The 100 Season 5 Episode 8 Review: How We Get to Peace
Yana Grebenyuk
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The thing happened, and nothing will ever be the same again.
"How We Get To Peace," written by Lauren Muir, remarkably covered the topic of peace while combining the excruciating choices that need to be made to get there. It was raw and vulnerable in the way that it positioned the characters that were struggling to find that endpoint.
Nobody was safe, and no bond was to be trusted because in the blink of an eye it was all tested beyond belief.
Once again, those last few minutes backed characters into corners they themselves spent so much time trying to avoid. And in that process, the Blake sibling bond was put at risk for the sake of safety and peace.
In an incredible turn of events, Bellamy reemerged and took on the responsibility that only he could truly handle, taking down Octavia.
"How We Get To Peace" ventured into dark places, specifically the way that it approached murder and pain at the expense of something greater on the horizon. It sacrificed a lot, and it only gets more intense from here on out.
During The 100 Season 5 Episode 8, Bellamy is pushed to a boiling point when Octavia makes him choose between her and Clarke. Meanwhile, Abby hits new lows when reconnecting with Raven and trying to keep her secret from getting out.
Charmaine is focused on the promise of a safe future, only for McCreary to ruin it all for her once again.
As for Madi, she is just hanging out and leaving us all worried sick.
Related: The 100 Season 5 Episode 7 Review: Acceptable Losses
Bellamy Secret Weapon Blake
That happened.
All eyes may have been on Clarke, but this was all about Bellamy's breaking point.
Clarke's relationship with Octavia wasn't on the line the way that Bellamy and Octavia's was. That was easy to file away as Clarke having the guts to do something that Bellamy would never be able to.
Instead though, How We Get To Peace pulled off the ultimate twist with Bellamy's decision to trick his sister into a coma.
The idea that Bellamy would finally snap, one that we thought was covered completely on The 100 Season 5 Episode 6, made an extraordinary appearance in this episode.
Bellamy may have stood up to Octavia, and yet he still couldn't face the fact that she was a real obstacle. It was simple to see her as someone that was in the way of a relationship, but now she was actually in the way of them finding peace and of Clarke staying alive.
Bellamy made a lot of choices, in a way he chose Clarke over Octavia and in another real way he chose peace over his sister.
It is complicated enough that Bellamy reached this point where he had no other choice.
But who was it that he put in a coma and where do they all go from there?
Earlier in the episode, Bellamy himself said that Octavia was crazy. We know she became a leader that no one can reason with and very few can understand.
Still, in my mind, it was easy to assume that Bellamy still saw this as his sister, the ghost of who she once was still inside there somewhere.
And it is through their scenes, moments that I wonder if Bellamy flipped back on as he made this choice, that he realized she really could be lost.
This is how we stop the war.
Bellamy
Take their hug in The 100 Season 5 Episode 5, as dark as Octavia seemed to be Bellamy kept searching for something within her that proved that she was the sister he left behind.
When she leaned in for that kiss, for a second you knew Bellamy was lulled into a false sense of security. The same happened in this episode, with Bellamy sharing a meal with his sister and assuming she wanted him to repeat a phrase they said when they were kids.
Instead, just like with that kiss, Octavia flipped a switch and made it clear that what she wanted was her creepy cannibalism theme. She wanted Bellamy to once again submit to her, to be overwhelmed and to take a step back.
There is no easy way to figure out where things go from here, but in that room, Bellamy Blake didn't put down his sister. He took power away from the Red Queen that managed to swallow the person he remembered whole.
That leaves the question of Octavia's faith moving forward, especially when it comes this betrayal and her next step when she awakens.
This Octavia is unpredictable, and there is no doubt in my mind that the second she gains consciousness she will charge for Bellamy and Eden.
I'd strongly argue though that she will manage to do much damage, in my mind by the time she gets there it will all be up in flames anyway.
But this shift, this will not just be forgotten.
Bellamy's takedown of his sister is a wound that will not just be forgotten.
While everyone was waiting and rooting for Clarke to make that choice to kill Octavia, having Bellamy poison her even temporarily puts a real relationship at risk.
Not that Bellamy and Octavia's relationship was strong lately, and not that Bellamy wasn't completely warranted in his decision.
