, except Octavia. For the present-day storyline, we had Echo, Gabriel and Hope driving the story forward. 

Echo’s always had her story inextricably linked with someone else’s since her introduction in season two. Gabriel has only been in one other season, and his story was used as a plot device to make our main characters realize the danger of Sanctum and to help save Clarke. It’s refreshing to see the show putting his character to good use, and he’s definitely a fan favorite. And, Hope is brand new this season — excusing her momentary debut in the last scene of the last season — and she already fits into the show so well. It feels like her character has been here for seasons and not just two full episodes, also I love her one-liners. Can’t wait to see her banter with Murphy.

It’s an interesting combination of characters that may have been a little risky, but it’s paid off. Their acting and chemistry bounces off each other in a way I never would’ve thought, and I like it. I was also really happy to see Diyoza’s character utilized more this season.

The 100 premieres every Wednesday on The CW at 8/7c.