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The 100 Review: “I Am Become Death” (Season 1, Episode 10)

The 100 are under a lot of pressure going into tonight's episode,"I Am Become Death." After last week's failed attempt to negotiate a cease fire with the grounders, the immediate concern is safety. However, the mystery of whatever fell from space is taking up a healthy portion of everyone's mind. As if Clarke (Eliza Taylor) and Bellamy (Bob Morley) didn't have enough to worry about with just keeping the 100 from killing each other, they now have to worry about retaliation for Jasper's (Devon Bostick) ego. It appears that humanity managed to survive after all - but for now, the 100 are only privy to the worst parts of it.

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There’s been a lot of personality traits colliding or threatening the greater good on this season of The 100. Jasper, for as much as his self confidence was lacking in the pilot, has grown into his ego recently. Apparently inciting a war with the natives bumps you right up the social hierarchy. This must be quite the spectacle for a character who only a few short months ago most of the camp was ready to let die. Look how far he’s come.

Jasper isn’t the only one letting his own shortcomings get the best of the situation, though. Raven (Lindsey Morgan) puts her pride on display tonight when she nearly sabotages the mission to deter the grounders. When Finn’s (Thomas McDonell) affections for Clarke become too much to ignore, Raven makes a choice that puts everyone in jeopardy.

It’s a little disappointing to see considering what a strong character Raven really is, but on some level it makes her more relatable. She is driven by an innate desire to protect Finn. It’s what got her to Earth in the first place, and even as she braces herself for the end of their romantic relationship, she’s willing to risk her life for someone she loves. It’s an admirable trait, to say the least.

Raven breaking up with Finn turned out to be one of the most enjoyable scenes this week. Fans didn’t really need the reminder that Raven is in a league of her own, although after her near fatal faux pas it didn’t hurt, but they sure got it anyway. Watching her tell Finn it was over without getting caught up in what that meant and simply turning over and going to sleep after was definitely the right way to go with the scene. Anything else would have just cheapened her character. Although, I imagine that if her character wasn’t ill, she would have preferred to walk away, naturally without looking back.

Now for the real conundrum. When Raven first arrived on Earth, Finn and Clarke were finally allowing themselves to acknowledge their attraction to one another. These are characters who have been thrown into a foreign environment where the odds are clearly not in their favor, it is only normal that they would seek comfort in each other. That all came to a screeching halt when Raven became part of the equation. Since then, there’s been the uncomfortable sense that all three of them were walking on eggshells for the benefit of well, everyone.

The writers partially remedied the situation by establishing the potential for this love triangle to become a square. The love triangle dynamic has moved through characters on The 100 pretty rapidly as the show settles in for the long haul and has finally centered on Clarke, Finn, and Bellamy. Clarke and Finn seemed like the obvious choice since their more rational brand of thinking originally set them apart from the larger group, but Bellamy, particularly when paired with Clarke, has become a highlight of every episode.

With The 100 already renewed for a second season, the writers have the time to work this out. Let’s just hope they don’t drag it out to the point where it’s no longer entertaining to wonder who she’ll end up with.

Let us know what you thought of this episode of The 100 in the comment section below, and don’t forget to weigh in on who you want to see end up with Clarke!