The 100 – S5E7 – Acceptable Losses

Previously on The 100, “Exit Wounds”

Images: The CW

I’m Not as Good As You Hoped

At Shadow Valley, Kane is getting fed up with Abby’s addiction and the final straw is when Abby can’t save the defector Octavia ordered to be shot. Abby has never looked worse and Kane wants Abby to kick the habit and is ready to make Abby choose between the pills that Diyoza is supplying. We don’t get an answer to that choice, but please believe that Kane wants his new best friend Diyoza to cut Abby’s supply. Diyoza isn’t trying to hear it because she doesn’t need a junkie doctor looking for their fix; she needs her junkie doctor looking for a cure to the mysterious disease that’s affecting 75% of Diyoza’s people. Kane isn’t happy, but he and Diyoza are still able to interrogate Echo. Echo continues to be great at everything, including her job as a spy and maneuvers her without her cover being blown.

Echo meets with Raven, who has a shock collar on as well, and Echo wants Raven to use Shaw to get close enough to use Monty’s flash drive. Raven’s hesitant to betray Shaw, but Echo forces Raven’s hand. Echo meets with Diyoza to basically snitch on Shaw for lying about Raven overriding her missiles when they left Polis. While Raven is showing the proof on the computer to Diyoza that confirms what Shaw did, Echo uses that time to get control of the eye in the sky. Diyoza can’t kill Shaw because he’s their pilot, but he gets roughed up pretty good and a shock collar is slapped on him for good measure as he’s thrown in with Echo, Raven, and the other defectors.

Be Careful of the Dark, Octavia; Too Easy to Lose Your Way

I’ve been holding on to this “Octavia isn’t wrong” campaign for a few episodes, but umm yeah — I think she crossed the line. Using the worms as a way of biological warfare; I can still see her thought process on why she had to go to these lengths. As she lays it out, Diyoza has superior firepower and every geographical advantage available that Octavia has an uphill battle just to make it an even playing field. The problem I have with the way Octavia is portrayed here is, even though Octavia was okay with testing the dead defectors with the worms, once she found out Cooper was experimenting with live human testing I expected more of a consequence for Cooper going behind Octavia’s back. Earlier in the season, Octavia knew exactly how many of her people died in the past 6 years so its hard to swallow that Octavia would be okay with killing her people to ultimately save her people even if they are acceptable losses. Octavia is weary, hasn’t had any sleep, and plans on getting rest after the war is won, but her decision making is already being challenged by her oldest friend, Indra. Kicking Indra out of her inner circle will not end well especially with Cooper being blood thirsty at every turn, and Gaia stuck between her oath as a Flame Keeper and her loyalty to the Red Queen.

Speaking of Gaia, it seems for now that her and Clarke’s interests are aligned in trying to protect Madi from Octavia. Getting Madi to throw the fight against Ethan to stay off the radar of Octavia is a wise plan of action. One thing Clarke and Gaia are going to have to do is talk to Madi as an adult of some sort. They are telling her what to do and giving her solid reasons why, but they are not getting Madi’s buy-in because again Madi goes against their direction to impress Octavia. Madi beats the hell out of Ethan in front of Octavia in the pit and now Madi is going to be Octavia’s second as they prepare for war against Diyoza. 

I haven’t given Monty a lot of love this season, but let me say this: Christopher Larkin has never been a “bad” actor, but other than the episode where Jasper died, I can’t think of anything he’s done that’s blown me away… until this episode. When he read Jasper’s suicide note, Larkin acted his ass off. His scene was short, but it hit all the emotional notes for me and I hope this leads to a thread where he proactively works to get both sides to co-exist rather than a war, which has been the underlying theme for the entire series. I’m not sure how exciting the series would be without that theme, but I’m sure these writers can make it work.

There is a lot going on in this episode. Raven is pissed with Echo for what they did and how the fallout hit Shaw. McCreary and the others Murphy and Emori ambushed are still MIA. I still need to see how Murphy leverages McCreary. Also guys, some congratulations are in order: Mcreary’s going to be a Daddy. Diyoza’s pregnant and it’s got to be McCreary’s, right?

We got a glimpse of the Flame when Gaia and Madi had their conversation. Madi was subtle about it, but she seemed really interested in it. Not to mention the hook they left us with where Clarke is going to try and overthrow Octavia in a last-ditch effort to break the cycle of war and attempt to share the valley with Diyoza by surrendering. Yeah, I’m sure that will turn out well for everyone especially Bellamy who gave her a mean side eye when she suggested it. Oh, Clarke, you went 7 episodes without being the worst. Welcome back, Clarke.