Honestly, the fact that Bellamy reached that point where even he decided this has to be done speaks to the problems that Octavia kept reinforcing. She wouldn't listen, she wouldn't back down, she wouldn't stop presenting a threat unlike any other to their safety.
Still, there are things from which you don't come back. Much like Octavia beating Bellamy half to death, Bellamy now choosing to give Octavia that algae leaves us all unsure of what can come next.
Related: The 100: Characters Who Deserve More Screen Time
McCreary's Distant Memori and Charmaine's Hope For The Future
McCreary is home again and just in time to veto the name that Charmaine has picked out for their child.
The sentiment is sweet, but the name is not; in fact, I am willing to draw up my own list of possible names.
Now I mentioned in The 100 Season 5 Episode 8 Preview that McCreary was the key to getting Murphy and Emori to Eden. From there, they are meant to cause the events that could lead to the downfall of Shallow Valley, but they need Echo and Raven for that.
This episode's arc for them was a way to get these characters from Point A to Point B because the truth is that they are only starting to set everything on fire.
Still, that stare down between Charmaine and McCreary was more than clear; they are not in a good place right now. Which is convenient considering how close to peace they were over there.
Charmaine is in a spot again where not only is Wonkru a threat, now McCreary can take her down from the inside and in a way she was not prepared for any of this.
This is all a lovely reminder that tensions are rising in every corner of that Earth; every group is in a position where one wrong move could unnerve everything around them.
Much like Octavia's leadership is suffocating everyone in the bunker, Charmaine and McCreary battling for leadership will suffocate the atmosphere in Eden.
Not only is McCreary a threat to their existence in that little land of green, he now could potentially find out that there is a cure for their disease which surprisingly Charmaine doesn't want to give up.
This has all be circling back and wondering if McCreary's reappearance and search for the cure will somehow interconnect with Abby's dependence on pills and ability to provide him that cure.
Related: The 100: Best New Relationships of Season 5
Abby's Rock Bottom
From the minute we met this new Abby it was obvious that she wasn't the same. Her addiction hit us out of nowhere, and I want to circle back to my request that we see more of how she got where she is.
Trusting that the Abby we knew was still in there, it was like channeling Kane for the time being.
But after Abby hurting Raven the way that she did, it is safe to say that we have no clue with whom we are dealing. There may have been potential clues to what Abby thinks when she interacts with Kane, but now she is a stranger to me.
Suddenly I'm the one letting my heart rule my head.
Clarke
The lengths that she went through to first not tell Raven what she was struggling with, and then shocking Raven to gain the upper hand in the situation because of her pills, all of that was frankly tough to swallow.
Moving forward, the only way to approach Abby is under the understanding that this isn't who we knew six years ago. This person is not looking to get help, all of which is now amplified by her desperation to keep her addiction well fed.
The Dark Year is an episode that we were teased about because of what it would explain when it came to the state that Octavia is in and possibly the ingredients of those recurring bars.
But my wish for The Dark Year is to see how Abby ended up in this place, a place where she is willing to harm Raven because the fear of her pills disappearing takes over.
This could highlight the rock bottom that Abby needs to hit before we see the portions of her that we know are still in there.
In a way, much like with Bellamy, we looked away for a second, and she turned into this different person. At first, there was a way to reason her choices; there was sympathy present because the struggle was easy to read off her.
Now though, much like when Bellamy had us struggling in The 100 Season 5 Episode 6, we don't know what Abby will do next, and instead of exciting us it scares us.
Raven's well being is another topic that needs to be touched on, because the pain that she went through isn't warranted. Abby wasn't responsible for it, but that doesn't take away from the harm done to Raven.
Moving forward, Abby will need to address this break in her connection to her loved ones for them to somehow move on from this.
The Bellarke Corner
Bellamy loves Clarke.
Now that we've got that out of the way, it is time to talk about how we can't just get that out of the way!
I don't know how I got so lucky that in finding joy when Clarke vocalized her feelings for Bellamy on The 100 Season 5 Episode 5. I now also get to find joy in Bellamy's feelings being addressed as well.
Make no mistake that Octavia compared Bellamy's feelings for Clarke to his feelings for Echo; the fact that there was a worry about Clarke's worth that now is on the same scale as his girlfriend should not be forgotten quickly.
Although there is the comparison that Bellamy still allowed Octavia to control his relationship with Echo, her safety was very clearly waved around, and we were reminded that she could die. Still, Bellamy had to tell Echo goodbye, and she left to pull off a spy mission that could leave her dead.
