The unbelievable happened. I’m shocked. I’m hurt. I’m confused. I’m in mourning.
This review is going to dive into spoilers, so I highly recommend watching “The 100” season seven, episode 13 “Blood Giant” before continuing the review (or not — you’d probably be better off if you don’t).
I normally write pretty hefty intros for my reviews, but I just don’t have the heart (*cries*) in me to do it for this episode because the disappointment is too strong. I’ve never been so upset with an episode, and not just of “The 100,” but of any show.
The sad part is that I genuinely liked “Blood Giant” leading up to the last five minutes, but that final scene broke me and it ruined the entire series — a show I’ve considered my favorite for the past few years up until 7×13 aired Wednesday, Sept. 9 on The CW.
Here’s my star rating for “The 100” 7×13 “Blood Giant”:
SPOILER ALERT
Bellamy Blake is dead.
Many fans knew something terrible was going to happen with Bellamy’s character this season and quite a few predicted he would die. I refused to believe those theories because how in the world would Bellamy Blake be killed off? It just didn’t make sense to me.
However, the optimism I held onto glitched as I watched the season seven premiere. Bellamy only lasted three minutes and then he was gone. I originally assumed his disappearance would last four episodes but then another week went by and then another and then months dragged along until we finally got him back; only we didn’t though.
The Bellamy Blake we saw this season was never the Bellamy Blake we had actually known. He was the husk of the person he used to be, wearing the same face but with a different mind.
I remember crying after the season seven premiere. We were only one episode in out of a 16-episode final season, and I already felt the distancing of the main characters and the heartache to come. Most fans did.
Even so, I held onto hope like Bellamy taught me, and I was failed — we were all failed — by the showrunner.
I watched in fear as Bellamy and Clarke faced off in front of the Anomaly stone in the last episode and clutched my heart while Bellamy was shot in his and the show lost their’s. I sobbed on the floor over the loss of this beautiful character, six years’ worth of character development and dynamics thrown out into the void over a sketchbook left laying on the floor.
This was not a necessary death. It didn’t add anything to the story at all. If anything, it took away everything it’s been trying to accomplish over its seven seasons.
The heart of the show, the male lead of the show, was killed by his best friend over a sketchbook she didn’t care enough about to pick up and take with her.
Years ago, after Clarke’s supposed Praimfaya death, Bellamy vowed to Raven that he was going to honor Clarke’s life, “If we don’t, she died in vain… and I’m not gonna let that happen.” I guess the same sentiment doesn’t extend to himself because that’s exactly what happened.
There’s a part of myself that doesn’t believe he’s dead (thanks to my friends for pushing me into my denial phase of mourning). Maybe this is all a giant simulation, and Clarke’s actually taking the “final test” to save humanity but she’s not aware of it — similarly to how Diyoza killed Hope in her simulation on Bardo.
But after the showrunner’s Tweet once the episode finished airing, I’m not sure. Killing Bellamy off just to spite the fans and actors seems right up his alley, no matter how confusing and ridiculous that makes his show.
I will watch the final three episodes because (whether I like it or not) I will always care deeply about this show. I’ve poured my heart and soul into this for six years and I’ll stick with it to the end, no matter how disappointing and hollow. I’m done making excuses for bad writing though.
Killing off main characters for shock value isn’t cool or edgy. It’s lazy writing.
Bellamy Blake deserved better.
