Jade Izaguirre, Campus Carrier Entertainment Editor
Based on a book series by the same name, “The 100” is a dystopian television series that tells the story of the human race struggling to survive on a space station after a nuclear Armageddon makes the earth uninhabitable.
The space station, dubbed “The Ark,” is a combination of 12 space stations that were linked together after the apocalypse. Despite the name, the space station is not a safe haven; the leaders of the Ark are ruthless and punish any crime (no matter how small) with death. On top of this, many small things are considered crimes. For example, there are rules on population control that make it illegal to have more than one child. The only decent law seems to be excluding juvenile offenders from execution until they are 18.
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| The CW |
At the beginning of the pilot, the human race has been on the Ark for 97 years and has grown from its original 400 survivors to 4,000. They originally planned to return to Earth after the radiation cleared in 100 years, but resources on the ship are dwindling and its ability to sustain life is coming to an end. The leaders of the Ark decide to secretly send 100 juvenile delinquents to earth to test for habitability. Before the apocalypse, all resources needed to stay alive were hidden on Mount Weather. The plan is to keep communication with the delinquents while on earth; however, it backfires when the ship that was taking the 100 crash-lands on Earth. Without any communication with the Ark, the only way the leaders know if the teenagers are still alive is through wristbands that monitor their vital signs.
The first episode begins with Clarke, the main character who has been imprisoned for being an accessory to a crime, being forced out of her prison cell and told she is going to Earth. Once she and the other 100 land on Earth, they discover that they have lost all communication with the Ark and landed on the wrong mountain. So Clarke and four others decide to go to the mountain and bring back supplies. On their way there, they are attacked and one of them is captured.
The second episode follows Bellamy Blake, a major character imprisoned for attempted murder, in an attempt to lead a rebellion against the leaders of the Ark. He easily does this by reminding the 100 that the Ark’s leaders were the ones who imprisoned them. Eventually he convinces many of the 100 to remove their wristbands in order to make the leaders of the Ark think that they are dying, essentially assuring that the people on the Ark never come to Earth. At the same time, Clarke and four other people set off to look for the person who was captured.
If you enjoy teen post-apocalyptic and science fiction television shows, you will love this series. While the pilot is spectacular, the second episode starts slowly but picks up towards the second half.
To watch future episodes of “The 100,” tune into the CW at 9 p.m. on Wednesdays.