Here we go again. Pleading for the life of a traitor... who you love.
Octavia
Then Clarke's safety was threatened, not only was it mentioned it was made clear that she was going to get killed. That is the point where Bellamy chose to draw the line, and he went up against Octavia when Clarke's life was on the line.
There were no plans to bust Clarke out or have Octavia reconsider, Bellamy just simply decided to finally go up against his sister to make sure Clarke was safe.
And no I am not crying; this is just a huge branch that flew into my eye.
At first, Bellamy and Clarke not talking anything out worried me. It upset me because those two know how to destroy our sense of self when they have their long talks, so it took me a second to readjust.
But looking back on what Bellamy chose to do, talking wasn't possible when action needed to be taken.
Octavia will have to surrender, this is how we get to peace.
Clarke
In pretty much the same way that Bellamy approached saving Clarke in The 100 Season 5 Episode 3, he came at it with action because there is no time to waste when the platonic soulmate that he loves is in danger.
The fact that Bellamy's feelings were called out like that, it has in such a state of shock because I can't figure out what it means.
It is like we are back at the beginning of the season being reminded how much Bellamy is willing to do for Clarke.
Bellamy Blake is willing to risk 283 likes for Clarke's life. Bellamy Blake is willing to temporarily poison Octavia so that he could gain the upper hand to save Clarke's life.
This is messy and dark, and yet it is fascinating to see the turning point in the Blakes relationship that has Bellamy stepping up.
Clarke's life was a loss that Bellamy was not going to accept and that love is the final push for possible peace. Now, this doesn't take away from Bellamy's love for his sister, but it does remove the safety that surrounded their relationship.
Until now there was no question that Bellamy would choose his sister first, and this season he is reaching breaking points that beg to differ.
Related: The 100: Bellamy and Clarke's Platonic Soulmate Reunions Examined
Stray Thoughts
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The Raven and Echo brainstorming sessions are confusing me like there is no tomorrow. I want to point out Echo's inability to register Raven's emotional attachment to Zeke and the need to keep him alive because of the worth he has to her. Then I will put that thought in my pocket and move on.
Raven taking Abby's shocking, painful action and using that to make tough choices like to kill Zeke, that was something I did not see coming. I doubt that is exactly what will happen since Zeke knows at least half of it, but yet there is still some worry over there for me.
- There was so much quality Pilot Mechanic comfort, and yet I can't drown in my feelings because Raven wants to kill Zeke. Like how does one enjoy impending doom mixed in with the soft soul-crushing awareness that those two need each other like they never needed anyone else?
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Emori is a gift, and she is a goddess. Not backing down in her relationship is singlehandedly breaking the box in which she was placed. It was clear that she was always more than just her relationship with Murphy, but that is still an important part of her that she has to examine.
Her decision not to take him back is inspiring and interesting because of the dynamic that is being created there.
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Weird question: wasn't Monty always just a farmer? Not really, but I am assuming that his job up in space was to produce and create what he farmed.
Anyway, Monty's arc continues to worry me because of his safety and yet it stays true to form. He never wanted to come back down and seeing the chaos just confirms that for him.
- P.S: I adore Harper, but once again I wish she had more to her than just motivating others.
- Kara died. Good riddance.
- Where is the loyalty, Miller? I expected better from you!
- The number of people that everyone down in that bunker has eaten worries me in the way it is building. Bellamy got a good taste of that, and I am sick to my stomach.
- The fact that Raven's mother was an addict and that seeing Abby in that place brought it all back, only for Abby to then hurt Raven because of her addiction? That wound is going to take years to heal, and who knows what it will take for Raven to move on from this too. It is heartbreaking, painful, and truly unimaginable what happened in that room between those two.
What did you think of Bellamy's decision? Did you see it coming or were you blown away? What do you see coming next for those two?
What about Abby and her decision to harm Raven? Were these choices that could be forgiven if peace is at stake? How worried are you about Clarke? Where do you see the plan to kill Zeke heading?
Which part did you love the most? Which part did you like the least? Are you ready to see Murphy start that fire? What name would you give Charmaine's baby?
And don't forget that you can watch The 100 online, right here on TV Fanatic!
Yana Grebenyuk was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in April 2021.
