The 100: A Review

by Asma Gaba

The 100 is an ongoing television show on the CW. So far, it has

three seasons with 13-16 episodes each. The 100 is a post-

apocalyptic/science fiction TV show- in fact, it was inspired by the

book The 100 by Kass Morgan. Although the show ended up

being unrecognizable to Morgan’s series, the show is an amazing

watch.

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Nuclear weapons have riddled the Earth with extreme

radiation, making it impossible to sustain life on the planet. As a

result, twelve ships have launched into space, carrying the people

who could make it on board amidst the bombs. Soon afterwards,

the twelve ships merge, and is now named the Ark. The Ark’s

initial plan was that after spending a certain amount of time in

space, the Earth’s radiation levels would subside and allow them

to go back to Earth and live safely. Ninety-seven years have

passed, and there has been no way to prove that the Earth can

sustain human life. However, the Ark has much more dire

problems.

The Ark’s oxygen supply is running dangerously low and

citizens of the ship are slowly but steadily showing symptoms of

oxygen deprivation. Now, more than ever do the people of the

Ark need to get to Earth- or suffer from the lack of oxygen on

their ship. There was no sure way to know that Earth was safe,

but after deliberation, the Ark’s government came up with an

idea.

On the Ark, every criminal offense is punishable by death, in

where the convicted is pushed out of an airlock into space. Every

criminal adult is subjected to that fate. If one is under eighteen,

they’re put in prison until their eighteenth birthday, where they

will then face a trial that will, inevitably, sentence them to death.

The government on the Ark decides that the 100 expendable,

under aged kids in prison will be the ones to test and learn if

Earth is livable or not. They’re fitted with monitoring wristbands

that will measure the effects the environment will have on their

bodies, and are afterwards sent to Earth on a dropship. The Ark

planned to drop them by Mount Weather, a bunker that the US

government owned where they would find supplies crucial to

survival. The strategy didn’t go to according plan, as they were

accidentally dropped miles away from Mount Weather.

After spending their entire lives on a ship in space, the 100

are now forced to survive on a planet that they know nearly

nothing about; to endure living in the middle of a forest in what

was once the east coast of the United States. At first, it’s an

ultimate disaster: 100 kid and teen criminals all running loose to

do whatever they pleased, a scarcity of food, mutated animals

and killing acid rain- it’s a struggle to make it day by day. Soon,

the 100 discover secrets of the Earth that were long forgotten by

the people of the Ark, and survival becomes more difficult than

ever before.

The majority of characters in the show are young adults,

giving it an air of relatability. The main characters are such

strong and motivated individuals in the face of hardship after

hardship in unknown environments. Clarke Griffin, the main

character, and de facto leader of the 100 is so real. She tries her

best to do what’s right for the group and her, but doesn’t always

make the best decisions, sometimes making enormous mistakes.

In the face of life threatening events, it’s still not forgotten that

she is still a teenager. I’m glad that the writers didn’t attempt to

erase her youth- along with many other of the 100- as it gives

the show a more unnerving point of view.

Each and every person goes through dramatic events that

shape their character growth and transition smoothly. I’ve never

been as pleasantly surprised by character development in any

show as I have been by The 100.

The 100 will be one of the best shows you watch. There are

so many things happening with the switch perspectives from the

Ark to the ground. Watching it will have adrenaline pumping

through your veins and cliffhangers will be sure to make you say

“Just one more episode.” The balance of science fiction, reality,

and action is sure to capture you wholly. The 100 is one of the

best shows I’ve watched in 2016, and would definitely

recommend to anyone who asks.

Season 4 of The 100 is scheduled to return on January 21 st ,

2017.