The 100 Review: “Unity Day” (Season 1, Episode 9)

Octavia (Maria Avgeropoulos), vying for the humanitarian of the year award, led the charge to establish a treaty with the grounders. If a girl who spent most of her life locked in a small-ish living compartment and hiding under the floor can see the merit in a peaceful co-existence with the natives, it almost seems like it should be common sense to everyone else. Unfortunately, common sense doesn’t appear to be so common among this group of agitated teens.

“Unity Day” turned out to be an ironic title since this episode was more about disenchantment than anything else. Both factions of humans, on Earth and on the Ark found themselves in conflict. This isn’t a new theme on the show by any means, but there definitely was an escalation in urgency. On Earth the 100 are now faced with the impossible task of defending against an enigmatic enemy, and on the Ark, the remaining residents have a daunting undertaking ahead of them – surviving under worsening conditions.

Clarke may have been endearing early on in the series with her rational brand of thinking, but her thought process has become somewhat diluted. The most compelling aspect of her character at the moment is limited to her potential for a romantic liaison with Bellamy. It’s no longer logic that dictates her actions, it’s fear.

Remember when she was the first person to rush off into the unknown, on a planet that she believed hadn’t been inhabited in over a century, to find supplies? That headstrong girl discovered what fear is, and instead of standing up to it like she did to Bellamy, repeatedly, she just managed to incite a war. Undoubtedly, Clarke will bounce back in the long run though.

One of the most exciting aspects of this young show has been watching how the writers have chosen to develop each character. So many of our initial impressions have already been altered as the storyline progresses – this isn’t something exclusive to any one character, but instead has been spread fairly evenly.

A perfect example of this is Kane (Henry Ian Cusick). He started off as a power hungry tyrant with his own agenda, a layer of him that has been effectively peeled off completely over a handful of episodes. On tonight’s episode of The 100, he was destroyed by the loss of his mother, his passed transgressions fading without much argument. Never underestimate the draw of redemption.

Which character do you think has transformed the most this season of The 100? Let us know your thoughts, along with your best guess for what it was that crash landed, in the comment section below!